The short answer to this question is ‘yes’ – you can jump-start an electric car. However, the chances of you ever needing to do so are slim.
A lot of people are unaware that the vast majority of electric cars have two batteries: a large lithium-ion battery for powering the electric motor (or motors), and a traditional 12-volt battery that is used for sending power to the accessories. These lead-acid batteries are also found in traditional petrol and diesel cars.
They work in much the same way, too: kick-starting the electric motor into action and powering systems like the climate control, central locking, infotainment system, lights, windscreen wipers and instrument panel. Crucially, they also deliver the power that facilitates the charging of the lithium-ion battery. In other words, they’re an essential part of an electric vehicle.
Preventing a flat battery
Regular use and long trips will keep the 12-volt battery in good condition. It’s likely to lose charge after two to three weeks of inactivity, although Vauxhall says there will be sufficient energy remaining even after six weeks at a standstill.
It’s important to remember that short journeys with lots of the accessories in use will put a strain on any car’s 12-volt battery, though.
In February 2024, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFL) warned fleet managers that the 12-volt battery on electric vans may unexpectedly go flat, leaving them unable to start their vehicle. A month later, Start Rescue said electric car owners should ‘look after the 12-volt battery to avoid one of the most common causes of call-outs’.
How to jump-start an electric car
If you’ve ever jump-started a petrol or diesel car, you’ll be familiar with the search for a pair of jump leads. You’ll also need to locate the electric car’s 12-volt battery, which is likely to be under the bonnet or in the boot. Check the car’s handbook if you are struggling to locate it.
Do not jump-start your car using another electric vehicle. You MUST use a petrol or diesel car. You should also ensure that your electric car isn’t plugged in during the jump-start process.
Connect a jump lead to the positive (+) terminal on the electric car’s 12-volt battery, then connect the other end to the positive (+) terminal on the third-party vehicle. Connect the second jump lead to the negative (-) terminal on the third-party vehicle, then the other end to the grounded bodywork of the electric car. Start the third-party vehicle, then put the electric car into its ‘ready’ position. Once the electric car has started, disconnect the cables in the reverse order.
Keep the electric car switched on for around 15 minutes or complete a journey of a similar length. Note: you can also use a battery booster pack by following the instructions on the box or booklet.
Indeed, if you intend to leave your electric car idle for prolonged periods, you could consider a trickle charger, which will prevent the 12-volt battery from going flat. As you’ll see from this list, most car manufacturers recommend the use of a trickle charger.
If you’re baffled by BEV, confused by CHAdeMO, discombobulated by destination charging and muddled by miles per kWh, don’t worry, because you’re not alone.
The rapid adoption of electric cars has introduced us to a new range of acronyms, abbreviations, initialisms and terms that weren’t previously part of the motoring vernacular. We included two in the previous sentence…
Here are some of the most common words and phrases you might come across when researching your next electric car. The list is presented in alphabetical order.
AC
Alternating current (AC) is an electric current that changes direction at regular intervals. Electric power is supplied to homes and businesses as AC but must be converted to direct current (DC) when it’s fed into an electric car’s battery pack.
AVAS
Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System. A sound generator used in electric cars to alert pedestrians, cyclists and other road users to their presence. AVAS has been mandatory across Europe for all electric and hybrid cars since July 2019. Our guide provides more information.
Battery pack
A large rechargeable battery used to power the electric motors of an electric car.
BEV
Short for Battery Electric Vehicle. A car that draws power solely from a battery which is charged by plugging it in.
BIK
Benefit in kind (BIK) is an income tax on company employees who receive fringe benefits or perks in addition to their salary. As a company car is a benefit, drivers have to pay a BIK contribution, which is based on the car’s CO2 emissions and P11D value.
CCS
Combined Charging System. Almost all modern electric cars come with a CCS connector that allows for fast or rapid charging at a public charging point.
Cells
The electrochemical units which combine to make a car’s battery pack.
CHAdeMO
An abbreviation of ‘CHArge de MOve’ or ‘charge for moving’. It was the original rapid-charging standard for electric vehicles established by a group of Japanese companies. CHAdeMO is being phased out in favour of CCS.
