How much do you know about electric vehicles? Take our quiz to find out

1. When was the electric car first invented?

   1. The 19th century.

   2. The 20th century.

   3. The 21st century.

2. When you say EV … which one of these are you talking about?

   1. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

   2. Mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs).

   3. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

3. What powers an electric car, anyway?

   1. A tank full of lithium. (You’ve heard of a lithium-ion battery?)

   2. An underfloor battery pack and an electric motor.

   3. Hundreds of AAA batteries lined up end to end.

4. How many different brands of electric car are available now?

   1. Just Tesla.

   2. About five.

   3. Dozens – with more to come!

5. How do you charge an electric car?

   1. If you don’t have a driveway or off-street parking, forget it.

   2. You’ll need to run an extension cable from a three-pin plug inside your house and out into the street.

   3. You can use all manner of charging options, including charging at work, the on-street residential charging scheme, or the rapidly expanding public charging network.

6. How long does an electric car take to charge?

   1. Twenty minutes.

   2. Twelve hours.

   3. Both are correct.

7. How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

   1. It’s completely free.

   2. Anything from £5 to £30.

   3. £100 for a full charge.

8. How far on average can you go in an electric car on a single charge?

   1. 240 miles.

   2. 70 miles.

   3. 500 miles.

9. Are EV batteries really affected by temperature when charging?

   1. No, it’s a myth.

   2. Yes, cold weather affects range.

   3. Yes, hot weather affects range.

10. Can I charge an electric car in the rain? Can I drive through water?

    1. Yes of course you can. Charging and driving an EV in wet conditions is totally safe.

    2. You can drive in the rain, but charging in the wet is a no-no.

    3. No! EVs should only be operated in dry conditions.

11. Does the government still give tax breaks to EV owners?

    1. Yes.

    2. Yes, for now.

    3. No.

12. When will new petrol and diesel cars be banned?

    1. 2026.

    2. 2030.

    3. 2035.

Solutions

1:A - Believe it or not, electric cars were in production as far back as 1884 but then lost the technology race to petrol. Improvements in battery technology saw EVs jolt back to life in the 1990s with Toyota’s Prius and GM’s EV1 but it was Tesla’s 2008 Roadster that really set the ball rolling again, and this time, the momentum has proved unstoppable., 2:A - All these types are electrified, but only BEVs are pure electric – that is they run on battery power alone. The other two – MHEVs and PHEVs – combine electric motors with petrol engines, so while they are still more efficient than fuel-only cars, they are not zero-emission vehicles and are classed as alternative fuel vehicles., 3:B - The typical EV has a chargeable battery pack under its floor that powers an electric motor, and that in turn drives the wheels. There’s no need for a complex internal combustion engine with its hundreds of parts, or for a manual gearbox or clutch. Clean and simple., 4:C - Tesla may have spearheaded the EV movement, but nowadays everyone is in on the act, from legacy car makers such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi, to new brands you may not have heard of, such as China’s BYD and NIO., 5:C - While running a lead from your home across the pavement to charge your EV is an option, it’s not advised and is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. The public charging network is expanding rapidly across the UK, with more than 50,000 charging points available at the end of 2023. Many local authorities are installing on-street residential charging points as well. And if you factor in high-speed chargers at motorway service stations and the option of charging at work, it’s clear that charging your EV is becoming a lot more convenient., 6:C - Both are correct, as charging an electric car can take anything from 20 minutes to 12 hours. It all depends on the size of your car’s battery, how much charge you start with, and the type of charger you’re using. Using a slow 3.6kW charging point will take up to 12 hours to fully charge a standard EV, while a fast 7kW charging point – which you’ll find in a car park or a shopping centre – will do the same job in about five hours. A 50kW rapid or 100kW ultra-rapid charger, which you’ll typically find in a motorway service station, can give you up to an 80% charge in just 20 minutes., 7:B - As with charging times, the cost of charging depends on what kind of battery your electric car has. A smaller battery will take less energy, while a larger one will take more. So, a standard EV with a 40kWh battery will cost about £12 for a full charge (based on the average home electricity cost of 29p per kWh), while a big luxury model with an 80kWh unit could be double that. So, while it’s not free, an EV is considerably cheaper to run than its petrol or diesel ancestors., 8:A - In 2023 the average battery range for new EVs was about 240 miles. And that’s set to increase year-on-year, with the average range heading to 300 miles and above in 2024. That said, some new, high-end EV models claim maximum ranges of over 400 miles., 9:B - Cold weather affects battery charging times. So if an EV’s battery gets cold, it will take longer to charge and its optimum range will drop. Some manufacturers now offer battery pre-heating, which means the car will heat the battery before you go for a drive., 10:A - It’s perfectly safe to do both. The exterior of an EV’s battery pack, as well as the power lines that run from the battery to the car’s electric motors, are electrically isolated and heavily insulated. (However, if you’re charging your EV using an extension cord plugged into a three-pin home socket, don’t leave that out in the rain.), 11:B - Until April 2025, you won’t have to pay vehicle excise duty if you drive an electric vehicle, which is great. EVs are also exempt from the clean air zone charges you find in major cities and enjoy lower benefit-in-kind tax if they’re company cars., 12:C - You’ll still be able to drive petrol and diesel cars in 2035 – you just won’t be able to buy them brand new. The UK ban was originally planned for 2030 but the government postponed it for five years. One way or another, EVs will soon be playing a much bigger part in all of our lives.

Scores

1. 12 and above.

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2. 11 and above.

   EV expert. You’re in the driving seat of the EV revolution. Why not put yourself in the actual seat of an electric car, too? Head to Auto Trader for everything EV – from how-to guides to thousands of cars for sale.

3. 10 and above.

   EV expert. You’re in the driving seat of the EV revolution. Why not put yourself in the actual seat of an electric car, too? Head to Auto Trader for everything EV – from how-to guides to thousands of cars for sale.

4. 9 and above.

   EV expert. You’re in the driving seat of the EV revolution. Why not put yourself in the actual seat of an electric car, too? Head to Auto Trader for everything EV – from how-to guides to thousands of cars for sale.

5. 8 and above.

   EV-confident. You know your EVs from your elbow! Stay up to speed at Auto Trader, which is packed with EV guides and the latest reviews.

6. 7 and above.

   EV-confident. You know your EVs from your elbow! Stay up to speed at Auto Trader, which is packed with EV guides and the latest reviews.

7. 6 and above.

   EV-confident. You know your EVs from your elbow! Stay up to speed at Auto Trader, which is packed with EV guides and the latest reviews.

8. 5 and above.

   EV-confident. You know your EVs from your elbow! Stay up to speed at Auto Trader, which is packed with EV guides and the latest reviews.

9. 4 and above.

   EV newbie. You’re still living in the world of petrol. It’s time to get switched on. Check out Auto Trader’s electric hub, which is packed with EV guides and information.

10. 3 and above.

    EV newbie. You’re still living in the world of petrol. It’s time to get switched on. Check out Auto Trader’s electric hub, which is packed with EV guides and information.

11. 2 and above.

    EV newbie. You’re still living in the world of petrol. It’s time to get switched on. Check out Auto Trader’s electric hub, which is packed with EV guides and information.

12. 0 and above.

    EV newbie. You’re still living in the world of petrol. It’s time to get switched on. Check out Auto Trader’s electric hub, which is packed with EV guides and information.

13. 1 and above.

    EV newbie. You’re still living in the world of petrol. It’s time to get switched on. Check out Auto Trader’s electric hub, which is packed with EV guides and information.

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