Should I wait a bit longer?

THE BATTERY HALF EMPTY VIEWPOINT

Battery technology is improving all the time, so it may be prudent to hang on. Ranges are improving, but the inconvenience of being caught short mid-journey is far greater than having to stop for fuel. The ennui of buying co ees you don’t really want while you wait for your car to charge in the corner of a nondescript service station (or worse still, waiting for a space to become available if all the charge-points are occupied) is anything but liberating. Charging on the street is currently impractical for those without o -street parking. Organised installation of street-side charge-points may be the eventual answer, but it’s some way away. If you need to replace a battery pack out of warranty, the cost could be horrific. And don’t forget ye olde combustion engine is far from done; it’s still making remarkable strides in e ciency.

THE BATTERY HALF FULL VIEWPOINT

A 300-mile-plus range is now becoming an established benchmark for EVs. Mileage equivalent to that of a fossil fuel-filled tank – the ultimate tipping point – is now a reality. Overnight charging means you’ll rarely start a journey on empty, and there are more than 7000 charging points around the country, and counting, for when you do need to pitstop. The concept of returning energy from your vehicle to the grid is becoming real too. In Denmark, for example, EVs have been using bi-directional chargers to earn money by selling surplus energy back to the grid when not in use. Should you buy a used EV that does eventually need a replacement battery pack, a ordable aftermarket replacements will soon be available, and the depleted battery may go on to live a worthwhile ‘second life’ – used Nissan Leaf batteries feed energy to the Amsterdam

Arena, for example.