Charging speed
The time it takes to charge an electric car from empty to full, although this is more likely to be something like 20 percent to 80 percent. The bigger the battery and the slower the charging point, the longer it will take to ‘fill up’.
Chargepoint
Also known as a charging point. The place where you can plug in and charge an electric car.
CO2
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the gas produced when a car burns fuel, which is measured in grams per kilometre (g/km). This is used to calculate vehicle excise duty (VED – or road tax) and also company car tax, which is why electric cars offer excellent tax advantages.
DC
Direct current (DC) is a faster type of charging because the electric car doesn’t have to convert power from AC to DC.
Destination charging
A common term used for charging an electric car when you reach your destination, rather than en-route charging. Destinations include hotels and conference venues.
Dual charging
As the name suggests, dual charging allows two electric cars to charge at once. It automatically splits the power between the two cars, which means the rate of charging tends to be slower.
EV
Short for electric vehicle. It’s often used to describe an electric car, but an EV could also be an electric van, bus or lorry.
Fast charging
Fast chargers are typically rated at 7kw or 22kW, although some Tesla destination chargers deliver 11kW of power.
Frunk
Frunk is a portmanteau of ‘front’ and ‘trunk’, which is the word Americans use to describe the boot. Maybe it should be ‘froot’ in the UK?
Granny cable
A colloquial term for the ICCB (In Cable Control Box) cable that comes with an electric car. Read our guide to the granny cable.
Heat pump
A heat pump uses waste heat from an electric car’s powertrain to efficiently warm the cabin. Click here to learn more about heat pumps on Motoring Electric.
ICE
Short for internal combustion engine, or a car powered by a petrol or diesel engine.
ICEing
The act of ICEing is to park in a space intended for electric cars without making use of (or having the need for) the charger. Our sister site Motoring Research has more information on the subject.
kW
Kilowatt (kW) is a measurement of electric power. 1kW is roughly the equivalent of 1.36hp.
kWh
Not to be confused with kW, kWh is the total amount of energy stored in a battery. In general, the larger the battery, the further you can travel on a single charge.
Lithium-ion battery
The type of battery used in most modern electric cars.
Miles per kWh
Miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the electric equivalent of miles per gallon (mpg) in petrol or diesel cars. It tells you the distance you can expect your electric car to travel for every kilowatt-hour of energy consumed.
Plug-in Car Grant
The Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) was a financial incentive offered by the UK government to encourage people to buy electric cars. It was cut back several times before being axed entirely in summer 2022.
Preconditioning
Preconditioning allows you to pre-heat or pre-cool an electric car’s cabin before you start your journey. Click here to discover how it can save you energy (and money).
Quadricycle
Not all electric cars are… cars. Examples include the Citroen Ami and Renault Twizy, which are cheaper to buy than regular cars, but limited in terms of power and weight.
Range
How far you can expect to travel on a single charge according to official figures. The actual range will be displayed on the car’s dashboard.
Range anxiety
The fear of not reaching your destination. Improved battery technology and a more extensive charging network means fewer people are suffering from range anxiety.
Rapid and ultra-rapid charging
Most commonly found at motorway service stations or on major roads, rapid chargers deliver charging speeds of 43kW and 50kW. Ultra-rapid chargers deliver either 100kW, 150kW or 350kW.
Regenerative braking
A regenerative braking system can recover kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost during braking. In electric cars, some of this energy can be harnessed by the motor – and that means a longer range. Click here for more information.
REx
Short for range extender, which is essentially an electric car with a small engine which charges the batteries when they run low. Not to be confused with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.
RFID
Short for Radio-Frequency Identification card. Used to pay for charging, these are likely to be phased out in favour of contactless payment.
Single-phase power
Most UK homes have a single-phase electricity supply, which means the charging rate for an electric car without a wallbox is 7kW.
Slow charging
Slow chargers used to dominate the public network, but today you’re more likely to find them in homes and workplaces. The majority of slow charging points are rated at 3.6kW.
Smart charging
A method of charging an electric car when the electricity supply is at its cheapest. Speak to your energy company for more information.
