Twenty years ago, it would have been difficult to consider an EV as your everyday car. They were expensive to buy, offered a limited driving range and the charging network was too small to make them a realistic prospect.
Things began to improve when the Nissan Leaf arrived in 2010, followed by the Tesla Model S in 2012 – and EV uptake has only accelerated since. In March 2025, 19.4 percent of all new cars sold in the UK were fully electric. EVs such as the MG ZS and Tesla Model Y regularly appear in the top 10 best-sellers list, too.
The availability of better and more affordable EVs, along with the rapid growth of the charging network, means the answer to our original question is ‘yes’ – an electric car can indeed be your everyday car.
Nonetheless, there are several important questions you need to ask yourself first.
How long is your daily commute?
The average round-trip commute in the UK is around 21 miles. Even an electric car with the most miserly range will be able to cover that. You don’t even need a longer-range EV, such as a Porsche Taycan, to tackle a longer daily commute.
For example, the Kia Niro EV offers 285 miles of range, which might be enough for an entire week of commuting. At the time of writing, it costs £37,335 in entry-level ‘2’ specification.
If you live in a city, you could find the latest breed of smaller, more affordable EVs work for you. The new Dacia Spring, for example, costs from £14,995 and has a range of up to 140 miles.
Do you have off-street parking at home?
Without access to a driveway or garage at home, charging your electric car could be an issue. Although you can lobby your local authority to install chargers on your street, home charging is more convenient and cheaper.
Trailing a charging cable across a pavement is unwise and unlawful. As the Highways Act 1980 states, unless you can prove that you have taken all necessary means to give adequate warning of the danger, you’re committing an offence. It just isn’t worth the risk.
Lamp post charging may be possible in some areas, but home charging is by far the most convenient option for most people.
That said, if you have access to a charger at work, you could have full batteries for the journey home and your commute the following morning. Just make sure you are guaranteed access to the charger, or you could be set for an unplanned night shift…
Do you live in a city?
If you spend most of your time in a city, an electric car is fast becoming the best choice of vehicle. Indeed, it may not be long before some cities make them the only choice.
Right now, electric cars are exempt from paying the Congestion Charge in central London – but this ‘100% discount’ only applies until Christmas Day 2025. The introduction of Clean Air Zones across the UK will also work in favour of electric cars.
Run an electric car in Westminster and you’ll receive discounted parking, free parking while charging and a parking permit for local residents. Other towns and cities are likely to introduce similar incentives.
Can you drive an EV every day?
If you spend your time pounding the UK’s motorways, covering 200 to 300 miles a day, an electric car probably isn’t for you. We’d recommend a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid if you want to embrace electrification.
For many other people, an EV is a realistic everyday car. Things get considerably trickier if you have to rely on the public charging network – there are different connectors, companies and payment options to consider. It’s also more expensive to charge away from home.
Browse the pages of Motoring Electric and you’ll learn more about running an electric car. Time to rethink your daily commute?
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