{"id":18906,"date":"2023-08-11T10:31:58","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T09:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccpc.ie\/consumers\/?p=18906"},"modified":"2023-08-11T10:31:58","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T09:31:58","slug":"thinking-of-buying-an-electric-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccpc.inventise.ie\/consumers\/2023\/08\/11\/thinking-of-buying-an-electric-car\/","title":{"rendered":"Thinking of buying an electric car?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The electric vehicle (EV) market is hitting top gear right now. Figures published by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that July was a record month for electric cars. 4,161 new EVs were registered last month alone, compared to 2,729 in July 2022.<\/p>\n

If you are weighing up changing to an EV, there are many things you\u2019ll need to consider. Let\u2019s take a look under the hood!<\/p>\n

What is an electric car?<\/h2>\n

An electric car is an otherwise normal car which runs solely on electricity. The energy used to operate the car is stored in a battery pack. You will need to charge this for the car to run. This can be from a home charger or a public charge point.<\/p>\n

What to consider before you buy<\/h2>\n

1. Range<\/strong><\/p>\n

When switching to electric, you should first think carefully about your car usage. The range is the distance your EV will travel before it has to be recharged. The average range of most new electric vehicles is between 250km and 350km but can be less in colder weather.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s vital you have a good idea of the range you need for your usual driving needs and search for a car to suit this. You\u2019ll pay more if you opt for an extended range model, which you may not need. Ideally, you want to be able to complete your typical daily journeys on a single charge and only recharge your EV overnight at home.<\/p>\n

2. Charging at home<\/strong><\/p>\n

If considering a plug-in EV, you\u2019ll need to think about how you will charge it. If you don\u2019t have an existing charger, shop around and get at least three quotes from registered electrical installers. You can also ask your car dealer if they include a home charger as part of the car package.<\/p>\n

The Government currently offers a support scheme towards the cost of a home EV charger. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) runs the home charger grant scheme<\/a> and can advise you further. You can avail of up to \u20ac600 for buying and installing a charger at home.<\/p>\n

The cost of charging your car at home will be less than at public charging points. You might be able to get a super off-peak night time price if you\u2019ve a smart meter. Check with your electricity provider.<\/p>\n

3. Charging on the road<\/strong><\/p>\n

For longer journeys, or if you can\u2019t charge at home, you can charge your EV across the country using public charging points. You\u2019ll see them located in carparks, shopping centres, town streets and motorway service stations. There are various providers, each with their own fees. Research the options out there to save on costs.<\/p>\n

4. Financing your new EV<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several options available when it comes to paying for your new electric wheels! These include a loan, a personal contract plan and hire purchase. Learn more about paying for your car<\/a>. Some providers offer lower loan rates for electric cars, so make sure to shop around.<\/p>\n

Grants are also available, and driving costs such as tolls and car tax can be cheaper with an EV. The SEAI have more on EV costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The electric vehicle (EV) market is hitting top gear right now. Figures published by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that July was a record month for electric cars. 4,161 new EVs were registered last month alone, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":240,"featured_media":18907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThinking of buying an electric car? - CCPC Consumers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is an independent statutory body that enforces competition and consumer protection law in Ireland\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Thinking of buying an electric car? 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