Buying an electric car: our journey to helping the climate

By Naomi Goody (Sustainable Development Adminstrator) and Matt Goody 

With additional research by James Stephenson (work experience student) and Matt Williams (Climate Change Policy Officer).

There’s nothing quite like feeling ahead of the curve, which is how we felt a few weeks ago when we bought an electric car. This was followed by a string of announcements about the bright future and new support for electric vehicles:

• In a historic move, car manufacturer Volvo has announced that all their new cars will be electric or hybrid by 2019.
• Recently-elected French President Emmanuel Macron has said that by 2040 there will be no more sales of petrol or diesel cars in the country.
• And in the Queen’s speech the UK Government announced that it will bring forward an Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill to support this market and help to establish charging points at all service stations and petrol stations.

Having recently moved house we realised that we would need a second car in order to manage both of our commutes to work, which had now almost doubled! So an electric car seemed like a sensible choice: it will benefit the environment and our budget. Transport makes up around a quarter of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and the RSPB has serious concerns about the risks of many types of biofuels. Electric cars can offer an environmentally sound way to reduce emissions. Our experience of driving one over the past few weeks has proved this to be true.

An electric car means more money in our pockets

The major appeal to getting an electric car, in our case a Nissan Leaf, was Matt’s daily commute; while not excessively long by any means it was the longest of both journeys and still enough to have a noticeable impact on our bank balance. Our ten year old car, that he would otherwise be driving, averages about 38mpg which at the current cost of fuel works out at about 14p per mile. This in itself isn't all that bad, but when you consider the Leaf costs 2p per mile when charged overnight it's a serious difference. Over the course of a year his commute (around 12,000 miles) used to cost £1680 in fuel but will only cost £275 in the leaf. Throw in the additional £135 save in vehicle excise tax and the Leaf works out £1540 cheaper.

Electric vehicles and a low-carbon energy system will help the climate

Of course, alongside the financial saving, the electric car doesn’t generate any emissions when it’s being drive, so it’s theoretically much better for the climate. To really make the most difference though, as we have done, you need to switch to a green energy supplier that supports the deployment of renewable energy. In order to ensure that a nationwide switch to electric vehicles helps the climate the UK Government needs to support a transition to a low-carbon national energy system. For this to happen the Government’s forthcoming Clean Growth Plan and Industrial Strategy need to create certainty for the renewable energy sector beyond 2020 through policy and clarity on available subsidies.

If you're interested in going electric for environmental reasons then it's a great choice, although definitely consider looking at where your energy comes from to minimise your overall carbon footprint. We certainly enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling we get from having made a decision which allows us in our own small way to contribute to a greener future.

Supporting the arrival of an electric vehicle future

But for others to enjoy the same feeling, electric vehicles need more support. It's up to Government and businesses, not just consumers like us, to make this shift happen There have been three major barriers to electric vehicles to date: the market dominance of petrol and diesel cars, the emissions associated with the electricity used to charge them, and the availability of charging points.

Measures to support a rapid and significant shift to low-carbon energy, in harmony with nature, will ensure that the electricity that powers these vehicles is truly helping the climate without harming wildlife. At present the energy system relies in large part on fossil fuels, meaning that these cars still cause greenhouse gas emissions, just indirectly. And to make them practical for large proportions of the population a roll-out of infrastructure will be needed to make sure they can be charged both at home and on the road. Policies that incentivise people to choose electric vehicles over petrol and diesel cars that are bad for the climate and for people’s health, will kick-start the market too and give this emerging technology the leg-up it needs.

Electric cars are the future of motoring. In order for that future to arrive we need more of the same leadership we’ve seen from politicians and companies in recent weeks.