Electric cars have been in the news quite a lot in recent times, mostly because air quality has been such a hot subject. Most conventionally powered cars (petrol and diesel-powered) are amongst the leading causes of pollution in busy modern city centers, and by using an electric vehicle you will be doing your part to help reduce air pollution. But there are many other advantages and disadvantages. So, what are they? And do you really need one? Here are some of the pros and cons for you to consider…
Advantages
Electric cars require less frequent charging than most fuel-powered vehicles. How? They run on batteries. The power supplied by the batteries can be stored for a period of time before being used so that the vehicle does not need to be charged again for as long as possible. The longer the battery charge, the longer the vehicle will run, and the lower your fuel costs will be. This is why electric cars cost less money than petrol-powered vehicles – they require less frequent recharging, and as a result, save you money on petrol, and not to mention that your car loan will definitely pay off.
There are also several different advantages to electric cars. For instance, they tend to be much more reliable than petrol-powered vehicles. This is because the engine power required by electric cars tends to be less noisy than that required by petrol engines. As a result, they are quieter, smoother, friendlier on the ears, and tend to give off less vibration. Also, electric cars have a shorter range. This means that you will probably get around a bit faster on an electric car than you will on a petrol-powered vehicle.
It must be pointed out as well that there are some significant advantages as well. One of these advantages is that electric cars do not emit any greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. They also use up less fuel than their gasoline-equivalent. Also, most of them have very little to no maintenance. However, if you are going to convert to an EV you need to ensure that you get professional help and do not take shortcuts in doing so.
Disadvantages
However, there are also several disadvantages to electric cars. For instance, it has been calculated that the cost of purchasing and repairing a battery is about two or three times the cost of buying and using an internal combustion engine. Additionally, the batteries used in electric cars generally have a shorter life span. In short, you will pay a lot more money for marginal costs when converting from petrol-powered to electric-powered.
Similarly, although electric cars may give you marginal cost savings on fuel, they can also cause you greater costs in terms of repairs. Most electric motor repair shops charge a lot more money than normal gas motor repair shops. In addition, the internal combustion engine still has to work at full capacity in order to provide you with power. This means that, as well as paying the fuel bill, you will also have to pay for the replacement of your engine should it break down.
On top of this, one of the major disadvantages of converting to electric cars involves converting your electricity into gasoline. This process, called “gathering” can actually raise your electricity bills. Gathering electricity from batteries and then storing it in a vehicle’s battery is a very complex process that consumes a lot of electricity. If you were to do this without the assistance of an expert mechanic, the gathering can actually increase the damage on your vehicle’s battery and cause it to malfunction.
The major disadvantages of owning electric cars include the need to convert to an EV and the increased cost of owning one. Although it is true that the cost of owning an electric car will initially be more expensive than a comparable gas-powered vehicle, it does not mean that you will have to pay exorbitant fuel bills. Another disadvantage is the fact that emissions are not completely eliminated. There is a certain amount of emissions that can be said to be “real” pollution and this should be taken into account when calculating the cost of ownership.
To sum up
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to choosing to use an electric car over a regular one. The right decision can be made only by taking into consideration both sides and thinking thoroughly about whether or not to switch to an electric car.