It’s not a question of whether you’ll buy an electric car – it’s when. Almost all manufacturers of private vehicles are winding down their petrol and diesel operations in preparation for a battery-powered future, and the government’s plans to restrict the sale of fossil-fuelled cars will hasten that eventuality. In 20 years’ time, the sound of revving engines and rattly exhausts will probably be quite rare.
But for many Brits, the high cost of electric cars makes all of this a bit theoretical. As both a car reviewer and a tree-hugger, I spend a lot of time driving new EVs of all sizes, but the main complaint I hear from readers is that they’re still too expensive for price-conscious motorists – especially in family-focused segments like estates and SUVs, where a good EV might cost thousands more than an equivalent petrol car.
What’s more, many environmentally-aware car buyers question the need to buy a brand new, 1.5-tonne product when a second-hand one would do the same job. Until recently, anyone buying an EV would have to fork out for a new one, because used ones just weren’t on the market yet. But things are looking up for second-hand buyers.
Shorts
The rise of the second-hand electric car market