Supercharger
Tesla’s charging network, which is being opened up to drivers of non-Tesla electric vehicles. Read our guide for more information.
Tethered
A tethered cable is fixed to the charging point, so you don’t need to use the charging cable kept in your car.
Three-phase power
By upgrading from a single-phase to a three-phase supply, it’s possible to fit a faster 22kW charging unit.
Trickle charging
The slowest form of charging, most likely from a domestic plug socket. Best used only in emergencies.
Turtle mode
Used to move an electric car to safety when it is about to run out of power.
Type 1
A five-pin connector that’s found on some older electric cars and is standard in the US. It has no locking mechanism and can only carry single-phase power.
Type 2
A seven-pin connector that is widely used across Europe. It comes with a locking mechanism.
Untethered
You won’t find a cable at untethered charging points, so make sure you carry one with you.
Voltage
The measure of the power of electricity. In basic terms, the higher the voltage, the more powerful the electric car.
Wallbox
Installing a home charging point – commonly known as a wallbox – is safer and faster than using a domestic three-pin socket.
WLTP
The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) is used to measure the official, manufacturer-supplied figures for electric range. It’s more accurate than the old NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) method, which was used until 2019.
Workplace charging
Charging your electric car at work using charging points installed by your employer.
ZEZ
Zero Emission Vehicle. See also OZEZ: the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
So far in 2024, electric cars have accounted for around 15 percent of vehicle registrations in the UK. And with the forthcoming ban on the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars from 2035, it’s clear that EVs will soon become the default choice for car buyers.
This is great news for local air quality and the environment. What isn’t so great, however, is the potential for a huge mountain of used electric car batteries once they have reached the end of their serviceable lives. A battery is expected to last around 10 years before it needs to be replaced.
Fortunately, electric car batteries CAN be recycled. Indeed, car companies are investing millions in the reuse and recycling of these components.
‘Battery waste mountain’
A study by the University of Birmingham said ‘recycling technologies for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries are not keeping pace with the rapid rise of electric vehicles’, with researchers warning that ‘the UK needs to act to prevent an electric vehicle battery waste mountain’.
It calculated that the one million electric cars will create a staggering 250,000 tonnes, or half a million cubic metres, of unprocessed pack waste when they reach the end of their lives.
The consultancy Circular Energy Storage estimates that more than 1.2 million tonnes of waste lithium-ion batteries will be recycled worldwide by 2030. One existing facility is the Fortum recycling plant in Finland, which aims to recover more than 80 percent of the materials from lithium-ion batteries.
“By recycling valuable materials in lithium-ion batteries, we reduce the environmental impact of electric car batteries by complementing the supply of cobalt, nickel and other critical metals from primary sources,” said Tero Hollander of Fortnum Recycling and Waste.
A second life for electric car batteries
There are many examples of electric car batteries being given a second life when they are no longer suitable for their original purpose. Second-life batteries are removed from the car, unpacked, graded and repurposed.
For instance, the battery pack in a previous generation Volkswagen e-Golf can store as much energy as a typical household consumes in one day. And 280 used Nissan Leaf batteries were used to provide back-up power to the Amsterdam Arena – home of Ajax football club.
The car manufacturers are getting involved on a larger scale, too. Volkswagen has already used the battery packs from its electric vehicles in a network of portable charging stations. Each station can charge up to four vehicles at a time.
EV batteries at the end of their second life
In many ways, the second life is simply delaying the inevitable: at some point an electric car battery will need to be recycled. Volkswagen eventually wants to recycle 97 percent of the raw materials in its battery packs.
This is important, as battery production puts a strain on the world’s natural resources. For example, cobalt is a critical material, but there are social, ethical and environmental concerns in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where much of the cobalt for EV batteries is mined.
In Salar de Atacama – a major centre of lithium production – 65 percent of the region’s water is consumed by mining activities, affecting the local farmers.
The challenge, not to mention the endgame, is to close the loop of electric car battery production. Rather than recycling the materials for other uses, the best scenario would be for them to be retained for a new battery.
Tesla board member JB Straubel said the company is “developing more processes on how to improve battery recycling to get more of the active materials back. Ultimately, what we want is a closed loop that reuses the same recycled materials.”
