Long commute? Make EVs work for you

Four ways the EV can make commuting feel like a breeze

Work can be stressful at the best of times. So the drive there and back should be a haven of peace. Properly managed, an EV can deliver a smooth experience all round. Here’s how to get the best out of yours.

Know the distance

In a 2019 study , the average UK commute was found to be a 23 mile round trip. Even factoring in a return journey, and perhaps a short drive at lunch to pick up a sarnie or a diversion to do the school run, the numbers compare favourably with EV ranges. The UK’s top three selling EV models – the Tesla Y, Tesla Model 3, and Kia Niro – claim ranges of up to 331 miles , 390 miles and 285 miles respectively. So, with the same careful planning you’d make with any car, sufficient range is unlikely to be an issue for your EV commute.

Lead the charge

Whatever the nature of your EV journey, it’s always reassuring to know where you can recharge en route, and nowhere more so than on your commute. Whether you recharge at home overnight or rely on public chargers, it’s handy to know the whereabouts of facilities in your area, at your destination, and everywhere in between. The free bp pulse app will help you find them, effortlessly; you can even filter results by factors like speed, availability and connector type. If you regularly use public EV charge points, you can secure our lowest on-the-go rates by becoming a bp pulse subscriber for just £7.85 per month. See the current rates and find out more here.

Clock in. Plug in?

Businesses are switching on to the potential of EVs. Some offices now offer free or subsidised charging on-site for employees who choose to drive electric. Hopefully, the rest will follow. Check with your work and see what’s in place. And if there is no provision, consider asking why not and what’s possible. To encourage even more up-take of EVs in business, bp pulse offer special workplace subscriptions – worth sharing with the powers that be if they need a nudge.

Save save save

With zero tailpipe emissions, EVs are likely to be good news for air quality and driving one may well make you exempt from ULEZ and other clean air zone charges. So if you pass through these on your way to work, you could be going easy on your pocket as well as your lungs. Just check with the relevant authority to see what’s what. In the UK, you’ll also pay zero road tax on your EV until April 2024. It all adds up; whatever you do for work, an EV could make very good business sense indeed.

Few of us relish the idea of the drive to work. But a quiet, smooth, zero emission EV can make the prospect more appealing. And saving a few pennies might even give you a bit of a morning buzz before you hit the company coffee machine.