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When is it right to buy an electric car?

Published

6 years ago

March 4, 2021

Are you considering buying an electric car? That’s great. Recent advances in battery technology have shown that going electric is a realistic proposition for an increasing number of people.

Many nations have given between 2030 and 2040 as dates to phase out petrol and diesel-propelled automobiles and fully go electric.

Nigeria may not have given its exit date yet but it has embraced electric vehicle scheme.

But before you make up your mind on the EV project, you may need to look at the pros and cons.

Auto experts say the pros are beginning to outweigh the cons when it comes to justifying an electric car. But they also warn that these vehicles are not suitable for everyone yet.

Here is a list of the pros and cons of an electric car prepared by Motoring Electric, so you can decide if the time is right to ditch petrol or diesel.

The pros of an electric car

Zero emissions

All electric cars offer zero tailpipe emissions, which is great for local air quality and the planet.

While energy is required to build a car, and electricity is used to recharge the batteries, the latest research shows electric cars are less emission-intensive than their fossil fuel counterparts.

Lower running costs

An electric car should be cheaper to run than the petrol or diesel equivalent. There are a number of online tools that allow you to calculate how much it will cost to run an electric vehicle, with the option to select your home electricity tariff and car.

One such tool can be found on the EDF Energy website.

A typical petrol or diesel car costs around 12p per mile, so the cost for driving the same distance (230 miles) would be £27.60. That’s a saving of £23.44 in the Renault Zoe.

No Vehicle Excise Duty (VED)

Most electric cars are exempt from paying Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).

Electric car technology

Manufacturers are investing heavily in electric cars, so you could have access to technology absent from other vehicles. For example, it might be possible to pre-heat the car’s cabin from your smartphone, which will be handy on a cold morning. Buy a Tesla Model 3 and you’ll be able to play games and make fart noises via the touchscreen.

Performance

All electric cars offer smooth and immediate acceleration. As a result, they feel particularly rapid in towns and cities, offering an almost comical level of off-the-line pace.

Take the Tesla Model S, which can sprint to 60mph in just 2.4 seconds – quick enough to leave most supercars for dead.

Even the more affordable electric cars feel rapid, with the Vauxhall Corsa-e able to hit 60mph in 7.6 seconds.

Quietness of an electric car

Once you’ve experienced the near-silent serenity of an electric car, you’ll find it hard to return to the noise of a petrol or diesel engine.

It’s not 100 per cent quiet – you still get wind, tyre and road noise – but an electric car is far more relaxing to drive.

Government incentives

Some governments will pay you to drive an electric car. Availability of the Plug-in Car Grant has been extended to 2022-23, as the government prepares for the phasing out of new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles.

Cheaper to maintain

With fewer moving parts, an electric car is cheaper to maintain than a petrol or diesel vehicle. You can kiss goodbye to oil changes, spark plugs, belt changes, coolant changes, air filters and transmission oil changes.

However, you’ll still need to visit a garage for tyres, brakes, lights, wipers, tracking, suspension and cabin filtration.

Access to towns and cities

The introduction of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) signals a new era of penalties for driving a polluting vehicle in a town or city.

At the very least, electric cars will be exempt from payment, but you could find that electric cars are the only vehicles welcome in urban environments.

Feel good factor

There is also the feel good factor of doing your bit for the environment. By driving an electric car, you’ll be helping to improve local air quality, which will do wonders for your image.

The cons of an electric car

Charging points

This is more the perception than the reality, because there are around 35,000 charging connectors in the UK, for instance.

The government wants to ensure that nobody is further than 30 miles from a rapid charging station by 2025.

However, there’s no doubt that some areas of the country aren’t as well served as cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester.

But the network is growing all the time, with many supermarkets and the big charging networks at the forefront of the, ahem, charge.

The same cannot be said of countries like Nigeria just catching the bug. Indeed, electricity generation and supply remain a major issue in the country for businesses and homes.

