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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you'd buy an electric or petrol car in these circumstances?

235 replies

minniecoop · 07/04/2025 10:40

I'm looking to buy a 2 to 5-year-old old car. I work from home, and the car will mainly be used for short local journeys on the weekend. Maybe once or twice a year I will travel 100 miles to see family, but I'm more than happy to stop off to charge the car and have some lunch, etc. I have a driveway and so I can charge the car at home.

I'm really not sure whether to go for electric or petrol. Petrol is obviously more familiar as it's all I've known, and as I drive so little I've never really noticed or been bothered by fuel costs. I would fill my car up with a tank of petrol and it would last me weeks. I'm looking at MINI Coopers specifically.

Would you go with an electric car or buy a petrol car for (probably) the last time before they're no longer made?

OP posts:
NorthernSpirit · 07/04/2025 10:42

I’d only invest in an electric car if you have the ability to put a charging point in at home.

Gettingbysomehow · 07/04/2025 10:43

I would never buy an electric car, there is just not the infrastructure to support it. I'd end up stuck down some country road or other with no charging point to be seen for miles. The UK just is not ready for it.
There was a documentary on a while back with some proper horror stories.

MesmerisingMuon · 07/04/2025 10:44

My parents have gone for an electric car and also have solar panels so it's charged for free.

They do mostly local driving with the odd 200 mile cross country trip where they stop en route to charge. They've had no issues.

I think my next car will be electric too.

Gettingbysomehow · 07/04/2025 10:44

However, hybrids are a lot better as you have petrol backup should anything go wrong.

BoldBlueZebra · 07/04/2025 10:46

I’d go petrol if you live outside of a city there’s just not the infrastructure to support electric vehicles en mass at the moment.

GasPanic · 07/04/2025 10:51

I think electric is only worth it if you can a) charge on your drive b) recover the cost of the battery by doing lots of miles.

So for example if you had to do 40 miles back and forward to work each day and could charge on the drive that would be worth it because your fuel bill would decrease a lot to recover the extra expense of the battery over time.

If you get the BIK then obviously they are worth it too.

I am not sure about hybrids, I have one. Yes most of my journeys are battery only, but I probably do not do enough mileage to cover the extra cost of the battery. Hybrids are also a lot more complex than either petrol or electric, so likely to go wrong more easily and be more expensive to fix. A hybrid is like having an electric with one of the key electric car benefits removed (cheaper maintenance).

SoSoLong · 07/04/2025 10:52

Electric as long as you can charge at home.

Hoppinggreen · 07/04/2025 10:52

If you can charge at home then go electric
I did and would never buy an ICE car again unless there were very good reasons why I had to

Caspianberg · 07/04/2025 10:56

Electric.
Having had one 3 years now, we have never had an issue charging it. I have no idea why some people talk about no chargers about, that simply isn’t true.

100miles is also nothing for almost all electric cars. Ours would easily do 100miles there and 100miles back and we wouldn’t need to charge it at all.

Hoppinggreen · 07/04/2025 10:57

Caspianberg · 07/04/2025 10:56

Electric.
Having had one 3 years now, we have never had an issue charging it. I have no idea why some people talk about no chargers about, that simply isn’t true.

100miles is also nothing for almost all electric cars. Ours would easily do 100miles there and 100miles back and we wouldn’t need to charge it at all.

I have had one for 2 years and had to queue for a charger once, for 10 minutes

Caspianberg · 07/04/2025 11:00

@Hoppinggreen - exactly. I have queued for Petrol in the past longer than that.

It’s just not an everyday issue at all. If I have to que 10 mins once every 3 years due to an issue then so be it.

Oldandcobwebby · 07/04/2025 11:01

Because you can charge your car at home, I'd certainly go for electric. The range on the MINI is a bit short, but it sounds as though you don't have the need for long range anyway.

Secondhand electric cars are fantastic bargains.

