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Everything you want to know about EVs (but were too afraid to ask)

Electric Vehicles are frequently touted as something that’s going to help save the planet and transform our polluted streets. An electric vehicle is a battery-powered, rechargeable vehicle, rather than one which runs on fuel.

In 2017, the UK Government’s announced that sales of diesel and petrol cars would stop in 2040, while numerous manufacturers have committed to developing electric models.

So, to get you in the mood for your inevitable future electric vehicle, here’s some things you might not be aware of.

  • National Grid old Ford electric vehicle with Thomas Edison

    They’re an old invention

    Despite being talked about by futurists, the first electric vehicle is actually quite an old invention. The first car was built in 1884 by a British inventor by Thomas Parker. It was no Tesla, but it was entirely powered by rechargeable batteries. And in 1914 Henry Ford told the New York Times that he was collaborating with electricity pioneer Thomas Edison on developing a low cost EV: “Mr. Edison and I have been working for some years on an electric automobile which would be cheap and practicable,” he explained, though the vehicle never saw the light of day.

  • White Nissan EV for National Grid article

    New EVs must ‘sing’ to alert pedestrians of their presence

    Currently EVs are much quieter than traditional cars, but thanks to legislation being brought in over the next two years, in the EU and the US future models must be fitted with Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems. These emit a noise, typically when vehicles are travelling at low speed or reversing, to warn pedestrians to take care. Manufacturers can choose what noise the car makes but Nissan has showed off it Canto’s ‘singing’ sound at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.

  • Nisaan Leaf EV for National Grid article

    The most successful EV ever is from Japan

    The Nissan Leaf debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2009 and went on to become the best-selling EV to date but even so only just 360,000 units have been sold over the last decade.

  • Red EV at speed through tunnel for National Grid article

    EVs can reach high speeds, quickly

    The highest recorded speed of an EV so far was from 0-100kph in just 1.5 seconds.

  • Black EV being charged and payment

    Charging is cheaper

    For a ‘standard’ electric car which has a 60kWh battery and can drive around 200 miles, the cost to charge it at home will be around £8.40. Bear in mind that to drive around 200 miles in a non-EV will cost you approximately £20 in unleaded petrol, so going electric is a much cheaper option.

  • National Grid row of white EV's for article

    You don’t have to buy a Tesla

    There are 43 EVs on the market, and these include cars from Kia, Hyundai, Mercedes, Jaguar and Porsche, so there are plenty of different models to choose from.

  • An EV lit up on dark street for National Grid article

    Charging could happen “in motion”

    One of the fears people have about EVs is that their journey will be spent desperately trying to locate charging points. It’s even been given a name ‘range anxiety’. However, it’s projected that the number of charging points may overtake petrol stations by 2020, and that there will be growing opportunities to charge as you drive. In much the same as mobile phones can now be placed on a pad to charge wirelessly, EVs could charge in the same way via pads in the road, or fitted into drive throughs or parking spaces where cars are idling or stopped.

  • Motorway with 'check your fuel' sign for National Grid EV article

    Better batteries could boost distance to 500 miles

    There’s a type of battery currently in development called the ‘breathing battery’, which manufacturers say could enable drivers to travel up to 500 miles on one charge. As EVs grow in popularity, more investment is being poured into battery production, because suppliers know it’s worries about battery life that puts many people off making the switch to electric.

  • EVs are great for the environment

    They emit no exhaust pollution, which means they contribute very little to air or noise pollution.

In preparation for achieving Net Carbon Zero in 2050, National Grid is committed to renewable energy options, and our future energy scenarios 2019 suggest we’ll continue to see a dramatic rise in EVs.
 

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