Electric car owners here’s everything you need to know before you purchase a new vehicle!
According to car dealers, many owners of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are hesitant to purchase an electric vehicle (EV). If you think about becoming one of the many electric car owners in the country, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you invest in such an automobile.
You’ve undoubtedly seen the rising number of electric vehicles available on the market. They’re more environmentally responsible purchases and can even help you save more money on taxes, which is amazing.
According to Forbes research, only 4% of newly sold cars in 2021 were electric, although over 23% of drivers said they would consider purchasing an electric vehicle. So, what does this mean?
It seems that a lot of owners of ICE vehicles are hesitant to purchase an electric car, although an all-EV world looks probable. Some of the main reasons people are on the fence about making a purchase or not are the expense of the car itself, the cost of maintaining a fancy computer on wheels, and, of course, the availability or lack thereof of EV infrastructure in the US.
We’ve talked to a couple of electric car owners, and they told us some things they discovered after using the vehicles for a while. We believe that you should know about these things before making a purchase, so let’s begin!
1. Can you charge it at home?
Even though there are plenty of electric car chargers in some parts of the country, electric car owners say that potential buyers should think about installing a level-two charger at home.
This is easier said than done because, according to research, more than 30% of America’s population lives in rental properties, so installing a charger for an electric car isn’t feasible.
Even though you could own an EV without a charger, you have to be prepared for challenges, especially if you live in a place without the infrastructure necessary to accommodate several public charging stations.
Moreover, keep in mind that public charging stations might not be spacious enough to charge lots of automobiles at once, so that means waiting in line for longer.
2. Less maintenance than ICE automobiles
Would you like to pay no more than $70 for an oil change? Even though maintenance is a necessity for every car, and electric cars are no exception, it is far less than for internal combustion engines (ICE) and even less than for hybrids.
And if that made you happy, here’s another thing electric car owners can be proud of: it requires fewer repairs. Not only can you save on costly oil changes, but you can also avoid replacing the gearbox or power steering fluid.
The regenerative braking system contributes to the slower wear of your brakes, so that means enjoying your vehicle for longer and having more money in your pocket.
However, tires, tire rotations, tire pressure checks, cabin filters, wiper blades, washer fluid, wheel alignment, brakes, air desiccant, and coolant are among the maintenance items these cars require.
Even though you’ll still need to take your car in for maintenance every six months, the difference in cost will be minimal compared to ICE vehicle visits—you’ll save an average of $330 annually. According to federal laws, the electric battery, which is the most expensive component of an EV, has a minimum warranty of eight years, and that’s pretty good if you ask us.
3. Many electric car owners won’t buy an ICE vehicle
When buying an EV, people are frequently anxious about a few things: that they won’t have access to a charger when they need one, that they won’t be able to reach where they want to go because of their battery life, and that buying such an expensive vehicle will be difficult. But are their concerns justified?
The electric car owners we’ve talked to told us that they’re so content with their purchases that, in case they need an additional automobile, they’ll only purchase another EV. According to a survey, more than 40% of people who have an EV at home said that they drive it more than they did with an ICE vehicle.
Other people who have both EV and ICE vehicles at home said that they prefer the electric one. What can we say? These types of automobiles are amazing, especially if you need to use your car in the city.
Do you know any other things future electric car owners should know before making a purchase?
4. Cold and heat and potential danger
While the things we’ve previously talked about might convince you to invest in an EV, the electric car owners we’ve talked to told us that there are some cons too. For instance, extreme temperatures do affect how far you can travel before running out of charge.
If you choose to purchase an EV, keep in mind that it’s very important to get used to its reduced range. This can cause owning a car in the Midwest to be more difficult than it would be on the coasts, especially if your commute is rather long, the weather varies greatly year-round, and there isn’t much infrastructure for electric vehicles either.
However, this shouldn’t discourage you from being one of the many satisfied electric car owners, but you should keep this in mind. If you want an EV, make sure you have enough range, especially if you have to deal with a reduced range in the winter.
Both electric car owners and ICE vehicle owners should keep their automobiles clean, so if you need any help with that, here’s a wonderful portable vacuum cleaner that gets the job done!
5. What about the overall costs?
Here’s the cold truth: not everyone is a good fit for electric cars. A hybrid car might be a much better choice for you if you live in a city with a lot of public transportation options or don’t own a home where you can install a personal charger.
Having an EV is only somewhat more expensive than owning an ICE vehicle, but when you take into consideration the significantly lower cost of maintaining it as well as the quantity of less-priced models hitting the market, it will cost you around $300 a year more for an EV than a regular car.
Experts discovered that people who were scared about becoming electric car owners let all their worries go the moment they started to use their new EVs. We consider this as a sign that electric automobiles can be a good choice for many consumers, as long as they do their homework first.
If you take into account the vehicle’s range, your driving style, the warranty, and the extremes of heat or cold in your area, you’ll discover that buying an EV is really much easier and less scary than you might’ve imagined.
Would you consider investing in an electric car? We’re curious to know how do you feel about EV and ICE vehicles, so let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed reading this article about all the information future electric car owners should know, there are many other helpful articles on our website, so check them out. Until next time, here’s a good post for you: 10 Interesting Car Facts We Bet You Didn’t Know
