How will owning an EV affect my electricity bills?
Wed, 15 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
There no escaping the fact that charging an EV at home will increase your energy bills. But going electric could still save you money overall.
The cost of energy is never far from the headlines. In Britain and across Europe, electricity prices spiked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The ‘energy crisis’ has subsided since, although the cost per kWh is still higher than in 2021.
According to the UK Government, the average annual bill for electricity and gas combined is £1,720 (correct in September 2025).
For those who ...
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
Mon, 13 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
How long an electric car takes to charge depends upon a number of factors. We do the maths, helping you to save time.
Along with monthly cost and driving range, charging time is a key issue for anyone considering the switch to an electric car. And there is no way to sugar the pill here: the process does take time.
Even with rapid improvements in battery technology, it will be many years before electric cars can match the few minutes it takes to fill up with petrol or diesel. Nonetheless, there are several ways to make living with an EV easier.
Are all electric cars automatic – or can EVs have a manual gearbox?
Thu, 09 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
Does an electric car have a gearbox? And is every EV automatic? Motoring Electric's quick guide will answer your questions.
Most electric cars are essentially automatic, meaning there is no need for the driver to change gear. You simply engage D (for Drive), press the accelerator pedal and let the battery and motors do the work. Alternatively, you can select R (for Reverse) if needed.
There’s much more to it than that, though, not least because a traditional automatic transmission in a petrol or diesel car has several gears, whereas the vast majority of electric cars use a single gear.
Why do electric...
Does an electric car have to pass the same MOT test?
Mon, 06 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
An EV doesn't have to pass an emissions test, but still requires an annual MOT after it reaches three years old. Here's how the process works.
Like any car registered in the United Kingdom, an EV must pass an MOT once it reaches three years old. From then on, it will be subject to the same annual test as a petrol or diesel vehicle.
The same? OK, not exactly. For starters, an electric car doesn’t need to pass an exhaust emissions test, because it produces no localised carbon dioxide (CO2). An EV won’t trouble the noise test’s decibel meter...
From AC current to the ZEV mandate: electric car jargon explained
Fri, 03 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
Don’t know your rapid charging from your range anxiety? Our simple guide to electric car jargon should help you to understand the EV world.
Are you baffled by batteries, confused by charging speed, perplexed by preconditioning and muddled by miles per kWh? If so, you are not alone. But Motoring Electric is here to help.
The rapid adoption of electric cars has introduced us to a whole new range of acronyms, abbreviations and terms that weren’t previously part of the motoring vernacular. It’s almost like learning a new language.
Here are some of the most common words and expressions you might come across when researching or purchasing your...
How does regenerative braking boost your electric car’s range?
Thu, 02 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
Regenerative braking recovers the energy lost when you slow down, using it to recharge your electric car's batteries. We explain how it works.
A regenerative braking system recovers kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost when you brake. In an electric car, some of this energy can be harnessed by the motor – and that effectively means free electricity and a longer range.
In simple terms, when the driver of an EV eases off the throttle or presses the brake, the electric motor switches from powering the wheels to generator mode. This generator then converts a portion of the kinetic energy into electricity, which is stored in the ...
Buying an electric car: Which type of EV is right for you?
Thu, 02 Oct 2025
Motoring Research
We look at the factors to consider when buying an electric car. These include vehicle size, electric range and whether to buy new or used.
Rarely a week goes by without a new electric car being revealed. The choice of vehicles is expanding all the time, with most manufacturers now selling at least one EV. Some, such as Tesla and Polestar, are already fully electric, while others, including Jaguar and Lotus, are heading that way soon.
Prices for relatively basic new EVs such as the Dacia Spring start from around £15,000. Alternatively, buy used and you can begin ...
Slow, fast and rapid: electric car charging speeds explained
Tue, 23 Sep 2025
Motoring Research
Want to understand the practical differences between public charger speeds for electric cars? Our quick guide explains all.
The latest statistics from Zapmap reveal the UK had 84,218 public electric car chargers in July 2025 – a total that has more than doubled since 2022. Of these, some 16,937 (20 percent) were rapid or ultra-rapid devices.
Recent years have seen increased investment in high-speed public charging. Along with increased ranges from the cars themselves, this should give EV owners more confidence to tackle long journeys. So-called ‘range anxiety’ could become a thing of the...
Can I drive an electric car in heavy rain?
Tue, 16 Sep 2025
Motoring Research
When it comes to EVs, electricity and water really can be mixed. However, extra care is needed when charging an electric car in wet weather.
Will thousands of electric car drivers be left stranded when autumn arrives and the weather gets wetter? Of course not, but it seems not everyone knows that. Just over five years ago, a survey discovered that 12 percent of British motorists believe an EV can’t be driven in the rain.
Today, as EVs become ever more mainstream – helped by the government’s recent Electric Car Grant –...
Which electric car charging networks operate in the UK?
Mon, 01 Sep 2025
Motoring Research
We look at 10 of the major electric car charging networks in the UK, including BP Pulse, Shell Recharge, Osprey, Instavolt, Tesla and Ionity.
At the time of writing, there are nearly 120,000 public EV charge connectors across the UK. The majority of these are fast chargers, but there has also been a notable rise in the number of rapid chargers.
If you own an electric car, the chances are you will mainly recharge at home, either using a domestic plug socket or – preferably – via a dedicated wallbox. On longer...
