Perhaps the most obvious way is their lack of emissions. No exhaust means no harmful exhaust gases, which is a particular problem in densely populated urban areas like London.

But there are plenty of other things about electric cars that make them much better than ICE equivalents.

Renewable energy sources

The UK has dramatically decarbonised its power generation in recent years by using less emitting natural gases and increasing its supply of renewables. The country also brought an end to the use of coal to generate electricity with the closure of its last coal-fired power plant in October 2024. With the country reducing its reliance on gas and turning instead to more renewable sources, its energy grid continues to get greener every year.

Importantly, EVs can be powered by these renewable energy sources, which makes them even better for the planet than ICE cars which can only run by burning fossil fuels.

Generally speaking, EVs are much more efficient at using their energy than equivalent ICE cars. For starters, electric cars can benefit from a process called regenerative braking, where the car is able to capture the energy lost during braking to recharge the battery. Not only is this more energy-efficient, but it also reduces wear and tear on the brakes. 

But crucially, electric car drive trains have significantly fewer moving parts than engines found in petrol or diesel cars. As a result, EVs lose far less energy via heat or friction between parts. This means even if an EV’s electricity is generated by coal (which, in the UK at least, is no longer possible), it will still be more energy-efficient than an ICE equivalent as it will use that energy more efficiently. 

Tip: you can find the average efficiency of different electric cars in our vehicle guides.

Air pollution is a big concern, especially in major urban centres, as many harmful gases contribute to climate change and the negative effects it brings. But noise pollution is also a significant issue that is linked to numerous health problems, from the more obvious things like hearing loss and tinnitus to migraines, anxiety, depression, and even sleep-related disorders.

Electric cars are quiet because they’re powered by an electric motor, meaning the only sound they actually produce comes from the tyres. In fact, the sounds they do produce are less than the legal limit for vehicles, currently 72 decibels in the UK. This means EVs are better not just for air quality, but also combating noise pollution.

What about lithium-ion EV batteries?

When talking about electric cars being greener, questions are inevitably raised around the environmental impact of their lithium-ion batteries, and with good reason.

Lithium is the most commonly used element in the production of EV batteries for a number of reasons:

• It can carry a high amount of energy
• It has a high power-to-weight ratio
• It has high energy efficiency
• It has a low self-discharge rate

Whilst these make it ideal for use in EV batteries, it is recognised that the process of mining lithium poses environmental challenges, including air and water pollution, contamination of groundwater, and the degradation of nearby land. It’s also an energy intensive process, although notably less so than the CO2 released during the production and use of other fossil fuels.

With demand for EVs on the rise, the global demand for lithium has increased, with many car brands exploring other battery types or more sustainable mining methods.

That said, the energy used to extract it and the environmental impact are offset over the lifetime of the electric car, due to the lower fuel production emissions and lack of tailpipe emissions. This means when you take into account everything else, EVs are still ultimately greener than ICE cars.

Whatever kind of car you drive, you will use less energy if you pull away gently, and longer journeys use more carbon per mile and thus create more pollutants. Whilst the latter is less of a concern for EVs due to their lack of emissions and drawing power from renewables, the former still holds true; driving more efficiently and carefully means your car will be overall more efficient and waste less energy.

When you charge matters as much as how

The UK energy grid’s carbon intensity varies depending on how much power is currently in demand and what mixture of sources are in use. For example, the UK’s grid is greener on windier days as more energy will be supplied by wind farms. Or, if you have solar panels, you’ll naturally generate more solar energy than on cloudier days. Similarly, energy demand is typically lowest overnight when we’re all in bed, making it a greener (and often cheaper) time to charge.

Whilst it’s not entirely practical to always try and time your charges for these periods, you can use various tools to see the grid’s current carbon intensity, and use that information to make your charging greener.

At Pod Point, we know that an eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t just start and end with purchasing an EV home charger. There are a whole host of other things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, whilst also decreasing your monthly energy bills.

One such thing which achieves both is installing a trusty heat pump for your home. In this guide we will dive into what exactly a heat pump is, how they work, and how you can save money on installing one in your home.

