Latest news with #EvieO'Flaherty
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
I'm a first-time driver & chose an EV as my first car – it's easy, convenient & cheap to run but there's a huge drawback
A FIRST-time driver has revealed how she's learning to pass her test in an electric car – thanks to the numerous upsides. However, she also admits there's one big drawback that might put off other young drivers from choosing an EV over a petrol or diesel motor. 2 2 Evie O'Flaherty, 17, from Hertfordshire, is learning to drive in her parents' Nissan Leaf and sees nothing but advantages – despite numerous teens opting to get their licence in a manual, petrol-powered set of wheels. Speaking to MoneySuperMarket, Evie said: 'Compared to a petrol vehicle, the Nissan Leaf is much easier to drive. It sounds nicer, there is less start-up, and it feels like a cleaner journey. 'It is really easy and convenient to charge up, and far cheaper to run – it only costs about 75p for 100 miles, compared to a tank of petrol. 'I've also been quite focused on sustainability and the environment from a young age, and I feel like an EV suits me much better for that reason.' Since a young age, Evie has been an advocate for electric vehicles – despite not growing up around them. She added: 'I've been encouraging my parents to drive EVs since I was about eight years old – they were thinking about it anyway, but I kept nudging them. 'Every time my dad mentioned a new car, I would say: 'Is it electric?' and finally his answer was 'yes'. We used to have two Saabs, and now we have the Leaf and a Tesla.' However, she does admit there is a major stumbling block when it comes to youngsters buying an electric car. 'EVs are obviously more expensive to buy, but I am happy to hold off until I can afford one rather than get on the road more quickly,' Evie said. 'I'm saving money to pay for my car by working as a tutor in my spare time. Dogs prefer EVs to fuel-powered cars with heart rates revealing exactly how your pet feels on drive, study shows_1 'So far, I've looked at the Nissan Leaf and electric Renault Zoe, which would cost around £4,000 to £6,000 if I bought one second-hand. 'My sister recently bought a Ford C-Max for £1,500, but she had to spend more than £3,000 on repairs, so it won't be much more expensive than that. 'Electric cars also seem to be getting more affordable all the time. 'The main attraction of a petrol car for me would be that they are more convenient for driving long distances, and there's a better infrastructure. 'But I've not really had any problems finding charging stations so far, and I don't need to drive long distances – I don't plan on taking a car to university. 'So it still feels like an EV would be the best fit for me.' Indeed, the Leaf and Zoe are among the cheapest ways to access EV ownership on the second-hand car market. What's more, the BMW i3 and often-forgotten Volkswagen e-Golf are becoming highly affordable – both costing, on average, under £7,000 at used car dealerships. Top Gear even recently suggested the Tesla Model 3 – one of the UK's most popular EVs – can now be found for around £10,000, with even the oldest iterations offering drivers around 250 miles of range. Sara Newell, Director of Insurance at MoneySuperMarket, said: 'The cost of getting an EV on the road is a topic of much debate. 'As our Household Money Index shows, young drivers are keen to drive electric cars, but it is still much more expensive for a first-time driver to get on the road with an electric car compared to a petrol equivalent. 'However, we can see light at the end of the tunnel as more electric cars come onto the market, and insurance premiums become more competitive – and in some cases, it can even be cheaper than insurance for a young driver with a petrol vehicle – especially if you shop around. 'We have developed an online tool to compare which EV is right for you.' The latest MoneySuperMarket Household Money Index (HMI) reveals the average cost of getting on the road with an electric vehicle (EV) is over £16,139. However, they also found that a third (32%) of youngsters plan to delay driving until they can afford an EV.
Telegraph
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Young motorists choose to pay £16,000 extra to own an electric car
Young motorists are choosing to pay thousands extra for an electric car instead of a petrol or diesel model, a study has found. Under-25s are splashing out £16,139 more to buy and run an electric vehicle (EV) as their first car. High prices for EVs, the cost of insurance policies and Labour's new taxes on the cars are loading a hefty premium onto electrically powered motoring. The findings come after Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, increased taxes on electric cars, making them subject to vehicle excise duty (VED) for the first time from the beginning of April at a cost of £620 per year for most new EVs. Despite this, nearly half (47 per cent) of young drivers polled by insurance comparison site MoneySuperMarket in March aspired to drive an electric car, compared with less than a third (31 per cent) of motorists overall. About the same proportion (32 per cent) of youngsters also plan to delay driving at all until they can afford an EV, while 38 per cent refuse to drive a petrol or diesel as a first car for environmental reasons – in spite of the increased costs. The average price of an EV suitable for a first-time driver is more than three times the price of a comparable petrol car at £11,335 for an electric model versus £3,218 for a conventional car. MoneySuperMarket added that the average EV insurance premium for an under 25-year-old is £1,881, compared with £1,621 for fossil-fuelled cars. Evie O'Flaherty, 17, who is learning to drive in an electric Nissan Leaf, wants to buy a second-hand EV as her first car, even though it will be more expensive. The teenager from Hertfordshire said: 'They are obviously more expensive to buy, but I am happy to hold off until I can afford one rather than get on the road more quickly in a petrol car. 'I've also been quite focused on sustainability and the environment from a young age, and I feel like an EV suits me much better for that reason.' Sara Newell, the director of insurance at MoneySuperMarket, said: 'The cost of getting an EV on the road is a topic of much debate. As our household money index shows, young drivers are keen to drive electric cars, but it's still much more expensive for a first-time driver to get on the road with an electric car compared to a petrol equivalent. 'But there's light at the end of the tunnel. More electric cars are becoming available, and insurance costs are starting to drop – in some cases, it's even cheaper to insure an electric car than a petrol one for young drivers, especially if you shop around for the best deals.' About 70 per cent of all new EVs have been subject to the 'luxury car' tax since the start of April thanks to their prices being above the £40,000 threshold for the Treasury's expensive car supplement. This so-called 'luxury car' tax applies for six years after a car is registered for the first time. Used EV sales surged by 55 per cent to 188,382 last year amid tumbling prices and growing availability, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said earlier this year. Second-hand EVs represented 2.5 per cent of the total car sales market, up from 1.6 per cent a year earlier.
