Things to Know Before Buying an Electric Vehicle

Last Updated on July 8, 2022 by

Do you feel like an electric vehicle will be better for your lifestyle? Does the ever-rising price of regular gas intimidate you?

Buying an electric vehicle is a great choice for saving on gas. Plus, many electric cars look and feel amazing. But that doesn’t mean that electric vehicles are the best vehicles to drive. You need to consider the drawbacks of this purchase. 

You may save money in one regard, but you certainly may pay a lot more in some other way. 

If you keep reading, you’ll have an understanding of everything you should know before buying an electric vehicle.

Fueling up Your Electric Car

One of the top reasons that people want to make the switch to electric cars is to save on the cost of gasoline. 

Over time, the cost of gas has fluctuated to extremely high levels. The supply of crude oil has a direct impact on gas prices. Things like oil spills can cause prices to go up drastically. 

Some regions have seen gas cost around $2 a gallon, while others have seen almost $4 a gallon. 

Electric vehicles help car owners significantly reduce “fueling” costs. The U.S. Department of Energy explains that the cost to charge up an electric car will cost around $9, depending on the car. 

The downside is that the “fueling” from empty to full might be excruciatingly longer than a standard gas-powered car. Some electric vehicles take 30 minutes to get a full charge. Others can take nearly half the day to fully charge. 

If you own an electric vehicle, you’ll need to fully charge it the day before a long trip. You can use a Dcbel’s EV charger that adapts to your everyday needs. Besides, the energy stored can get you on the road within minutes rather than hours.

Read also : Electric vehicle charging

Road Trips

Speaking of road trips, do you take a lot of them now? If so, electric cars might not be your best choice.

When electric vehicles started appearing, most of them could only last over 100 miles before needing to recharge. Electric cars nowadays can give you around 250 miles on a full charge. Some higher-end models like Tesla can go well over 300 miles.

If you’re someone who travels far often, electric cars may not be the option for you. You should stick to a fuel-efficient gasoline-powered car. Depending on the size, a good gas-powered car could give you over 400 miles of travel.

Battery Longevity

The batteries in electric cars work kind of like the batteries in our cell phones, just much bigger. This means that you won’t have to worry about battery drain as much as you would a normal car. 

However, that also means that over time, its ability to hold a full charge will decrease. Don’t fear that fact; many manufacturers have long-lasting warranties on the batteries alone.

So if your electric car battery were to completely fail, you can get a new one without any issues. Plus, electric car batteries are built to last at least 10 years before needing a replacement.

While your battery will last for years, you need to be mindful of your environment. If you live somewhere that reaches high temperatures, your electric car’s battery won’t like it. It won’t make it unusable, but these kinds of batteries don’t pair well with extreme heat.

Maintenance Costs and Repairs

Maintenance is an economic benefit that you won’t see until you’ve owned it for a few years. Buying an electric vehicle upfront and performing regular maintenance will cost more than a regular vehicle in the beginning. 

However, the overall maintenance of electric cars ends up being cheaper than regular cars, according to Business Insider.

There are regular maintenance costs that are the same no matter the vehicle. Things like tire rotations, underbody cleanings, filter changes, and replacing coolants and fluids will be the same. 

You do have the luxury of not having to get oil changes, tune-ups, and transmission repairs. That’s thanks to electric cars having fewer moving parts than a regular car. 

But another downside of electric cars is the aftermath of an accident. We don’t want anyone to get into an accident, but better safe than sorry. 

If you got into a small accident in a regular car, you would go to an auto body shop to ding out the cosmetic damages. The same goes for electric cars, but you have to ensure there isn’t any internal damage. 

The costs of the aftermath from an accident will usually be higher with an electric vehicle. On top of that, you’d need to have the car looked at by a Risk Analysis Agent (RAA) to ensure that it’s safe to be on the road again. This requirement is established by the Energy Security Agency.

Even if you haven’t been in an accident, any occurrence that requires a tow will require you to have an RAA look at the vehicle.

Other Considerations Before Buying an Electric Vehicle

Emissions

The obvious benefit of buying an electric vehicle is the impact on the environment. With regular cars and fossil fuels, you’d be emitting air pollutants, carbon dioxide, and methane. 

Electric cars don’t have this environmental risk. However, they do have emissions from electricity. Those emissions come from the source of electrical power. As a whole, electric car emissions are still very small compared to regular cars.

Price

We assume that you want to stretch out the lifespan of your car for as long as you can. Upfront, electric cars will be pricier than regular cars, but over time you’ll see the savings. But if you fear being in an accident, regular cars will be cheaper to fix.

Consider PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle)

If you want the best of electric and gas cars, consider a hybrid. You’ll get the longest road traveling distance, time-effective fueling, and still reduce emissions. 

When you run out of gas, the car will switch to electricity and vice versa. That will be very convenient for gas station visits.

Weigh the Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles

You need to do a lot of thinking and research before buying an electric vehicle. Upfront costs, maintenance, charging times, and road trips are major disadvantages of electric vehicles. But over time, electric cars will be more beneficial for your money (and the environment).

Revisit this article before buying an electric vehicle to ensure a confident purchase.

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