Are you ready to make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV)? Demand for EVs is increasing exponentially for a variety of reasons. The models entering the market are becoming more enticing each year and electric charging stations to support distant travel destinations are being built out nationwide.
Also, more citizens are moving away from fossil fuels such as gasoline in favor of renewable energy options available to EV owners. Special discount energy plans for at-home EV electricity charging are now available from Texas to New York.
By moving from an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, AKA a gasoline-powered car, to an EV, you’re not only reducing fuel costs and doing your part for the environment, you’re also joining the future of the automobile industry, with state-of-the-art accessories and technology.
Let’s take a look at why choosing an EV might be a wise choice for the planet and your pocketbook.
Lower Operating Costs of an Electric Vehicle
Goodbye to Gasoline
This is a big one. Yes, you need to charge your car, but charging with electricity costs significantly less than a trip to the gas station to fill up your tank. For example, consumers on average can save up to $1,000 per year by enrolling in a cheap electricity plan from electric companies such as Pulse Power (a Shell Energy company) rather than paying for gasoline at a Shell station. Plus, you can enroll in price-protected energy plans with one to three-year fixed rates, avoiding significant increases in gas prices, which are expected to continue to rise over the next several years.
Maintenance Be Gone
Although electric vehicle companies offer newer technology, it’s actually much less costly to maintain and service EVs over the lifetime of a traditional vehicle. How? It’s mostly about the components and simplicity of the design.
Gasoline-powered cars are very complex systems with thousands of parts, and a buildup of dirt and soot in gas car components results in maintenance or replacement over time. Electric vehicles have less than 50 parts.
With EVs, there’s no more oil changes, no muffler cleaning, and no catalytic converter maintenance, just for starters. It’s estimated that consumers can save an additional $4,600 on generic maintenance costs.
EV Tax Rebates
There are a number of electric vehicles for which you can receive federal government rebates, and some states and municipalities are jumping on the EV bandwagon to offer incentives for their citizens.
Incentives vary from state to state, so conduct a quick search or contact your state’s tax department to see what’s available in your area. Also, keep in mind that some incentives end up being backdated, meaning you may not need to wait to buy your electric vehicle to enjoy tax benefits.
Energy and Environmental Factors
Zero Emissions: Reduce your Personal Carbon Footprint
Electric vehicles produce no emissions, and no dangerous exhaust or pollution. You can drive them for as long as you want, however fast you want, and there will be no dangerous by-product. Some might argue that the electricity powering the vehicle itself can cause emissions, but those effects are much more isolated and have a smaller impact than the operation of all of the cars in the United States consistently polluting the air.
Power Plants are in industrialized zones and their management teams are constantly working to reduce their carbon emissions and footprint. Consumer vehicles are in all the densely populated metropolitan areas, consistently producing dangerous emissions across the states.
Carbon monoxide contributes to greenhouse gases, and cars can produce very high levels. In the US alone, the average passenger car produces around 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Simply switching to an electric vehicle will reduce that number completely, and is one of the fastest and most efficient ways of reducing your individual carbon footprint, and making an impact today.
Go Fully Green When Fueling an EV
Those who want to move fully to renewable energy can consider installing solar panels on their garage or home, and utilizing that energy to power their car. This is both a way of transitioning to green energy and reducing your electricity costs. Reducing the use of fossil fuels will instantaneously start to improve the air we breathe, and help reverse the damage done by traditional vehicles.
You might also consider becoming more fully energy efficient and not only reduce the costs to power your car but lower the costs needed to power your house. There are still a variety of tax incentives available when introducing solar and other types of green energy power to your home.
Reduce Noise Pollution
While electric vehicles may have horns, there are no combustion/ignition sounds when you turn on the key or engine noises when you drive down the streets.
A reduction of noise pollution is an added bonus with electric vehicles, so you can comfortably drive in a busy city or peaceful neighborhood without adding to the increasing noise pollution problem.
Keep in mind that this can also take some getting used to, and always be aware of your surroundings. There could be an electric vehicle driving silently near you.
Additional Items to Consider
EV Range Anxiety
Covered in many news articles, one of the major issues in the past decade with the emergence of electric vehicles was the fear that EVs provide a very limited battery range per charge. This resulted in a big push for hybrid vehicles, helping pave the way for the improved electric vehicles available today.
Hybrid electric vehicles were able to triple fuel efficiency with a mix of gasoline and electric batteries. They also helped shift the consumer mindset by providing a safety net in case their car ran out of electricity, since they could then switch to gasoline. Car manufacturers then developed models with at-home electric vehicle charging systems that allowed EV’s to travel well above 250 miles per charge, thus alleviating the anxiety of being stuck without a charge.
A distance of over 200 miles is more than enough for the average commuter, and with the consistent addition of more and more electric vehicle charging stations (even at local gas stations), consumer hesitation for long-distance travel was reduced as well.
Electric Vehicle Price
Initially, there was sticker shock with the first Tesla model’s hefty price tag, which was similar to that of a sports or luxury car. More recently, prices have decreased significantly, and major auto industry leaders (including Tesla) have all built models in the $30,000 to $40,000 price range. That means you can attain all the benefits of an EV with a very economical price tag.
Today, an electric vehicle is not just a nice thing to consider, but a viable economic and environmentally friendly option when considering what vehicle to buy next.
Used Electric Vehicle Car Market
As the adoption of more electric vehicles increases, the used car inventory of electric vehicles will increase as well. The depreciation of these cars is similar to their traditional gas-powered counterparts, however the value of electric cars may hold up better due to the reduced maintenance costs.
Keep in mind that advancements which make the electric vehicle a sound option have only happened in the past five years. Models older than five years may not be as quiet or have the extended battery range of newer EV models.
The Time for EVs has Arrived
There are a multitude of reasons to consider getting an electric vehicle the next time you consider making a purchase.
More dealerships are now offering incentives and rebates to lease these vehicles, although purchasing rather than leasing an EV may save you more money due to electric vehicle tax incentives offered from federal and local governments, plus the reduced charing and maintenance costs.
Many options are usually standard, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and big screens to operate your vehicle, and you can purchase luxury interior features for models such as the Hummer EV. There’s no reason to sacrifice luxury and style while doing your part to save the planet.
