What are the pros and cons of buying an electric car?

As of early 2026, there are now over 1.5 million fully electric (battery electric) cars registered in the UK. Adoption continues to accelerate, with registrations representing a 38% increase from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025 alone. This growth is driven by the UK's commitment to net-zero, though the government has revised the target date for banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.

If your current car needs an upgrade now, should you make the switch to an EV sooner rather than later? Here, we take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of buying an electric car so that you can decide for yourself.

Pros of buying an electric car

Zero emissions

Needless to say, one of the greatest benefits is that EVs emit zero emissions. This makes them more environmentally friendly to drive compared to cars that have an internal combustion engine (ICE) and that run on petrol or diesel.

Zero car tax

As of April 2025, electric vehicles are no longer exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).

All EVs are now subject to the standard VED rate of £195 per year. Furthermore, EV owners should be aware that models with a list price exceeding £40,000 are now subject to the 'Expensive Car Supplement' luxury tax of £425 a year. Looking ahead, drivers should also prepare for a proposed pay-per-mile 'eVED' usage tax currently scheduled for 2028, which is expected to charge approximately 3p per mile for fully electric vehicles.

Less maintenance

EVs don’t have as many moving parts as petrol or diesel cars so there are fewer components to replace once worn. In fact, energy firm EDF, suggest that EV maintenance costs could be up to 50% less compared to an ICE car.

Cheaper to run

Recent NimbleFins calculations show that an EV now costs around 7p per mile to charge on a standard electricity tariff, falling to as little as 2p per mile on a dedicated off-peak EV tariff. This is a significant saving compared to the 13p–17p per mile fuel cost for petrol or diesel cars. For a typical driver clocking roughly 6,300 miles a year, this translates to an annual fuel saving of approximately £579 when compared to a petrol equivalent.

Performance

Electric cars are almost silent, so for the driver, passengers and for the public, it can be a welcome change to noisy engines. Power from the motor also goes directly to the wheels so EVs are responsive and quick to accelerate.

Another bonus is that thanks to where the battery is positioned, and the fact that the motor is smaller than an engine, EVs also tend to have more space for both passengers and storage.

Cons of buying an electric car

Range and charge anxiety

Range anxiety is the fear that your EV will run out of battery before it gets to its destination, while charge anxiety is the fear that you might not be able to charge it even when you get to a charging station.

These twin worries are very much genuine concerns of many EV owners but in reality, as long as you plan long journeys, you should be ok. There are actually more places to charge your EV than there are petrol stations, and hundreds of charge points are being added every month. Plus, there are several EV apps that also provide live updates, so you know exactly what’s working and where.

Charging time

The amount of time it will take to charge up your EV will ultimately depend on its battery size, the charge point and how much you want to charge it up to. Broadly, it can take anything from half an hour to overnight.

The vast majority of EV owners charge their cars overnight using a home charge point, so for day to day errands, charging isn’t really an inconvenience. But if you’re going on a longer journey and need to charge your car, remember to factor this in and plan suitable stops along your route.

Buy price

The purchase price for electric vehicles has become more competitive in 2026; the average cost for a brand-new battery electric car is now around £41,078. While luxury EVs still average around £52,000, budget-conscious buyers can find models starting from under £16,000—such as the Dacia Spring Electric, which launched at £15,990.

Even if initial purchase prices are higher, depreciation can be slightly slower compared to ICE cars. Although it’s true that previously EVs struggled to hold their value, a large part of this was due to the electric car market being relatively small. The technology was also still in its infancy and range was limited.

Now that the market is becoming more mainstream, EVs are holding their values much better than before. Some experts suggest that EVs retain as much as 48% of their value after three years. In comparison, petrol and diesel cars retain around 40%.

Potentially still charging with fossil fuels

EVs might be zero emission while they’re being driven, but they might not be so green while they’re being charged. Unless you’re on a green tariff and your energy comes exclusively from renewables, you could be charging your car with electricity that comes from fossil fuels. This in itself is not necessarily enough of a con to stop you buying an EV, but it’s a point worth thinking about if the environment is one of your main reasons for switching to one.

Find out more about EVs before making the switch

When you buy a car, there’s a lot to think about, regardless of whether it’s fuelled by petrol, diesel or electricity. To help you with your homework, we’ve put together an EV hub with handy guides covering the most popular models, as well as the best electric cars for families and for range.

We’ve also put together research that looks at the average cost to buy and charge an EV, along with real-life studies showing how batteries might deteriorate. Plus, don’t forget that we’ve teamed up with Quotezone, so that you can compare EV insurance here too.