I bought a £30k EV because of ULEZ – but now my motor is only worth HALF
AN EV owner who bought it to comply with ULEZ rules has been left fuming as the charge slashed the value of her car in half.
Eleanor Mills found major issues with her Nissan Leaf, especially once she got out of London.
Writing for the Telegraph, Eleanor said: “In theory, the Nissan has a range of 145 miles, but that’s going at 55mph with no heating on. The reality is more like 100 miles.
“So a journey to Devon which used to take four hours now takes six.
“That’s if we are lucky and find a charging point that works, with no queues.”
The lack of charging stations hit home when she found herself queuing behind five other EVs to use the sole charging point at a motorway service station.
After waiting to get to the charger and then for the car to charge, she found that two hours had been added onto her journey.
To make things worse, the ULEZ expansion forced Eleanor to make the switch when EV prices were as people rushed to benefit from their exemption from the charge.
Having bought the Leaf for £30,000 she now finds that is only worth about half that, while an electric car with a better range will see her shell out as much as £45,000.
At the same time, a brand-new BMW can be snapped up for a similar price, while also meeting ULEZ’s strict emissions standards.
Eleanor added: “Although I love the quietness, eco-credentials and acceleration of my EV, financially and practically it’s been a bit of a disaster.
“And I am one of the fortunate ones. I shelled out for my Leaf before mortgage rates rose five-fold and the cost of living crisis bit.
“My heart goes out to those in outer London boroughs whacked by the expansion of the ULEZ this week.”
It comes after a Tesla driver revealed the potentially dangerous issue that has made her hate her motor.
Meanwhile, drivers were issued an urgent warning about a ULEZ scam which could cost them thousands.