There is also the issue of arriving at a charging point to find that it is already in use or out of operation. If there’s somebody at a petrol pump, you’ll have to wait a few minutes. If you can’t charge an electric car, you could be left stranded.

Charging time

Charging an electric car will take longer than filling a petrol or diesel car with fuel. Although some EVs can be recharged to 80 per cent in as little as 20 minutes using a rapid charger, you should allow up to an hour.

If you’re charging at home using a domestic socket, an overnight charge is the most realistic option. A full charge using a 3kW unit could take between six and 12 hours.

It requires a change in mindset. In the same way people have become accustomed to charging a smartphone, you will need to do the same with an electric car. If you charge a car overnight, you’ll wake up with a fully charged battery. Alternatively, you could leave the car on charge while you’re at work.

Electric car range anxiety

Some people struggle to come to terms with range anxiety. This is the fear of not reaching your destination without charging up. If you worry when your smartphone battery drops below 60 percent, you might struggle with an electric car.

As battery technology advances, range concerns are likely to become a thing of the past. Typically, you can expect between 150 and 250 miles from a new electric car, but others offer up to 350 miles.

Not strictly zero emissions

Even the most ardent supporter of electric cars would have to concede that they’re only zero emissions at the point of use.

A great deal of energy is consumed during the manufacturing of the car, and there’s also the issue of the electricity used during the charging process.

However, if the electricity is sourced using renewable sources (such as wind, hydro and solar), the case against electric cars is reduced. Last year, more of Britain’s electricity production came from zero carbon energy sources than fossil fuels. It’s the first time this has happened since the Industrial Revolution.

Electric car cost

For the time being at least, electric cars are rather expensive. Your cheapest options tend to be electric versions based on the architecture of conventional cars, such as the Seat Mii Electric and Skoda Citigo eiV.

At around £30,000 (before the grant), the Vauxhall Corsa-e is almost twice the price of the entry-level Corsa. Sure, the electric Corsa is better equipped and offers lower running costs, but the screen price remains high.

It’s a similar story with the Hyundai Kona Electric, which, at £29,500, is £12,000 more expensive than a basic Kona, and around £3,000 more than the flagship Kona Premium GT.

Once you get into the realms of Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Porsche, all-electric motoring gets very expensive.

Dynamics

Finally, although they are very quick and wonderfully quiet, most electric cars cannot hold a candle to conventional cars when it comes to driving pleasure. They’re simply too heavy to feel light and agile when cornering, while the weight of the batteries can make for a rather lumpy ride.

There are exceptions to the rule. The Porsche Taycan is every bit as good as other cars in the Porsche range, while the Tesla Model 3 is a very capable all-rounder.

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NADDC Pushes Affordable Auto Loans to Boost Vehicle Ownership, More Jobs

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

NADDC Pushes Affordable Auto Loans to Boost Vehicle Ownership, More Job

The National Automotive Design and Development Council has called for far-reaching reforms in vehicle financing to make car ownership more affordable while boosting local vehicle assembly, job creation and industrial development.

The Council said a properly structured financing system could turn vehicle credit from a mere consumer lending product into a major economic tool for expanding productive mobility and strengthening Nigeria’s automotive value chain.

Director-General of NADDC, Otunba Joseph Oluwemimo Osanipin, stated this in an address delivered on his behalf by the Council’s Principal Information Officer, Tanko Kyumnom, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Auto Sectoral Group Symposium in Lagos.

The symposium, held on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Henry Fajemirokun Hall of LCCI, was themed: “From Subsidy to Credit: Can Vehicle Financing Replace Fuel Subsidy as Nigeria’s Mobility Equaliser?”
Osanipin said the growing cost of mobility had made it necessary to explore financing models that would enable individuals, businesses and transport operators to acquire vehicles without bearing the full cost of ownership upfront.

According to him, spreading vehicle payments over an agreed period could provide a more sustainable pathway to vehicle acquisition, provided that the financing products are affordable, accessible and structured around the economic realities of Nigerian consumers.

