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I want an electric car but worry about range and charge time. What do you think?
I'm almost at point of purchase of a new vehicle to replace my ageing, although utterly reliable, Citroen C5. I find myself wanting to do the eco thing by buying an EV, yet I am somewhat sceptical about availability of charging points. It's not only the access to a charging point that concerns me but also how long it would take to charge up again. I know with diesel/petrol it's going to take 5 minutes or so but with an EV, how long does it take?
Asked on 13 June 2020 by johni
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It depends on the model of EV you're looking at. Generally, a rapid charger (like those usually found at motorway services) will add about 80% charge in around 40 minutes. It probably comes down to how often you plan to do such journeys. If you can charge a car at home and rarely travel more than 100 or so miles a day, an EV makes a lot of sense. If you're a high-mileage driver, regularly covering 300+ miles a day, it takes a bit more commitment (although it's certainly doable). If you're hesitant, have you considered a hybrid or plug-in hybrid car as as kind of stepping stone? The latter will be able to cover local journeys under electric power alone, but has a petrol engine on hand for when you wish to travel further afield.
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