Is the electric vehicles better or worse?
In: Other
Better or worse is very judgemental, hard to get a real answer.
EVs do accelerate very fast, because electric motor torque is much more independent of rotational speed. This is also why EVs don’t have gears you need to shift (or an automatic transmission has to shift). Leaving out the transmission leaves out an expensive component with many moving parts that can wear out.
depends on what you mean I guess…?
you get basically zero maintenance costs because all the explodey and oily and liquidy bits just aren’t a thing. But you do have to remember to plug the care in and depending on where you live it can matter exactly when you are charging. You will save A LOT OF MONEY with an EV… but if you’re doing a road trip you have to plan exactly where and when to stop to charge.
So are you fundamentally able to plan trips? Do you have the ability to remember to plug something into an outlet? Do you dislike getting your oil changed? If yes to all of these, EV may be better for you.
If you require planning-free cross country road trips and don’t mind a lot of extra maintenance then a gas car is probably what you need. Also if you require the ability to pull something like a camper. If you live in an apartment without a lot of chargers in town then a gas car is probably your only option, and you probably already know that.
Define “better” and “worse”.
EVs can accelerate more quickly, are quieter, and produce less pollution directly (this point disregards pollution created by building batteries). They are also more expensive, and planning longer trips becomes a chore centered around recharging locations and long waits.
IC cars are…the opposite on all of those points.
In what aspect? They’re heavier, more reliable, they can be safer in collisions, they wear tires faster, there’s little waste heat to use in the cold, so you have to user power to heat the cabin etc, their batteries can ignite, they don’t require oil changes, they can generally avoid using the brakes almost entirely, you can charge them at home instead of having to hit a gas station.
For me, they’re vastly superior. The pros far outweigh the cons.
Driving around town? Better, driving out to hunting camp towing a trailer? Absolutely worthless.
My wife and I are older. Sometimes we like to drive somewhere scenic and sit in the car and look over the ocean or something and talk. Being able to sit in an almost silent car with the climate control running is great for us.
The smooth driving without shifting is also nice. Doug Demuro called it a “sanitized driving experience.” I, for one, like it!
Like all tools, it depends on what you use it for. A hammer is great for hammering, but it doesn’t drive screws like a screwdriver does.
I’ve owned ICE and EV vehicles, and I’m currently driving an EV. They’re fantastic for around town, and trips under a few kilometers, but they’re not as good as hybrids or full gassers for road trips. If you’re running low on fuel, a stop at a gas station takes 10 minutes and there’s a lot of them around. If I’m running low on charge, my stop will take about 30-45 minutes, and I’ve either got to plan my route beforehand, or use the build-in nav to estimate my range and the next available charger.
Also, cooling and heating the cabin has more of an effect on range in an EV than an ICE vehicle. While it may only be 10-15km difference, it still has more of an impact.
So…when you’re choosing a tool, determine how it will be used first, then get the one best suited for the job.
The main benefit of an EV for me is that I never wait for gas. Every day my car is charged and ready to go. 99% of the time I get home, plug it in, and it’s charged by the time I need it again.
For me, 99.99% of trips are within 100 miles of my house. In 3 years I’ve needed to charge externally maybe 4 times, only once longer than 10 minutes.
So I’ve saved literally hours if not days of time not waiting at gas stations.
Also because I have solar on my house, I pay ~$8 a month for electricity, including the electricity I use for driving.
The are smoother to drive since most EVs only have 1 “gear” so they don’t shift. Throttle responsiveness is better since an electric motors max torque is available at all times. In hilly areas, there is a lot less shifting to lower gears and screaming engines while you climb.
Most EVs have a one-pedal driving mode that works kind of like a golf cart or riding lawnmower where the car will slow down/stop if you life off the accelerator rather than coast so there is less moving your right foot between the accel and brake.
EVs often have less maintenance that needs to be done. They don’t need oil changes. They use their friction brakes less often since the cars can use their electric motors to slow the car down and capture that energy for use. And you don’t ever have to go to a gas station again.
It all just ends up being a nicer and more relaxing way to drive. I love my ICE 5spd that I take out on weekends for fun, but for any distance driving, I would take an EV or and EV+RE over an ICE any day.
Pretty much yes if you can charge it at home.
Less noise. Less stink. More acceleration. Less moving parts -> less maintenance cost. Electricity is cheaper than gas (especially in europe, and even more if you get solar panels), you will make back the higher inital cost.
For short trips (4 hours driving) you never have to waste time charging. Because it just charges at home. For long trips it’s not bad either. You should take breaks from driving anyway, you can just charge then. It also charges faster when it is closer to empty.
Those are the factors that matter to me, and to most people (though some are more nervous about the charging and the range, but that’s not neccesary.) There may be some factors I am not taking into account (maybe you like when it feels more “mechanical” to drive?), but since owing an EV I have not noticed anything I miss from a gas car.
Latest Answers