10 reasons to switch to an EV today

As we move towards a brighter and more sustainable future, switching your car to an electric vehicle (also known as an EV) has never been easier. As well as the cars themselves, charging technology has come a long way since electric cars appeared on the scene.

At Egg, we’re all about making it easier for people to live better with cleaner energy. We’ve been doing it for over a decade. We’ll admit that back in the early days, making the switch to an electric car wasn’t such a smooth process. But, electric cars and charging technology have come a long way since then. Now there are plenty of great reasons to make your next car electric, and here’s just 10 of them:

#1 You’ll save time

True; it might take longer for an electric car to charge than it takes to stand at a petrol pump and fill a car petrol tank. But here’s the thing - you’re standing at the pump.

With an electric car, you plug it in to charge, and walk away. Go have dinner. Play with the kids. Chill out on the sofa. Get some work done. Sleep. Shop. Pat yourself on the back for choosing an electric car - whatever you fancy.

And when you’ve got a charge point installed at home, it’s like having your very own petrol station. You won’t be in a mad dash to get the kids to school and get to work on time while taking a detour to the nearest petrol station because you were running on fumes and forgot until you started the engine - you’ll just unplug, and drive. Bliss.

#2 Electric cars really can go the distance

Lots of electric cars have a comfortable range of over 200 miles from a full charge - so if you’re worried about not getting the range you need with an electric car, worry no more. With a typical family car travelling 37 miles a day on average, an electric car will see you through a full working week on just one full charge.

For those long distance family trips or work meetings, it’s easy to charge on the go. Charging points are already common in service stations and petrol stations across the UK. Some of these rapid charge points can fully charge your car in 30 minutes - perfect for you to take your journey break and grab a coffee before you get back on the road.

They’re popping up at supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, restaurants, shops, multi-storey car parks and golf clubs, too - so you can get on with whatever you want to do while your car gets a recharge. 

#3 You’ll have a lot of fun

Electric cars haven’t just tried to equal their petrol and diesel predecessors. They’ve gone one better in almost every aspect.

If you’ve got the budget for a top spec Tesla Model S or a Porsche Taycan, you’ll be smoking almost every other car in history from 0 to 60mph. That’s some power right there.

Of course, if you don’t have the money to spend on the premium brands, the fun sure doesn’t end there for you. With affordable options like the Nissan LEAF or Renault Zoe, you’ll still get to enjoy the fun thanks to instant torque and the effortless, nearly silent, super-efficient power of an electric motor.

And it’s not just the driving experience - they just look fun. From the ultra-sleek and sporty silhouette of the Audi e-tron GT to the futuristic and quirky Honda e, there really is an electric car to suit everyone.

#4 A quiet drive is an understatement

Remember when car shows used to review modern petrol or diesel cars and marvel at how much quieter they were becoming? That’s not a patch on the sounds you’ll hear - or more accurately, won’t hear - when you’re driving around in an electric car.

The rumbling explosions of a petrol engine and all the crazy mechanisms that are in place to make that engine work are, surprisingly, not that enjoyable to most of us. But we don’t realise how much nicer life can be until we drive a smooth and silent electric car instead.

“It’s so quiet! Is it really on? Oh my gosh, we’re driving?! It’s so quiet! That’s amazing.”

#5 You’re saving hearts, lungs and lives

Air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK - and that’s every year.  Poor air quality causes heart and lung disease, and it’s also linked to low birth weight and problems with children’s lung development.

During the first UK lockdown in 2020 as daily traffic counts fell by 69%, air pollution in urban areas also dropped by up to 45% - so we can see the clear impact that diesel and petrol cars have on our air quality.

By switching to an electric car, you’re contributing to a movement towards cleaner, safer air quality for everyone, as well as reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Win, win.

#6 You could save yourself some serious money

Sure, electric cars are still on average more expensive to buy than petrol cars. But even taking into account the upfront cost of the purchase, Direct Line has done some number crunching - and still concluded that the average lifetime ownership cost of an electric car is lower than its petrol equivalent.

