This Sunday, June 5, is World Environment Day, and switching to an electric vehicle is one way drivers could reduce their carbon footprint - while also saving cash.
Research conducted by automotive experts at Vanarama revealed that switching a fuel car out for an electric vehicle not only reduces the emission of greenhouse gases - but can also save drivers up to £3,108 a year across a range of driving expenses.
It is no secret that the growing cost of living continues to impact Scots, and one area which has taken a big hit is the price of fuel.
Last week, the average petrol price reached it's highest yet, following an EU ban on Russian oil.
As costs show no sign of shrinking, households may be trying to make long-term changes to alleviate the pressure.
While the asking price of an electric vehicle is often higher than an equivalent petrol or diesel, Vanarama’s findings shows the day-to-day savings currently swing in favour of electric.
Low Emissions Zone
Low-emissions zones, often referred to as LEZs, are there to encourage owners of highly polluting vehicles to stop driving through inner-city areas by charging them a fee if they do so.
Vanarama’s research found that EV drivers could save £175 a month through LEZ exemption, which equates to £2,100 per year and £8,400 per average total vehicle ownership (four years).
Fuel
No longer needing to pay for fuel at the pump could save EV owners £72 per month, which equals £858 per year and £3,432 per average total vehicle ownership.
The fuel savings, from NimbleFins , include the cost of charging an EV (£342 per year), based on the average British driver’s yearly mileage of 7,600 miles.
Car tax exemption
Under the current rules, car tax doesn’t apply to all-electric cars.
This means EV owners could save £13 per month, £150 per year, and £600 per average total vehicle ownership from not having to pay car tax.
These tax calculations are based on the UK’s best-selling car of 2021, the sub-40k Vauxhall Corsa.
Total savings
With these figures, the combined total savings of switching to an electric car comes to:
Per month: £259
Per year: £3,108
Per average vehicle ownership: £12,432
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