Debunking 3 Misconceptions About Electric Cars
When it comes to electric vehicles there is a wide debate, there are those who are die-hard fans, the ones that keep an open mind or the ones that are sceptical and refuse to change their minds. The go electric or don’t go electric debate is frequently fuelled by personal opinions, which in some cases might not be accurate. In order to have a balanced discussion about EV’s there is a need to clarify some of the consumer's main concerns.
“EV’s are too expensive”
To clarify this we will consider not only the initial cost of the car but also maintenance and charging fees. At the moment a lot of countries have introduced monetary incentives to citizens who purchase electric cars, like tax reductions, thus reducing the price and making them more appealing than ICE (internal combustion engine) cars. Unlike ICE cars that require frequent fluid changes and other trips to the shop, EV’s main maintenance procedure is battery replacement, this will depend on how you use your car, but can cost around 8100 Euros (for the Renault Zoe). Lastly, for the charging expenses, it will depend on where you choose to charge your EV. A lot of countries are making EV charging stations available to their citizens free of charge. Regardless, if you install a charging station at home, a calculation from the US Department of Energy estimates that a full charge will cost you 2.64 US dollars. If you can combine domestic charges with the public free ones, your budget for transportation will decrease significantly when compared to an ICE vehicle.
“EV’s are only a fad”
It is known that trends rule most of the sectors and transportation one is no exception, however it is wrong to assume that electric cars are only a trend and will eventually disappear. The 2015 Paris Agreement consists of a joint effort from several countries to limit global warming to under 2ºC, in order to achieve this a massive reduction in CO2 emissions is required. Overall the transportation sector is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions worldwide, with road transportation being the most pollutant category. With governments being pressured into reducing their country’s emissions, the easiest way to achieve the goals is to limit the use of ICE cars and encourage citizens to purchase EV’s. With this in mind, European cities are starting to ban diesel cars from the city centers and it is expected that other ICE cars will follow. So, the short answer to this misconception would be no, EV’s are not a fad, and within a few years they will be the “new normal”.
“What if I ran out of battery and don’t have anywhere to charge it?”
This is still one of the biggest issues with EV’s and one of the main concerns that scare potential customers. Before the start of any long trip we recommend you plan your trip ahead and carefully, considering your car’s autonomy and how many stops you will need (if any) to keep it charged and reach your destination. Although the current charging network might not be effective enough, with the increase of EV’s countries are being pushed into upgrading their charging networks and provide a better service to users.
With this in mind, Bluedot was found. Our goal is to help connect EV drivers with charging stations and facilitate the process of finding a charging station and using it. But we can’t do this alone, our app relies on the basis of the sharing economy and by sharing your charging station on our app you can also contribute to the improvement of your city’s charging network and make some money of it. You can find out more about us and what we do here.
Make sure to also check out Nicole Praesuo’s article about the realities of having an EV, and Filip Nag’s article about some more misconceptions about EV’s.
