10 burning questions about electric cars

Whether you like them or loathe them, electric cars are coming. Here are the answers to the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about electric vehicles and hybrids

- Nat Barnes

1 WILL ALL NEW CARS BE FULLY-ELECTRIC AFTER 2030?

No. The UK Government has announced that it will be a staggered introduction. So from 2030, all new cars need to be electrified not fullyelectric, meaning plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) will still be sold. Then from 2035, all new cars will need to be fully electric or EVs. In reality, most car manufacturers have already announced that their line-ups will be electrified ahead of these dates.

2 SHOULD I BUY A FULLYELECTRIC CAR OR A PLUG-IN HYBRID?

From 2035 you won’t have a choice, but before then it depends on how you use your car. The fully-charged range of electric cars is growing all the time (see next question) and many owners find that the technology isn’t the hindrance that you might at first imagine. However, if you want the flexibility of being able to drive long journeys at short notice or you run up a high annual mileage, then a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) might be more convenient.

3 WHAT ABOUT THEIR RANGE? HOW FAR CAN ELECTRIC CARS GO ON ONE CHARGE?

Battery technology is improving all the time, but the range of electric vehicles largely depends on the size of the battery fitted. Most new electric cars have a fully-charged range of 200 to 300 miles, while the new Mercedes EQS (the new S-Class) has a range of up to 453 miles. The main problem is the time it takes to fully charge.

4 IS IT SAFE TO BUY A USED ELECTRIC CAR?