3 Factors to Consider Before Buying an Electric Vehicle

Years ago, my father bought a hybrid Toyota Prius. As a teenage boy who was obsessed with cars, it was nothing less than a marvel for me. A series-parallel hybrid that uses both a gasoline engine and an electric motor to power the vehicle fascinated me a lot.

That said, from sneaking out with my father’s hybrid Toyota Prius to cruising on my own Tesla Model 3, time flew by like a bullet.

It’s been several years now since I went fully electric in vehicles. And if I were to share my overall experience with EVs, I’d say it’s pretty satisfying as I love their low-maintenance features and soundlessness.

However, there’s a famous saying “You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too, that’s part of it.” Here, you may note that it’s not always smooth sailing with EVs. Even though the downsides of an EV may be less than its pros, I believe they’re significantly important and every EV owner should know of them.

Below, I’m going to share my unfiltered experience of owning an EV and explain some considerable factors you should keep in mind before buying one.

Factors to Keep in Mind Before Buying an EV:

1. Update Glitches:

Like smartphones, EVs get vital software and firmware updates, which may affect their performance. These updates are called OTA (Over-the-Air) updates and can be downloaded over the Internet.

Some of these updates may be heavy and even affect the vehicle’s horsepower and torque or add/improve new features to the infotainment screen.

Thanks to my high-speed and reliable Cox Internet, I have never faced a problem while downloading these updates. However, my concern revolves around the cybersecurity issues and buggy updates that may drastically affect the EV’s experience.

Although it’s rare, there is always a chance that OTA updates may contain bugs and faulty patches. And these buggy updates may only get resolved in the next update.

Additionally, EVs may also be prone to malicious software updates by bad actors. In such cases, you may need to visit your vehicle’s dealership to factory reset your car.

2. Range Anxiety:

Most EV owners, including me, experience range anxiety and feel that the vehicle wouldn’t be able to reach the desired destination on a single recharge. Generally, the EVs’ range has improved significantly over the years. However, it’s still a question if EVs would cover as much distance on a single charge as a gasoline car would on a full tank.

For instance, my Tesla Model 3 had a 278-mile range on standard configuration. Even though a 278-mile range was more than sufficient for my weekly commute, I still got it charged every day, on my way home from work.

It’s because range anxiety always forces me to charge my EV. Besides being an added task, charging my EV every day was necessary to have my mind at peace. So, keep this factor in mind, as you may face the same challenge frequently after buying an EV.

3. Charging Time:

Unlike how quickly you can fill up your gasoline car’s fuel tank, it isn’t the same when you’re driving an EV. Charging an EV takes time, and it is a considerable factor to keep in mind before buying one. Usually, the following factors determine the charging time of EVs.

Power Source: Usually, there are three levels of chargers, 1,2, and 3 (Direct-Current, Fast Charging). These levels determine how fast your EV will charge. Also, Level 3 chargers are usually high-power grid connections and may not be widely available.
Battery Size: As mentioned above, EVs’ range has increased over time, and the battery sizes have contributed a lot to this. However, as the battery’s size increases, it takes more time to charge them fully. Plus, EVs that have a larger battery size may be more expensive as well.
Charging Infrastructure: Installing a home charger may not be a viable option for most people since it can skyrocket electricity bills. For that reason, people depend on public charging stations, which may already be limited. Hence, this factor may also contribute when it comes to charging your EV.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Why are EVs more expensive than gasoline vehicles?

EVs are generally more expensive than gasoline vehicles because their batteries are costly to produce. Several expensive metals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and others, are used in the production of EV batteries.