Surprising The Pros and Cons of Electric Cars

Pros and Cons of Electric Cars

There’s no doubt that the popularity of electric cars is fast rising due to their high level of efficiency. However, as more people consider these vehicle models, it’s important that we understand the pros and cons of electric cars. Are they worth spending on?

What Are the Pros of Using Electric Cars

Some of the benefits of using electric cars include:

They Are Environmentally-Friendly

The switch to electric cars has been mainly promoted by the need for efficiency and to reduce carbon emissions. These types of vehicles have a lower CO2 impact on the planet, compared to those vehicles that use petrol and diesel. They don’t release any exhaust fumes because they simply use electric charge.

They Have Greater Acceleration

Generally, these types of cars are usually made to deliver instant torque. It simply means that you can quickly accelerate the speed and move away from the traffic lights as soon as possible. What you need to do is to simply press on the accelerator and everything will instantly pick up. Your vehicle will instantly spring forward.

The Vehicles Come with Buying Incentives

It’s clear that electric cars are quite expensive, especially when it comes to the initial costs. You will find that the same size of petrol or diesel car costs less by tens of thousands. However, there is a broad range of incentives that come with these types of vehicles.

For instance, there are currently government incentives in various countries that can help interested buyers offset the initial charges. For instance, the UK has a government incentive such as Plug-In Car Grant (PICG). Currently, PICG applies to all types of electric cars although it used to be around £5000 for low-emissions cars.

Great Safety Improvements

Every year, millions of people lose their lives through road accidents. Some can even be avoided while others seem to have less impact yet we still continue to lose lives.

With the recent development of premium electric cars, these vehicles feature important safety improvements that can help to reduce the impact of accidents. Generally, electric vehicles tend to have a significantly lower center of gravity.

This means that in case of an accident, they are less likely to roll over as a result of improved stability. Besides that, their body construction is more durable. So, there are also lower chances of explosions and major fires.

The construction and durability of electric vehicles mean that they are much safer to drive in because they experience less impact during collisions.

Cost-Effective to Run

Owners who have electric vehicles can definitely take advantage of the cheaper running costs. Did you know that the electricity used to charge an electric car works out almost to one-third as much as each kilometer as buying petrol?

If you want to understand how electric cars have cheaper running costs, then you can find information on the My Electric Car’s website under the fuel-cost savings calculator. Overall, these vehicles are cheap to run because:

• The owners are less likely to spend on replaceable parts and repairs related to pads and discs
• There are very few instances that you will spend off the road in relation to servicing and repair problems. If you need to service your vehicle, then the whole process is quite simple.
• The serving costs are quite cheap is the whole process normally involves a basic checkup.

Reduced Noise Pollution

The noise produced by traditional vehicles and motorcycles is quite annoying. They are interruptive and in some instances defeating. However, if you are getting an electric car then be assured of a quiet running environment. In fact, when they are running on a full battery charge, they move almost silently.

The fact that they are naturally quieter than diesel and petrol cars means that they have also reduced noise pollution. This is great news for those who live in urban and sub-urban areas and would love to stay in a calm and noise-free neighborhood.

Eligibility for Tax Credits

You can receive tax credits on your tax returns in some states if you own an electric car. This is because they are better for the environment. In some situations, you may be eligible for up to $75000 in tax credit.

Note: understand that different car models and makes have different amounts of tax credits

Cheaper to Maintain

It’s generally cheaper to maintain an electric car than the traditional one. While the initial costs and batter replacement charges may fool you into thinking that you are spending a lot of money, you will find out that the general maintenance costs are much lower during the whole lifetime of the vehicle.

Understand that various entities including the government are offering incentives to build charging stations. There are also tax incentives in addition to improved fuel efficiency. All these reductions help to reduce maintenance costs.

It’s worth mentioning that these vehicles are also durable and not susceptible to wear and tear. So, they don’t regularly need maintenance.

The efficiency of this type of vehicle is based on three main components that power it. They include:

• Motor
• Inverter
• On-board charger

So, you are most likely to experience minimal wear and tear on the motor because this is the area where there is more stress. Lastly, there are also very few moving parts and so the susceptibility of the car to damage is significantly reduced. It’s very rare to find an electric vehicle being repaired, something that’s very common to traditional vehicles

Solid Re-Sale Value

If a vehicle is durable and not susceptible to wear and tear it means that its value doesn’t depreciate easily. Its value will almost be the same as time goes by since the car will be almost in the same new state.

Take a look at most traditional cars. Their values usually start to depreciate as soon as they leave the dealership. They also have lots of moving parts and so they are susceptible to wear and tear. The values of electric cars normally drop very slowly over time and in some strange cases, the value of the car may even go up.

Understanding electric cars pros and cons will help you determine if you are making a better decision or not. But is it really worth it to invest in this type of vehicle?