A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one place to another – from outside your home, to inside – and uses electricity to move heat rather than generating it itself like a traditional radiator. This makes it highly efficient for both heating and cooling.

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A heat pump heats your home using electricity, meaning that you can also use your solar panels to power this unit – making for a much more sustainable use of energy. It works by taking heat from the air or ground, increasing it to a higher temperature and transferring it to your home to provide heating and hot water.

The heat pump unit is fixed on the outside of a property. Contrary to popular belief, the units, when properly installed and maintained, operate quietly with sound levels similar to a boiler.

For more information and advice on heat pumps, visit the Energy Saving Trust, Nesta or The MCS Foundation.

There are myriad benefits of installing a heat pump in your home, including:

• They’re greener – installing one can lead to carbon savings of up to 70% compared to a gas boiler
• They’re more efficient – they’re 3 times more energy efficient than traditional gas boilers
• They’re more secure – they remove the need for any imported gas in your home, contributing to UK energy security
• They get better over time – they’ll become greener every year as the UK electricity grid continues to decarbonise

This depends on the type of heat pump you are looking at and whether the installation is standard or something a little more complicated. There are three main types of heat pump, these are:

• Air-to-air heat pumps
• Air-to-water heat pumps
• Ground source heat pumps

The prices for these units can vary quite dramatically, alongside the installation costs which can rapidly rack up depending on the layout of your home. You can get an air source heat pump from our partners at EDF. Prices start at £3,180 after the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant has been added (more on that later).

There are some factors which will contribute to the installation cost if you want to get the most out of your unit. For example, your pipes may need to be replaced to allow for higher flow rates, or if you don’t have a fully insulated home, this can make the heat pump far less efficient.

So, how can you make purchasing and installing a heat pump in your home more affordable?

We're supporting the government's new #WarmAndFuzzy campaign, which seeks to bring more awareness to the new government grant of £7,500 for anyone to upgrade their boiler to a heat pump.

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These grants work the same way they do for any of the EV grants, making these fantastic bits of kit more affordable for all UK residents. To find out more about making your home smarter, greener, and more energy efficient, visit the government campaign page.

If you want to know more about heat pumps, there are also loads of stories from real customers’ experiences on the Gov website. Even houses built in the 1930s or homes which are fully off-grid are being able to benefit from the installation of a heat pump. Read their stories here.

Regenerative braking might sound like jargon straight out of a car enthusiast's glossary, but trust us, it's not as complex as it sounds. In fact, understanding this feature can add a whole new layer of appreciation for electric vehicles (EVs).

So, what exactly is regenerative braking, which cars come equipped with it, and why should it matter to you? Let's gently press on the brake pedal and find out.

When you hit the brakes in an ICE car, the brake pads clamp the brake discs to slow the wheel down. This generates heat which is wasted during the process. Similarly, if you just take your foot off the accelerator, the car’s momentum as it gradually coasts and slows down is also lost.

All EVs have the same standard hydraulic system like ICE cars using brake pads. But some also have regenerative braking or regen braking, a clever piece of technology that takes energy from the car’s motor and uses it to recharge the car's battery and improve overall efficiency.

In EVs, the electric motor that powers the vehicle can operate forwards and backwards. Operating forwards, the motor powers the wheels. But with an electric car with regen braking, when you lift your foot off the accelerator, the motor reverses and becomes a generator. The car’s forward momentum feeds energy through this generator back into the battery, recharging it.

You’ll be able to tell when your EV uses regenerative braking because it feels like someone is applying the brakes when you take your foot off the accelerator. It’s similar to using engine braking to slow down an ICE car. If you don’t like the feeling of regen braking, some EVs will let you adjust its intensity or fully turn it off.

Understanding the advantages of regenerative braking is key to recognising its value. Here's a breakdown:

• Enhanced energy efficiency: By capturing energy that would otherwise be lost, regenerative braking systems make EVs more energy-efficient, extending their range.

