What Drivers Should Consider Before They Buy

Everyone knows the benefits of buying a new EV. Electric vehicles don’t use fossil fuels, reducing their environmental impact and saving drivers money. These days, most used car dealerships have at least one or two in their showrooms. But are they worth buying?

Batteries Are the Biggest Worry for Used EV Buyers

Electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than their gas-powered alternatives. Fewer moving parts means less to go wrong, and EV owners’ typical driving habits further improve the situation. The limited range of most EVs means people don’t drive them as far.

What most drivers worry about when buying used EVs isn’t the general condition of the cars but the batteries. Most major battery components come with manufacturers’ warranties, and the EVs found at used car dealerships are usually well within the eight-to-ten-year warranty periods.

The flip side of the coin is that when EV batteries reach the end of their warranty periods, they are expensive to replace. The cost of purchasing a new battery pack starts at around $4,000 and can range as high as $10,000 for some models.

Eco-Friendly Drivers Can Do Their Part for the Planet Twice

Buying an EV takes one more combustion-powered engine off the road. That’s good for the environment since the pollutants emitted by traditional gas-powered cars contribute to climate change.

Buying any vehicles at used car dealerships is also better for the environment since it reduces the need for natural resource extraction. The initial manufacturing of an electric vehicle has a larger carbon footprint. Drivers who buy them new don’t start making up for the higher manufacturing emissions for 6 to 18 months.

Used EVs have already offset their initially higher emissions. Buying them instead of going for brand-new models right off the factory lines means drivers are doing their part for the future of the planet not once but twice.

Used EVs Don’t Make Sense for Everyone

That EVs run off electricity instead of gas is what sets them apart from traditional vehicles with combustion engines. Unfortunately, it also makes them a poor choice for some drivers.

EVs require frequent charging and older models have shorter ranges and lower battery capacity. Drivers who don’t have a place to plug in at home may find themselves at a disadvantage. The price of public charging stations varies significantly.

Renters may have difficulty convincing landlords to install dedicated 240-volt plugs. Plus, not all homes can support EV charger installation. If a home has old wiring, an electrician will need to fix it. Even if the house has modern wiring, installing an EV charger can cost thousands of dollars.

All these factors make it essential that buyers consider whether a used EV is the right solution. Talking to experts at reputable used car dealerships about the pros and cons of purchasing an electric vehicle can make the decision easier.

The post Is a Used EV a Good Idea? first appeared on Ride4Watts.com.

The post Is a Used EV a Good Idea? appeared first on Ride4Watts.com.

Charging an electric car isn’t as easy or as straightforward as pulling up to a gas pump. There’s a lot more technology and things to consider when you need to plug in to recharge your EV batteries.

What happens if you charge your EV to 100% every time you charge? Should you use DC Fast-Charging exclusively? Can you still use a regular 120-volt outlet to charge your electric car? Where are the nearby electric charging stations?

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Problems

Even before you buy your new electric vehicle, you should know where the public charging stations in your area are located. Whether you’re heading out for a road trip that will take you away from home for several days or you’re taking a different path than normal, it’s important to know where the charging stations are so that you don’t end up stranded.

There’s An App For That

Thankfully, most charging networks provide apps to customers, and many electric vehicles have charging station locations programmed into the GPS system. Still, you need to have a charging plan before heading out in an EV. Electric vehicle charging stations aren’t as plentiful as gas stations for ICE vehicles yet.

Overcharging Your Battery – Reduces EV Battery Lifespan

Electric car batteries aren’t like smartphone batteries. They don’t need to be charged to 100% every time, and charging them past 80% can reduce the lifespan of the battery. Although 80% is the sweet spot for EV charging, most owners will plug in the EV overnight to ensure the battery hits 100% while charging.

Fast Charging, Slow Charging, Which Cable?

Electric cars come with various charging cables, each designed for a specific purpose. Using the wrong cable can slow down your charging time and damage your car’s battery. This could be a costly mistake, especially if you repeat it several times over. Make sure you have the right charging cable for your vehicle.

In most areas, the overnight time is considered the off-peak hours, which is also when electricity is cheapest. This is why many homeowners will run a clothes dryer at night because they can save some money. An electric vehicle uses the same amount of power to charge as an electric clothes dryer, which makes overnight charging a smart financial decision.

Less Frequent Maintenance Doesn’t Mean No Maintenance

Although EVs require less frequent maintenance, there’s still a schedule to follow, which is necessary when you drive any vehicle. This schedule is meant to help you keep your car running smoothly and avoid costly repairs. The battery pack is typically under warranty for eight years, but that coverage ends if you don’t keep up the vehicle’s maintenance.

