The popularity of electric vehicles has undoubtably increased in recent years. So much so, there are now second-hand EVs sat on forecourts across the UK.
However, people are still hesitant to buy second hand EVs and the same questions continue to arise: How good is the battery life? Are the brakes still safe? Is the resale value as good as petrol and diesel vehicles?
Toby Poston, CEO of The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has brought the raw facts and figures to this week’s podcast, to explain how reliable second hand EVs actually are.
The BVRLA has carried out research that looked into around 47 million MOT tests on electric, petrol and diesel cars. Their findings suggest that EVs are actually more reliable than petrol and diesel cars at higher mileages!
The data contradicts certain rumours people hear about EVs.
Toby said: “Where the battery starts degrading. Strange that, isn’t it. We’ve got millions and millions of bits of data now that show that on average, it’s about 1% degradation a year. So if you if you’ve got a battery that does 280 miles, 1% degradation, it’s just negligible. You know, not absolutely negligible.”
Affordability is also a huge thing. Are people buying more luxury second hand EVs or opting for cheaper new ones?
Toby said: “A whole host of host of things they’re doing, the big painful bit has been the Chinese coming in with excellent products. It’s better and cheaper. So you could end up with a three year old car, that is a luxury brand. But you can get a new Chinese model that has better range, similar features and it’s cheaper.”
The majority of public charging points are overseen by private companies, which is a factor that makes charging more expensive and unreliable. Many people are now pushing for these facilities to be regulated by councils.
To listen to the full conversation with Toby Poston on the Net Hero Podcast, download the episode wherever you get your podcasts and please subscribe.
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