The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
City among best for free EV charging
New research shows Aberdeen is in the top five UK cities for free electric vehicle charging. Followed by Dundee in ninth place, they are the only two Scottish cities to achieve this.
It was carried out by Independent Advisor Car Insurance, which ranked towns and cities that provide the highest percentage of free EV charging points available to drivers.
Aberdeen had 59 free EV charging points, or 2.99 per 10,000 people, giving it a ranking of 98% of free EV charging.
Dundee had 93 free charging points – 6.3 per 10,000 – or 95% free charging points. Aberdeen has fewer paid EV charging points per head of population (one) than Dundee (five).
They sit below firstplaced Bedford, which has 155 free charging points (14.47 per 10,000) with only three paid EV charge points.
The company also analysed insurance quotes for the five most popular electric cars by registration (Q3 2023) which have starting prices under £31,000.
EVs with comparable insurance costs to combustion engine models included (from cheapest) the Nissan Leaf, costing from £967 per year, followed by the Renault Zoe (£808), MG ZS (£1,126), MG 4 (£1,227) and Hyundai Ioniq, with the Ioniq costing around £1,275 per year to insure. Models such as the Corsa SE cost around £796 per year to insure.
Although starting prices for the popular electric vehicles are higher, the similar insurance, plus cheaper running costs, offer a comparable outlay to combustion engine vehicles.
At the top end, electric car insurance creeps up, with the most expensive EV quote almost £300 higher than the most expensive combustion quote.
Connor Campbell, at Independent Advisor Car Insurance, said: “Electric cars are more expensive to insure because they’re more expensive to buy.”
To cut costs for EVs he said: “If you’re only using an electric vehicle for short trips and not for frequent long drives, you might not need a long-drive range model. This can help you choose a cheaper model, helping save on insurance.
“Also, consider pay-permile insurance. If you’re using your electric vehicle for short trips, paying only for the miles you drive can result in significant savings.”