Are electric cars really better for the environment? 🍃
This image is sourced from The Grantham Centre
In 2021, there were 396,000 electric cars on the road in the UK. However, as of the end of February 2023, there were more than 690,000 fully electric cars - that is an impressive year-on-year increase of around 80%!
So, with more people making the switch to an all-electric alternative to petrol and diesel cars, you may be wondering…
Are electric cars really better for the environment?
We know we talk a lot about how great electric cars are, but why are we so confident in promoting them? Yes it's because they are full of great, new and innovative technology. Yes, they are super comfy and give you a fantastic driving experience. And yes, they look so cool and shiny it’s like they’ve come straight off a toy store’s shelf.
However, the main reason we are so excited to help get more people into electric cars is because they are a greener alternative to a petrol or diesel car.
How are they greener?
Carbon emissions of electric vehicles
A major argument with electric cars is that they produce less carbon emissions in comparison to petrol and diesel cars - this is true. They produce no tailpipe emissions, which means they do not contribute to air pollution. This does not mean that electric cars are 100% emission free, some areas of their lifecycle such as charging and production still produce greenhouse gases and air pollutants.
Overall, when comparing the carbon emissions of an electric car with petrol or diesel car over their lifetime, electric cars produce much less than an internal combustion engine.
Advancements in this area are constantly developing so in the future electric cars will only get greener!
How much do you know about electric car batteries?
There is a lot of discussion around electric car batteries, and how they are not environmentally-friendly as they are difficult to recycle. However, according to the SMMT’s 2022 Automotive Sustainability Report, car manufacturers must ensure that at least 95% of any car they manufacture is recycled, re-used or recovered.
Electric car batteries have an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years, after the battery’s performance drops below 70% or less it will start its “second life”. This is when an electric car battery will be removed from a car and used for other purposes. Some car manufacturers have already begun repurposing EV batteries to power other things - for example Nissan is using them as back up power for Amsterdam Arena.
How can I salary sacrifice an electric car?
Salary sacrificing electric cars is part of the government’s initiative to create a greener future for the UK. Schemes like ours are in place to help drivers make the switch to an electric car easier and more cost affordable - and ultimately help reach the UK’s Net Zero target by 2030.
With The Electric Car Scheme, the company leases the car on an employee's behalf (technically making it a company car), and in return the employee agrees to pay it through their gross pay to save 30-60% on an electric car!
To see how much you could save on an electric car, check out our EV salary sacrifice calculator.
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