Carol's new car is simply electrifying!

A Torquay pensioner is reaping the rewards of switching to driving an electric car.

Carol Steele, 75, drives a Kia e-Niro, which she bought in 2019.

She explained: “I had been interested in electric vehicles for about five years since a friend of mine in Manchester bought a second-hand Nissan LEAF.

“She drove it all over the country without any issues even though its range was around 90 miles.

“I was really impressed.

“I was also motivated in the guilt-free potential of owning an EV.”

Carol says the main benefits of buying an EV are zero-tailpipe emissions and an improved driving experience, which is smooth and noise-free.

Currently the initial cost of an EV over a petrol or diesel is higher.

However, running costs are minimal and she enjoys the satisfaction of not polluting the atmosphere.

She said: “Overall, I’m incredibly pleased with the Kia, which has more than lived up to my expectations.

“It’s cheap to run, and I had a home charger fitted so that I could charge it at home when I wanted.

“I also drive carefully so it works out as a penny a mile.

“I worked out that I could drive from Torquay to London and it will cost me £2.

“There is also no road tax on the Kia, which saves me around £150 per year.

She uses the Kia mainly for shopping but also to explore areas of Devon and Cornwall when Covid restrictions allow.

The maximum range is 350 miles so she would never go back to a normal petrol or diesel car.

She said: “Driving an EV is a different experience to driving a conventional petrol or diesel car and I enjoy not having to smell diesel fumes.

“One major question in my mind was the availability of charge points but in my experience, I’ve rarely needed them.

“For example, next year I plan to do the North Coast 500 – a long distance tour of northern Scotland.

“During the trip I want to stop at a few places but there are no barriers to doing that in an EV with the availability of chargers.”