• Reduced wear and tear on brakes: This system takes some of the heavy lifting off traditional braking components (the brake pads and discs), leading to less wear and tear and lower maintenance costs.

• Environmentally friendly: Less reliance on the conventional braking system means fewer emissions, making regenerative braking a greener option.

Improves battery life: By continually and slowly recharging the battery, regenerative braking can help improve the overall battery lifespan.

The short answer is that most modern electric vehicles come equipped with regenerative braking systems, including fully battery electric and hybrid vehicles. However, the extent to which they harness this technology depends on the car.

Some models allow drivers to adjust the level of regenerative braking for a more personalised driving experience. Many have something called one-pedal driving, which feels like using the brake when your foot is fully off the acceleration pedal.

So, while regenerative braking is a common feature among EVs, the way it's implemented can differ from one model to another.

Yes, the brake lights come on when using regenerative braking in most make and models. It’s an effective signal to drivers behind you to notice you slow down and avoid potential accidents.

In EVs with regenerative braking, the brake lights aren’t solely controlled by pressing the brake pedal. They’ll also light up when you take your foot off the brake entirely at higher speeds, causing the car to decelerate significantly

Regenerative braking is more than just a fancy feature. It's a symbol of how far driving technology has come in making vehicles more efficient, environmentally friendly and economical to run. Whether you're a seasoned EV driver or someone curious about making the switch, understanding how regenerative braking works can greatly enhance your driving experience and appreciation for sustainable technologies.

Want to learn more about EVs? Check out our EV buying guide for everything you need to know before switching to electric or our guide on range anxiety and how to beat it.

Browse EVs that are available in the U

Find out more about EV connector types

Learn how to charge an electric car

Find out more about EV charging speeds

How difficult a machine is to maintain is usually directly proportional to its number of moving parts. The number of moving parts in an electric drivetrain is vastly lower than in an internal combustion engine and therefore maintenance is much easier. But there is also no metal on metal wear in the same way as, for example, a clutch system.

Of course, plug-in hybrid maintenance is more like conventional car maintenance, as they still have conventional components like exhausts, clutches, gear boxes etc.

We focus this guide on maintaining the pure electric cars.

Are electric cars cheaper to maintain?

Electric cars can be cheaper to maintain, especially as servicing tends to cost less on average when compared to an ICE car. In addition to saving on servicing costs, the lower cost of using electricity to power your car when charging at home can add up over time, increasing your savings even more.

While there are aspects of electric car ownership that are clearly cheaper costs associated with an ICE car, you can expect traditional car parts such as tyres and brake pads to cost roughly the same.

Though manufacturers tend to offer compelling warranties (e.g. 8 year from Jaguar, Nissan, Renault and Tesla) on the longevity of EV batteries, battery degradation has been a big worry for many about electric cars. In particular, the fear that replacing the battery will be necessary and expensive.

While different car manufacturers are experiencing slightly varying results, overall evidence from the real world is that the rate of decay is much less than feared - and some manufacturers are now expecting their batteries to outlast the rest of the vehicle.

Below’s crowd-sourced data on Tesla’s battery degradation shows ~7% degradation after an incredible 250,000 miles.

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Though it is rare, should you notice a significant depreciation in the range of your battery, it is possible that the battery pack is experiencing some undue decay. With most pure electric cars on the road today still in warranty, the first task is to contact the manufacturer who can look to service the battery.

Battery repair usually means replacing some sub-optimal cells, rather than the entire battery pack. So this can be thought of like a major engine repair in a conventionally fuelled car.

But we must stress - this is rare!

An estimate from Book My Garage puts the average EV battery replacement cost at £5,378.43. We want to be clear - this is only an estimate. Battery repair/replacement costs will vary between manufacturers and will almost certainly have to be undertaken by the manufacturer themselves. Therefore, in order to establish specific costs, we recommend contacting the EV manufacturer directly - and be sure to check to see if your issue is covered within the vehicle warranty.

our electric car still has tyres and brakes and thus brake discs just like a petrol or diesel car.

