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AUTHOR

Steve Walker

Hello. My name’s Steve Walker and I’m DrivingElectric’s website editor. As group web editor for Autovia, I also oversee the websites of DrivingElectric’s sister brands Auto Express, Carbuyer and evo. I’ve been a motoring journalist and editor since 2002 and over that time i’ve covered cars and the automotive industry for many titles including The Yorkshire Post, The Scotsman, AutoTrader, MSN, Yahoo! and the Wall Street Journal

DrivingElectric’s mission - helping people understand and make the switch to electric cars - is one I’m fully on board with. There’s a lot of uncertainty about EV technology so it’s great to be able to cut through the confusion and provide clear, dispassionate advice on the big issues and the latest products. We’ve come a very long way in a very short space of time but there’s a long way still to go and watching how the market develops in the coming years is an exciting prospect.

Steve Walker’s expertise and interests

  • Electric cars
  • Sustainability in the car industry
  • Social media
  • Website user experience and design

Steve’s electric car Q&A

What’s the best thing about electric cars?

"I think there’s always going to be some push-back against any new technology and change generally and we’ve certainly seen that with EVs. For a lot of motorists, however, electric cars aren’t only going to be greener, they’ll be more pleasurable to drive as well. If you’re stepping out of a petrol hatchback into an electric one, that EV is going to feel easier, quieter and probably a lot faster.

“Those who really value sharp handling and that feeling of connection with their car on the road will continue to favour performance-focused internal combustion engined vehicles and those who do really high mileages will continue to worry about charging but they aren’t the majority of UK motorists. EVs are a step up from the ordinary family ICE cars most of us drive every day.”

What was your first electric car experience?

“I remember testing the original Nissan Leaf around the time of its launch in 2010. I struggled to get much more than 60 miles from a full charge and when i warily plugged it in using a three-pin plug it tripped the main circuit board for my house. It wasn’t an auspicious introduction to the world of EVs but The Leaf was a solid start and it feels like we’ve progressed in leaps and bounds since.” 

What one piece of advice would you give to electric car buyers?

“You’ll hear a lot of talk about range when it comes to electric cars but before you get caught up in seeking out the top range figures from cars with big, heavy batteries, just carefully consider how much range you’re really going to need. You might be surprised at how rarely you drive more than 200 miles in a day. Buy your electric car for your normal use pattern rather than the exceptions. Charging stops on occasional long journeys aren’t the end of the world.”   

Steve on social media and e-mail

EV Deal of the Day: super-popular Tesla Model Y at only £399 per month
Tesla Model Y front tracking
News

EV Deal of the Day: super-popular Tesla Model Y at only £399 per month

UK EV buyers love a Tesla Model Y and this deal won’t do anything to detract from that…
19 Jul 2024
New Jeep Compass to open up a new era for the off-road brand
Jeep Compass exclusive render
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New Jeep Compass to open up a new era for the off-road brand

The new Jeep Compass will utilise a platform used by Peugeot and Vauxhall, and our exclusive image reveals how it could look
28 May 2024
Energy price cap to fall in April making 1,000s of electric cars 12% cheaper to charge
Kia EV9 charging
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Energy price cap to fall in April making 1,000s of electric cars 12% cheaper to charge

Ofgem, the UK energy regulator, has announced that the energy price cap will drop to £1,690 from April 2024 and that’s good news for electric car owne…
23 Feb 2024
Vauxhall Combo Life Electric review
Vauxhall Combo-e Life
In-depth reviews

Vauxhall Combo Life Electric review

Vauxhall’s zero-emissions van-based MPV is everything you’d expect it to be, but little more
11 May 2023
What is pre-conditioning?
Hyundai Ioniq 5 smartphone app
Your questions answered

What is pre-conditioning?

Heating or cooling your car, and pre-conditioning its battery before you leave, is an electric-car luxury everyone should enjoy
20 Dec 2022
Vauxhall Combo Electric review
Vauxhall Combo-e Cargo
In-depth reviews

Vauxhall Combo Electric review

The Vauxhall Combo small van benefits greatly from an electric drivetrain – this is a compelling option for those wanting a zero-emissions work vehicl…
5 Nov 2022
New Peugeot 3008 hybrid SUV: UK prices and specs confirmed
Peugeot 3008 facelift 2020 pictures
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New Peugeot 3008 hybrid SUV: UK prices and specs confirmed

Peugeot has delivered a mid-life facelift for its 3008 SUV, the hybrid version of which will be priced starting from £37,530 in the UK
6 Oct 2020
Are you the fastest in the media?
Fastest in the media
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Are you the fastest in the media?

The 2019 DrivingElectric Fastest in the Media competition is on. Enter here...
31 May 2019
Geneva Motor Show 2019: the key electric and hybrid cars
Geneva Motor Show 2019
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Geneva Motor Show 2019: the key electric and hybrid cars

A huge number of electric cars and plug-in hybrids were revealed at this year's Geneva Motor Show. This is our rundown of them all
6 Mar 2019
DrivingElectric Awards 2019: category winners
News

DrivingElectric Awards 2019: category winners

The 2019 DrivingElectric Awards celebrate the best hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars in the business. These are the winners
28 Nov 2018