Parenting

Driving an electric vehicle sets a good example for your kids and can help ease their eco-anxiety


ECO-ANXIETY is something we are all beginning to face as time goes on, and it’s affecting children in particular.

We all want to do our best to reduce our impact on the environment, but have you considered switching to an electric vehicle (EV)?

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Go Ultra Low is a government and industry campaign aiming to educate the UK about the benefits of EVs and we’ve teamed up with them to tell you how switching to electric is more convenient and cheaper to run than you may think – plus, they’re really enjoyable to drive.

Adventurer Ben Fogle, Go Ultra Low ambassador, drives an electric car and we caught up with him to find out more.

“My children don’t suffer eco anxiety, but they have friends that do – they absorb everything! They listen to the radio when it’s on in the house or car so they’re acutely aware – and we need to nurture their futures,” Ben told us.

Choosing an electric family car is a good way to help ease eco-anxiety in your children and show them that you’re doing your bit to help the climate crisis, plus there are now more than 100 models of EVs to choose from.

“When it comes to eco-anxiety, the way you address it is by enabling children to make a change that will have a profound impact on the planet in general,” says Ben.

“Children know what is happening, so now is the time to empower them with what they can do.”

Indeed, by showing what you’re doing to help tackle the crisis, you’re setting a good example for their future behaviours.

Of course, we’re not saying you should rush out and buy a new car, but if you’re in the market for a new vehicle it’s a good time to think about making the switch.

“If you’ve reached a point in your life when your car can no longer perform as it once did, consider an electric one,” Ben says.

If you are concerned about the impact of using electricity, Ben told us, “40% of our electricity in this country is from wind, solar and renewables and right now I’m very proud to be supporting electric cars.

“My children are so proud that we are an electric car driving family and they almost have kudos with their schoolfriends!”

It’s easier than you think to drive electric

  • You can now do the school run from as little as 1p a mile
  • Doing the school run is now up to 10 times cheaper in an electric car than in a petrol or diesel car
  • You can now find a rapid charging point for electric vehicles at 97% of all motorway service stations in the UK
  • If you have off-street parking you can charge your electric car overnight at home just like you would your mobile phone

So what about the practicalities of driving an electric vehicle?

We told you all about these and how affordable it can be in our previous article here, but Ben also explained how he’s managed to slot the charging time seamlessly into his life.

Many of the latest EVs can now travel over 200 miles on a single charge, which means you shouldn’t have to top it up when you’re out and about, but if you do it’s very easy.

“I don’t have to spend hours at a charging point – our car only takes 30 minutes to top up. And you can turn those 30 minutes into useful time.”

That half an hour of charging time can be used for anything! From walking the dog to spending time outside with your family, it gives you a good opportunity to make the most of your down time.

Ben says: “You just have to change your routine a little. We have to change our lifestyles a bit, we can’t carry on as we have, it’s impossible”

You can also charge your vehicle at home, and currently the government offer up to £350 to help install a charging unit at home. This means that you can charge your car overnight and wake up to a fully charged vehicle – how convenient!

To find out more about how driving an electric vehicle can help you lower your carbon footprint click here to visit Go Ultra Low.





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