Is an electric car right for me, even without a driveway?
For most people with off-street parking, yes, comfortably. Home charging overnight is where EVs win on cost and convenience.
Without a driveway it is more nuanced but far from impossible. Around a third of UK households have no off-street parking. Your options are workplace charging, on-street chargers, and public rapid charging, plus a grant of up to £500 toward a charger if you rent or live in a flat (GOV.UK / OZEV, from April 2026).
A fair self-test: can you reliably charge at least once a week somewhere convenient, at a sensible price? If yes, an EV works. If every charge means a special trip to an expensive rapid, wait until home or workplace charging is sorted.
What does an EV really cost to run?
Charged at home on an off-peak EV tariff (around 7p to 12p per kWh), an EV costs roughly 2p to 4p per mile. Petrol at 2026 pump prices is about 16p to 20p per mile (CostPerMile / PetrolPrices, 2026).
At 8,000 miles a year that is a fuel saving of roughly £1,000 to £1,600. Servicing is also typically 15% to 30% cheaper with no oil, filters or spark plugs.
The honest other side: insurance can run about 10% to 15% dearer in 2026 (down from 30% to 40% a couple of years ago), and if you rely on public rapid charging the per-mile cost rises sharply, sometimes close to petrol. The home-charging advantage is doing most of the heavy lifting.
How long does the battery last, and what is the warranty?
Long enough that, for most buyers, it is not the risk it feels like. Geotab's 2025 study of 22,700 EVs found average degradation of just 2.3% per year, leaving about 81.6% of capacity after eight years.
Nearly every UK EV comes with an 8-year / 100,000-mile battery warranty guaranteeing at least 70% capacity, and several brands go further (Lexus offers 10 years with annual health checks; Tesla, Kia and Hyundai have strong cover).
A full battery replacement on a modern EV is rare and usually a warranty matter, not a cost to budget for.
How far will it really go, and how long to charge?
Take the official WLTP range and knock off 10% to 20% for real-world driving, and 15% to 25% on top of that in cold winter weather (WhatCar? 2024 to 2025). A car badged at 250 miles realistically gives 200 to 230 in mild conditions and 180 to 210 in winter.
Charging:
- Home (7kW): 4 to 7 hours from 20% to 80%, done overnight.
- Public rapid (50kW to 350kW): 10% to 80% in about 20 to 40 minutes (RAC / Pod, 2026).
For day-to-day life you mostly top up at home and barely think about it. Long trips mean a 20 to 40 minute stop roughly every 150 to 200 miles, which usually lines up with a coffee anyway.
Will it hold its value? EV resale and depreciation
Better than the headlines suggest, and improving. EV depreciation has stabilised: average loss is now around 38% to 42% after three years, versus 35% to 40% for petrol, so the gap has narrowed to within about 5% (Cox Automotive / AutoHit, 2025 to 2026).
What protects resale value: a documented battery state-of-health, a full digital service history, faster charging capability and longer range. Early, short-range EVs depreciate hardest; newer long-range models hold up well.
The single biggest lever is the battery health report. Keep the car serviced and keep that record, and you protect the resale price.
New vs used, and what to check on a used EV
Used EVs can be excellent value because early depreciation has already happened. The key is the battery, not the mileage.
A UK study of over 8,000 EVs (Battery Performance Index, 2025) found the average used EV still holds more than 95% of its original capacity, and that a higher-mileage home-charged car often has a healthier battery than a low-mileage car that lived on rapid chargers.
Before you buy used, get a battery State of Health (SoH) report. A main dealer often runs one free during a service; an independent OBD test costs around £60 to £100 and is widely trusted. Aim for SoH of 80% or more. Also confirm remaining battery warranty, check the charging cables are included, and have an IMI Level 3+ specialist look it over.
Insurance, towing and road trips
Insurance: budget for roughly 10% to 15% more than an equivalent petrol car in 2026. Premiums vary a lot by model: small EVs like the MG4 can come in under £700, while a Tesla Model Y often tops £1,500. Get quotes on the exact model before you commit.
Towing: many EVs are rated to tow, some over 2,500kg, but expect range to drop 30% to 50% with a caravan, so plan charging stops.
Road trips: very doable. With a 20 to 40 minute rapid stop every couple of hours, the practical limit is your patience, not the car. If you do a lot of long, time-critical motorway miles with nowhere to charge en route, that is the one use case where you should test it hard before buying.