The American company has a battery recycling facility in Nevada where lithium, cobalt, copper and steel are recovered and reused in the production of new electric car batteries.
Under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, an electric car manufacturer is obliged to take back a battery for recycling. If your EV is reaching the end of its life, you can contact the relevant car company for more details.
All cars, whether powered by batteries, a traditional combustion engine or a hybrid system, are most efficient when driven at a steady speed. Saving energy is all about having a light right foot.
Heavy application of the accelerator pedal will dramatically increase electricity or fuel consumption, even though electric cars can regain power via regeneration when braking.
However, motorway driving, even at a steady speed, can quickly reduce your electric car’s range if you don’t approach it correctly.
Driving an EV on the motorway
Any journey on UK motorways soon illustrates how the 70mph limit is regarded by many as the minimum speed to drive.
Anecdotally, though, speeds on motorways seem to be dropping, with more drivers sticking to the limit. One likely reason for this is the proliferation of speed cameras. Another is fuel economy.
It’s largely down to aerodynamics: the faster you drive, the more the wind resistance – or aerodynamic drag – will work against you. And drag increases exponentially with speed.
If you drive at a constant 70mph on a motorway, you might, theoretically, get close to the manufacturer’s stated range for the battery.
Drive at 75mph instead, though, and your electric car’s range could drop by between five and 10 percent. At 80mph, it’s around 10 to 15 percent less than at 70mph.
Not surprisingly, there are big efficiency gains to be had from cruising at lower speeds. At a steady 60mph, you’ll see a significant improvement in range – and you may be surprised at how little difference it makes to your overall journey time.
That said, driving at 60mph in the inside lane of the motorway, dicing with 32-tonne trucks, could be a daunting experience.
Speed is of the essence
As with any car, the way you drive makes a difference to how far you can travel before ‘filling up’.
While electric cars outshine conventional vehicles in urban environments, thanks to their superior efficiency, on motorways it’s more of a level playing field.
So yes, speed really does matter, and if you can keep your head and cruise at 70mph (or less) on the motorway, you’ll achieve the best range.
Driving at lower speeds could also mean fewer stops for charging on a long journey. Truly a case of the tortoise and the hare…
You’ve heard of walking on sunshine, but did you know that it’s possible to drive on sunshine? OK, not literally – that would be difficult, not to mention dangerous – but sunshine, or more specifically solar energy, can be used to charge an electric car.
If you’ve got a set of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on your roof, you’ll know that it’s possible to harvest the sun’s rays to power your household appliances. It’s cheaper and greener than having to rely solely on your domestic electricity supply and you can even generate some income by exporting excess energy back to the grid.
Alternatively, you could use this extra energy to charge an electric car. Once you’ve paid for the installation of the solar panels, you’re essentially getting the electricity for free. As a bonus, it’s from a renewable source, which helps to improve your car’s carbon footprint.
How does solar panel charging work?
To charge an electric car using solar energy, you need to install a solar system on the roof of your house. The amount of power generated by the system depends on the available sunshine and how many solar panels you have.
A typical domestic system will consist of 14 to 16 solar panels, but 8 to 12 should be enough to charge an average-sized EV battery. A larger battery will require more power and it’s worth remembering that you’re relying on sunshine to generate power. Cloudy days will lead to disappointment.
It’s a simple process: the photovoltaic cells absorb sunlight as DC (direct current) energy, which flows to an inverter to be converted to AC (alternating current) for use by household appliances. This can be fed directly to the electric car or, if you have a battery energy storage system (BESS), the energy can be stored for use at a later date.
Do you require any special equipment?
Assuming you’ve got solar panels on the roof and a home charging point, the electric car is no different to your toaster, kettle or fridge. Granted, you can’t drive to work atop a household appliance, but your EV will draw power in the same way.
A solar inverter (also known as PV inverter) is usually included in the cost of the solar panel system, but check with your installation company. Prices vary, but the cost is likely to be between £5,000 and £10,000, depending on the size of the system.
At the time of writing, Eon was offering a six-panel (2.61kW) home solar system for £5,785, increasing to £7,000 for an optimised Tier 1 system. A solar battery system should cost around £3,500, but figures suggest that your savings will accrue almost immediately.
