Are you planning to buy a battery-electric car? If you are, then read this article to know the important things to consider before buying an electric car. Here are the things to know before buying an electric car.
There are many reasons – aside from the environmental benefits – to switch to an electric vehicle. You would have heard that their running cost is less, less maintenance, better performance, etc.
Never take a decision to buy an electric car before answering the questions that we are discussing now.
Questions to ask yourself before buying an electric vehicle
I recommend you to ask the following questions to yourself before buying an electric car.
The first question that you have to ask yourself is that
#1 Does the car have enough range?
Electric Vehicles are not a practical choice for everyone. You should ask yourself how long would you travel every day in your car? Most electric cars provide a range greater than 200 kilometers. Some of them have a much lesser range.
The range of electric cars does matter since the charging stations might not available everywhere. You might have to rely on home charging stations.
If you travel from home to the office daily by car, and the office is not too far, then you may go for an electric vehicle. You could get a charging station at the office itself.
The average distance traveled by a passenger would be around 50 km. If you are not going for too long trips through a region where there are no charging stations, then EV that has a little shorter range suits you. Otherwise, you should consider the cars that have long-range such as Tesla Model 3.
#2 What is your budget?
The purchase price of an electric car is around 10 to 50 % more than that of an equivalent gasoline car. There are additional costs involved. For example, the insurance for EVs cost more than that for IC engine cars.
The running cost of electric cars is less! That’s one of the reasons why an EV attracts people.
Consider your budget before going for an electric vehicle.
#3 Do you have enough charging stations available around?
The most commonly used charging stations are the home charging stations. The EV owners charge the car overnight plugging into the socket in their garage. The availability of charging stations in the town would be a great advantage for you if you are driving an electric car.
There are fast-charging stations that could charge 80% of the battery in less than 30 minutes for some cars.
If you are planning road trips make sure that you have enough fast-charging stations at least every 200 km. Otherwise, it would increase your travel time significantly.
Whenever you go out in your car, keep an eye on the state of charge of the battery. The trip would have to complete without draining the battery completely.
If your city is covered with charging network, then you are lucky enough. You could make hussle free roundtrips in the city.
It also depends on your commute patterns. If you are going to use the car primarily to go to the office and back, and the car could provide enough energy to travel, then don’t worry about the public charging stations.
#4 Ready to install a home charging station?
Level 2 home charging stations are an additional infrastructure that you have to set up to charge your electric car a little faster. The level 1 charging that does not require any additional setup could charge the electric car battery really slowly. It adds around only 6 km range per 1 hour of charging.
Most of the EV owners buy a 240V level 2 charger to make their car to charge fully in around 4 -5 hours. The level 2 charger can add around 40 km in 1 hour of charging.
It is really necessary to buy one. There is a small additional electrical work has to be done to install the charger at your home. Some of the car manufacturers/ sellers would help you to do it. Otherwise, hire an electrician to install the level 2 charging station for you.
You should check it before buying electric car.
#5 Do you check battery Condition and Warranty
Do you know that electric car battery replacement can be expensive? How often you have to replace an electric car battery? EV manufacturers will have a claimed warranty for the battery of an electric car.
For example, the Chevrolet Bolt EV battery has a warranty of 8 years or 100,000 miles (160934 km).
Check the battery replacement cost and resale value of the car before buying it. There is no other option than replacing the depleted battery of an EV. If you are buying a used car, then make sure that you do a range test on the car and check the battery warranty.
#6 Should I lease or buy
Car leasing is a service that helps to use the car with no headache of insurance, service charges, etc. Are you a business person who switches cities every 1 or 2 years, then consider leasing an electric vehicle?
Think about the cost implication and make a suitable decision.
#7 Do you know about tax rebate and incentives
EV ownership helps you out to get some tax rebates depending on where you live. Check the battery capacity, motor rating, and all other factors that lead to a tax rebate. Before buying an electric car don’t forget to check them out.
Being an EV owner, you might get dedicated parking lots at some malls, and offices.
It is important.
We have to gain something if you feel that you lost in the purchase price of the car.
#8 How long do I expect to own an EV?
If you are going to use the car for a very short span of time then you have to think about leasing it. The long-term use of the car would help you out to save a lot of money on petrol.
As it ages, it demands battery replacement, maintenance of brakes, and other equipment, etc.
Many websites show that the resale value of electric cars is 30 to 64% after 3 years of use. Did you guess that the 64% resale value is for Tesla Model S?
I recommend you to do a calculation, how much would you save if you use the car for a few years and sell it. Take the decision to buy an electric car based on it.
#9 Should I buy new or used electric cars?
The used electric car market is also booming up. Do you have to buy a new electric car or go for a used one?
Electric cars are expensive. Used electric cars are much cheaper than used gasoline cars. The reason is that electric cars depreciate rapidly. New electric cars are coming to the market with a lot of improvements and current models get better every year.
Buying a new car guarantees a full warranty, and longest range, and the best battery that need not a replacement for at least 7 or 8 years.
Many used cars will have a low range due to the ageing of the battery. Consider all these factors while selecting an EV.
#10 What do I know about EV maintenance?
The overall maintenance required for an EV is less. There are very minimal moving parts in an electric vehicle. The wear and tear are less. There is no exhaust system.
There is a technology called regenerative braking that helps out to electrically brake the car and store the energy that would have been lost as heat, back to the battery.
It increases the life of friction brake system in the car.
Finally, these reduce the total maintenance cost of the car.
If you are buying a new EV, you need not replace the battery for years. Be aware of the maintenance required for an electric vehicle and the costs involved.
#11 How much does it cost for Electricity?
An electric vehicle uses an electric motor for propulsion. The battery of the electric car has to be charged. The electricity bill will shoot up if you use electric cars continuously. Instead of spending the money on gasoline, you have to spend on electricity.
Electricity price from some companies varies based on the time of day. Be smart to know that and try to charge your EV at the best time, if possible.
These are the basic questions that you have to ask yourself before buying an electric car.
Do you have more questions to ask? Comment below and let everyone knows.
Conclusion
We have discussed a few questions that you need to ask yourself before going for an electric car. The answers to the questions are the things to know before buying an electric car.
Electric vehicles are not a practical option for everyone. They get better every year and hope for more advanced models in the market.
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Key Points
- #1 Does the car have enough range?
- #2 What is your budget?
- #3 Do you have enough charging stations available around?
- #4 Ready to install a home charging station?
- #5 Do you check battery Condition and Warranty
- #6 Should I lease or buy
- #7 Do you know about tax rebate and incentives
- #8 How long do I expect to own an EV?
- #9 Should I buy new or used electric cars?
- #10 What do I know about EV maintenance?
- #11 How much does it cost for Electricity?