People have been waiting around for the flying car ever since Back to the Future promised us this advancement back in the 1980s, but we’re not quite there yet. Still, we’ve come a long way in transportation since our horse and buggy days. For many decades, your average combustion engine has been the way of the automobile.
It has dominated sales for three main reasons:
1) Cheaper to make than electric cars,
2) Better range than electric cars, and
3) Cheap fuel.
These days, the paradigm is shifting. Concerns over global warming caused by pollution from cars and trucks are at an all-time high. Global temperatures are rising and smog is only getting worse in heavily populated areas. The only way to combat these issues is through the advancement of technology and purchasing electric cars.
If you find yourself concerned for the environment and desire to play your part in helping fix the problem, there are a few things you need to know before buying an electric car. Here is a short list of things you might need to know:
1) What is your normal route? The one downside to electric cars is their lack of range. If you live and work on completely opposite ends of a large city, or maybe you’re situated way out in the country, you might want to second guess the electric car and go for a hybrid. Electric cars only have a maximum range of 100 miles. A lot of them are shorter than that. Do you do a lot of driving during an average day? Do you take a lot of trips? Get stuck in traffic a lot? If so, then a hybrid vehicle might be the best for you, as it combines an electric engine with a combustion one, so when the battery juices run out, it switches over to gas.
2) Consider where you live. Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with a battery in very cold weather knows that the battery doesn’t extreme temps. If you live somewhere that gets super cold for a prolonged amount of time, then an electric car might not be for you. You must also consider your availability to a charger. Some require a simple power outlet. A lot of places where the EV cars are most popular are integrating charging stations. So, always be sure to know your surroundings and if having any type of EV or HEV is right for the conditions.
3) EVs have very little noise. If it’s one thing all car owners know well, it’s the hum of the combustion engine. The sound it makes when it starts up, when it’s being revved, and when you’re slowing down. It will take some time to get used to the fact that electric engines are virtually silent. This might be great, except for the fact that no one will hear you coming. This can be dangerous when going around corners. It will require you to change the way you drive.
4) You’ll have to rethink fueling up. We’ve all done it before. We’ve all waited until the tank was nearly empty, driving on fumes to pull into the gas station. We save fueling for when we’re out an about because it takes typically 5 minutes or less. With an electric car, you don’t have that luxury. The average time to charge a battery is 90 minutes. So, if you’re rushing late to work and you forgot to charge your car overnight, you’re out of luck. You can’t just stop at the gas station.
5) Costs of going green. Yes, the biggest perk of going green is you no longer have to spend money on endless gallons of gasoline. This doesn’t require the constant repairs, oil changes, and other maintenance issues that crop up with a combustion engine car. But one of the biggest complaints about the EV is they are typically more expensive. Their expense is why gasoline powered cars became more popular than electric all those years ago. You should be able to do your research and see how the cost vs. savings plays out for you.
6) The government might want to help you get one. Combined with point #5, you should be sure to check into whether the government is in the mood to help cover the costs of buying an electric car. They often offer subsidies to encourage people to go clean instead of buying a cheaper, combustion engine vehicle. Both the federal and state level governments offer their own benefits, so be sure to check what you can obtain for your state.
7) These things go fast! Face it, we all love speed. It’s a need, really. There’s a myth out there that electric cars are super slow compared to the muscle-power you get with a combustion engine. The latest Model S EV from Tesla can hit zero-to-sixty in 2.8 seconds. That’s some serious speed! It’s comparable to the 918 Spyder from Porsche! Whatever specification you have in a car, an EV offers all the torque you need.
8) Not for towing. While electric vehicles have great speed, the technology doesn’t exist quite yet for them to do any heavy-duty work. Not only is range an issue, but EVs are generally weaker.
9) You can go hybrid. If you need more range or power, then you should consider a hybrid vehicle. Hybrids combine the electric battery with the usual combustion engine. The purpose of these is sort of a bridge between full-electric and full-gasoline. When the battery runs out, it would automatically jump to the gas engine.
As environmentalism grows in fervor, more people will start to search for cleaner ways to get around. Electric cars are the future of transportation. Armed with these nine things to know, you’ll be well on your way to living as carbon-free as possible. There are other things to know and remember, which we will provide in future articles.
