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12 changes: 12 additions & 0 deletions index.html
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Expand Up @@ -197,5 +197,17 @@ <h3>Other UK calculators &amp; the sources behind the defaults</h3>

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363 changes: 363 additions & 0 deletions should-i-buy-an-ev-uk-2026.html
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<!doctype html>
<html lang="en-GB">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Should I Buy an EV in the UK? (Honest 2026 Guide)</title>
<meta name="description" content="The numbers-first answer for UK drivers in 2026. Running costs, home charging, road tax changes, insurance, and when EVs beat petrol — then plug your own figures into our free calculator.">
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<header class="article-topbar">
<div class="brand">
<span class="mark" aria-hidden="true">⚡</span>
<a href="/" class="brand-title">EV&nbsp;or&nbsp;not?</a>
<p class="tagline">Keep it, or switch? See the real cost.</p>
</div>
<a href="/" class="btn-cta">Use the free calculator →</a>
</header>

<main>
<div class="article-wrap">
<h1>Should I buy an EV in the UK in 2026?</h1>
<p class="byline">Updated June 2026 · 8 min read ·
<a href="/">Try the free TCO calculator</a>
</p>

<div class="tldr">
<h2>The short answer</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>High mileage + home charging?</strong> EVs usually win on total cost within 3–5 years.</li>
<li><strong>Low mileage or no driveway?</strong> The case is weaker — public rapid charging costs erode the savings.</li>
<li><strong>Home solar too?</strong> Running costs can fall to near-zero per mile. One of the clearest wins in personal finance for a UK homeowner.</li>
<li>The honest answer for your situation: plug <em>your</em> numbers into the calculator below.</li>
</ul>
</div>

<h2>The numbers that actually decide it</h2>
<p>
The EV debate tends to get stuck on range anxiety and charging speed. The more important
question for most UK drivers is simpler: <strong>what will it cost me over the next 5–7
years compared with what I drive now?</strong>
</p>
<p>Three numbers dominate that answer:</p>
<ol>
<li>
<strong>How many miles you drive per year.</strong> More miles means more fuel saving,
which pays back the higher purchase price faster.
</li>
<li>
<strong>Whether you can charge at home.</strong> Overnight home charging on an EV
tariff typically costs 25–30p/kWh. Public rapid chargers typically run 75–85p/kWh.
That threefold gap is the single biggest swing factor in the whole decision.
</li>
<li>
<strong>What you're comparing against.</strong> Keeping a paid-off car avoids
depreciation costs; switching to a new EV means absorbing them. A fair comparison
includes both sides.
</li>
</ol>

<h2>Running costs: EV vs petrol and diesel in 2026</h2>
<p>
Here is a rough comparison at typical 2026 UK pump and tariff prices,
for a driver covering 10,000 miles a year:
</p>
<div style="overflow-x:auto">
<table class="data-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Scenario</th>
<th>p/mile (running)</th>
<th>Fuel/electricity per year</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Petrol, 40 MPG, £1.40/L</td>
<td>15.9p</td>
<td>~£1,590</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Diesel, 50 MPG, £1.45/L</td>
<td>13.2p</td>
<td>~£1,320</td>
</tr>
<tr class="ev-row">
<td>EV, 4 mi/kWh, home charging 27p/kWh</td>
<td>6.8p</td>
<td>~£675</td>
</tr>
<tr class="ev-row">
<td>EV, 4 mi/kWh, public rapid 79p/kWh</td>
<td>19.8p</td>
<td>~£1,975</td>
</tr>
<tr class="ev-row">
<td>EV + solar (70% solar at ~0p/kWh)</td>
<td>~2p</td>
<td>~£200</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="table-note">
Illustrative 2026 figures. Replace with your own tariff and real-world efficiency numbers —
the <a href="/">calculator</a> lets you do exactly that.
</p>

<div class="callout">
<p>
<strong>The home charging rule:</strong> If you can plug in overnight at home,
an EV's running costs are roughly half those of a comparable petrol car.
If you rely mainly on public rapid chargers, running costs can be <em>higher</em>
than petrol — the total-cost case then rests entirely on depreciation and servicing.
</p>
</div>

<h2>The solar panel factor</h2>
<p>
If you have (or are planning) home solar panels, the economics shift dramatically.
Solar electricity costs close to 0p per kWh for cars charged during the day — or
a few pence per kWh when drawn from a home battery overnight. At those rates,
even a modest EV can cost <strong>2–4p per mile</strong> to run, against 14–20p
for petrol.
</p>
<p>
The combined EV + solar setup is one of the clearest wins in personal finance
for a UK homeowner with decent annual mileage — but it needs upfront capital for both.
Running the calculator with a realistic solar charging mix shows you exactly how
quickly that capital pays back.
</p>

