Chris and Julie are big names in the EV industry, with their electric adventures such as their road trip from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole demonstrating their confidence in EVs, but when did their electric journey truly begin and have they always been EV advocates?
We asked Chris and Julie why they love electric vehicles so much and they delivered - here’s part 1 of our chat!
Let’s get plugged in…
We often get asked why we love electric vehicles so much, and for us, the answer is very simple. We have been an electric vehicle household for over a decade now, and we find that they offer so many benefits. These range from cost savings, to emitting zero tailpipe emissions, as well as the cool technology within EVs that enhances our driving confidence.
Back in 2013, we were a two-car household, owning a Ford Focus and a Mini Cooper. One day, we discovered an advert for a Nissan LEAF EV, which had a range of approximately 70 miles. Intrigued by the technology, we decided to test the car to see if it would suit our lifestyle. Our first impressions were that the car was quiet and fun to drive, with no gear changes and instant torque meant we could effortlessly cruise around the city and quickly navigate roundabouts and junctions safely, which was brilliant. At the time, the public EV charging infrastructure was free to use. We realised that switching one of our vehicles to the Nissan LEAF would not only save on fuel costs but also on maintenance costs. Combined, this would save us thousands of pounds in the long term. Most of our driving then was commuting to work, which was within the range of the LEAF, so it made sense for us to make the switch.
At the time, the Scottish Government was offering funding to install a charger at your home for free. Today in Scotland, you can apply for £400 towards the installation of an EV charger at home. Additionally, they are offering interest-free loans of up to £25k, repayable over six years, to help the public purchase a second-hand EV. More info on this can be found via the links in the box below.*
*The domestic charge point fund has currently been fully allocated and is closed to new applications, but you can register interest for future funding.
Tap here to discover more on EV Loan Support and EV Charger Install Funding in Scotland!
From the early days of owning our electric car, we started to become more climate-conscious and began questioning how we could live more sustainably and reduce our carbon footprint. Climate change was a huge topic in the news, and we soon learned that it was and still is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. By switching to an EV, we felt like we were contributing to tackling the climate crisis. We know we cannot solve the problem on our own, but collectively, if more people around the world switched to EVs, fewer fossil fuels would be burned, helping to slow down the impact of global warming.
As time went on, driving around the city emitting zero tailpipe emissions felt good. For us, it meant that we were starting to have a positive impact on the planet by removing emissions from our inner cities. As of 2021, transport produced 26% of the UK's total emissions and was the largest emitting sector. This demonstrates that a wider shift to electrification in the UK and beyond can play a huge role in reducing global CO2 emissions.
Inspired by the electric vehicle, Chris and Julie wanted to go one step further and find ways to incorporate renewable energy into their lifestyle. This led to the installation of solar panels and battery storage in their house, which meant they could harness clean energy; to power not only their car but also their home. This resulted in saving money on their energy bills along with their fuel bills!
It wasn't just about emitting zero tailpipe emissions. EVs also emit less noise pollution; they're quiet since they do not have engines. Additionally, with no gear changes, acceleration is instant and smooth, making the overall driving experience much more relaxing and calm. With features like autonomous driving modes, one-pedal driving, and regenerative braking systems, which allow you to put energy back into your battery when slowing down, the whole driving experience is evolving to make the cars not only more efficient but also safer. Most EVs also come with an app that allows you to access different features of the car remotely. One of our favourites is being able to turn the heating on during those cold winter days before getting into the car. It means our car is always nice and cosy before we get in. Our windscreen is also defrosted, so no need for all that scraping. Another advantage is not disturbing your neighbours in the early hours of the morning with the sound of a noisy engine when the car is warming up. What’s not to like?
Feeling enlightened or do you think something was missing? Let us know by sharing your feedback.
Interested in learning more? Head over to our Electroverse Community area for more electrifying content!
