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What to Consider Before Getting an Electric Car?

by Louise W. Rice
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As technology continues to advance rapidly, it’s having a huge impact on almost every aspect of our lives, including driving. Electric cars are getting more and more popular, with many people preferring them these days for their eco-friendliness and the fact that they tend to be cheaper to run compared to traditional petrol or diesel cars. With more and more electric cars appearing on the roads, you might have been considering making the switch to driving one of your own.

There are certainly lots of options available these days when it comes to buying electric cars, and finding the right one for you isn’t always easy. Here are some of the main things to remember before choosing the right electric car for your needs.

Battery Life

One of the main things to consider before choosing the right electric car is the battery life. Find out more about the battery in the cars that you are considering, and the ranges, and check out the charging times noted here. Range anxiety is a common experience among electric car owners, where you might be worried about the possibility you will run out of battery power before you can find somewhere to charge your car.

Manufacturers are now accelerating their battery reliability and performance through battery software as range anxiety is a common experience among electric car owners, where you might be worried about the possibility you will run out of battery power before you can find somewhere to charge your car.

Because of this, the range is one of the most important things to think about before choosing the right EV for you. Before making a journey, you will need to think about how long you are going to be driving and if you’re going to be able to get to the places you need to be without worrying about recharging the battery.

Charging at Home

You may need to think about getting an electric car charging port fitted at your home if you are thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle. Electric car charging ports are set to be installed as standard in new build homes in the future, but if you want to be able to charge your car at home and aren’t lucky enough to live in a property where you’ve got one ready installed, then you will need to get one fitted.

Putting in an electric car charger can be quite an expensive task as you’ll need a specialist charging port installed by a qualified electrician. However, in order to encourage more people to purchase electric vehicles, the government has been rolling out grants that you can take advantage of to go towards the cost of buying an EV charger and having it fitted at home.

Charging on the Road

It is possible to have an electric car without having a charging port fitted at your home. This might be necessary if your home is not suitable for an electric car charging port, for example, if you have no off-road parking at your home or if you live in a flat. To get around this, you can use the ever-growing network of public electric car chargers.

Many electric car leasing deals will also come with free use of certain charging points included with the monthly fee that you pay, so this might be something that is worth looking into. You may need to pay for a membership and get a contactless card in order to be able to use some charging points, while others pay per use.

Electric car charging points are becoming more and more of a common sight these days in places like supermarket car parks, making it easier than ever for you to charge your car on the go without having a charging port fitted at home.

Your Journeys

Before you decide if an electric car is right for you and which one you should get, think about the journeys that you make on a regular basis. If you make a lot of long journeys, then you will need to take the battery range of the car into consideration. On the other hand, if you’re mostly making short journeys, then you will probably be able to go for a car with a shorter battery range without much to worry about.

Don’t forget that the range that is provided by the manufacturer is mainly a guide, and there are lots of factors that can impact it. For example, your car might run out of battery faster in cold weather. You might find that a hybrid car, which runs on both an electric battery and a traditional combustion engine, might be a better choice for you if you are commuting long distances.

Maintenance

You will also need to think about maintaining your electric car and keeping it in good condition. Compared to traditional petrol and diesel cars, the good news is that electric cars have fewer moving parts and therefore do not need as much maintenance carried out on them. The battery is the main part of the car that needs to be maintained regularly and kept in good condition. You should take your car to a specialist on a regular basis to have the battery serviced and checked. Along with this, other parts of the car that need to be regularly maintained are the brakes, tyres, motor, climate control, and software updates.

How you get software updates to your car will depend on the manufacturer, so this might be something that is worth considering before you decide which car to buy, as some offer automatic updates done over the air, while others require you to be connected to Wi-Fi, and with others, you’ll need to pay a visit to the dealership.

Electric or Hybrid?

Before choosing the right car for you, it’s worth considering whether you want to go for an electric or hybrid model. With a fully electric car, there is no requirement to fill the tank with fuel at all. All you need to do is charge the battery, and you are ready to go.

On the other hand, a hybrid car offers the best of both. You still have a petrol tank and internal combustion engine, but the car is also able to run on electricity. You will charge the battery as you drive the car using the internal combustion engine. Some hybrid cars can only be charged in this way, while others, known as plug-in hybrids, can be charged in the same way as an EV and will only use the petrol engine for backup.

Size and Style

Last but not least, think about the size of the car that you want and the style that will suit you best. You can find many electric car models only available as an EV, such as Tesla cars. On the other hand, if you prefer a car that has been around for a while, there are now electric versions of lots of popular car models to choose from, like the Fiat 500 electric, if you are looking for a smaller city car. The Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius are popular hybrid options if you decide to go down that route. Or you can find popular models from brands like BMW, Audi, Ford, Volkswagen, and more designed to now run on electric power.

Electric cars are becoming more and more popular. If you want to buy one or lease one for yourself, these are some of the main things to think about.

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