The other thing to consider is that using stored energy to charge your electric car is likely to be more cost-effective than exporting energy to the grid. In other words, the payment for your excess energy is less than the money you’d save by using the energy stored in the BESS.
How much energy will each solar panel produce?
Each solar panel will produce around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. By using a 7.4kW home charger – the fastest charger that can be installed on a single-phase home electric supply – you can expect around 30 miles of driving for each hour of charging.
A lot depends on the season, weather and position of the solar panels. You’ll almost certainly require a boost from your domestic electricity supply during the winter, but the panels will work 365 days a year, taking advantage of any breaks in the cloud.
It’s also worth remembering that most electric cars are recharged overnight, either because that’s when the owners are home from work or they’re taking advantage of cheaper energy prices. It’s why a home battery system will pay dividends in the long run, because you can’t harvest solar energy when it’s dark!
Click here to check out some of the cost savings associated with using a solar battery, although please note that other energy providers do exist.
Pros and cons of charging an EV using solar panels
There are several reasons why using solar energy to charge an electric car makes perfect sense. You’re not having to rely solely on your energy company, the panels will get to work immediately after installation and they’ll even add value to your home. You’re also using a renewable energy source.
That said, solar panels are expensive, and that’s before you think about the cost of the inverter, solar battery and home charger. You might be eligible for a Green Deal loan, but this will need to be paid back. The other thing to consider is the weather, as solar panels work best in sunny conditions.
If you own an electric car, you will want to charge it at home if possible. It’s just so convenient – and usually the cheapest option, too.
In fact, unless you’re one of the small number of (pre-2018) Tesla Model S or Model X owners who qualifies for free refuelling at Supercharger stations, the only reason you might not charge your EV at home is that you can’t – i.e. you don’t have an off-street parking space.
The convenience of home charging means you don’t need to interrupt your journey to stop at an overpriced motorway services. At public chargers, you may also have to wait for other EVs to leave before you can plug in, which makes the process take longer.
Setting up a home EV charger
You can plug your electric car into a standard three-pin UK plug socket. Electric cars come with the ‘granny cable’ to do this, and there’s no set-up fee.
However, this isn’t a practical long-term solution as charging takes so long – several days, potentially. What you need is confidence that an overnight charge, using cheaper off-peak electricity, will do the job. As the off-peak period lasts around eight hours, that really means a bespoke home charging point.
There are dozens of companies in the UK that can install home charging points. They do this by tapping into your domestic electrical circuit, then running new cables to a wallbox mounted outside your house. The fitting can usually be done within a single day.
Types of home charging points
Most new electric cars use Type 2 connectors. You don’t need to worry about choosing the wrong connector, though – your installer will select the correct type for your vehicle.
Then you need to choose the power rating: 3.6kW, 7kW or 22kW. The higher the power, the quicker the charge. However, 22kW domestic chargers only work if you have what’s called a three-phase electrical supply to your home. These are rare in the UK, so few people will have that option.
A 7kW wallbox charges at twice the rate of a 3.6kW device, and three times the rate of a standard plug socket. And as a 7kW device typically costs less than £100 more than a 3.6kW alternative, it’s the obvious choice.
You then need to choose between a universal charger and a tethered one. The universal charger only has a socket outlet. You plug the cable you carry in your car’s boot into the socket and the other end into the vehicle itself.
More convenient is the tethered type, which has a five-metre cable attached to the wallbox. Simply uncoil it and plug it into your car.
Costs of a home EV charging point
You can find the full list of approved suppliers of home charging points by visiting the government website. Booking an installation can also be done online.
Under the government’s EV chargepoint grant, people who live in flats or rented properties can claim back up to 75 percent of the cost of a fitted home charging point – up to a maximum of £350. You only qualify if your car is on the approved list and you have a private, off-street parking space outside your property.
Here are some example costs from Pod Point, one of the major players in the supply of domestic and commercial electric car chargers. Note: the £350 grant has not been deducted from these prices.
A regenerative braking system can recover kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost when you brake. In electric cars, some of this energy can be harnessed by the motor – and that means free electricity and a longer range.