With the annual costs of tax and maintenance for electric vehicles coming in at 49% lower than petrol vehicles, refueling costs at 58% lower, and government grants to support low emission car purchases, there’s some serious potential financial benefits to making the switch.

#7 It might do your street cred some favours

With a star-studded line up of electric car converts, if you like a celeb endorsement, it’s safe to say that electric cars fit the bill.

As Tesla racks up an impressive cohort including Oprah, Ben Affleck, Cameron Diaz, Beyonce & Jay Z, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Kiedas, Will Smith, and Steven Spielberg, we can’t say we’re surprised that electric cars have won A-listers over.

And it’s not just Tesla that’s popular in Hollywood circles. Kylie Jenner owns a Ferrari Aperta, YouTuber Tim Schmee has the Porsche Taycan, and Robert Downey Jr got his hands on the Audi e-tron GT before it was even released.

Even Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived at the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in an Audi RS e-tron GT, after revealing they have had an electric car charger installed at Kensington Palace. That sounds like the royal seal of approval to us.

#8 You’re not walking on sunshine - you’re driving on it

Over the past decade, you’ll have seen solar panels popping up on the roofs of peoples’ homes across the UK. Adding solar panels to your roof lets you capture sunlight and turn it into electricity, so when you recharge your electric car at home, you’re charging it with 100% green and “free” electricity. That’s kinda like powering your car with sunshine. Cool, right?

We’ve installed thousands of car chargers at customers’ homes, who have then come back to us after getting the renewables bug looking to add solar and battery storage to their homes. WARNING: Going green gets addictive! Find out more about powering your home with solar here.

#9 You get to ditch the petrol station

Even when we’re not facing the queues of a petrol shortage (remember that drama?) You won’t be shocked to hear that online searches for electric cars spiked by 1,600%) a petrol station doesn’t rank highly on anyone’s list of favourite places to visit.

Imagine driving straight home from work, plugging your car in to charge and just getting on with your evening without a second thought. No sitting in the queue at the petrol pump behind the person that’s trying to squeeze in a full weekly shop before heading to pay for their petrol, no standing beside a car with freezing cold fingers clinging to a petrol nozzle and no off-the-cuff chocolate bar purchases from the queue that you really. Didn’t. Need.

Say goodbye to the petrol station and hello to plug, charge and get on with your day. Unless you still really want to visit the petrol station, of course. Those chocolate bars won’t eat themselves.

#10 Less to go wrong – and cost you money

Think of all the parts that make up a regular car. The engine, a radiator, pistons, spark plugs, fuel pumps, cooling systems, exhaust system and timing belt - to name but a few.

In fact, a regular car contains hundreds of moving parts. That’s a lot that can go wrong, a lot of parts that might need replacing over time and an awful lot of potential unexpected costs for you.

Electric cars, on the other hand, are much simpler. With no combustion engine, there’s far fewer moving parts, less fluids like engine oil, and less wear on brakes thanks to regenerative braking. So, as well as saving you a lot of time and headaches, maintenance costs can be as much as 50% less.

BONUS: Your kids (and theirs) will thank you

We’re already seeing the results of the terrible impact that we’re having on our planet. In the decades to come, when future generations are tackling the fall-out, they’ll be asking why we didn’t act sooner when we had the chance.

Well, electric cars can be part of that chance to act now, to make a difference to the world that we’re shaping for our children, and theirs. The switch to cleantech can start with an electric car - and let’s see where the future of clean energy takes us, together.

Cracking clean energy with Egg

Over 10 years ago, we began our journey to make it easier for people and businesses to get the most out of our planet’s biggest, most readily available clean power source – the Sun. Since then, we’ve built a reputation for reliability in all things clean energy, from charging your car to providing the solar panels to power your home and battery storage.

In 2022, we launched our new brand, Egg, as a bold statement against the seriousness and sameness of the energy industry, as a symbol of something simple, something worth looking after.

In July 2022 we launched our EV Charger Plan, designed to make using electric cars easier and more accessible for everyone, for those who want to pay upfront or spread the cost over three years (subject to credit check).

We're on a mission to make clean energy easier for everyone. We take pride in our promise to do what's right by our people, customers and planet, and we're only just getting started.

Let's get cracking.