Motoring

Electric Car Range Not Always Important

As consumers and businesses turn to electric cars to boost their green credentials, there is a stumbling block for those still considering the move - range anxiety.

That’s the view of Rivervale Cars Limited, which explains range anxiety is a feeling that those who have owned or just driven an electric car know all too well. For newbies, it’s comparable to that dread you get when you see the light on your dashboard reminding you to fill up your tank - when you know it could be miles before you reach the next petrol station. Only recently considered mainstream, the UK government stated that in 2021 over 500,000 low-emission electric cars were being driven in the country. For many people, swapping from a diesel or petrol car is a significant change, and with big change can come new anxieties caused by the unknown. This is where range anxiety comes into play.

What is range anxiety?

Range anxiety is something an electric car owner may experience when they are driving their vehicle and are unsure of how far they can travel until they need to recharge the battery. It is a common concern for those considering leasing an electric car.

Many people worry that they will end Motoring News up making a journey, accidentally exceeding their range and then being unable to access a charging station. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to combat range anxiety and ensure that you can always keep your leased electric car topped up with charge and carry on your journey with peace of mind, wherever you may be!

Range may not be a big an issue

Thanks to the growing popularity of electric cars, charging stations are becoming a much more frequent feature

of our cities and even our homes. According to EDF Energy, there are more than 42,000 charging points in the UK, spanning 15,000 locations. This, therefore, means that there is actually better access to charging points than fuel stations, and that is before private charging stations are even considered.

Many houses now have charging stations, meaning you can charge your electric car from the comfort of your own home. Are you renting a car for a weekend break? Airbnb now lets you search for stays that will give you access to charging ports.

New laws announced in December 2021 will mean that building regulations will be altered to require new homes to possess a charging port; this change comes as part of more comprehensive government plans to increase access to charging stations. This will hopefully mean that range anxiety will be a thing of the past as more and more properties will come equipped to make leasing an electric car all the more simple!

Other places to charge up

As of September 2020, all major UK supermarkets have committed to installing charging stations in their car parks. There has been an 85 per cent increase in supermarket charging stations since 2020. This is fantastic news for electric car drivers as it means that you can top up your charge while you do your weekly shopping.

An increasing number of businesses are also beginning to install charging points at work as part of a workplace charging scheme; there is an estimated 33,000 charging stations available at workplaces across the UK. This is beneficial for both the employer, as it helps to promote sustainable practices, and for employees, as it means they can charge their car during the day without having to worry about range anxiety.

All in all, there are now more charging points available than ever before, and with the government continuing to invest in sustainable practices, it is likely that this number will only increase in the future. So, if you’re considering making the switch to leasing an electric car, don’t let range anxiety hold you back - there are plenty of ways to ensure that you can always keep your car charged and ready to go!

Still not convinced?

As the technology of electric cars has developed, so too has their range. The majority of electric cars now have a range of over 200 miles, which should be more than enough to get you from A to B without any problems. And, if you do happen to exceed your range, there are plenty of charging points available for you to top up your car’s battery meaning that rather than charging your car battery and using it until it is empty, you are ‘grazing’ and charging on the go, as you go.

Use Rivervale’s EV mileage calculator. It will look at your driving habits and determine whether an electric vehicle would suit your lifestyle.

Are you interested in an electric car? Browse Rivervale’s range today and see for yourself how easy it is to make the switch from petrol or diesel! You may be surprised at just how far you can go... Convinced on going electric? Get in touch with Rivervale today on 01273 433 480 to discuss car leasing. Alternatively, request a callback for a time that is convenient for you!

Businesses and Families Can’t Afford Not to Make EV Switch

Air Quality News reporter Martin Guttridge-Hewitt recently sat down with leasing company Rivervale to discuss the benefits of switching to electric vehicles. This is his report, shared with the Sussex Business Times.