In simple terms, when the driver of an EV eases off the throttle or presses the brake, the electric motor switches from powering the wheels to generator mode. This generator then converts a portion of the kinetic energy into electricity, which is stored in the car’s battery.
This video below, produced by Bosch, provides a visual demonstration of how regenerative braking works.
In an electric vehicle, drivers can achieve more miles between charges, while hybrid car drivers will experience lower fuel consumption and reduced tailpipe emissions.
It’s worth noting that regeneration doesn’t replace the standard brakes. Before coming to a complete stop, or in an emergency situation, the car’s regular disc brakes will take over to bring you to a halt.
Is regenerative braking really that simple?
Absolutely. If you have ever been on the dodgems, you’ll know that a bumper car immediately starts to slow down when you release the ‘go’ pedal. It’s a similar story in an electric car, albeit with – hopefully – less likelihood of crashing into your friends.
It takes a while to get used to regenerative braking, but once you do it becomes second-nature. The fact that you’re extending the car’s electric range only boosts the feeling of satisfaction.
Regenerative braking is one of the key aspects of eco-driving. Used effectively, it will improve your efficiency and allow you to travel further between charges. For example, if you’re going downhill, easing off the accelerator pedal will activate regenerative braking, helping to offset the energy needed to climb the next hill.
Regenerative brake settings
In many electric vehicles, it’s possible to configure the regenerative braking to suit your personal preferences.
The Jaguar I-Pace, for instance, allows you to choose one of two settings: low or high. In the low setting, the deceleration isn’t too dissimilar to the gradual slowing effect you’d experience in a petrol or diesel car. The Jaguar will travel further before stopping when the accelerator pedal is released.
In the high setting, you will experience a greater level of deceleration from the moment you release the pedal. For the similar system in the i3, BMW claimed the added brake energy recuperation increased range by up to 25 miles.
In theory, you can do more driving using just the accelerator pedal. This is sometimes referred to as ‘one-pedal driving’.
What is one-pedal driving?
Drive an electric car carefully and you may rarely need the brake pedal at all. In the Nissan Leaf, for example, the ‘e-Pedal’ setting allows the driver to set off, accelerate, decelerate and stop using only the accelerator pedal.
In the Leaf, the pedal itself is a standard affair – e-Pedal mode is activated via a switch on the dashboard. With this engaged, the throttle feels much firmer, allowing you to make more precise inputs.
It takes a while to get used to, but you’ll quickly find yourself spending more time in ‘one-pedal’ mode. Tesla EVs are very easy to drive in this manner, too.
Regenerative braking: the road ahead
The Porsche Taycan demonstrates the next stage for regenerative braking systems. Its Porsche Recuperation Management (PRM) system uses a front-mounted camera to monitor the road ahead.
If the camera sees the way is clear when you release the accelerator pedal, the car will coast for longer. If there is a vehicle in front, it switches to regenerative braking.
Porsche says that up to 90 percent of braking will be achieved via regeneration, but it wanted to present a more relaxed approach for high-speed driving. A sudden jolt when lifting off on a German autobahn is far from ideal, after all.
Amazingly, Porsche also says that you could achieve up to a third of your electric range exclusively from recuperation. With regenerative braking from 124mph (200kph) to a standstill, up to 2.5 miles of range can be recovered.
Slowing down wins the race
Regenerative braking is another bonus of electric car ownership. Although you will never recover all of the energy consumed in driving the car forwards, harvesting some of it will increase your range – and save you money.
The amount of energy recovered depends on the electric car in question, how you drive, the regeneration settings and the outside temperature.
As an aside, with regenerative braking, you’re not producing any brake dust, which means you’re a little closer to achieving 100 percent zero emissions.
The electric cars of the future will undoubtedly spend less time recharging. Powerful EVs such as the Audi E-tron GT and Porsche Taycan – both of which can top-up at 270kW – are merely the stepping stones to our 350kW future.
However, maximum charging capacity is only half the story. Electric car owners should pay as much attention to overall charging speed.