What Are the Cons of Electric Cars

While electric cars have certain aspects of efficiency, they also come with several downsides and they include:

Fewer Model Options

Unlike other types of cars, the model option for electric cars is quite limited. The current traditional car models have been in the market for decades and all manufacturers do is to enhance their appearance and functionality.

On the other hand, mass production of electric cars only started recently, in the 90s. Its history is quite short compared to the traditional car models that have been around for more than a century. This means that there are just fewer electric models available compared to their gas-powered counterparts.

They Are Expensive

Maintaining and using an electric vehicle is more costly than using gas-powered vehicles. For starters, a fully electric vehicle model is expensive when it comes to offsetting the initial costs. The current basic models found in the market have a starting price of around $30,000.

If you are keen on getting a good luxury model, then you must be ready to part with around $90,000 or more. Marketing estimates indicate that a vehicle buyer will generally have to part with at least $10,000 when opting for an electric car of the same type as a gas model.

However, we hope that this big price gap will soon close as more makers venture into this new market.

Battery Charging is Time-Consuming

A car that runs on gas only needs a few minutes to get refilled. If you are going to a gas station, the maximum amount of time it can take you to complete the refilling process is just three minutes.

However, the process of recharging an electric car’s battery is quite long. There are even some models that can take up to 20 hours. This is a huge inconvenience, especially if you are keen on using your car for a daily commute.

While new electric car models may take 3-4 hours to charge, they definitely don’t compare to the refilling effectiveness of gas-powered cars. Besides that, getting an electric car that charges fully in fewer hours means that you have to spend more because they are expensive.

However, you can reduce the time delay by now charging your cat at charging stations.

Shorter Distance Range

Compared to traditional cars, electric cars normally cover a shorter distance range. The general estimates indicate that this type of vehicle can basically get you to a maximum of 100 miles on just one full charge for a basic model.

Premium models are much better, however, they don’t even come close to what a gas-powered car offers in terms of mileage. There are some traditional car models that can get you up to 400 miles while on one gas tank.

This simply means that electric cars cover shorter distances and they need to be frequently recharged if you want to cover a wider distance range.

Note: with the availability of more gas stations, the basic electric car models can deftly cover more distance, especially if you are on a road trip. However, this would mean that you have to make many stops again.

The Battery Packs Need to Be Replaced

While electric cars are expensive as a unit, their battery packs which need to be replaced are also expensive. The worst thing is that as a car owner, you are going to replace your battery more than once over its lifetime!

While you are preparing yourself to fork out a huge amount of money to offset the initial car costs, you also have to think about future finances. This means that only a few people can afford them due to the prohibitive costs that are expected to be incurred at various stages in the car’s lifetime.

Inconsistent Availability of Charging Station

How many gas stations can you find within a five-kilometer radius? Definitely more than one regardless of where you are. On the other hand, how many charging stations for electric cars can you find within the same radius? Probably none.

If you are in an area where electric vehicles are still not so popular, then you are doomed. It’s almost impossible to find a reliable charging station nearby to aid your commuting convenience. So, what happens if you have taken a road trip or traveling through a remote area and your vehicle’s charge gets depleted?

Well, you will need to outsource help. The inconsistent availability of charging stations is something that electric car owners have to put up with at the moment.

Reduced Driving Thrill

There is no doubt that the heavy battery’s found in electric vehicles somehow reduce the fun that usually comes with driving. Besides that, these vehicles are usually very silent, so, the lack of engine noise also takes away the thrill of driving and speeding.

It should be noted that these types of vehicles don’t have gearboxes hence if you are a driving enthusiast, you might find this to be quite strange.

Pros and cons of the electric car

Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, as more and more people choose to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. While electric vehicles offer many advantages, there are also a few drawbacks that should be taken into consideration.

Electric cars offer a number of advantages over traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. They require less maintenance, produce zero emissions, and can save money in the long run due to lower fuel costs. Additionally, electric cars are generally quieter than gasoline-powered vehicles, making them ideal for city driving.

However, electric cars also have some downsides that must be considered before making the switch from a traditional vehicle. Electric car batteries typically have shorter lifespans than regular car batteries and must be replaced every five to seven years at an average cost of $5,000-$8,000 dollars per battery replacement.

Takeaway

Generally, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars for you to make a conscious decision. While you can afford one, are you willing to put up with the battery maintenance costs? Are you ready to frequently charge your vehicle?

If so, then you should expect to enjoy your rides as these vehicles quieter than gas vehicles. There are also special highways designed for these types of vehicles and in some instances, you may reach your destination in less than expected time because of lesser traffic.

Understand that while you are buying an electric car, you are also saving the environment by reducing carbon emissions.

Electric cars have their pros and cons. so, if you are considering to get one, simple weigh the pros over cons to determine if buying one will be a worthwhile investment for you