Sevenandahalf · 07/04/2025 11:03

I would always go EV now. We have two. Always charge at home - very rarely do we charge out and about although you see chargers everywhere now. I don't agree that the UK doesn't have the infrastructure.

Rainingalldayonmyhead · 07/04/2025 11:05

Gettingbysomehow · 07/04/2025 10:43

I would never buy an electric car, there is just not the infrastructure to support it. I'd end up stuck down some country road or other with no charging point to be seen for miles. The UK just is not ready for it.
There was a documentary on a while back with some proper horror stories.

Yeah there is if you plan. Most supermarkets and petrol station have charging points along with hotels, car parks, towns and street. We have no problem charging.

raffegiraffe · 07/04/2025 11:14

I'd go electric and drive electric. I think those who can, should. Even if just for the reduced air pollution.
The UK has a decent network for motorway charges and any distance driven here tend to involve motorways. For your day to day needs electric sounds ideal. The cost per mile with a home charger on an overnight cheap tarif is very reasonable. It's about 2p per mile for me.
The acceleration and torque with electric cars are excellent

CyberStrider · 07/04/2025 11:18

I personally wouldn't switch to an electric car yet, but if I only used a car for the sort of journeys you describe I definitely would.

Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 07/04/2025 11:19

We have an electric car and would never go back. I love the convenience of charging at home and it's loads cheaper than buying petrol or diesel. One example - 4 of us went on a city break 100 miles away, cost £4 for the round trip. We've travelled all over the country and on the continent.
I don't know anyone who has an electric car who would go back and it's only people who don't have one say the infrastructure is no good.

Sahara123 · 07/04/2025 11:27

Definitely electric, I love ours . We’ve just driven from Devon to Scotland and back with no issues whatsoever. And with your home charger you can beetle about with no problem. Saves us a fortune in petrol too. I think PP is correct in saying that people with electric cars love them, people without only see problems which really aren’t there!

SoonTheDaffodilsWillBeOver · 07/04/2025 11:31

You sound like you’re ideally suited to electric OP - off street parking, lots of short journeys, even your long ones can probably be done there and back on a single charge.

Second hand EVs are really cheap atm. Even more so if you’re willing to drive a Tesla.

Gall10 · 07/04/2025 11:32

Minerals used in the EV batteries are finite…hydrogen vehicles are a long way off.
My main bugbear around EV’s is the reports of children being used in the mining of the minerals.

Leafy74 · 07/04/2025 11:34

You need a home-charger (£1200).

If you drive a lot in the countryside it's a definite no.

I have the ZapMap app. It will find the nearest chargers, tell me if they are free and satnav me there.

There are limitations and inconveniences and a bit more forward planning but they are now viable choice for many.

Leafy74 · 07/04/2025 11:35

Gall10 · 07/04/2025 11:32

Minerals used in the EV batteries are finite…hydrogen vehicles are a long way off.
My main bugbear around EV’s is the reports of children being used in the mining of the minerals.

What device did you type that comment on?

Struggleline · 07/04/2025 11:35

I have an electric car and love it. You’re no more likely to run out of charge than you are to run out of petrol if you haven’t made sure you have enough before you start the journey

Hoppinggreen · 07/04/2025 11:36

Gall10 · 07/04/2025 11:32

Minerals used in the EV batteries are finite…hydrogen vehicles are a long way off.
My main bugbear around EV’s is the reports of children being used in the mining of the minerals.

So what?
We had better stick to Diesel or petrol instead beacuse they are so much better for the environment?

Struggleline · 07/04/2025 11:38

Gettingbysomehow · 07/04/2025 10:43

I would never buy an electric car, there is just not the infrastructure to support it. I'd end up stuck down some country road or other with no charging point to be seen for miles. The UK just is not ready for it.
There was a documentary on a while back with some proper horror stories.

Why would this happen? You would just charge the car before your journey? It’s no more likely to happen than running out of petrol

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