Why Should Your Next Car Be Eco-Friendly?
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If you’re in the market for a new or second hand car, have you considered having your car be eco-friendly or going electric yet? There are a whole host of reasons why your next car should be an eco-friendly one. Not only for the environmental benefits but the benefits to human health, improved air quality and they can even save you money.
But how can you decide whether an eco-friendly car is right for you? In the UK, there are two main types of environmentally friendly cars to choose from and you may be more suited to one over the other. Let’s explore the types of eco-friendly cars and the benefits of living with one.
Type of Eco-Friendly Cars
The most eco-friendly cars tend to be fully electric or hybrid vehicles which are available on the market today. Both are different in terms of how they operate and run and can be more suited to some drivers over others.
Fully Electric Cars
Fully electric cars are the most eco-friendly when compared to traditional diesel or petrol models. Electric cars get energy from the battery which powers an electric motor. The power from the electric motor is used to drive the wheels. The power goes straight to the wheels and can make acceleration faster and more efficient.
Fully electric vehicles don’t produce any harmful emissions into the environment as there is no combustion engine involved. Electric cars can be charged by plugging them into a designated charge point and then takes electricity from the national grid.
Hybrid Vehicles
Hybrid vehicles are more green than traditional petrol or diesel engines but still produce some emissions. Hybrid cars combine both an electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine. Hybrids fall into three different types which are full hybrid, mild hybrid and plug in hybrids.
Hybrid can be a great choice if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and spread the cost with hybrid car finance. Plug in hybrids are most similar to electric cars as they can charge their electric motor at a charge point. Plug in hybrids have longer range traditional hybrid and if you only travel around 30 miles per day, you may never have to use the combustion engine for propulsion.
Mild or full hybrid uses regenerative braking instead to recharge the internal electric motor. Fully hybrids can use both the electric motor or combustion engine simultaneously and indecently. Mild hybrids on the other hand can only use one means of propulsion at a time.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Cars
There are a whole range of benefits when it comes to getting an electric or hybrid vehicle.
Diesel Ban 2030
To help tackle the rate of pollution and strive towards being net zero by 2050, the UK government introduced a diesel ban by 2030. This means the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned after 2030.
You will still be able to buy used petrol and diesel cars, but new cars will not be available. This can be the turning point or more drivers to turn to eco friendly models now and help to reduce the rate of climate change.
Environmentally Friendly
The main benefit of eco-friendly cars is the impact they have on the environment. Petrol and diesel cars release harmful emissions into the environment in the form of CO2. More CO2 emissions stop heat from escaping and warms the earth which contributes to global warming.
Eco friendly cars, especially fully electric vehicles drastically reduce the number of emissions released into the environment. This promotes cleaner air and helps improve human health and environmental health.
Low Running Costs
Eco friendly cars have considerably lower running and maintenance costs when compared to their petrol or diesel competitors. There’s no need for a £40 fill up at the fuel station and instead you can charge an electric car at home for as little as £15 for a full charge. Electric and hybrid cars also have fewer mechanical parts that need to be serviced. Due to this, they tend to have lower servicing and maintenance costs.
More Affordable Buying Options
When hybrid and electric cars first came on the market, people were worried about how they would fund them. Many new electric cars were out of reach for many drivers but there are a few ways in which you can make buying an electric car more affordable.
Getting a new or used electric car on finance helps to spread the cost of owning an eco-friendly vehicle into affordable monthly payments. In the UK, there is also a government backed initiative which allows buyers to benefit from up to £1,500 off the price of a new EV.
Avoid Congestion Charges
The congestion charges were first introduced in London and has since been adopted by over 10 other cities in the UK. The Ultra-Low Emission Zones or congestion zones charges drivers for accessing these areas if their vehicle does not meet the emission standards
. All fully electric vehicles are currently exempt from these charges because they don’t produce any emissions. Hybrid vehicles still have a petrol or diesel engine and therefore are not exempt from the charges though.
Have You Next Car Be Eco-Friendly
Once you’ve decided to help the environment with your car, it’s all pretty low maintenance from there! Have your next car be eco-friendly, and you’ll be on your way to all your destinations and to helping the planet!