It’s a growing trend these days. Especially with gas prices hitting astronomical highs recently, an electric car seems like a wise investment. The pricing of these cars has also become affordable in many cases, and numerous car manufacturers are launching their own version of an electric vehicle.
It also does wonders to help with the environmental impact, as electric cars are much friendlier in that area and require less maintenance than traditional fossil fuel-based cars. Yet you should consider some elements before buying an electric vehicle.
Those costs can creep up on you
Many states make a portion of their revenue from the gasoline tax, and buying an electric car means less gasoline being used. That means they’ll try to make it up in some states by placing a higher tax on electric vehicle sales or requiring additional steps, such as in the State of Texas.
But, in addition, you’ll still need electricity, which can come at a cost, which is also going up. Hence, it’s essential to not simply eliminate gas costs and not include how much it’ll cost in electricity when looking to make a comparison.
The Stated vs. Actual distance per charge
Remember you’re reading advertising when you see the range and results. When you see claims such as up to x number of miles, those are in perfect road conditions with a new battery. That means a flat paved excellent road with no incline, at miles per hour, to maximize the distance.
Batteries deteriorate as we see in our smartphones and will eventually not hold as high a charge as they did when new. There’s also no wind or adverse weather conditions that make us vary our driving styles for safety. It’s always good to check with actual owners of electric vehicles to compare distances properly.
Public Charging Stations
There are two items here. The first item is that you want to make sure you’re aware of where your local public charging stations are. Not only within your city but also if you plan on doing any cross-country traveling.
Although the amount of public charging stations is increasing, they’re still not at a level where we don’t need to plan our route ahead of time.
The second component is that these charging stations are used for commercial applications. That means they’re big, fast, and can overcharge your vehicle. Just like you want to have a proper wattage with your laptop, you also want to ensure that you’re not degrading and burning the battery through overcharging.
Still a good buy
Keep in mind that this is just to check out some items beforehand, and the infrastructure for electric cars is constantly improving. Plus, we mentioned there might be additional taxes for electric vehicles, yet at the same time, there could be real incentives from certain states when buying an Electric car. As with any significant purchase, bide your time to do extensive research before taking action to buy. Have questions about charging stations? Contact McCall, a trusted metro Atlanta electrician.
