Over the lifetime of the vehicle, total emissions associated with manufacturing, charging, driving and maintaining an Electric Vehicle (EV) are lower than those for an internal combustion engine (ICE).

Carbon footprint calculations for vehicle construction vary dramatically between manufacturers. Most claim to achieve this through certified offsetting and carbon neutral targets. Electric vehicles (EVs) have much lower life cycle carbon emissions than petrol and diesel vehicles using an ICE.

Carbon emissions over the EV life cycle are falling fast as the UK electricity grid is decarbonised and the UK moves towards Net Zero. Total life cycle carbon emissions of a medium-sized battery EV will be about one-quarter of a petrol car sold in 2025, with UK-manufactured EV batteries 12% greener than the European average.

Some lithium extraction practices can cause environmental degradation, resulting in an unsustanable use of water.

Lithium extraction is under scrutiny and many lithium extraction companies are working towards improving their methods to reduce environmental impacts such as implementing water recycling and conservation measures. 

Exploring alternative lithium sources can help mitigate the impact of lithium extraction on water scarcity. There are more environmentally safe methods now being used such as direct lithium extraction (DLE), an innovative technology that aims to simplify and reduce the environmental footprint of the lithium extraction process.

Overall, lithium production for use in EVs is helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions as it is replacing very high carbon emissions and polluting fossil fuels.

Lithium is recyclable.

Approximately 95% of a lithium-ion battery can be recycled into new batteries.

In fact, the metals used in lithium-ion applications, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, hold their value beyond the life of the battery, allowing recycling facilities to reclaim these materials.

EV batteries can only catch fire where the container of the battery has been punctured, there are impurities in the battery or the charging system is at fault.

You should never charge your electric bike or scooter in the house unattended. The charging system on the smaller, cheaper devices is not very sophisticated. 

Research into actual cases has shown that EVs are much less likely to combust than their petrol or diesel equivalents.

According the the Department for Transport, the average UK daily mileage by car is 18 miles.

EVs have more than enough range for the average daily use - the average range of a fully charged electric car is around 236 miles (source The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) and EV batteries are rapidly evolving to increase range. 

Unless you regularly have long journeys a long range EV isn’t always essential as there is greater access to EV charging stations and the potential to charge at home.

EVs are cheaper to drive than fossil fuel cars especially if you have photovoltaics (PV) solar panels to charge your car using free energy harnessed from the sun.

The time an EV takes to charge will vary dependant on the size of the EV battery, how empty the battery is and the rate of power of the charging point.

Most EVs now have rapid charging capability enabling a direct current (DC) charge from public rapid chargers.

DC charge can charge an EV to 80% (maximum charge when using a rapid charger to protect the battery) from around 20 mins – about the same time as stopping for a comfort break, most motorway service stations have DC EV charging.

There are more Charging Points across the UK than there are fossil fuel petrol/diesel pumps.

In 2019 it was reported that EV charging points in the UK surpassed the number of petrol stations. Since then an exponential number of EV charging points have been installed for public EV charging.

A car spends on average 90% of its time parked.

EV chargers are installed within EV designated parking bays:

• To ensure an EV can park at a designated EV charging point, just as you would expect to be able to access a fuel pump at a petrol station.

• To support the uptake of EVs and ensure they aren’t blocked by fossil fuelled cars.

High end EVs are expensive, just as high-end fossil fuelled cars are.

Typically the running cost of an EV is less than that of a fossil fuelled car:

• Running on electricity is more efficient with further distances per kW energy. 

• Maintenance costs are lower as oil changes are not required and there is less wear and tear on a EV motor compared to a fossil fuel engine.

EV pricing is becoming more competitive, especially on new purchase costs. However, it is worth considering leasing an EV which is cheaper than buying one, or purchasing a second-hand EV from a reputable second hand EV dealer such as Drive Green.

EVs are insurable but recently costs to insure all vehicles have increased with insurance for EVs increasing the most.

One of the main reasons for this is the repair cost and parts availability for EV. 

EVs are newer to the market than other fossil fuelled cars, meaning parts may be less readily available or may be specialised, their purchase costs could be higher than the average fossil fuelled car. 

Insurance comparison sites are a good way to find the best price.

Towing or transporting on a roof rack with an EV is certainly possible. EVs typically have higher power and torque outputs,making towing almost seamless in an EV. 

As EV technology continually advances they are now capable of towing, check the technical details of the EV. Bear in mind the more wind resistance and weight you carry, the more energy it will use.

In general many vehicles are now much heavier than they used to be.

The extra weight of modern vehicles is unlikely to accelerate the destruction of roads, bridges and car parks, in fact many roads require general reinforcement to cope with the overall increasing weight of vehicles. 

With the current ongoing evolution of EVs, battery packs along with the vehicles in general are getting lighter.

All car tyres cause pollution.

As car tyres wear they leave small particulates of rubber upon the road surface.  Faster travel causes greater wear to a cars tyres and therefore contribute to greater levels of particulate pollution.

Electric vehicles offset pollution by producing less particulates from brakes than fossil fuelled cars. This is due to regenerative braking - where the EVs electric motor works in reverse, converting kinetic energy from moving vehicle into electricity

This electricity is then re-used to charge the vehicles battery continually adding more range to the vehicle.