Tyres

Pressure:

Tyres should be maintained at the recommended pressures (usually listed on a plate inside the door frame). You can do this with a pump at home or at a petrol station (where you can amuse yourself with the price of petrol). Tyres that are running under pressure can significantly reduce your car’s efficiency and thus reduce their range, while over-pressure tyres have reduced lifespan.

You can expect to budget anywhere between £45 for a budget tyre replacement to £220 for a top-end tyre. Replacement including labour for a mid-range tyre will set you back £75 (according to Checkatrade).
 

Wear:

Electric cars are generally heavier than their equivalent conventionally fuelled vehicles, this can lead to slightly accelerated tyre wear. Tyres should be regularly checked for wear and changed once they have worn down the tyre wear indicators.

Tyre prices vary according to their size and how common that size of wheel is. Generally, smaller, more common tyres are cheaper.

In order to get prices, establish the width of the tread that meets the road and the thickness (or profile) of the tyre between the wheel rim (both in mm) and the diameter of your EV’s wheels (in inches).

For example, a smaller Nissan LEAF wheel requires 205mm/55mm 16inch tyres. You can then use the size to search for quotes from tyre supply and/or fitting companies.

While electric cars have fairly conventional disc brakes, they are really used just as emergency back up to the more regularly used regenerative braking. This means substantially reduced brake wear to the extent that Elon Musk recently stated that brake pads actually outlast the life of Tesla vehicles.

Electric cars’ windscreens are just as liable to chips and cracks, and they use their wipers and washer fluid every bit as much as conventionally fuelled cars. So you need to maintain the windscreen, replace the blades when they wear and keep the fluid topped up just the same.

Of course, electric cars are still machines. They still have plenty of components. And those components do occasionally go wrong. For example, the author of this guide has had an issue with parking sensors and a door handle on his BEV. Clearly neither had anything to do with the car’s drivetrain!

As such, be on your guard for niggles and such, but in general forget the oily rags, EVs make for a far easier life for their owners.

What does it cost to service an electric car?

Surprisingly to some, it costs less to service an electric car than a petrol or diesel car. The average cost for a full service of an EV currently is £143.75, whereas the average cost for an ICE car comes to £174.23 - around 18% more (according to WhoCanFixMyCar).

One of the reasons for a lower service cost is the testing and time required. An electric car has far fewer components than an ICE car, and doesn’t require services such as replacement of filters and oil changes.

Any checks associated with the internal combustion engine are replaced by straightforward diagnostic reports on electric components and the battery, and visual check for damage. Inspection of standard parts such as brakes, tyres, lights, steering and suspension remain the same.
 

MOT costs for electric cars

MOTs are no more expensive for electric cars than for petrol or diesel cars. The Driving & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sets a maximum charge for any MOT, whether that’s for a 9-seater van, motorbike or small car. The current charge for a 4-wheel car like the Tesla Model S and Audi Q8 e-tron is £54.85.

A seemingly obvious statement, but there are two parts:

1. Plug-in vehicles only!

Unless your car can make use of a charging point then this bay is not for you. Parking an “Internal Combustion Engined” (ICE) car in a charging bay is known as “ICE'ing”. It will win no one any friends, nor admiration.

2. Charging only!

Even if it is a preferable space, you should only park in the bay by the EV chargepoint if you are going to charge!

When you are at a public chargepoint it’s also considerate to move once you have completed charging to allow another driver use of the chargepoint.

Of course there are some chargepoints where this isn’t possible, e.g. at airports or train stations - so use your initiative.

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Rapid charging

1. Do not block the bay with an internal combustion engine vehicle.

This is the equivalent to finding you are blocked from entering a petrol station you really need by someone parking across the only available entrance. The rage is palpable.

2. Don’t use a rapid charger if your plug-in vehicle can’t rapid charge.

Some rapid chargers have AC sockets which some EVs that can’t rapid charge can technically top-up charge on.

Most PHEVs (and some BEVs) can only charge at the slower AC charging rates. If not an emergency for a BEV driver, they should avoid rapid chargers while PHEV drivers should do the same, as they can continue travelling using fossil fuel by virtue of being a PHEV.

