The UK is on the cusp of an electric vehicle revolution, with interest and sales in both cars and the charging infrastructure surrounding them increasing exponentially.
This means that trained electricians will play a vital role in the transition from petrol and diesel to electric motoring, one that may make all of the difference in turning the EV into a practical endeavour.
The independent Cost of Driving Electric report highlights clearly that whilst nearly everyone will benefit from driving an EV in the long run, exactly how much they will save will depend on what type of charging structure they have available.
According to this report, the biggest savings were found when an EV is paired with a home charging station, but is it theoretically possible to run an EV entirely without one, in the same way that most petrol or diesel owners do not have a refuelling station at home?
Can You Run An EV Without A Charging Station?
It is definitely possible to use an EV as a daily driver without a charging station at home, although exactly how easy this will be depends considerably on where you live and where you drive.
You can theoretically plug an EV into a mains socket, but given that it can take up to a day to charge an EV to 80 per cent, this should only be used as a last resort to get enough miles to take an EV to a proper charging station.
Outside of this, it is possible with careful planning and a mindfulness of environmental conditions to run an EV without charging it at home at all.
If you regularly commute to a workplace with EV chargers installed, that often provides enough charging time to get home and back before the battery runs out, and most commutes will have public charging stations along the way that can be used to either top up the battery or in an emergency.
Given that most supermarkets and public car parks have charging stations installed, using them is not outside the realms of possibility.
Should You Run An EV Without A Charging Station?
Possibility is far different from practicality, however, and if anyone is planning to buy and run an EV, they are most likely going to require a charging station in order to make the car worth it in the long run.
Installing a home charger with a suitable EV energy tariff can dramatically reduce the cost per mile from close to 20p per mile to closer to 2p per mile, as due to VAT charges on public charging stations, relying entirely on charging away from home can be potentially more expensive than most expect.
A home charger, by contrast, dramatically reduces costs, which alongside lower maintenance costs, no costs for driving through clean air zones and the ability to take advantage of incentive schemes such as salary sacrifice.
As the decade progresses and more EVs end up on the road, the practical benefits and affordability of EVs will only get cheaper, as will the cost to install EV charging stations with skilled electricians available.