Skip advert
Advertisement

“I’m all for going green, but not if it pushes me into the red”

Chief sub-editor Andy Pringle thinks electric cars are still too expensive compared to combustion-engined equivalents

I know every car maker under the sun is falling over itself to develop electric cars at the moment, but I can’t see EVs gaining mass acceptance until the Government dips its hands into its pockets and makes them more affordable.

Why? Well, the answer is in black and white on our best car leasing deals page. We happily tell you that the Skoda Citigo e iV – a pure-electric car – is one of the best cars you could buy for less than £10 a day. And it is.

Trouble is, just below is another rightly recommended small car, the petrol-engined Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SE SE Premium – and it will cost you just £4.61 a day. If you’re like me and work out your finances on a monthly basis, the maths says that the Corsa is almost £100 a month less. Plus, it’s a bigger and well specified car, with a very decent average economy of 53.6mpg.

Advertisement - Article continues below

To my mind, what that shows is that buying a small electric car makes no sense for the very people for whom it should make the most sense: people living in urban or suburban areas, with low annual mileages, who mostly use their car for pottering about.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Unless you have deep pockets, £100 each and every month is a significant sum of money. And, yes, I know that electric cars are cheaper to run and all that, but you’ve got to go a long way to make up that £100 deficit – especially when the alternative is pretty economical.

To cut a long story short, I’m all for going green, but not if it pushes me into the red. And that was why, when I looked at getting a new car, an electric car was out of the question on my family’s budget. In the end, we went for a lovely five-door hatch – with a petrol engine. Not even a plug-in or mild hybrid.

For now, EVs aren’t going to get much cheaper, so the only way to bridge that £100 gap every month is to give buyers some major incentive to make them financially attractive. I love driving electric cars, I appreciate that they put out less pollution, and I know they’re the future. But, most people in this country buy with their wallets, not their consciences.

So, come on, Boris, I know it’s not easy when you’re faced with a pandemic, but if you want EVs to be the present, you need to make the sums add up for people who might be considering buying one.

Click here for our list of the best car leasing deals available right now...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Chief sub-editor

Andy ensures that every word that is written in the magazine is up to the right standards week in week out. He has been writing, talking and presenting videos about cars for more than 30 years, and on the staff at Auto Express since March 2019.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025