The cost of buying an electric car, coupled with range anxiety and a lack of available EV charging infrastructure, is one of the most common reasons vehicle owners are hesitant to switch to electric.
However, if we compare why people are hesitant to leave their old internal combustion engine (ICE) cars against the advantages of electric vehicles, you’d be surprised at how the pros fare against the cons.
Going electric has its merits. Leaving behind fossil fuel vehicles brings many substantial benefits that outweigh the hassles of acquiring an electric car.
Read on to find out more about EV driving and the ownership benefits of electric vehicles.
1. EVs Promote A Cleaner Environment
Electric vehicles are a more environment-friendly alternative compared to ICE cars. This benefit is the main selling point of electric vehicles and for a good reason. A mass conversion to EVs would drastically improve our chances of combatting climate change.
Minimised Carbon Emission
Since an EV doesn’t run on fossil fuel, it doesn’t produce gases that generally cause or contribute to global warming. Lesser emissions mean cleaner air.
Plug-in hybrids have minimal emission because of the electric mode capability of the unit. On the other hand, fully electric cars produce no exhaust found commonly in old petrol cars. Both vehicles are safer and better alternatives for the environment.
Low and zero emissions are made possible by the car’s battery. Instead of burning fuel, lithium batteries charged with electricity power an electric vehicle.
With minimised or zero emissions, we also drastically reduce our carbon footprint. No carbon, no problem.
Energy Efficient
Electric cars use energy more efficiently than vehicles that run on petrol and diesel. An EV uses 75 to 90% of its power versus a fuel-combustion car’s 20%.
What do these numbers mean? An EV spends less energy getting from one point to the next than traditional cars.
They Are More Affordable In The Long Term
As we’ve mentioned, the upfront cost of acquiring an electric vehicle is relatively high. And it’s one of the reasons many people hesitate to give up their fuel-engine cars easily, if at all.
However, despite the hefty price tag of getting an EV, it is a sensible and worthwhile purchase. How so? You’d be surprised at how much (or less) you’d spend for the EV in the long term compared to your ICE vehicle.
2. Lower Maintenance Costs
Due to the absence of a traditional engine, EVs have cheaper maintenance costs.
Traditional engines are composed of hundreds of parts that require regular checking and replacement. We avoid several of these maintenance issues in an electric car.
Some that need periodic maintenance and replacements are air filters, transmission fluid, and timing belts. Fuel car servicing also includes different tasks like oil changes and tune-ups.
How long do batteries last in electric cars? Even conventional batteries need periodic replacement. A petrol car’s battery lasts for 3 to 5 years. In contrast, electric vehicle batteries can last 10 to 20 years!
What does this mean? While electric vehicles still need servicing, they won’t be as often and as costly as petrol and diesel vehicles.
British Gas states that servicing an EV is at least 25% cheaper than a traditional car.
Lower Usage Costs
There is a vast difference between EVs and fossil fuel cars regarding energy consumption prices.
In a report, a two-mile grocery run in an EV costs only 12p. This amount triples (33p) if you are driving a petrol car. So, if you covered 416 miles driving in a year, you’d spend £137.28 on a petrol car while only spending £49.92 on an EV.
Looking at the bigger picture, if you can save more than £90 on total grocery runs in a year, think about how much savings there are if we consider your total yearly mileage.
The same report reveals that the average mileage for a year of cars in the UK is 7,800 miles. Following the math, you’ll have spent £1,302.60 on a petrol car while shelling out just £460.20 driving an EV.
Note: Comparison was between an EV model and its closest petrol counterpart.
3. Electric Cars Have Excellent Performance
Fuel cars have been around for such a long time that it’s understandable why leaving them behind isn’t easy. And like how it’s sometimes difficult to quickly embrace new technology, many have doubts over an EV’s capability and performance.
The impression is that ICE cars outmatch electric vehicles. Recent evidence, though, shows just the opposite. Electric cars outclass their comparable petrol/diesel units in various areas.
Performance Superiority
As mentioned earlier, power is transferred more efficiently within an EV thanks to its fewer moving parts. This energy transfer causes an EV to instantly respond once you hit the accelerator resulting in insane speed surges.
The Peugeot e-208 can go from 0 to 60mph in less than 8 seconds. Another electric car, the Tesla Model S, can do the same in an even shorter time of 2.5 seconds.
An EV’s advanced acceleration and torque make it perfect for daily driving in the city. Wading through city traffic can be less strenuous with this kind of vehicle.
Excellent Mobility
An electric car’s superb balance and weight contribute to its outstanding mobility.
With its batteries positioned on the car floor, the vehicle has a low centre of gravity. And without conventional engines, EVs are also comparatively lighter.
All these factors result in better handling. It’s safer when overtaking and driving in curves and corners, whether in the city or the countryside.
Quiet Driving
Another noticeable change to electric cars is that they are much quieter to drive than their fuel counterparts. Again, the absence of a traditional internal combustion engine makes all the difference.
Without such noise produced by conventional engines, driving becomes a more relaxing experience.
4. Financial Incentives
The UK’s Net Zero Strategy bans fossil fuel cars as we move towards cleaner air. Our government is encouraging people to switch to electric vehicles by providing a variety of grants and financial incentives.
OZEV Grants
OZEV, or Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, is a government team whose tasks include offering grants and funding aids to facilitate the uptake of zero-emission electric vehicles.
These grants cover a portion of the amount involved when buying electric vehicles and acquiring charge point units.
Government subsidy is available for private individuals, businesses charity institutions, and local authorities intending to switch from traditional vehicles to the electric alternative.
5. Speedbumps To Going Electric
After knowing the different advantages of an EV, let’s find out why there is resistance to electric driving.
There are various arguments for ditching our fossil fuel cars. One of these is expenses. Despite advancements in technology, there is still a huge gap in prices between an electric car and one with a traditional internal combustion engine.
Let’s zero in on that and talk a bit about the Peugeot 208 and Peugeot e-208. The two units ideally demonstrate this price discrepancy.
In its review of the 208 and e-208, motoring website Car Magazine says: “You’d need a keen eye to tell them apart in the flesh.” In other words, they are considered the same except that the other is powered electrically.
Do you know the other glaring difference between the two models? These Peugeots are miles apart in purchase cost. OTR prices put the electric version at £28,260 (including the OZEV grant) while its petrol and diesel sibling is £18,645.
That’s almost a £10,000 price gap between the two vehicles.
However, as we’ve learned earlier, getting a lower-priced ICE car doesn’t automatically indicate that you got the better side of the deal.
To EV Or Not To EV?
As listed above, we can enjoy several benefits when choosing electric vehicles over conventionally powered cars. These advantages of electric cars include financial rewards, a better driving experience, and a cleaner environment.
We’ve also shown that some initial hesitation to owning an EV, like financial concerns and performance doubt, while legitimate, holds lesser ground compared to the merits of going electric.
Feel free to contact us If you are ready to go electric! We can help you jumpstart your EV driving experience!
