Electric vehicles are vehicles that are fully or partly powered by an electric motor.
Electric vehicles include cars, vans and motorcycles. Collectively these vehicles are known as Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. These vehicles use electricity although a small minority use alternative fuels like hydrogen.
Electric vehicles are growing in popularity (electric vehicle figures for Northern Ireland) and will help to reduce carbon emissions from transport. This will contribute to government targets towards net zero emissions. Environmentally, the manufacture and running of an electric vehicle during its lifetime leaves a much smaller carbon footprint than a petrol or diesel vehicle.
A vehicle powered only by electricity. The battery is charged by an external power source and incorporates regenerative braking which helps to extend the available range.
Retains a petrol or diesel engine, and also has a battery which is larger than a Hybrid and therefore improved electric range of up to 50 miles. It can be driven with either the petrol or diesel engine, electric motor, or both simultaneously. The battery can be recharged by an external power source.
Has a petrol or diesel engine as the only means of propulsion and a small battery and an electric motor to boost efficiency.
A vehicle which combines a battery, electric drive motor and a small petrol or diesel generator. The electric motor always drives the wheels with the internal combustion engine acting as a generator when the battery is depleted.
The initial upfront purchase price of an electric vehicle tends to be higher than its petrol or diesel equivalent. However electric vehicles have lower running and maintenance costs.
Electric Vehicles, like petrol or diesel vehicles, can be purchased from most car or vehicle dealerships and can be bought second-hand.
Some types of low-emission vehicles are eligible for a grant from the government. Eligible vehicle types are:
You do not apply for the grant. The seller includes it as a discount in the purchase price.
More information on low-emission vehicles eligible for a plug-in grant
Salary sacrifice - you may also benefit from an electric vehicle through a salary sacrifice scheme. This can be considered a benefit-in-kind.
More information on salary sacrifice schemes: How can electric car drivers benefit?
Charge time / range
The amount of time it takes to charge an electric vehicle depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point.
The main ways to charge an electric vehicle are at home or using a public charge point. Some workplaces also provide charge points for employees.
Charging at home
Charging at home is the most convenient and cheapest option.
More information on charging costs is available on the gov.uk website.
Installing a home charging point
To charge an electric vehicle at home, it is recommended to install a home charging point which will require off street parking. A home charging point is a compact weatherproof unit that mounts to a wall with a connected charging cable or a socket for plugging in a portable charging cable.
Dedicated home charging points are installed by qualified specialist installers. It is a legal obligation to notify Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) of the installation of a charge point. The installer will be required to provide capacity and testing information on the charger, so it is important to find a suitably qualified installer. NIE Networks has an Electric Vehicle Drivers Guide to Charging at Home which includes information on notifying NIE Networks of an electric vehicle charger installation.
The typical cost of a home charge point is around £800-£1500. Once installed, you only pay for the electricity you use to charge.
With the electric vehicle chargepoint grant you can get either £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket (whichever is lower) for an electric vehicle charge point at a domestic property in the UK. It is subject to criteria such as living in a flat that you own or you rent a residential property.
Your electricity bill
If you are charging your electric vehicle at home, your electricity bills will increase. As an electric vehicle driver, it is therefore very important to shop around to make sure that you are on the right electricity tariff - check if your energy supplier has a specific electric vehicle tariff or time of use tariff available. For example, electric vehicle owners on time of use tariffs such as Economy 7 or Powershift can save money by charging the electric vehicle at night when electricity is cheaper. If you do change to a time of use tariff, make sure to check with your supplier what hours you get the cheaper rates.
The Consumer Council has an online price comparison tool that can help consumers shop around for the best electricity deals. Our tool doesn’t currently compare time of use tariffs, but you can find information about these tariffs on our price comparison tables to help you find the best prices.
Public charge points
Public charge points are located throughout Northern Ireland and are most useful for on-the-go charging or if you do not have a home charge point.
Charge point operators include BP Pulse, EasyGo, ESB, Instavolt, Ionity, Maxol, Tesla and Weev.
Zapmap is a useful resource which helps you locate a charge point.
The main types of public charge points are slow, fast, rapid and ultra-rapid. There are also different types of connector: Type-1, Type-2, CHAdeM0, and CCS. It is important to understand the differences between charge point types and when is best to use each type.
| Slow | Fast | Rapid | Ultra-Rapid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power rating | 3-6kW | 7-22kW | 50kW or higher | Typically either 100kW, 150kW or 350kW |
| Electrical supply type | AC | Usually AC, DC available at higher rates | DC | DC |
| Charge time | 4-8 hours | 2-4 hours | 25-40 minutes (80% charge) | 20-30 minutes (for a typical charge) |
| Vehicle range added in 15 minutes | 3-6 miles | 6-20 miles | 35-40 miles | |
| Connector* | Type-1 Type-2 | Type-1 (max 7kW) Type 2 | CHAdeMO, CCS, Type-2 | CCS or CHAdeMO |
| Best use | Work/ home | Home/Work/on-the-go | On-the-go/long journeys | On-the-go/long journeys |
| Electric vehicle compatibility | All | All, some vehicles may charge slower than others | Dependent on the connector type. Not all battery electric vehicles and very few plug-in hybrid are capable of accepting a rapid charge. | An electric vehicle which is only able to accept a maximum of 50kW DC can still use ultra-rapid charge points. The power will be restricted according to what the vehicle can deal with. |
* Type-1 and CHAdeMO are now older standards and nearly all new cars now come with Type-2 or CCS.
More information on electric vehicle charging from Energy Saving Trust.
In comparison to petrol and diesel, the price to charge an electric vehicle tends to be favourable:
Battery electric vehicles maintenance costs are typically much lower than petrol or diesel vehicles. Fewer moving parts requires less maintenance especially as the car gets older.
As a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle retains a petrol or diesel engine it will have similar maintenance requirements to traditional petrol and diesel vehicles.
HEVRA- Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance offers advice on independent electric vehicle repair and servicing options including assistance in finding a suitable garage near you.
Electric vehicles have to pass an MOT test when the vecicle is three years old just like other cars but unlike their petrol or diesel counterparts, electric vehicles do not require an emissions or noise test.
Electric, zero and low emission cars, vans and motorcycles are now subject to the vehicle tax rates that were introduced on 1 April 2025.
This change applies to both new and existing vehicles. The amount you’ll need to pay depends on the type of vehicle and when it was registered.
Most motor insurance companies offer insurance for electric vehicles. Shop around to get the best deal.
Whilst there are no set differences between electric and petrol or diesel car insurance it is worth doing some research to understand the issues relevant to electric vehicle insurance.
Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland aims to promote electric vehicles in Northern Ireland and represent the interests of their users.
Promotes policymaking and provides information to consumers.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) owns the electricity transmission and distribution network and operates the electricity distribution network which transports electricity to over 860,000 customers.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles is a team working across government to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). It provides support for the take-up of plug in vehicles, as well as funding to support chargepoint infrastructure across the UK