- Gasoline- and diesel-powered cars are familiar, quick to refuel, and can travel long distances between fill-ups, all of which can’t (yet) necessarily be said about electric cars.
- EVs, however, bring with them a whole unique set of positives, from an inherently exhilarating drive feel to a significantly less harmful impact on the environment.
- The current knocks against EVs will be resolved in time as more people adopt the technology.
Before deciding to buy an electric car, it’s important to know that EVs aren’t the only electrified vehicles on the road. Electric vehicles rely solely on batteries and electric motors for propulsion. When the car runs short on charge, pull up to a charging station and you’ll be on your way in half an hour or so.
Plug-in hybrids have a battery pack and electric motor(s), but also a gas engine. They are capable of all-electric propulsion, but have a much shorter electric-only range than their EV counterparts. After the electric range is exhausted, the vehicle’s engine takes over and the electric motors fill in the gaps for the gas engine at low speeds.
Gas Vehicles
PROS OF GAS VEHICLES
Internal combustion engines have been around for over a century and offer a familiar driving experience. Gas-powered cars are easy to use, easy to fuel, and have a driving range that makes them practical for long-haul road trips. These advantages, along with the generally lower up front costs to buy them, make gas-powered cars attractive for many drivers.
Gas engines have become increasingly complex over the years, and are now remarkably fuel efficient and powerful, but there's no way around the fact that burning fuel creates emissions.
CONS OF GAS VEHICLES
Despite gains in fuel economy and lower tailpipe emissions, gas vehicles' days are numbered. Humans' negative impact on the earth and its climate far outweighs the pros of gasoline vehicles, and car companies know this. They are developing electric cars at a breakneck pace, and incentives from the government, such as tax credits, make electric car buying an attractive prospect for many.
Electric Vehicles
Battery power is not a new invention. Electric cars have been around for just about as long as gas-powered cars. Batteries, charging, range, and several other factors have changed significantly along the way, but electricity has long been a part of the automotive mindset.
Today, concerns for the earth, gasoline prices, emissions, and other factors are driving buyers to electric vehicles in increasing numbers. Recent studies indicate that EVs will overtake gas-powered vehicles by 2033 in many countries, and worldwide just a couple of years later.
WHAT IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE?
We are using the term electric vehicles here to describe pure EVs, not hybrids or plug-in hybrids. Those vehicles, while delivering massive fuel-efficiency benefits over gas vehicles, don't offer the same fuel savings or experience as electric cars.
DRIVING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE
Driving an electric vehicle isn’t like driving a spaceship or an alien transport. Other than the fact that there is no engine noise and a great deal more torque, the EV driving experience is remarkably normal. Electric motors generate peak torque from a dead stop, so there is an immediacy to the power and acceleration that can’t be matched in a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine.
In everyday driving scenarios, people unfamiliar with electric cars may find that more road and wind noise make their way into the car than with a gas vehicle. This is because of the lack of engine and drivetrain sounds that typically mitigate all the other sounds from the outside world.
EV BRAKING
The motors in electric cars can run in two directions. When the driver is accelerating, the motor is turning in the drive direction, propelling the vehicle forward. When the accelerator pedal is lifted, the motor reverses and generates electricity that is returned to the battery.
The electric motor’s reverse operation also creates a slowing force for the vehicle. Automakers engineer the degree to which regenerative braking slows the vehicle; more regenerative braking force slows the vehicle quickly without accelerator input, while less regenerative force allows the EV to function more closely to its gas-powered counterparts.
Charging
RANGE ANXIETY
When talking about EVs, people sometimes mention anxiety over finding charging stations. When a gas car is low on fuel, you can pull into a gas station and fill up in five minutes or so, but when an EV runs low on charge, it’s not quite such a simple process.
TIME TO CHARGE
Though many EVs can travel hundreds of miles on a charge, replenishing that energy can take a significant amount of time, at least for some electric cars. Some models are capable of recovering up to 80 percent or more of their energy in as little as 20 minutes, but the charging speed slows considerably as the batteries approach capacity. The speed at which a charging station can replenish the range an electric vehicle varies, but more and more often, fast charging is becoming available at charging stations across the country. Even if there is no charger in a driver's home, they typically see savings on fuel and a reduction of overall cost as a result.
Do electric cars take gas?
If you've recently learned about hybrid vehicles, you might be inclined to believe that electric vehicles require gas at some point to operate. While it's true that hybrids require fuel, electric vehicles do not. Their electric motors derive power from battery packs, which need to be recharged after their range is exhausted.
What are the pros of owning an electric vehicle?
REDUCED MAINTENANCE
It's true that gas vehicles are usually less expensive and easier to refuel, but there are several benefits to owning an EV that have nothing to do with costs. One of the biggest pros of owning an electric car is the reduced need for regular maintenance. There are no oil changes, no mechanical components to break underhood, no exhaust system, and the life of other components such as brakes can be extended. Many people report that driving an electric car is more relaxing than a gas vehicle, because of the lack of engine noise.
MORE PERFORMANCE
Many electric models offer significant performance benefits over gas vehicles as well. This applies not only to intended high-performance cars from Porsche, Tesla, and others, but even to everyday commuter vehicles. The immediate torque and acceleration can make electric cars exhilarating to drive, and make them quicker than most people expect, depending on driving habits.
TAX INCENTIVES
There may also be tax credits available, depending on the electric car you opt for. The United States government offers a one-time tax credit of up to $7,500 to buyers of eligible electric cars—and various states offer tax credits on select models, too—which lowers the effective cost of the purchase.
All of that, and we haven't even mentioned the complete reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in everyday driving and the fact that gas prices fluctuate wildly. Fuel costs are a big motivator for many buyers.
What are the cons of electric cars?
ACCESS TO CHARGING
There are a few downsides to owning an electric car that might not be immediately apparent when you are standing on the dealer's lot trying to make a car purchase. Depending on your location, you may or may not have ready access to charging stations. This is especially true for people who live in apartment buildings or those who rent, as it can be impossible to install a home charging system.
TIME TO CHARGE
You may also find that electric cars take too long to charge, even if there is a charging station nearby. Unlike filling up a gas tank, which can take a few minutes, most electric vehicles take much longer to recover a sizable portion of their range. This can make road trips impractical for many, as the requirement to stop and charge for half an hour or more can turn a simple trip into a long, painful one.
COST TO BUY
Last, there is the issue of purchase cost. Electric cars, no matter the type, size, or technology, are usually more expensive than comparable gas vehicles.
How long do EVs last?
The battery in an electric car starts to break down after a while, just like any other electrical component. Over time, the batteries in an electric car begin to lose capacity to store energy. Cars are only useful if they can travel their advertised range, so an electric car with a bad battery is nearly worthless.
Automakers issue warranties for the batteries and electrical components in EVs, just like they would for any other car. In many cases, these warranties extend to 10 years or 100,000 miles, which means that the battery in an electric car can be repaired or replaced if it breaks within that time.
