Should I Buy an Electric Vehicle

EVs are impressive machines from the cheaper end to the high-priced speed demons with incredible 0-60 mph times. The best part? No matter which electric vehicle you get they generally have a bit more pep than a combustion engine. This is due to how the motor and battery deliver power to the tires. A standard combustion engine generally has to “rev up” a little to be able to provide maximum power to the wheels while an electric motor provides power quicker than the competition. Each EV has a large battery located somewhere on the vehicle that stores energy provided by a charging port. The electricity stored in the battery is then sent to a motor that spins and generates power for the tires. Most electric vehicles have one motor, but if you would like AWD your EV is going to come with two motors, one on each axle.

The average range for electric vehicles in 2022 is around 250 miles. There is a massive range, from the lowest tier electric vehicles having a range of 100 miles to the top-level electric vehicle having a range of 500 miles. Most fall somewhere right in between with affordable vehicles having ranges of about 200 to 225 miles. Higher-end (read: much higher priced) electric vehicles have ranges closer to and above 300 miles. Now how you see this really depends on what vehicle you currently have but an average economy combustion engine has a range of around 412 according to the US department of energy. Do electric vehicles have the range of combustion engines yet? Unfortunately, they simply do not. Most average joes will also have trouble affording the electric vehicles with the higher ranges. How important the range is to you really depends on your intention for your electric vehicle. Electric vehicles work just fine as in- town cars. With the ability to charge every night, an average driver only goes about 39 miles every day, well within the range of most electric vehicles. Although you may not love to do math, we highly recommend keeping track of how far you drive every day, keep a log of distances and see if these ranges would work for you on a daily basis. If you are planning on driving long distances and road tripping…an EV might not be the best bet and we are about to go over why.

The simple, straightforward, honest answer is, no. Electric cars have come a very long way but we are going to break down why an EV might not be the best bet just yet. First off: pricing. Let’s talk some figures, the average price of an electric vehicle in the US is $66,000 for many that might not be the most attractive number and for others this might seem quite attractive. Is an electric vehicle worth it? Again, this depends wholly on what you have to pay for electricity and how much you drive. If this is just a daily driver or commuter vehicle and you have solar panels? Then an electric vehicle is something to seriously consider because it may save you money depending on how much you drive and what your gas costs are every month. Possibly a hybrid may be a better option if you have high electricity bills already with entry costs from $25,000 to $45,000 on average for a hybrid. Additionally, you get even longer ranges with most hybrids. Now moving on from cost, let's talk about charging. Charging generally is not a problem unless you need a vehicle for long drives and road tripping. The charging of an EV on a level 2 (quicker charger) takes anywhere from 4-10 hours depending on battery size. This simply is not feasible when trying to drive across any states outside of New England. There are a few more reasons but these two are the main reasons why electric cars are most likely not the best car for everyone.