It is not an appropriate use of a rapid charger to charge at 3.6kW or 7kW, potentially for hours, blocking a BEV who needs to use it for their onward journey.

3. As soon as you have charged as much as you need, unplug and vacate the bay straight away.

The rapid charger is not for parking at. It’s for charging and moving on from. This is one of the reasons for The Rapid Charge Paradox (“The faster the charger, the longer you spend watching your car charge”) - you can’t go far from a rapid charger while using it. While inconvenient this is about being considerate to other users. And increasingly drivers who leave their car charged and plugged in will be hit with “idle fees” for overstaying.

• Thou shalt not ICE.
• Thou shalt not park in a charging bay, unless to use the chargepoint.
• Thou shalt not unplug thy neighbour.
• Thou shalt leave the rapid charger as soon as you have finished charging for your onward journey.
• Thou shalt not covet the (appropriately used) charger of thy neighbour.

Can someone unplug my electric car?

Unplugging someone’s car is usually impossible in practice, there are locking mechanisms in the car-side Type 2 socket and some Type 1 sockets. However, some Type 1 cars can still be unplugged by a 3rd party.

While it’s not illegal for someone to unplug your electric car without your consent, it’s bad EV charging etiquette. As long as you vacate your spot once you’re done charging, this shouldn’t be an issue.

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Workplace charging

You are unlikely to need the charger for the whole day, but depending on your job/how busy your day is, it can be tricky to move. Thus:

• Try to move if there’s demand from other drivers - maybe leave a note with your number?
• Don’t get too grumpy with colleagues if they can’t move.
• Get more chargepoints installed!

If you have any further queries then we recommend speaking to our Workplace team or checking out our Workplace EV charging solutions page.

Some basic etiquette makes everyone’s lives easier, so here are our top chargepoint pointers:

• It is better to be philosophical about other people abusing the commandments. You will quickly forget about the annoyance. You will not soon forget about a conviction for criminal damage.
• Try to match rapid charge events with similar length activities - coffee in a local café, a similarly timed walk, use of facilities. Watching your car charge is no one’s idea of fun.
• Try not to use the last possible en route rapid charger, ideally use the one before the penultimate. This gives you a safety buffer should it be occupied or out of service, as you have two more to try ahead of you.
• Try to get into the habit of topping up at your destination whenever you can. Whilst this feels alien for those used to refuelling, it reduces your reliance on (usually) expensive and inconvenient rapid charging and means charging happens when you are busy doing other things, thus minimising your time spent waiting to effectively nil.

Can I sit in my car while charging?

Yes, you can sit in your electric car while charging as long as you leave your bay once you’re done. Although some have previously raised concerns over the possibility of EV charger current interfering with certain medical devices in human bodies, a study published in the journal of the European Society of Cardiology found no proof of this. 

So whether you’ve such a device, like a pacemaker or defibrillator, or not, sitting in your car while charging is generally safe.
 

What is ICing in EV charging?

It’s the act of parking an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle in a bay designated for EV charging. ICE cars don’t need and can’t make use of charging locations, so when they occupy a charging bay, an electric car that might need to top up can’t use it.

It’s frustrating for EV drivers, especially as chargepoints are usually far outnumbered by regular parking spots in supermarket car parks and parking garages.

Before we explain how to charge your electric car, it’s worth understanding how the charging ecosystem works.

Many drivers assume that electric car charging works in a similar way to refuelling petrol/diesel cars, but that isn’t the case. Gone are the days when you need to drive to a service station to fill up your tank.

That’s because electric car chargepoints can be installed in any location where there’s enough available power, with many relatively lower powered EV chargers installed at places where drivers spend a long time parked.

This way, their car will be charging whilst they’re spending a long time at that destination, giving them a fuller battery when they return to move to the next location.

For the majority of drivers, this will either be overnight at home, at work, or at a public destination like a supermarket or shopping centre. There’s also en-route charging for long-distance journeys, which must be higher powered for faster charging. This is what we call the charging ecosystem.