Most EV charging occurs at home or work – places where the car is probably parked for many hours, and the time taken to charge is therefore less significant. Speed is far more important when charging on the move, however, ideally via a fast or rapid charger.
The charging curve
Many customers look at charging capacity as a key attribute of an electric car. Measured in kilowatts (kW), values might range from 3.6kW (in a Citroen Ami) to 270kW (in a Maserati GranTurismo Folgore).
However, this figure is of limited use if it concerns quick refuelling at a fast charger. What’s more important is a higher charging capacity over a longer period of time.
In other words, if an electric car charges with maximum output over a short period then lowers its power early, to protect the battery, the overall charging speed is also lowered. This is where the so-called ‘charging curve’ comes in.
The graph below shows how the Audi E-Tron 55, for example, can charge between five percent and 70 percent states at the maximum capacity before the battery management system reduces the charge. Using the same 150kW charger, some rival EVs hit a higher peak capacity early on, but their overall charging speed is slower.
Less haste, more speed
In any electric car, the final 20 percent always takes longer to preserve the life of the battery. Regularly charging to 100 percent can actually be bad for the battery, which is why car manufacturers often quote a charging time up to 80 percent.
That said, on longer journeys where range really matters, or if you don’t have the option to recharge at home, having a car that fills up to 100 percent quickly really makes a difference.
If you intend to recharge on the move, knowledge of your car’s charging overall speed, as well as its maximum charging capacity, could add up to valuable time saved over the course of a year’s driving.
There’s a very simple answer to this question: it’s entirely up to you. There are a number of well-established companies that can convert your classic car to electric power. So if you have the desire and the funds, by all means go for it.
We have driven a handful of electric restomods for our sister site, Motoring Research: everything from a David Brown Mini eMastered to a Bentley S2 Continental by Lunaz. The first thing that strikes you is the cost of an electrified classic car. Prices for the Mini start from £150,000, while the Bentley is a cool £500,000 – including the donor vehicle and a bare-metal restoration to better-than-new condition.
Not cheap, then, but it’s worth remembering that new electric cars are more expensive than their petrol and diesel counterparts. Take the Vauxhall Corsa: you can buy one with a petrol engine for less than £20,000. Yet the electric version starts from £32,500 and tops out at £37,000. That’s a lot of cash for a small car.
Even so, the process of converting a classic car to electric power doesn’t provide a more affordable alternative. On the contrary, you’ll need the equivalent of a new Corsa Electric if you want a company to convert a car on your behalf. And that’s likely to be just the start…
Think you can do the job at home? Think twice. A DIY EV conversion requires knowledge and expertise beyond the realms of most home mechanics, not to mention the significant safety considerations of working with high-voltage electrics. A specialist such as Electrogenic will handle all of this, plus the paperwork required to make the car road-legal.
Why converting a classic car to electric is a good idea
If you love cars, you’re probably guilty of getting misty-eyed over a classic, failing to remember the mornings when it refused to start or that time it broke down on the inner ring road. Perhaps you’ve also forgotten the terminal rust in the sills, or the time you spent scouring the internet for an unobtanium part?
Don’t get us wrong, we’re as guilty as the next car enthusiast. But the fact remains: a classic car requires time and effort to keep on the road. And keeping cars alive is getting more expensive, even if yours is old enough to qualify for free road tax (VED).
There’s also the prospect of higher taxation, increasing fuel costs and the banning of classic cars from towns and cities. It’s only going to get more difficult to own and run an older car. An electric conversion might be the best way to keep it on the road.
A classic car converted by a company that knows what it’s doing can be a joy to drive. Writing about the Lunaz Bentley, our Tim Pitt said: ‘Electric cars can feel dull and one-dimensional, like white goods on wheels. Not in this case. Sitting up at SUV-height, behind a huge and spindly Bakelite wheel, with its long bonnet stretching into the middle distance, the Bentley exudes a solemn gravitas and palpable sense of occasion.’
Tim was similarly enamoured with the David Brown Mini eMastered. He said “it feels tailor-made for the urban slog… while its diminutive size makes parking a doddle. You don’t need to worry about the ULEZ charge, either.”
