7 Good Reasons to No Longer Buy Petrol or Diesel Cars
Very slowly but surely, petrol and diesel cars are going out of fashion. The world is awakening to the reality that driving a petrol or diesel car is not sustainable: both in the environmental sense and the fact that it won’t last much longer. In this article, we explore seven compelling reasons that you should resist the temptation to buy another petrol or diesel car.
They’re Going to be Banned in 2030
As part of the government’s scheme from 2030, the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned across the UK. Even hybrids will be banned from 2035. However, It is important to distinguish that they will not be banned from being on the roads, merely from being sold new. As such, petrol and diesel models will still be available to buy second-hand, but they won’t be brand new.
They’re Bad for the Environment
The fact that petrol and diesel models are bad for the environment is not news to anyone. The CO2 and NOX emissions from petrol and diesel cars respectively mean they are contributing to poorer air quality and, *gasp*, climate change. Overall, diesel cars emit fewer hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and lead pollution than their petrol counterparts but produce more noxious gases and significantly more particulates.
The consequence of this: besides contributing to environmental decay, you will face a hefty sum of road tax by owning either type of model – a cost that is eradicated when you go electric.
Used EVs are Increasingly Popular
In case you’ve always liked the idea of driving an EV and want to do right by the environment but have been turned off because they are too expensive to buy new – think again. Granted, new EVs can cost a fortune, but thanks to the used EV market, you no longer need to settle for a petrol car just because it is cheaper to buy than an EV. Based on the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales of used EVs went up from 6,625 to 14,586 in the first three months of this year, which is a 120% increase from the same period last year.
Various second-hand EVs are now available to buy for a similar amount to second-hand petrol cars. For example, an early Renault Zoe could cost you around £6000. So, if you had dismissed the idea of an EV on the basis that they are more expensive than many of their petrol and diesel equivalents, then have a look into the used EV market.
Both Petrol and Diesel Cars are Expensive to Maintain
No car is exempt from maintenance costs, not even electric cars. But the costs associated with keeping a petrol or diesel car in good nick can be a big financial drain.
Firstly, diesel fuel costs a fair amount, averaging at around 199p per litre. Petrol isn’t too far behind, costing around 191p per litre. Annually, this amounts to an average of £1,795 to fuel a diesel car and £1,288 for a petrol car, assuming they have the average fuel economy.
Servicing diesel cars is another big expense, potentially costing you up to £400. Petrol engines are less efficient, so they use more fuel, meaning you may end up spending more on petrol.
Diesel Cars are Noisy!
If you’ve ever stood close to a diesel vehicle, you’ll know they sound like something like a plane on a runway seconds before takeoff. Needless to say, EVs are virtually silent – so much so that some companies have even gone to the extent of implementing noise generators so people can hear them coming.
Petrol Cars Depreciate at the Same Rate as EVs
When it comes to a standard car, you can expect it to last around 12 years or about 200,000 miles. At the same time, Consumer Reports estimates the average EV battery pack’s lifespan to be around 200,000 miles as well, meaning you may as well buy an EV if they are reported to last the same length of time and come with much lower running costs.
Petrol Cars Don’t Retain as Much Value
Just by driving your petrol car out of the showroom when you buy it, it loses a considerable amount of its resale value. If you want to sell it after a year, it will have dropped in value by around 24%. On the other hand, EVs only lose around 12% of their value after a year, meaning you don’t have to lose as much money as you would by reselling your petrol or diesel car.
Driving an EV Comes with so Many Perks
EVs do not emit any harmful greenhouse gases as their petrol and diesel counterparts do, meaning they do not contribute one iota to climate change.
And if the above wasn’t a good enough reason for you, there’s also the fact that EVs are much less costly to run. Charging your EV to full capacity, for instance, can cost as little as £2.50. Home charging may only cost you around 19 pence per kWh – a fraction of what owners of a petrol or diesel model would spend on fuel. It’s a no-brainer – you save money with an EV.
On the subject of running costs, there are lower servicing and maintenance costs associated with EVs. Because of the fewer moving parts in the EV engine compared to a regular combustion engine, you’ll end up splashing far less cash on getting things tweaked and fixed in an EV than you would with a petrol or diesel model.
Another great perk? EV owners pay not a dime in road tax, which could save some drivers over £2,000 per year. And if you thought mileage was an issue, how wrong you were. The average mileage range for an EV after one charge is 197 miles (roughly the distance from Leeds to London), with some models now able to complete up to 500 with one charge.
The accessibility of chargers constitutes another huge benefit of EV driving and another good reason not to buy a petrol or diesel car. There are currently over 42,000 EV charging stations UK, and London is home to more than 8,600 of these chargers.
Not only is there an abundance of chargers, but they are easy to find thanks to a car charger app like Bonnet. Your nearest EV charging point could be located within a matter of minutes by simply looking at Bonnet’s clear map of chargers in your local area.
Convinced?
If those eight reasons did nothing to persuade you that investing in a petrol or diesel car is no longer worth it, it is probably a sign that your heart is set on one.
Whatever you decide, we wish you only the safest journeys!
