Milton Keynes – Volkswagen’s electric ID. models are here to help motorists with their new-year resolutions and get 2025 off to the best possible start.
Exercise, eating healthy food and learning new skills are often among the most common new-year resolutions, but research shows an electric vehicle (EV) could help with some other popular pledges:
Save money
Charging a medium-sized electric car at home can cost about half the price of filling up an equivalent petrol vehicle, according to data from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. It says charging at home costs about 8p per mile, while an internal combustion engine (ICE) car running on diesel or petrol can cost 13p to 17p per mile to fuel.
These findings are supported by a recent survey of more than 3,000 Volkswagen owners in the UK*. Almost twice as many ICE car drivers in the survey (62 per cent) than EV drivers (32 per cent) said they were irritated by fuel costs. The results were similar when considering the price of fuel at service stations, with 53 per cent of ICE car drivers feeling the pinch compared with just 30 per cent of EV drivers.
Volkswagen’s online calculator lets people see for themselves how much they can save by switching to an electric car. Just input current running costs, select a new ID. model and see an instant comparison.
Charging at home with OVO, Volkswagen’s recommended energy provider, costs just 7p per kWh with OVO Charge Anytime.
Improve health and wellbeing
Reducing stress and improving health and wellbeing are high on many people’s lists at this time of year – and EVs can help here, too.
In the Volkswagen customer survey*, far fewer EV drivers (42 per cent) reported being stressed by external factors compared with ICE car drivers (78 per cent). The EV owners surveyed were annoyed less by potholes, roadworks, lack of parking and the behaviour of passengers and other drivers, and said their cars were easy and relaxing to drive.
Stress caused by range anxiety may also soon be a thing of the past, as more people go electric. Nearly half of the ICE car drivers surveyed (48 per cent) believed the overall EV ownership experience would be stressful, but just eight per cent of EV drivers agreed – and 65 per cent of EV owners in the survey had already driven more than 150 miles on a single charge.
Reduce your carbon footprint
Turning your heating down a notch, reducing waste, using less plastic… all great practices for a greener outlook in 2025. But maybe the next big step is to opt for an electric car.
Multiple independent studies have shown that EVs are better for the environment than their ICE equivalents.
A Lifecycle Analysis of UK Road Vehicles, published for the Department for Transport, found that a new electric car emits just a third of the harmful greenhouse gases of an equivalent petrol car during its lifetime.
Further research from the Carbon Brief also shows that buying a new electric car to replace an older model benefits the climate after driving 20,000 to 32,000 miles – even after taking into account what it describes as the ‘bump in CO2’ from manufacturing an electric car and its battery.
The Volkswagen’s Group’s new e-mobility information hub, Enter Electric, also highlights studies to support the fact that EVs have an unbeatable carbon footprint, and underlines the company’s commitments to battery recycling and implementing high environmental and social standards in its battery supply chain.
Volkswagen electric range
Volkswagen’s ID. range of electric cars in the UK comprises the hatchback ID.3, the ID.4 and ID.5 SUV models, and the top-of-the-range ID.7 and ID.7 Tourer. The ID. Buzz people carrier is also available from Volkswagen UK Retailers.
The vehicles have won many major awards between them, including World Car of the Year for the ID.4 in 2021. The ID.7 alone won four trophies last year, including Best Large Family Car at the Parkers New Car Awards and Best Saloon at the Autocar Awards.
Prices start from £30,850 (on-the-road including VAT) for the recently launched ID.3 Pure Essential. An assortment of trims and battery sizes is available for all models to suit different budgets and requirements, including the popular and great-value Match trims and sporty GTX versions.
* A total of 3,132 Volkswagen owners took part in the survey, which was conducted in November 2024 to find insights into driving behaviours and preferences. Of those who took part in the survey, 58 per cent were drivers of electric vehicles.