<h2>Upfront cost and depreciation</h2>
<p>
New EVs still carry a premium over equivalent petrol cars, though the gap has narrowed
considerably. The used EV market — particularly ex-lease cars — fell sharply in value
between 2022 and 2024, making quality second-hand EVs much more accessible heading
into 2026.
</p>
<p>
Depreciation matters as much as the sticker price. What the car will be worth in
five years affects your total cost just as the purchase price does. The calculator
uses a reducing-balance depreciation model: enter your purchase price and a realistic
annual depreciation rate, and it works out the true lifetime cost on both sides.
</p>

<div class="callout amber">
<p>
<strong>The kept-car trap:</strong> Keeping a paid-off car feels free, but it
is not — it still has a value that is depreciating, plus rising repair risk as
it ages. A fair comparison captures this, not just the fuel bill.
The calculator includes both.
</p>
</div>

<h2>Road tax (VED) — what changed in April 2025</h2>
<p>
EVs registered before April 2025 paid £0 per year in Vehicle Excise Duty.
From April 2025, all new EVs pay the standard annual rate (£195/yr as of 2025–26),
and any EV with a list price above £40,000 pays the expensive-car supplement
for years two through six (~£620/yr on top). This reduces the cost advantage
over petrol but does not eliminate it — petrol and diesel cars also pay VED,
and older diesels may face Clean Air Zone charges on top.
</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gov.uk VED rate tables</a>.</p>

<h2>Servicing</h2>
<p>
EVs have significantly fewer moving parts than internal combustion engine vehicles:
no oil changes, no timing belt, no exhaust system. Regenerative braking also reduces
brake wear considerably. The <a href="https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/electric-vehicles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Energy Saving Trust</a>
estimates EV servicing costs are meaningfully lower than for equivalent petrol or
diesel cars over a typical ownership period.
</p>

<h2>Insurance</h2>
<p>
EVs tend to cost more to insure than comparable petrol cars. The main reasons:
expensive battery packs, a smaller pool of specialist repairers, and longer
repair turnaround times after accidents. According to the
<a href="https://www.abi.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Association of British Insurers</a>
and <a href="https://www.thatcham.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thatcham Research</a>,
premiums can be 10–25% higher than for comparable ICE vehicles, though this
varies widely by model and insurer. Factor it in as a fixed annual cost when
doing a like-for-like comparison.
</p>

<h2>When buying an EV clearly makes sense</h2>
<ul>
<li>You drive <strong>10,000+ miles per year</strong> — enough volume to amortise the purchase premium.</li>
<li>You have <strong>reliable home charging</strong> (driveway, garage, or a dedicated street charge point).</li>
<li>You are comparing against <strong>buying a newer car anyway</strong>, not keeping a paid-off one.</li>
<li>You have solar panels or plan to install them — the combined win is compelling over a 7-year horizon.</li>
<li>Your routine trips are predictable and comfortably within the car's real-world range.</li>
</ul>

<h2>When petrol — or keeping what you have — might still win</h2>
<ul>
<li>You drive <strong>fewer than 6,000 miles per year</strong> — the fuel saving barely covers the price premium.</li>
<li>You have <strong>no reliable home charging</strong> and would depend heavily on public rapid chargers.</li>
<li>You already own a <strong>paid-off, low-repair-cost car</strong> — the depreciation you avoid is a powerful number.</li>
<li>You need regular very long journeys where multiple rapid-charge stops would add significant time.</li>
</ul>

<div class="cta-block">
<h2>What do the numbers say for <em>your</em> situation?</h2>
<p>
Plug in your mileage, your current car's value, the EV you are considering,
and your electricity and fuel prices. The calculator works out the break-even
year, pence-per-mile, and total cost over any horizon you choose — all in
your browser, nothing stored or shared.
</p>
<a href="/" class="btn-cta btn-cta-lg">Run the free EV cost calculator →</a>
</div>

<h2>Sources and further reading</h2>
<ul class="method">
<li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gov.uk — VED (road tax) rate tables</a></li>
<li><a href="https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/electric-vehicles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Energy Saving Trust — EV running cost guidance</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.abi.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Association of British Insurers — EV insurance data</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thatcham.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thatcham Research — EV repair cost research</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.zap-map.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zap-Map — UK public charging network coverage</a></li>
</ul>

<footer class="article-foot">
<span>
Guidance only, not financial advice. Prices are illustrative 2026 figures — always use your own quotes.
Open source ·
<a href="https://github.com/joanmarcriera/ev" target="_blank" rel="noopener">github.com/joanmarcriera/ev</a>
</span>
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