Why hire an electric car?

• How do I drive an Electric Vehicle?

The majority of electric vehicles have an automatic gearbox, so they don't have gears. Instead, a typical electric vehicle is a single speed vehicle with two pedals; the accelerator and brake. Everything else is the same as driving any other vehicle as it is only the engine type which differs.

• What if the battery is flat, will I be left stranded?

Do not fear, we'll never leave you stranded! As with traditional vehicles, we offer roadside assistance as standard on our fleet of electric vehicles. For extra peace of mind you can upgrade your assistance package to our Roadside Assistance Plus or Roadside Assistance Express products for the length of your hire. You can find more information on these products here.

However, it is just as important to ensure your electric vehicle is full of 'juice' as it is with a petrol or diesel vehicle. With proper planning, and the assistance of our national charging partner, Shell Recharge, this need never be an issue as you can easily and conveniently find the nearest charging station to you. If you have less than 10-20% battery charge available, it's always best to recharge as soon as you can rather than running the battery down even further.

• Are they really better for the environment?

Electric vehicles do not emit harmful emissions like Co2, so they certainly help offset your carbon footprint towards a more sustainable existence. But it's not a cure all, after all making electricity still generates Co2, though it is minimal from renewable sources such as wind or solar.

• What is the real range of an electric vehicle?

The distance an electric vehicle can travel on one full charge is described as its range or autonomy. This is usually between 100 to 350 miles, depending on the vehicle and battery type.

You'll find the official range as advised by the vehicle manufacturer displayed on our website under the vehicle description, which is based on urban/suburban driving in ECO mode. In real conditions, the available range could be up to 10% lower, but can also be 10% higher if you are driving smoothly and anticipating manoeuvers.

• What is the range in cold weather?

In cold weather, the impact of heating will decrease your vehicle's range by up to 15% (depending on outside temperature).

• What is the range on a motorway?

On the motorway or A roads where your journey is pretty straightforward you can expect the range to be roughly a third less than that displayed. To ensure you get as much range as possible smooth and steady wins the race, while staying within the displayed speed limit.

• Do hills impact EV range?

The energy you spend climbing a hill is called 'potential energy' that you can partially regain on the way down. So, you'll lose roughly 22 mile range for every 1000m climbing at altitude, but you can expect to regain 12 miles for every 1000m going downhill. All electric vehicles also use regenerative braking. This is a way of using some of the energy wasted when applying the brakes to slow down the vehicle, when going downhill for example, to recharge the car's battery.

• Where and how can I charge my electric vehicle?

There are three main ways to charge your EV - at home, at work or using one of the thousands of public charging points across the country.

To charge at home you can either have a dedicated home charging solution box installed at your address, or if this isn't an option, you may use a 3 pin domestic charging cable to connect to one of your house sockets if one is provided with your electric vehicle. If you live in a flat, many housing developers are starting to install electric chargers for residents use.

Your employer may provide charging facilities at your work address which you are able to access during work hours, which is a great option when your car is stationary for long periods.

When out and about there are two different types of public charging; On-the-Road Public Chargers and Destination Chargers.

On-the-Road Public Chargers are mainly used for long journeys and can be found at Motorway Services or near major roads, either as standalone charging banks or at a petrol station. These chargers typically offer Rapid Charging outputs of between 50kW to 100kW.

Whereas Destination Chargers are usually used whilst you're doing other things such as shopping or staying at a hotel and can be found in supermarket car parks, shopping centres or hotel car parks. Destination Chargers typically offer charging outputs of between 7.4kW and 22kW.

• Which charging cable should I use?

Our electric vehicles are provided with the original charging cables as supplied by the manufacturer, usually found in the boot or under the bonnet. Depending on the vehicle, you will either receive one or two cables; a standard roadside charging cable (usually a Type 2 connector) and/or a domestic charging cable (with a traditional 3 pin plug), which are easily identified by the Europcar label attached to the cable. Alternatively, if using a public charging point they may already have cables attached (also known as a tethered cable) which you can hook up to depending on the vehicle charging sockets.

You must only use the charging cables we supply with the vehicle for recharging. If you use any other cable, you will be responsible for any damage that may arise. If you are provided with an additional charging socket that runs to a domestic socket, you must ensure the electrical installation you are using complies with any relevant standards in force and any requirements of the Vehicle manufacturer, otherwise you will be liable for any damage that arises.

• How long does it take to charge an electric vehicle?

Charge times depend on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point. You can find further information on your vehicle's typical charge times on the vehicle information sheet.

However, a typical electric car with a 60kWh battery takes around 8 hours to charge from empty-to-full with a 7kW point. If using a rapid 50kW charger, usually found on the public charging network, you can add up to 100 miles of range in around 30 minutes.

• How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

To fully charge an electric car at home you can expect to pay around £5.

To charge an EV to 80% at a public rapid charger can cost between £7 to £15.

Naturally, this varies depending on the location, tariff, energy cost, battery capacity, charging speed and charge level, but one thing's for certain, the cost certainly undercuts fuel costs for a petrol or diesel car.

• How can I pay to charge my electric vehicle?

When charging on a public charging network you can expect to find the following types of Payment Methods:

Contactless

Contactless payments are becoming increasingly common at paid-for public chargers allowing for faster payments. In this case, follow the instructions which should be located on the charging post or on screen and tap your contactless card when instructed.

Smartphone app

Most public charger operators have a mobile phone app, which allow you to pay for the service. Some operators require you to use the app to access the charger. While there are benefits in many cases to registering an account, such as faster payment, most will allow you to “Pay as a Guest”. Download the relevant app, follow the on-screen instructions to pay and activate the charger.

RFID

Some charger operators also use an RFID card. This is not a requirement (there should be an alternative such as a smartphone app or contactless), but RFID card can make using public chargers quicker and easier and allow you to opt for a subscription based payment method or pay-per-use via your account.

We suggest signing up to our charging partner Shell Recharge Solutions. You can easily register by downloading the Shell Recharge App to your smartphone. Once registered you'll receive your RFID card in the post to begin using their public charging infrastructure of over 10,000 public charge points across the UK.

• How do I know the engine is on?

You might hear a slight hum or whirring noise but to know your electric vehicle is definitely ready to drive there should be an icon or the word 'READY' displayed on the instrument panel.

• Is there a risk for pedestrians?

All electric vehicles are required by law to have an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) to emit sounds when reversing or travelling below 12mph to help alert pedestrians of an electric vehicle in the vicinity. But you should always be careful and alert when driving where pedestrians are present.

• What does "B" mean on the automatic gear selection?

B' is a specific driving mode which makes higher use of regenerative braking, which can improve the battery efficiency and save wear on the brakes. It also makes the vehicle slow down much quicker when the driver lifts their foot off the accelerator. We would recommend using this setting if you are driving in heavy traffic or when travelling down a steep hill.

• What's the difference between 'ECO' and 'DRIVE' mode?

Just like in a conventional vehicle you have different driving modes available according to which driving style you want to adopt.

Eco Mode will allow you to conserve battery, but also affects the vehicle's performance by limiting acceleration and climate controls within the vehicle. We would advise using this mode if you are in heavy traffic or driving in built up areas.

Drive Mode represents the normal driving mode and may be accompanied with other options such as Sport Mode which enhances the vehicle's performance with maximum acceleration and handling.