Switching from a regular to an Electric Car: What to Expect

The discussion between regular cars and electric vehicles will only be intensifying in the years to come, given that the global warming crisis is getting worse. Several governments are now trying to reduce carbon emissions, and the automobile industry is being pressured to do their part in tackling the problem. 

As a result, manufacturers have been trying to create their electric-powered vehicles to comply with the requirements that have been set. According to the European Environment Agency, cars contribute 44% of the European Union’s total CO2 emissions. 

With this data and government mandates, it’s only a matter of timFe before electric cars or robot car become truly mainstream. As such, people have been asking what to expect when owning electric vehicles and the adjustments that they should look out for. 

1. Charging Time

One of the most jarring changes when switching from a diesel-powered car to an electric vehicle is the charging time. Where regular cars only take a couple of minutes to fuel up, electric cars need at least a few hours to get its juice depending on the model, battery size, and the speed of the charging point.  

On average, a typical electric vehicle that has a 60kWh battery can go from zero to full charge in about eight hours if the charging station is providing 7kWh. Other charging points offer higher kw, which can reduce that time to one hour or 30 minutes. 

To solve long charging issues, owners would typically opt to top up charge, meaning they’ll charge their cars whenever it’s parked, which is most of the time anyway. They’ll either charge it overnight or plug it in their workplace if the building is offering the service.  

2. Fuel Savings

As electric cars are running on batteries, people will no longer need to fuel up ever again. Here’s a comparison between regular cars and electric vehicles when it comes to saving fuel costs. 

Depending on where you are, petrol-powered vehicles can cost you about $26 for a 70-mile journey. On the other hand, electric cars that have a 70-mile range battery will only need to pay charging stations $2.64 for the same travel length. There are even charging stations out there that offer free services, so people don’t have to pay for that in certain areas. 

3. Charging Stations 

Free charging stations are possible thanks to the effort of car rental Industry or car manufacturers and organizations fighting climate change. Through the use of renewable energy like wind and solar farming, people with electric vehicles can just pull up to a charging station, plug their cars in, and fill their battery up. 

Although there are still issues of these charging stations being overwhelmed by customers, more and more of them are being created that can accommodate everyone driving electric cars. And since it’s expected that battery-powered vehicles will enter the mainstream scene in 2020 or 2021, more of these charging points will be built over time. 
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4. Environmentally Friendly 

By eliminating diesel and petrol usage, people who are opting to switch to electric cars are lowering their carbon emission, thus helping solve the global warming problem. And since renewable energy is being used as an alternative for charging stations, the option becomes all the more enticing. 

In the United States, cars and trucks account for about one-fifth of the country’s overall carbon emissions. By switching to electric cars, this factor could be eliminated, freeing up private and government resources and accommodate them to other factors that are contributing to climate change. 

5. Wide Selections 

At the moment, there are only a few options for consumers as manufacturers are still trying to adjust to this significant shift. However, it’s expected that the current selection will be wider as more manufacturers comply with government mandates. 

This year, industry experts predict that current options will triple, from 60 to 176. Next year will bring in more models as the figure will jump to 214. And in 2025, it’s projected that the number of electric car models will be around 330. 
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6. Low Maintenance

While regular cars are cheaper than their electric kin, the latter somehow makes up for it by saving on maintenance costs. Electric vehicles don’t have a lot of moving parts compared to petrol-powered cars, which means it doesn’t need to see the mechanic regularly. 

There are no oil changes to perform, fuel pumps to change, spark plugs to replace. It doesn’t have carburetors or fuel injectors that need to be serviced every time it gets clogged. One of the few things that owners need to watch out for is its battery, which can last around 17 years if properly cared for.  

Moreover, electric cars that are sold in the U.S. have insurance coverage of at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Some manufacturers are upping that figure to 10 years, while others are opting to go all in and are offering lifetime coverage. 

7. Price 

So if all these advantages are being offered by electric cars, why hasn’t mass adaption taken place? One of the reasons for this is the price. 

Conventional vehicles are currently hovering around $36,000, although that figure is 2% higher compared to 2018. Meanwhile, the average price of electric vehicles is $55,000, which is $13.4% cheaper compared to figures seen in 2018. This number is also projected to slide lower in the next few years as more competition enters the market, and battery prices continue to decrease.