Why converting a classic car to electric is a bad idea
The case against converting a classic car to electric is built primarily on emotional rather than rational thought. A car’s engine is part of its character, so its removal can feel like robbing it of its soul. Particularly when that engine is something like a Porsche flat-six. The way it delivers its performance, the noise it makes when downshifting through the gears, and the wail of the exhaust when you drive through the tunnel – all these elements are lost when you convert to electric power.
The counter argument is an electric powertrain can potentially make a classic car much faster. It’s like treating the vehicle to a heart transplant. Electric cars are known for their rapid acceleration, so your humble hatchback or sluggish saloon could become something that rivals a Tesla in the traffic light Grand Prix.
But there’s no doubt that converting a classic car would be considered sacrilegious in some quarters. If the classic car is rare, historically significant or in perfect condition, it’s probably worth leaving it alone. You could also find that a once-valuable classic car is worth significantly less with an electric motor under the bonnet. Even if it cost an arm and a leg to convert.
The environmental argument for electrifying a classic also seems shaky, given the quantity of raw materials required, particularly within the battery pack, and the relatively small mileages these cars tend to cover. EVs are more socially acceptable in certain circles, however.
Those are our thoughts on the subject, but there isn’t really a right or wrong answer here. The technology is available and there is a ready supply of classic cars to choose from, any of which can be converted to electric power. The choice is yours.
The number of electric car charging points across the UK is growing by the day, particularly in the more populated parts of the country.
At last count in February 2024, according to Zap-Map, there were 87,421 charging connectors in total, spread across around 57,290 EV chargers nationwide.
As we move towards the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars from 2035, the UK government’s aim is that nobody will be more than 30 miles from a rapid charging station by 2025.
So, how do you locate your nearest electric car charger?
Zap-Map
One of the first places to start, especially if you are considering buying an electric car, is the Zap-Map website. Its map of charging points shows the full extent of the UK charging network.
It’s not too dissimilar to the sight that greets you when you use one of those aircraft tracking apps to view flights surrounding major international airports. The picture in the south east looks particularly crowded (see above).
The interactive map allows you to zoom in using a city, town, village or postcode, then there are several filters you can use to narrow the search. These include connector types (rapid, fast and slow), charging network (Ionity or BP Chargemaster, for example), location type and whether payment is required.
Any problems with the charging network are likely to be reported by Zap-Map users, which gives it a community feel – and could save you wasted time driving to a defective charger. The map is also available as an app on both Apple and Android smartphones, plus Zap-Map has a version on Google Assistant that uses voice commands.
Open Charge Map
The Open Charge Map app, available for Apple iOS and Android phones, is a good alternative to Zap-Map. Crucially, it’s a global resource, so it will come in handy if you’re planning a road-trip abroad with your electric car.
Again, you can search via a city, town, village, postcode or zipcode, and there’s a useful comments section that allows users to record their experience with the charging point.
The map will even tell you if the charging point is operational, although we wouldn’t want to rely too heavily on this function.
Google Maps
Google Maps also has the ability to locate electric car charging points. Not only can you find your nearest charger – or points along a chosen route – you also have the ability to add the plug used by your electric vehicle into the preferences.
Do so and you’ll only see charging locations that are compatible. Six types of plug are covered: J1772, CCS (Combo 1), Type 2, CCS (Combo 2), CHAdeMO and Tesla.
Using in-car navigation
Many electric cars allow you to locate your nearest electric car charger via the dashboard infotainment system and/or a connected phone app. For example, the Renault Zoe uses TomTom data to offer information on traffic delays, the weather and charging locations.
Meanwhile, Tesla charging stations can be viewed via these cars’ navigation systems and by using the Tesla ‘Find Us’ map. All Teslas have a built-in Trip Planner, which provides a route to your destination, taking into account the Supercharger stations along the way.
Most affordable EVs, such as the Mini Electric and Vauxhall Corsa-e, now offer a find-a-charger facility, and the ability to locate a charger on the move will only become more commonplace in future.
Ideally, of course, your nearest electric charging point should be at home. Install a wallbox at your property if possible, as this will provide a much faster and safer charge than a plug socket – and allow you to take advantage of cheaper domestic electricity rates.
