Time to go electric

With the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales brought forward to 2030, get ready to make the switch

Some of the best plug-in cars

Last year, more than 100,000 electric cars were sold in the UK, and with the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars less than 10 years away, it’s clear EVS (electric vehicles) are going to be part of our future.

But it’s not just legislation that’s increasing the push for electric cars. Ecologically, they’re a no-brainer – a combustion-free engine means no petrol or diesel emissions. And, if you plug in at home, using electricity from a green supplier, your eco-credentials can be squeaky clean.

The benefits don’t stop there: they’re considerably cheaper to run. Depending on your choice of EV, it can cost around £5 for a full 160-mile charge – the same distance in petrol is about £20. And it’s pretty easy, too – many of them come with a cable that allows you to plug into a normal household socket so you can charge it overnight, just as you would your smartphone, meaning no more panicked dashes to the petrol station.

And you don’t need to fear running out of power on the move. There are 20,775 public EV chargers in the UK, a number that is constantly growing and of which 3,880 are rapid devices, compared with 8,380 petrol stations.

The one stumbling block, though, has always been the cost of actually buying the car. Electric cars are notoriously expensive with Tesla’s most affordable model setting you back £41,990. So, we’ve found the best models that are good for the planet and your lifestyle.