What is the RAC doing to help drivers switch to electric?
RAC is a leader when it comes to supporting drivers in switching to electric vehicles.
An ever-increasing number of our patrol vans have built-in emergency mobile charging systems capable of delivering enough power to drive an out-of-charge electric car the short distance home or to a work chargepoint, while our all-wheels-up recovery system allows our patrolmen to safely rescue electric cars without the need for a flatbed.
Find out more about RAC’s Electric Car Breakdown Cover.
Electric vehicles are here to stay. New petrol and diesel cars will not be sold in the UK after 2030, so there are many reasons to make the decision and drive a cleaner car.
EVs offer plenty of benefits, including lower operating costs, a comfortable driving experience and less local pollution – but it’s hardly a new idea.
Read on to learn more about the wonderful world of electric vehicles.
Electric cars are nothing new
You might think that the buzz around EVs is a recent phenomenon. In fact, electric cars have been quietly driving on our roads as far back as 1837. However, in these early days, non-rechargeable batteries hindered their practicality.
Rechargeable batteries arrived around 1881 and when the London Electrical Cab Company unveiled the Bercy Taxi it was thought the UK would soon adopt EVs. Sadly, it was expensive to run and unreliable, damaging its reputation and any chances of success.
Development of EVs continued over the next decades, but it was not until the launch of the Tesla Model S in 2012 that the world once again began to take EVs seriously.
The Nissan LEAF was the world’s first ‘mass market’ EV.
The Nissan LEAF has the honor of being the first ‘mass market’ electric car. Launched in 2010, within a decade there were more than 500,000 examples of Nissan’s electric hatchback on the world’s roads, of which more than 180,000 were registered in Europe.
The LEAF was the first EV to cross the 400,000 registration milestone and Nissan also reports that, by the end of December 2020, all those LEAFs contributed to 2.5 million tonnes less CO2 entering the environment.
Read our review of the Nissan Leaf.
Electric vehicles have smart technology
Unlike most petrol or diesel vehicles, electric cars are packed with innovative technology to save valuable energy and help you go further. Regenerative braking systems help recover kinetic energy under deceleration, sending it back to charge the car’s battery, and potentially extending range.
EVs can also be pre-conditioned, which helps preserve range. This is done by preheating or precooling the interior of the car before any journey begins. Usually accessed through a smartphone app linked to the car or through an on-board infotainment system, the car’s driving range will not only be maximized, but its battery life can also be extended. If the car is plugged in and charging, it draws power from the mains supply – so there is no effect on the available range.
Read our guide to electric car range and how far you can drive in an EV.
Electric cars can make you money
Not only do EVs have on-board technology to save range, but they can also potentially send electricity back into the power grid to make you money. Using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, an EV can send electricity back to the power grid. This could cut costs for EV drivers and fleet companies as they can charge their electric cars using cheaper energy.
When an EV uses V2G technology, electricity flows in both directions to and from its battery. The energy stored in the battery can later be sold back to the grid when electricity demand is high. V2G could also help reduce carbon emissions if EVs are charged when energy demand is low, or when production levels by renewable sources are high. Nissan has helped pioneer the technology in the UK.
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