Electric cars costs and mobility (UK)

Time to charge an electric car can take as little as 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. The time it takes to charge depends on the size of the battery and the speed of the charging point. A typical electric car (Nissan LEAF 30kWh) takes 4 hours to charge from empty with a 7kW home charging point.

Most of the electric cars have a range of 100 miles or up to 50% less at full speed. Average electric cars have a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) or less.
The usage of climate control results in a 10-15% extra reduction in range.

The most important stumbling block if the electric car is the battery. High (summer) temperatures, overcharging or high voltage, deep discharges or low voltage, high discharges or charge current may destroy the lifetime of the battery. Replacing the battery costs GBP 10,000-20,000 (depends on the model). Most of the manufacturers are providing warranty only for the actual failure of the battery – not on loss of capacity.
A battery pack lifespan may reach 8 years within optimal conditions (average GBP 1250 - 2000 /year). Battery Lease is an option for some models for GBP 700 - 1200 / year.

The electric car could pay back, with all benefits included like: The UK Government currently offers a GBP 5,000 subsidy on a number of electric cars and of course the road tax, the difference electric/combustion in 10 to 15 years depending on the model.

The mobility is very limited. If you use your car for up to 50 miles a day, 18,000/year, without using your car for holiday
and vacation trips, it might be attractive. For the on the road professionals and vacation trips (or in the country trips), the electric car is no option yet.