Be sure to follow the general EV charging etiquette when using chargepoints at your workplace or in public!

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How to charge an electric car

Most of the time, you’ll charge your car at home, at your workplace, or with public chargepoints, when your car is parked for a long time.

But instead of waiting for the battery to run to empty and charging from 0% to full, it’s a good habit for drivers to charge their car whenever it’s parked to keep their EV topped up. As they say, “ABC: Always Be Charging”.

If you’re on a long trip, you may also stop at a service station for a quick charge on a rapid charger. See our handy tips on how to prepare for a long journey in an EV.

Where you charge determines how long it takes to charge, how much it costs, and what type of equipment you’ll need. 
 

Once you’re moving, there are ways to optimising the range of your electric vehicle to maximise the amount of distance you can cover in a single charge.

Learn more about charging an electric car.

Some chargepoints - including all rapid chargers and a handful of fast chargepoints - are tethered, which means they have a charging cable already attached.

Most AC chargers have sockets, so you should carry your own charging cable. This way, you can access any untethered (or universal) electric car charging ports, which instead have a socket and no cable.

Charging cables have two connectors - one for the chargepoint socket, and one for the electric car. Electric vehicles either have a Type 1 or, more commonly, Type 2 socket for slow/fast charging and CHAdeMO or CCS for DC rapid charging (for those vehicles that can).

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Learn more about the different kinds of sockets and EV connector types and how to choose the best charging cable for your EV.

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Charging at home is the most convenient option, provided you have dedicated off-street parking. 

Although you can charge your electric car from a domestic socket using a standard 3-pin plug, it’s not recommended. They aren’t designed to support the consistent loads needed, which can result in overheating that puts your home at risk.

Instead, it’s better to get a dedicated home chargepoint, as they include numerous safety features to keep your home safe. They’re also much quicker than 3-pin plugs, and can include smart features once connected to your home’s Wi-Fi.

Learn more about how to charge an EV at home.

Businesses are increasingly looking to provide workplace charging as part of their employee benefits and perks, which can help with retention and workplace satisfaction.

The UK Government offers a grant, called the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) to encourage more adoption amongst businesses. It reduces the cost of purchasing and installing single-socket chargepoints at workplaces by 75% (capped at £350 per socket).

Charging an EV at work can be very convenient, as people typically spend a decent amount of time at their workplace.

Also, as most commuting drivers cover fewer than 30 miles to get to work, their EVs won’t need long to recharge to full, so 7kW charging stations are often sufficient. Rapid chargepoints may however be beneficial to quickly refill fleet vehicles which can’t park up for long.

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Businesses can benefit from offering public charging. From attracting and retaining customers to covering costs or even generating a profit, there are a number of business models available for commercial EV charging.

For drivers this means another convenient location to top-up their battery when out and about. This can be especially useful if you can’t get a charger installed at home.

As coverage is expanding, soon drivers can be sure to find a chargepoint wherever you park.

These places range from supermarkets and shopping centres to longer-stay destinations like train stations and airports.

There are four common methods of accessing public chargepoints: plug in and charge instantly, via an app, tapping a contactless payment card, or using an RFID card.

Learn more about the business models for EV charging.
 

While you should never ignore a warning light, not all are negative. Some are simply there to let you know that things are working as they should, but others indicate significant faults that should be looked at immediately.

EV warning lights will appear in one of three colours on your dashboard, following the traffic light colour system:

• Green – the system is active and working as expected

• Yellow – there’s something amiss with the system which isn’t critical but should be checked

• Red – there’s a serious fault and you should seek assistance immediately and stop driving as soon as possible

Ready to drive

Showing the outline of a car and an arrow pointing forwards and backwards, this green-glowing light indicates that the EV is ready to drive. Electric cars are quieter than ICE cars as they don’t have an engine, so this symbol helps you check that the car is on.
 

Eco mode

A green label with the word ‘ECO’ displayed on it, the eco mode warning light lets you know that the EV is adjusting its power output to extend your range, meaning you’ll get more miles out of your battery.
 