Although the leasing company was officially established in 2001, Brighton-based Rivervale has a much longer history behind it. One that stretches way back to Sir Thomas Sopwith, designer of one of the most legendary planes in British aviation, the iconic World War I biplane fighter the Sopwith Camel, and his son, the renowned racing driver and company founder, Tommy Sopwith. Simply put, Rivervale was established by one of Britain’s most passionate petrol heads. A chap who, at the age of 86, was still behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG, one of the German manufacturer’s fastest creations. So, the fact 77% of Rivervale’s leasing fleet is now made up of electric vehicles (EVs) speaks volumes about how far the zero-carbon car and van market has come and gives an insight into how misunderstood this nascent area of auto sales still is. “It’s not the strongest environment at the moment for buyer confidence,” admits Vince Pemberton, Chief Executive

Officer at Rivervale Leasing, nodding Motoring News to the spiralling cost-of-living crisis, sky high inflation and a looming UK recession as factors impacting both his personal and business customer base. Then there are more traditional concerns over EV performance – not least so-called ‘range anxiety’, which refers to worries about how far nonpetrol and non-diesel models can travel between charges. All fears that are products of short-sightedness. “There might be a higher upfront cost [in

going electric], but the longer-term saving is substantial. I don’t think this is made clear enough,” Vince continues, citing rocketing fuel costs among other factors.

“If you’re lucky enough to have a driveway or off-road parking with access to charge points, even better. There are apps that control when you’re charging – you can do it overnight, when tariffs are lowest. My car probably costs between £10 and £12 to fully charge. That gets me around 220miles. A diesel tank on an average family car gets you 400miles, but sets you back about £85… And it won’t be long before we’re seeing EVs with equivalent range to petrol and diesel. It’s coming.”

That 50 per cent saving is only part of the story. As Pemberton’s colleague, Bud Johnston, Rivervale’s Group Marketing Director, jumps in to explain, there are also significant advantages in terms of maintenance requirements, which in turn correlate to spending less money on servicing and, by default, having your vehicle off the road less frequently. Again, it’s a very different picture from that of reliability problems many EV critics often paint.

“Basically, EVs don’t have as many moving parts compared with traditional vehicles. This means your maintenance costs are going to be significantly lower. You’re not going to have to get a service as frequently and foot that bill for the work,” says Bud. “And this is before we come to the major advantages when you’re talking about company cars, and employee benefitin-kind. Basically, if we’re going to make a point around EVs being liable for less company car tax, then we need to make the point this is considerably less company car tax.

“And for a lot of employees, it will feel like a pay rise. Someone driving a Mercedes C Class as a company car, switching to electric will see massive savings and much better benefit-in-kind payments. I’m talking hundreds of pounds.”

We ask for some numbers and are given the lowdown on a BMW 420 Gran Coupe. On a monthly basis, employees would have £457.11 more cash in their pocket if the car is electric compared with petrol due to more generous benefit-inkind rates. A significant boost to earnings at a time when domestic heating bills are at record highs with successive price hikes due in autumn and winter.

Practicalities are also difficult to deny. London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone is expanding next year to cover 96 per cent of the city’s sprawl, so more drivers will be liable to pay to travel into, through and out of the region. EVs offer a way to avoid fees due to their compliance with the strictest emissions regulations. Outside the capital, more and more cities are following suit with restrictions on polluting vehicles now active in Birmingham, Brighton, Norwich, and Portsmouth, among other places. Meanwhile, Oxford is operating an emission-free zone. Across Europe, there are 320 of these schemes in place, with that number expected to exceed 500 within the next three years.

Vince explains: “The pressure is also being put on businesses for ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance: standards which measure a company’s impact on the environment and society. As a company, you start ticking some ESG boxes by switching to electric. Then there’s the growing number of tenders looking for suppliers that take environmental impact into account. So, you’ve got firms bidding and winning tenders in part because their vehicle fleet is electric, as that helps customers improve their own ESG rating.”

Taking all this into account, it’s unsurprising to hear EV inquiries at Rivervale have increased exponentially in the past 12 months, growing by no less than 70% since 2021. For Pemberton, it’s just one sign of a rapidly rising tide set to fundamentally change the makeup of British traffic over the course of this decade. At which point sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned as the country continues on the road to decarbonisation.

Vince adds: “There are the running costs for EVs, which are advantageous. For businesses, the amount that can be claimed back in taxable benefits is much higher, because the vehicle produces no CO2. On top of that, you’ve given your employee a pay rise through benefit-in-kind payments. And, of course, you’re doing something positive for the planet, and for the kids that will still be here when we’re long gone. What’s not to like?

“There’s still some nervousness around all this, but the best thing people can do is speak to experts, who can guide them through the options and help them understand the long-term advantages of switching over.”

Bud Johnston

For more information, visit; https://

www.rivervaleleasing.co.uk/car-

leasing/electric-hybrid-cars or call 01273 433 480 to discuss car leasing.