The difference between electric cars vs. petrol cars

Most of us have driven a petrol car in the past, and a growing number of motorists are buying or leasing the top electric car makes and models as the UK transitions to all-electric vehicles.

But what are the key differences between electric cars and petrol cars, and how might electric cars change how we drive?

In this guide, we’ll look at some of the physical differences between electric cars and petrol cars, why electric cars have automatic gearboxes, and what you might notice when driving an electric vehicle for the first time.

Fuel And Engine

First of all, there’s a bit of a language barrier when talking about electric vehicles. They don’t have ‘fuel’ or an ‘engine’ in the traditional petrol-car sense. Instead, EVs get their power from a battery and an electric motor.

You can ‘refuel’ anywhere you can plug in your EV’s charging cable. That can even include a standard 3-pin wall socket, although this will take much longer than a public charging station offering 50kW or more.

Charging speeds and efficiency improve constantly, and the newest electric car makes and models offer higher power ratings, faster charging times, and a longer range on a single charge.

Charge-As-You-Go?

Will we one day drive around in solar-powered cars, like the iconic Honda Dream of the 1990s? It’s not just a pipe dream — California-based Aptera Motors’ solar electric vehicle, or sEV, is developing and claims to offer 40 miles of range per day in pure-solar mode.

So, petrol cars use an internal combustion engine (ICE) powered by burning petrol. In contrast, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) use a battery-powered electric motor, which currently must be recharged at a workplace charge point, a public rapid charger, or at home overnight.

Why Are Electric Cars Automatic?

Petrol cars traditionally come with two types of transmission — manual or automatic. This determines what type of gearbox is fitted to the car.

Manual gearboxes offer a number of ‘forward’ gears (usually 4-5, but sometimes up to 7+ on more powerful engines) along with a reverse gear for backing up. Automatic gearboxes have fewer gears, usually including park, neutral, reverse, and drive.

What About Electric Car Gearboxes?

Electric cars are nearly always automatic because the electric motor doesn’t need to change gear to safely drive the wheels up to the vehicle’s maximum speed. While you occasionally see a manual gear change on an EV, this is mostly just for show and to mimic the driving experience of changing gear.

The plus side of an automatic gearbox BEV is that the vehicle handles the power transmission. Press the accelerator at any speed, and the motor will send more power to the wheels as efficiently as possible.

Charging And Running Costs

It’s impossible to put exact figures on the cost of petrol vs. charging an EV because there are so many variables. Just a few of these include:

• Wholesale oil prices
• Forecourt petrol prices
• Petrol tank size / Engine size
• Electricity tariff (home charging)
• Cost of public charge point
• Battery size
• Driving style
• Length of journey

Recharging (like refuelling) can cost more at a motorway location than it will just a mile away in the nearest town or village, and high-power ultrafast charge points will often cost more to use (but will save you valuable time when charging mid-journey).

Company Car Charging Costs

If you drive a BEV as a company car, your employer might reimburse you for your charging costs. A growing number of workplaces even have on-site rapid charging points, which should easily top up your battery over the course of a working day. These may even be provided for free as an employee perk or benefit.

While the cost to recharge an electric vehicle (like the cost to refill a petrol tank) goes up and down over time, it’s generally true to say that electric cars are cheaper to run, with a lower cost per mile compared with petrol engines.

What About Maintenance?

Electric car running costs perform well in terms of general maintenance and repairs. With fewer moving parts vs. an internal combustion engine, there’s less to go wrong, especially due to problems like metal fatigue or a lack of lubrication.

Leasing electric cars is a good way to remove maintenance costs from the equation completely. When you lease a new electric car, you get your hands on a vehicle fresh off the production line, with all its parts in the best possible working order.

Some leasing contracts include specified maintenance and repair costs in the monthly fee, so if your vehicle develops a fault covered by your maintenance plan, you can get it repaired at no additional cost.

Electric Car Regular Maintenance

BEVs don’t need an oil change in the same way as a conventional ICE petrol vehicle, because there are far fewer moving parts. Depending on your make and model of electric car, internal lubricants may need replenishing or replacing from time to time.

Some other regular maintenance on electric cars includes topping up coolants, brake fluid, and windscreen washer fluid. You should check that your tyres are safe and roadworthy, and periodically check the minimum depth of your tread.

You should also ensure your brake discs and pads are in good condition. Because most EVs have regenerative braking (using energy from deceleration to recharge the battery), this puts less stress on the brake pads and can mean they last longer before you need to change them.

Final Thoughts

We’ve covered a lot of ground to explain the difference between electric cars and petrol cars, from some cosmetic differences to the main things you’ll notice when driving, recharging, and maintaining an electric vehicle for the first time.

Hopefully, this has taken out any remaining mystery to give you the confidence to choose a brand-new model of BEV when your lease is up for renewal.