You may be wondering what’s the big deal about electric cars and whether or not they’re right for you. Some people think that electric cars are nothing more than glorified golf carts, while others consider them to be the future of personal transportation.
It’s clear that electric cars have both pros and cons, but what really matters is whether or not they can meet your transportation needs and make your life easier. This list of reasons you should buy an electric car will help you make your decision.
1) Lower Running Costs
Electric cars have little to no running costs, making them cheaper to run over their lifetime. The cost of charging up your vehicle from home is much lower than fueling up at a gas station.
Compared to petrol and diesel vehicles, the running costs of an electric car are far lower. With petrol and diesel cars costing up to $ 0.13 per kilometer, an electric vehicle will cost you only $ 0.013 per kilometer. This means that EVs are more environmentally friendly than traditional vehicles. This means that you can save money and the environment at the same time.
2) Cheaper Insurance
It’s well known that some car insurance companies give you a discount if you have safety features like anti-lock brakes and airbags in your car. However, what many people don’t know is that there are also discounts for alternative fuel vehicles.
Many insurance companies will offer up to a 5% discount on your auto insurance if you drive a hybrid or electric vehicle. In fact, according to US News and World Report, National General Insurance gave customers a 5 percent discount off their premium when they purchased plug-in cars such as Chevrolet Volts.
In all likelihood, it’ll take just one good speeding ticket to wipe out any financial benefits you may get from taking advantage of these discounts. But better safe than sorry – especially when it comes to getting cheap auto insurance rates!
3) Low Maintenance
Don’t let all those trips to gas stations fool you. Electric cars have significantly fewer moving parts than gas-powered vehicles. As a result, electric cars are almost no maintenance required for them. They don’t need new spark plugs, oil changes, or alignment checks like gasoline-powered cars do.
Additionally, batteries rarely require replacement; most will last around 8–12 years depending on how much they have used and the care they receive. And while a drive belt may need to be replaced every 10 years or so, that’s it! While these features mean you won’t get a money-saving experience at your local repair shop at least not as often the savings in time and money spent on repairs add up quickly over time.
4) Good for The Environment
According to most sources, including our own Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), electric cars are more eco-friendly than standard gasoline-powered vehicles. This is because batteries and electric motors produce no tailpipe emissions – zero carbon dioxide, no hydrocarbons, and no nitrogen oxides.
Another benefit of driving on electricity is reduced dependence on foreign oil. While it takes a lot of power plants to charge up all those batteries and keep our nation humming, only about 1% of electricity in the U.S. comes from petroleum products – much lower than 50% in France and China or 25% in Great Britain!
5) Have More Space
As we mentioned above, electric cars can hold more people. An additional passenger can be seated comfortably in each row—in a family-sized vehicle with seven seats total. Those who find themselves always having to transport larger groups of objects may prefer to purchase a larger car.
If you’re interested in owning an electric car but you’re on a budget, don’t worry—you won’t have to pay extra for seating or cargo space. As long as there is a charging station nearby, these vehicles should be able to make all of your travel plans come true.
6) Easy to Drive
The newest electric cars are just as easy to drive as gas-powered cars, in part because modern electric cars have fairly intuitive interfaces. Many electric vehicles have large LCD displays to let you easily check your power levels, battery life, and other vehicle stats.
The systems are designed with built-in redundancies so you don’t ever worry about flat batteries or overheating engines—things that can cause significant problems with older models of EVs (which aren’t necessarily from India). This makes them simpler to operate than hybrids like those made by Toyota and Honda, which still require some sort of fuel. Overall, if you already know how to drive a standard car, it’s hard to go wrong when buying an EV.
7) Not as noisy
Because electric cars are operated by a quiet electric motor, they don’t have any of that intrusive engine noise. If you live in a neighborhood with annoying car alarms or loud traffic, it’s easy to see how electric vehicles would be appealing. For anyone who has trouble sleeping near busy streets, there might not be an any better option than an EV.
8) They Charge Easily at Home
When you buy a car, it’s often not long before you need to go on a trip. When that happens, how do you charge your car? Well, if it’s electric and you have access to an outlet at home, then you can just plug it in while you sleep.
Not only is charging your car convenient and affordable as electric vehicles do not require any gas but EV batteries do not reduce the charge when idle. That means your vehicle will be ready for action when you are.
9) Government Incentives
There are federal and state tax credits available to those who purchase a new electric car. Each manufacturer offers additional incentives as well, such as free charging or access to HOV lanes. In total, you can receive up to $7,500 off of your purchase with help from government incentives.
Both Volkswagen and BMW offer special financing packages with only $139 per month! Check your local dealers for more information on eligibility requirements. The government’s goal is to get 1 million plug-in cars on US roads by 2015 and half of sold cars electric by 2030; if you don’t already own one, purchasing now can help us meet that target! (Source: The White House)
10) They accelerate quickly
The instant-on torque provided by electric motors is unparalleled in gas-powered vehicles. The first time you floor it in an EV, you’ll notice how quickly they respond and get up to speed. In fact, if your electric car is powerful enough (or if you have a performance model), passing on highways can be downright exhilarating.
There are no gears: Gas-powered cars require that you manually shift through different gear ranges to achieve optimum acceleration. In contrast, all-electric cars have a single gear range—meaning they’re ready to go as soon as you step on the accelerator pedal.