New drivers of electric cars are not always ready for the appearance of such vehicles in their lives. For this reason, when buying electric cars, many drivers make mistakes that subsequently negatively affect the operation of cars. In this article, we will consider the things you should pay attention to before using an EV cost calculator and buying a car.
The most common mistakes drivers make when buying an electric car
Electric cars are in demand, but before buying, you should soberly assess your capabilities and needs.
Lost profits
Lost profits become the first mistake that drivers face. As with conventional cars, drivers have the option to purchase new models or used cars. And the latter is sometimes the more reasonable solution. Even electric vehicles sold on the secondary market have low mileage and do not have any problems or breakdowns.
In fact, when buying a new electric car, drivers simply overpay, and, accordingly, lose the benefits that can be obtained by purchasing a used electric car.
No charging
This error is very typical for cars with an electrified motor. Before buying such a vehicle, it is worth considering where it will need to be charged. You can charge the car at home, a simple socket will do, you can also find a socket in the parking lot near the office. Most electric car owners leave their cars to charge overnight and wake up when the battery is fully charged. If the owners do not have such an opportunity, then there will be serious problems with the operation of the machine.
Little vehicle range
When purchasing an electric car, drivers should pay attention to models that have an adequate range. The range is a very important indicator, so before buying it must be taken into account. It is important for drivers to understand that in the case of a small power reserve on one battery charge, the car may simply suddenly stall and it will be impossible to continue operation without additional recharging.
Serious expenses
Some drivers end up spending too much on electric vehicles, which is another common mistake. It is best to evaluate all your needs and options beforehand so that you can choose the right electric vehicle with the right range.
The costs associated with owning a car, or rather ignoring them, becomes another mistake.
Drivers must understand that they need to control all costs associated with the operation of a car with an electric motor. The list of expenses includes insurance, registration, and maintenance fees.
If the driver does not think in advance how much money he will need to travel by electric car every month, he may find himself in a very disadvantageous situation that will force him to seriously spend money.
Things to know before buying an electric car
The best way to avoid mistakes when buying an electric car is good preparation. Let’s look at the most important points that will help you avoid trouble.
1. Your needs determine which model to buy.
If the Renault Zoe is the best-selling electric car, it is not necessarily the best fit for your use or the most economical one for you.
You should compare the offers of manufacturers, consider as many different models as possible, and decide on the tasks that the car should perform (short or long trips; city, road and/or highway, etc.).
2. Some models have flaws.
Depending on your needs, the known disadvantages of each EV model may be off-putting or irrelevant to your use case. You need to be aware of these negative points. The ideal option is to gain knowledge after testing the vehicle and ignore the information collected on the Internet, including through user forums.
For example, you may notice the following features:
- strong crosswind sensitivity for Citron C-ZiMiOn (Citron C-Zero, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, and Peugeot iOn),
- decrease in fast charging power during long trips with the Nissan Leaf 2,
- the obligation to keep the battery temperature around 60C in Bollor Bluecar and Citron E-Mehari, etc.
3. Declared autonomy is not true autonomy
For years, the autonomy officially announced by manufacturers has been based on an overly optimistic NEDC cycle. To get the range you can expect under the right conditions of use (warm temperatures, significant elevation changes, etc.), reduce by about 20% of the officially reported figures for each model.
4. Autonomy is seriously reduced in winter
Adding consumers into operation in winter (heating, outdoor lighting, etc.), as well as a certain loss of lithium battery capacity at low temperatures, can reduce vehicle autonomy by 30, 40, 50%, and even more.
5. Li-ion polymer batteries are more resistant to cold
According to regular users of electric vehicles equipped with especially well-protected lithium-ion polymer packages (Kia Soul EV, Hyundai Ioniq, etc.), this technology is less sensitive to low temperatures resulting in less loss of autonomy.
6. The autonomy of electric vehicles is gradually increasing
Many electric vehicle manufacturers are using technological advances in lithium-ion cells to increase the battery capacity to a greater or lesser extent. This applies, for example, to Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf, Evalia e-NV200, BMW i3, EV Kia Soul, Tesla Model S, etc.
7. Maximum terminal power and effective charging power.
Dealers are not always transparent with customers when it comes to charging in public places. They sometimes assume that an electric vehicle equipped with a 50 kW high-speed terminal can also operate at its maximum, i.e. 22 kW of power, at an accelerated terminal.
It is a mistake to believe in this because everything depends on the built-in chargers. Many VEs designed for fast charging will, in addition to this ability, be content with a slow reload type E/F (possibly enhanced). Others, with an optional 7kW charger, can run fast terminals up to a maximum of 6.6kW.
Final thoughts
Electric vehicles are not new to the market, but they have not yet received the full recognition they certainly deserve. However, the growing number of electric vehicles on the roads shows that their popularity is gradually increasing. Buying an electric car has many benefits. Some of them can be appreciated not only by the owners themselves but also by outside observers. JunkCarsUs is a trusted company in the USA to sell your old car and get support in purchasing a new car. If you’re thinking about buying an electric car, the EV cost calculator will help you consider all pros and cons.
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