He, however, cautioned that simply making credit available would not be enough.
“Vehicle financing offers a more sustainable approach by enabling individuals, businesses and transport operators to acquire vehicles and pay for them over time,” Osanipin stated.
The NADDC DG said the bigger opportunity lies in linking vehicle financing with the growth of locally assembled and Nigerian-made vehicles.

He explained that increased access to credit for locally produced vehicles could generate wider economic benefits by stimulating demand for domestic assembly, supporting component manufacturers, creating jobs and strengthening local supply chains.

Osanipin therefore urged stronger collaboration among government institutions, financial institutions, vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders in designing financing schemes capable of supporting both mobility access and automotive industrialisation.

The NADDC boss identified affordable vehicle loans, leasing arrangements, fleet financing, credit guarantees and appropriate interest-rate support as mechanisms that could broaden access to vehicle ownership and productive mobility.

lt also stressed the need for repayment structures that take into account the earning patterns and business realities of Nigerians, particularly transport operators and small businesses whose vehicles are directly linked to their income-generating activities.

Osanipin maintained that the objective should extend beyond increasing the number of vehicles on Nigerian roads.
“The goal is not simply to put more vehicles on Nigerian roads. It is to ensure that Nigerians can access productive mobility without placing an unsustainable burden on government finances or household incomes,” he said.

According to him, a properly structured automotive financing system could create a stronger connection between mobility, economic inclusion and domestic vehicle production.

“With the right policies and partnerships, vehicle financing can become a powerful instrument for mobility, economic inclusion and automotive industrial development,” Osanipin added.

The NADDC’s position places vehicle financing within the broader effort to build a sustainable automotive ecosystem in Nigeria—one in which access to credit supports vehicle users while also creating stronger demand for local assembly, components and associated automotive services.

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Jetour T1 Storms Abuja as Automaker Accelerates Nigeria Expansion

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2026

Trends Admin

Jetour T1 Set to debut in Abuja as Expansion Gains Momentum

Following a successful debut in Lagos, Jetour Nigeria will host the Jetour Experience Abuja from September 22 to 24, 2026, positioning its all-new T1 model as a major competitor in the country’s growing adventure SUV market.

The three-day event in the Federal Capital Territory will give prospective buyers and motoring enthusiasts direct access to product demonstrations, expert-led technical sessions, and hands-on test drives.

“Strong participation, extensive test drives, and significant sales enquiries at the Lagos edition, coupled with growing demand from Abuja residents, influenced the decision to bring the experience to the nation’s capital,” the company said in a statement. The show holds at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki.

To support its growing national footprint, Jetour Nigeria has established a network of seven accredited dealers: Elizade Nigeria Limited, New Era AutoVehicle Services Limited, Kojo Motors, Germaine Auto Centre, Tab Autos Limited, R.T. Briscoe Motors, and Mandilas Autos. The partnerships cover retail sales, genuine spare parts supply, and comprehensive after-sales maintenance.

Jetour T1 Set to debut in Abuja as Expansion Gains Momentum

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Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Published

3 days ago

September 20, 2026

Trends Admin

Abuja Demand Rises as Jetour Brings X70 Plus Experience to FCT

Jetour Nigeria is taking its seven-seater X70 Plus SUV to Abuja as rising interest from motorists in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring states fuels the brand’s latest push to deepen its presence across Nigeria.

The X70 Plus will headline the Jetour Experience Abuja, holding from September 22 to 24 at Maha Event Centre, Area 8, Garki, following the strong response recorded during the Lagos edition, where motorists turned out for test drives and made enquiries about Jetour models.

The Abuja activation is designed to give prospective buyers direct access to the X70 Plus and other models, with opportunities to test-drive the vehicles, engage product specialists and experience their technology, safety and comfort features.

The X70 Plus is positioned as a family-oriented SUV, offering seven-seat capacity and a range of features targeted at customers seeking comfort, technology and practicality.

The SUV is available with 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre turbocharged engine options, with outputs of up to 145kW and 290Nm of torque, paired with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.