A lot of drivers today are thinking about whether they should make a switch to electric vehicles. After all, fuel costs have risen this year and there are the environmental benefits that come with driving an electric car. But there are lots of things you’ll need to weigh up and think about before you can make an informed decision about whether it’s right to make this switch.
Lots of people jump into this kind of change without fully understanding all of the factors that matter. But without the right understanding and knowledge, you might make a decision that you ultimately regret later, and that’s not what you want. Electric cars are not cheap, so it makes sense to have all the facts before you make a decision.
With that in mind, we’re going to go over all of the things that matter regarding electric cars and whether you should buy one. We’re going to discuss what you should know and the things you should think about before making the switch to an electric vehicle. So read on now and find out more.
Consider the Range You’ll Need
One of the key things that you have to consider when switching to an electric car is how much range you’ll get from it when the battery is fully charged. This is obviously important if you want to drive a long distance without having to stop to charge the car. The range of the car will depend on a few factors, such as which brand made the car, the components used in its manufacture and how old it is. Newer and more expensive electric vehicles are likely to have a longer range.
Understand the Differences in Maintaining Electric Cars
If you’ve never owned an electric vehicle before, it’s obviously important to understand what makes them different from regular cars with combustion engines, especially when it comes to the maintenance work that you’ll need to do to them. The good thing about electric vehicles is that they tend to be a little easier to maintain than non-electric vehicles. That’s because there are fewer mechanical parts that help the car move. Of course, you still have to look after the tyres and basic things like that, but you don’t have to worry about the exhaust, for example.
Insurance Can be More Costly
One thing to be aware of when you make the switch to an electric car is that they can be a little more expensive to insure. This is something that often surprises people, but it’s certainly a good idea to at least be aware of it. Insurance costs can already be higher for newer and younger drivers, so that might be an issue if you fall into that category. The reason why electric cars are usually a little more expensive to ensure comes down to the fact that they have a battery and that battery can face problems in some instances.
Assess the Extra Features
Just as you would with any new car that you’re thinking of buying, it’s important to take a look at the features included. As you might expect, you tend to get more modern features for your money if you’re willing to spend a little more money on the car. However, because most electric cars are newer, you’re likely to find that they come with most of the modern interior features you’d expect and want from a car in 2022.
Weigh Up the Financial Costs
Before you go ahead and purchase an electric vehicle, you should probably think about the financial implications, not just of the purchase but the potential future financial implications as well. Electric cars tend to be a little more expensive, but at the same time, they enable you to save money on fuel because charging a car battery tends to cost less than a tank of fuel, depending on energy and fuel prices where you’re based. Weigh up all of these costs and decide whether it makes financial sense for you to switch to an EV.
And the Tax Benefits
Another financial consideration you’ll want to make relates to the tax benefits that you can often get from driving an electric vehicle. Of course, this depends on where you live and what the policies are in your local area. But in the US, there are tax credits of $7,500 for people who buy electric vehicles, making the overall purchase a lot cheaper for you. So that’s definitely something you’ll want to take into account when deciding whether it makes financial sense for you to make this switch to electric.
A Newer or Older Electric Vehicle?
There are new electric vehicles being released for sale all the time, and you’ll need to decide whether you should buy a newer or older electric car. There are electric cars that are more than 10 years old, and these are obviously a lot cheaper than the newer models. However, there is a trade-off too of course. Those old electric vehicles tend to have a lower range and fewer features than you’d get in a more modern electric vehicle, so you’ll need to take that into account too.
Smoother Handling and a Nicer Driving Experience
One thing that you’ll find when you start driving an electric vehicle is that they handle in a manner that’s much smoother and that the overall driving experience is much better than you might get from a regular fuel-powered car. That’s because the way in which an electric car and its motor work are much simpler and there are far fewer mechanical parts. It results in a smooth driving experience and lots of drivers feel that they’re more in control of the car when they drive it compared to regular vehicles with a combustion engine.
New or Used?
Whether you decide to buy a brand new electric vehicle or a used one will come down to a few different factors. It might come down to whether you’re willing to pay the price of a new car or whether you want to buy a used car and save a little money in the process. One thing to take into account, however, is the tax credits we discussed above. In the US, at least, you’ll only be able to take advantage of those tax credits if you buy a new car; they’re generally not available to people who are buying used electric vehicles, so that might impact the decision you ultimately make.
Getting Ahead of Big Shifts in the Car Market
One reason why lots of people are now thinking about purchasing electric vehicles is down to the fact that there’s a clear shift in the industry towards EVs right now. Lots of nations and states have already decided that they’re going to halt the production of new fuel-powered vehicles over the course of the next 10 years, meaning in a decade, the only vehicles being made will be electric vehicles. So by buying one now, you’ll be getting ahead of that shift.
Think About How and Where You’ll Charge
Another thing to think about is charging. When you drive an electric vehicle, it has to be charged. That’s how it gets the power it needs to move, which I assume you already understand. So are you going to install a charging point on your property to make this easier? Or are you going to look for public charging points nearby? If you’re not going to install your own, you’ll need to think about how near the public charging points are, whether they charge a fair price for the electricity and whether they can be used by you conveniently.
The Lifespan of the Battery
Electric cars are completely dependent on their batteries, and that’s one thing you have to understand before you decide to buy one. Batteries eventually have to be replaced in order to keep the car functional, and those batteries can be quite expensive, although it’s hoped their price will drop in the years ahead. The average EV battery lasts around 100,000 miles, after which the performance will decline before it stops working altogether and needs to be replaced.
Do You Want to Buy or Lease?
The final consideration you’ll need to make is whether you want to buy your electric vehicle or simply lease it. There are plenty of advantages that come with leasing, such as the option to upgrade the car at a later date without having to buy a new one. That can be good, especially considering the battery deterioration we just talked about. It makes the process of switching to a new EV a lot smoother.
As you can see, there are lots of things to think about when you’re considering making a switch to an electric vehicle. As the world moves away from fossil fuels, it might be a good idea to start thinking about making this kind of switch, but there are plenty of issues to weigh before you make that decision. The information above should help you do that.
Photo Credit: Hyundai
