Tips before buying an electric car, the electric car industry has witnessed significant growth in the recent period. In 2021, there were 300,000 new electric car registrations, which brings the total on the road to 900,000, and in the following lines, we will mention tips before buying an electric car.
Read more: Difference between electric and fuel-powered cars
How to choose the right electric vehicle for your needs?
- Gone are the days when the majority of electric car models were shiny tin cans that no one wanted to see, and today we are going to list tips before buying an electric car.
- There are sports cars like the Porsche Taycan, city cars like the Honda E, SUVs like the Skoda INIAC EV, and estates like the MG ZS EV.
- There are also many cars that come in both petrol and electric versions.
- Electric models are often the smarter choice, offering a smoother ride and lower cost of ownership.
The daily range you need to drive by car
- The range is mainly determined by the size of the car’s battery, which is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
- There are usually two numbers – the total, that is, the total size of the battery; and net, ie the actual usable capacity.
- By using less than its capacity, a car can help keep its battery healthy throughout its life.
- The higher the net number, the more likely the car can go – but this range will decrease if you use in-car heating or air conditioning.
- Or if you’re driving fast doing 60 mph instead of 70 mph can improve the overall range.
- And the first tip is to figure out how many miles you’d go on a typical trip and choose an electric car that can manage that, with a little extra margin.
Having a charger at home is one of the most important tips before buying an electric car
- To get the most out of your electric car, you’ll need to charge it at home.
- Using the regular three-pin plug is the last resort as it can take more than a full day to charge an electric vehicle.
- A custom wall box installed on the side of your house or in your garage is a better bet.
- It can charge the majority of electric cars overnight.
- The takeaway here is that you may never have to visit a gas station or recharge, as your car will always be charged and ready to go in the morning.
- And while the car is attached to your wall box, you can even direct the car to preheat the cabin for a specific departure time.
Read more: Where can the electric car be charged?
Public charging points for electric cars
- Fast chargers can charge your car in a fraction of the time it takes you at home, although they are usually more expensive.
- So it’s best used to help you cover long trips away from home.
- And watch the charging speed shown in kilowatts. The higher the number, the faster your vehicle will charge, although the charger will only operate as fast as the selected vehicle allows.
- And the number of public chargers in the UK isn’t quite as high as many would like.
- It may sometimes be unreliable, but its quantity and quality are improving all the time.
Electric vehicle charging costs
- Charging your electric car at home on the Economy tariff 7 is the best because it gives you lower charging costs during peak hours.
- And some tariffs can be as high as seven pence per kilowatt-hour.
- During those times, charging an electric car with a 50 kWh battery pack will cost you £3.50.
- And if your car can, equipped with a 50 kWh battery pack.
- Travel 200 miles and have a daily commute of up to 30 miles a day, that’s an entire week of driving for £3.50.
- It’s best to charge at home but charging weekly at a public charging point (while you’re shopping) becomes a viable option as well.
Information about electric hybrid cars
- The problem of electric battery cars is short battery life, the need to plug in the car to recharge it. A hybrid is a middle ground.
- It greatly increases mileage and reduces emissions of gas-powered cars while overcoming the shortcomings of electric vehicles.
- Hybrid cars offer better fuel economy than any other vehicle by combining a petrol engine with an electric motor and batteries that are constantly recharged.
- It depends on the operation of both the internal combustion engine and the electric motors operating together (either at the same time or separately, depending on the type of hybrid).
Hybrid car engine
- How can this smaller engine power the car to keep up with more powerful cars on the road?
- Let’s compare a Chevrolet Camaro for example, with its 8 cylinder engine, we have a hybrid car with a small engine and an electric motor.
- The engine in the Camaro has more than enough power to handle any driving situation.
- The engine in a hybrid car is powerful enough to propel the car along the highway.
- But when he needs to get more strength or go up a steep hill.
- They need help. Help comes from the electric motor and battery — this system works to provide the necessary additional power.
Read more: 5 tips before buying an electric car
Fuel price: electric cars VS fuel cars
- One of the main differences between electric cars and fuel or gas cars is the energy source, and basically what you as a consumer use to power your vehicle.
- While cars with internal combustion engines run on petroleum or fossil fuels to move, electric cars consume electric energy.
- And here you have to wonder what is the source from which your city produces electrical energy?
- Is it the combustion of coal, fuel, or renewable energy sources such as wind?
- Of course, if it relies on renewable energy, you will not fear high electricity bills due to frequent charging of the car battery.
- Electric cars consume half the cost of regular cars when operating.
- According to a study conducted by the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan.
- During the study, it was found that the average cost of operating electric cars in the United States is $485 million annually.
- While the average cost of fuel-powered cars is $1.117 million.
- The cost price varies depending on the source of gas or electric energy in the area in which you live,
- in addition to the type of car you drive.
- The fuel efficiency of your car is related to the type and age of the car.
- And the idea here is that the money you use to fill your car’s fuel tank is converted into kilometers that you will travel later.