Why Select an EV? Advantages of Electric Cars

Why choose an EV?

Cheaper to run

Charging the battery on an EV is usually much cheaper than filling a tank of fuel in a petrol or diesel vehicle, meaning the running costs of EVs are lower

Government grants

The government still provides grants towards home chargers for some people

Government grants

Tax benefits

EVs attract lower taxation, both for VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) and BIK (Benefit in Kind)

Local incentives

EVs may benefit from local incentives like congestion charge exemption or free parking

Less maintenance

EVs have fewer moving parts which means maintenance and repair costs may be lower

Instant performance

In EVs, the torque from the motor is delivered instantly, meaning incredible responsiveness, particularly at low speeds

Jargon explained

AC stands for alternating current

The electricity that comes from the plugs in our home in AC

The batteries in EVs charge via DC, so the AC current is converted into DC by the on-board charger

This means charging will be slower with an AC charger than a DC charger

DC stands for direct current

Many public fast cgarge points are DC

The current does not have to be converted by the on board charger

Therefore DC chargers can charge the car more quickly than AC chargers

kW is a measure of energy transfer

With EVs, the power of chargers are measured in kW

The higher the kW, the faster the charger will charge your car

kWh

kWh is a measured of stored energy

With EVs, the size of the battery is measured in kWh

The higher the kWh, the larger the battery and, generally, the further the range

Close up of OMODA E5 wheel and dashboard

Range

When looking at EVs, you’ll see the term WLTP Range. WLTP stands for Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure and is a globally recognised method of assessing the range of EVs. It’s designed to give a reliable and transparent estimate of the range of an EV. But, it is still derived via a test cycle, so real world ranges can be lower in some cases.

Various factors affect the range of an EV:

Outside temperature. Cold weather reduces the range

Driving style

Vehicle load

Use of air con and heating

Use of features such as stereo, heated seats, heated rear windows

That said, the average UK commute is 20 miles, so even if the range is reduced, most people will have more than enough for their day to day use.

Battery

We know that the range of the battery can vary due to external factors, but there are things you can do to optimise the range:

Heated seats use less energy than the cabin heater

Accelerate and brake gradually

Pre-cool or pre-warm your car while it’s plugged in using the OMODA app

You can maximise the life of the battery by only charging to 80% on most occasions. Obviously you can still charge to 100% if you know you’ll need the full range.

For peace of mind, we have a class-leading an eight-year or 100,000-mile battery warranty, providing coverage against material or manufacturing defects. This means we will repair or replace any such defects free of charge within the eight-year warranty period, to return the battery capacity to at least 70% of the original capacity.

Charging

Living with an EV involves a different mindset to a petrol or diesel car. Whereas previously you will only fill up with fuel when you’re nearly empty, with an EV it’s best to plug in and charge whenever you get home or to work.

Some energy companies have EV-specific tariffs, which give you very cheap power at specific times. With the Omoda app, you can schedule your charging to coincide with these off-peak hours.

Public charge points tend to charge more quickly than home chargers. The Omoda E5 charges at a maximum rate of 80kW. Our battery is 61kW, which means it can be charged from 0-100% in as little as 45 minutes.

There are more than 68,000 public charge points in the UK, and that’s growing every day.

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