General fault

The general fault warning light is red and signals to you that there is at least one serious fault with your EV. If this light is on, you should take your electric car to a garage as soon as you can.
 

Limited power

Displaying a yellow tortoise symbol, the limited power warning light will coincide with a speed reduction. You should seek assistance from a trusted garage to identify the problem and get it fixed, as it may be related to an electrical fault or issues with the battery temperature.
 

Low battery

The low battery warning light is a simple yellow illustration of a charging station with a 2-pin connector and cable which comes on when the EV is at around 10% charge. When the battery drops to 5%, this light starts flashing to warn you that the battery will soon run out of charge.
 

Electrical fault

Showing an outline of a car with an exclamation mark overlaid, this warning light alerts you of an electrical system issue in your EV. When it’s showing in yellow, you should take your car to a garage soon. If it appears in red, don’t delay having a professional inspect the EV, as it could shut down or reduce power.
 

12V battery charge

EVs and ICE cars use a 12V battery to start their electric motors. If you see the red 12V battery charge warning light on your dashboard, a battery symbol with a lightning bolt over the top, your smaller battery is low on charge.
 

Pedestrian alert

A white warning light showing a person on the road. The pedestrian alert is available in EVs and ICE cars with detection systems. Assuming you haven’t already spotted them, brake immediately when you see this light on your dashboard to prevent an accident from happening.

Auto-glide control indicator

The auto-glide warning light centres the letters ACG in a green circle which lets you know that it’s reducing deceleration to let you coast in your EV. It reduces energy consumption and enhances range.

External sound system issue

This warning light consists of a yellow car and speaker symbol, informing you that the noisemaker in your EV isn’t working. EVs are much quieter than ICE cars, so they emit an artificial sound to increase safety and alert pedestrians and other road users of their presence.

Regenerative brake system warning indicator

Electric cars also have mechanical brakes, consisting of brake pads and discs, and an electronically controlled one. Showing on your dashboard in either yellow or red with the letter RBS in a circle, this warning light points to a fault with the regenerative braking system. If you see this, you should take your car to the garage as soon as this light appears, especially if it’s red.

Noise pollution is one of the major forms of pollution that has a negative impact on health, both for people and wildlife. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared traffic noise - which includes roads, rail, and air - as the second leading cause of negative health in western Europe.

The WHO recommends that people aren’t exposed to noise exceeding 53 decibels (dB) during the day-night period caused by road traffic. Anything over ~75 dB has the potential to damage our ears.

There are lots of sources of noise pollution such as construction or industrial noise, sounds produced by home appliances, or large events like concerts or sports. Noise pollution is most strongly felt in dense urban areas with high populations like cities.

Traffic and vehicles are also a large source of noise pollution, with most sounds caused by vehicles breaching the WHO’s 53 dB recommendation. For example, a car can produce sounds reaching anywhere from 70 to 90 dB, whilst a bus can be as loud as 100 dB or more.

Whilst there is little research into how noise pollution has changed over time, research by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) conducted studies in 2023 to better determine how noise impacts our health and wellbeing.

According to their research, 40% of the UK population - roughly 26.8 million people - is exposed to harmful levels of noise pollution caused by traffic.

Prolonged exposure to noises can lead to numerous health problems. The most obvious are hearing loss and tinnitus. But noise pollution can also cause migraines, anxiety and depression, and even sleep-related disorders like insomnia.

In the UK and EU, there are laws in place around car noises. The legal limit for vehicles is 72 decibels, although this is due to be reduced to around 68 decibels by 2026.

However, because they are powered by an electric motor and not an engine, electric cars are significantly quieter than their ICE equivalents. The only sound they naturally produce comes from the tyres of the road, or their wind resistance.

This means EV sounds are naturally lower than car noise laws. They can have a profound impact on reducing traffic sounds and lower noise pollution, especially in larger cities. So not only are they better from an air pollution perspective, electric cars are also great at combating the negative effects of sounds on both humans and animals.

