Peter Franzen, motoring journalist

It is just over a year ago that I penned a piece about my dilemma over whether to buy an electric car to replace my 10-year-old “demonised” diesel Jaguar.

My heart wanted another Jaguar and so I over-ruled my head and specified one online, sending the order to the local showroom. But the fates took a hand.

About 10 days after placing the order I got a call from the dealership to say that, because of component supply issues, Jaguar had stopped orders for my chosen model. It could be a year or more before I got the car, and by then the value of my ageing Jag would have dropped further.

After much heart-searching I bit the bullet and set about ordering an electric Kia EV6.

Initially I was told the wait would be three months, but it ended up being nearly six. As a relatively “early adopter” of an EV, the seven-year warranty offered by Kia gave me reassurance on purchasing this new technology.

Now six months on, the pros and cons of “going electric” have become much clearer to me. Yes, I feel better about doing my bit “to help save the planet”, but it is not all upside.

The reality is that you have to think much more about longer journeys, and plan ahead.

The EV6 is one of the fastest charging models around, with a useful range of a little over 300 miles. Using a 7kw home charger sited alongside my electricity meter, it takes about eight hours to charge the battery from 10% to 90%.

In the summer months it was “hunky dory”, but in winter the full charge range has dropped from 300 to 230 miles, and charging takes longer. They don’t mention that in the glossy brochure.

What I have discovered is that if you turn off the heater the range immediately improves to 270 miles. But this is far from a realistic solution on cold winter days.

In my article last year, I mentioned “range anxiety” when the umbilical cord of the home charger cannot be reached. Although the situation is improving in the UK, it is nowhere near extensive enough.

It means that long journeys have to be well planned, using “apps” to try and find rapid charging points along the way. Unlike good old-fashioned filling stations, very few are conveniently located along main roads, and finding one usually involves a detour using sat-nav guidance.

It is further complicated by the fact that there are different charging speeds - 22kW fast public chargers, 50kW rapid public chargers and 350kW ultra-rapid chargers.

Currently there are far fewer of the rapid and ultra-rapid chargers available, that can take you from “empty to full” in around 30 minutes. This needs to change “rapidly”, and more charging stations opened like Gridserve located on the edge of the Broadland Business Park on the outskirts of Norwich.

Electric cars are also quite different to drive. The engine “drag” when you lift off the accelerator helps recharge the batteries, but it slows the vehicle so quickly you barely need to touch the brakes unless it is an emergency stop.

Travel in an electric car is silent, smooth and comfortable, with instant performance on tap when you require it. Inside they are roomier than a conventional car, with no space taken up by a gearbox and transmission tunnel, thus offering flat floors.

Many EVs are loaded with technology, and it took me a couple months of “discovery” to become familiar with all that can be done from the touchscreen.

There is no doubt that EVs are the future as far as the motor industry is concerned, with diesel and petrol models being phased out over the next five years.

The UK new car market grew 14.7% in January to reach 131,994 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. 

Electrified vehicles notably drove the increase, as manufacturers continue to bring ever more choice to the market, despite ongoing strains on the supply chains. Overall, this meant one in five new cars registered in the month came with a plug.

And on the used-car market, EV values remain strong because supply continues to outstrip demand. It is true that electric vehicles are expensive upfront, but they are cheaper in the long run. I calculated the EV running cost is half the price per mile compared to my diesel Jag.

Like many others EV owners, I have a “plan B” parked in the garage – my wife’s diesel-powered SUV. It hardly moves nowadays, but if we needed to travel long distance at short-notice we would take it instead of the EV.

With a full tank it will cover 600 miles with no worries about filling up. Until the infrastructure improves, using the electric car would be too difficult and stressful.

While I am glad that I took the green plunge, because the EV6 is also a great car to drive and travel in, I would not have done so yet without the “insurance” of a conventional second car.

The truth is that the UK is still a long way behind the curve in meeting the needs of EV motoring.