There are some safety concerns with electric cars being much quieter than what we’re currently used to.

EVs are so much quieter in fact, that they have a legal requirement to emit a sound of at least 56 decibels. This artificial engine sound simulates how an ICE car sounds, so that it increases when the car speeds up and decreases when it slows down.

The reason for the noise is that the sound helps to alert pedestrians and keep them safe. However, the sound they produce is still much lower than a standard petrol or diesel car. This means they have been designed to be safe for pedestrians whilst also preventing noise pollution.

It’s most convenient to charge an electric car where it is parked anyway (which is about 95% of the time) using chargepoints installed at the locations you regularly visit. 

For most people that means home, then work, then your other destinations - while those journeys beyond the range of your battery will require less frequent use of high-powered en route chargers.

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Home charging is where most charging occurs because it’s so convenient. However, not everyone has suitable off street parking at home that allows them to have a home charger.

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Do not write off getting an EV because you can’t get a home charger, we just need to look elsewhere in the charging ecosystem.

Many people use their car to get to work and park at their workplace for a good many hours, as such workplace charging offers a huge opportunity. 

With most commuters driving less than 30 miles to work and BEVs increasingly having real ranges of more than 200 miles, workplace charging makes owning a BEV easy, particularly when coupled with the use of the public network for top up, as required. 

Some modal interchanges (e.g. rail station car parks) can also fulfil the Workplace role.

If you don’t have a regular charging spot at home or work, you can always top-up at your other destinations when you’re out and about. 

Pod Point is one of the companies working hard to build the public network so that there is an easy to use chargepoint everywhere you park. 

There is still a way to go until there are enough chargepoints that mean you have enough top up charging opportunities to cover all but your infrequent long journeys - but we will get there.

The dwell time in some car parks is so long that it enables a substantial, or even complete charge of even the biggest batteries. 

Getting access to these locations can substitute having a home or workplace charger. As discussed, modal interchanges like train stations, but also airports, can fulfil this role. Potentially some commercial car parks, that have low occupancy at times e.g. over night, may offer this facility to local drivers.

Driving to a high powered charger, for the purpose of putting energy into your battery is much like the refuelling model for cars with internal combustion engines. 

While detouring (e.g. once a week or so) to charge at rapid chargers benefits from familiarity to the ICE driver, it is not the most appealing option; it can be quite time consuming in both the extra detour and the wait for charging (beware the Rapid Charge Paradox, i.e. “The faster the charging point, the longer you spend watching your car charge”).

If you can twin the trip with something productive this can help, but it is tricky to get the timing right and it’s not considered good etiquette to occupy the charger after you are finished charging.

Perhaps we will develop facilities at these hubs that make the dwell time productive/enjoyable (or vice versa). However, scaling rapid charging is very costly, making charging costs likely to threaten/exceed the cost of petrol for the users.

Well placed rapid chargers are critical to EV uptake, but compared to inexpensively charging when you have left your car parked while you do something else, they are not an appealing way to do the bulk of your charging.

While we believe anyone can drive a BEV if they so wish, some may currently need to suffer a degree of inconvenience to do so. But it won’t stay this way forever. Aside from a significant development of the charging network, what technologies are on the way that will help?

On-street charging

To date on-street charging is a mix of a handful of very expensive to install conventional chargepoints, that add to street clutter and some sockets added to existing lamp-posts that cleverly allow users to eke out a slow, but useful charge. Neither will scale to materially enable mass adoption.

We believe it is feasible for charging infrastructure to be installed into the street environment in an unobtrusive and cost effective manner. However, such systems will require sufficient demand and utilisation, and in order to get to this point, we need to see more EVs hit the market.

Autonomous features

When you can send your car somewhere without having to drive it, those without home chargers will be able to send their cars someplace to charge, thus giving a new utility to long-stay destination parking. However, those without off street parking are likely to be amongst the first to ditch their cars, opting instead for ride-hailing very inexpensive autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) for their vehicular mobility needs. This will further reduce the scale of the challenge.