Frequently Charging Your EV To 100% – The Optimum Level Is Less

Automakers list the driving range of a vehicle when it has a full battery, but they don’t add that you don’t need to charge it to full every time. If you’re planning a road trip, you’ll want to start with a battery at 100%, but this isn’t optimal for daily overnight charging.

Short Commutes Require Less Charging

If you want to optimize EV battery life, you’ll need to understand what your daily and weekly driving habits are. If you know that you won’t drive more than 40 or 50 miles in a given day, it’s not necessary to charge the batteries to 100% or to plug the car in every day. EV batteries will last longer when recharged less frequently, but if you’ve got a long journey coming up, by all means, charge the EV to 100%.

You Can’t Go To The Nearest Station For A Gallon Of Electricity

What used to be a pretty common sight is a person walking along the road toward the next gas station with a gas can in their hand. These drivers thought they could make it to the station, but that wasn’t the case. Unlike this inconvenience, you can’t just walk to the nearest EV charger and pick up a gallon of electricity. It’s important to watch your battery level and keep it in the sweet spot between 20 and 80% charge at all times.

Rapid Charging Reduces Battery Life

Some drivers swear by rapid charging or are still in the mindset that they must go to a station to refuel their vehicle. Current electric vehicles are made to be recharged most effectively at home using a 240-volt charging port. Although some people can’t avoid using rapid charging exclusively, if you have an at-home charger, plan to use it for almost all of your EV charging needs.

The post Maximize Your EV Battery Life: The Dos and Don’ts of Charging first appeared on Ride4Watts.com.

The post Maximize Your EV Battery Life: The Dos and Don’ts of Charging appeared first on Ride4Watts.com.

For most people, the answer to the initial question is a desire to save the environment with less pollution. Some might say they are tired of paying the high price of gas, which makes sense, while others are looking for a way to get into a new vehicle and know that the government expects a transition to electric vehicles in the future.

Let’s look at some things to consider when you want to buy an electric car.

Why do you want to buy an electric car?

Starting with our initial question, which is the most important question in car buying. If your answer is that you want to reduce pollution and save the environment, the advice given might surprise you. In this case, you should drive your gas-powered car until it dies. If you trade it or sell it, another person will drive it, and the EV you buy only adds to a climate-negative industry. Of course, the other answers given are sensible reasons to switch to an EV.

Will the EV be your only car?

Some households have two or more vehicles parked outside, but if yours isn’t one of these, you’ll need to think about what you need in your new EV. If this is the only car you own, it’s important to have enough driving range for more than a single day of driving. On average, most EVs offer between 250 and 300 miles of driving range, with some reaching over 400 miles of range. Choose the EV that can deliver enough driving for a few days.

Is your EV going to be the second car?

If the EV is meant to be the second car in your household, you’ve got a lot more flexibility. In this case, you can choose a used model with as little as 150 miles of driving range, and it should be a great fit for your family. A pre-owned EV should come at a much lower price point and give you enough driving range to handle your weekly errands and running the kids to their activities. An EV as a second vehicle is a great choice for fuel savings.

Where will you change your EV?

Public charging stations aren’t located on every corner of America like gas stations. Although the infrastructure of public chargers is growing, most EV owners are expected to have at-home Level 2 charging stations. If you live in an apartment building or condo, it can be difficult to have an at-home charger installed. Before you purchase an electric car, you’ll need to know where you will charge, especially when you need to charge your batteries to 100%.

Do you like to take road trips?

Some people travel across the country every year in their vehicles, but some prefer to fly, ride on a train, or take a bus. If your new electric car is your only vehicle, road trips become challenging. Most EVs take more than 30 minutes to reach 80% of the maximum driving range at public charging stations. This means an EV with 300 miles of driving range is reduced to 240 miles. An alternative option that still meets most EV standards is a plug-in hybrid which uses a gas-powered engine and electric motor.

Where will you charge the EV during a road trip?

Most electric cars include apps that can help you locate public charging stations along your route, making it easy to find a place to refuel your EV. That said, some chargers lack proper maintenance and might not connect to your EV as easily as a gas pump. It’s important when heading out on a road trip to consider a primary and secondary location to charge the batteries.

Are there any incentives to buying an EV?

Most electric vehicles are much more expensive than their gasoline counterparts. With an average price of more than $60,000 before incentives, you’ll want to know how to reduce the cost of an EV. Currently, some EVs qualify for the $7,500 Federal EV Tax Credit, which reduces your tax liability when you file. If you don’t normally owe at least $7,500, this credit might not be of much value to you. Still, fueling an EV with electricity is much cheaper than gasoline, which is a huge benefit to driving an EV.

Before you dive into the electric vehicle world, you should understand what it means to drive one of these new vehicles. You’ll find many benefits but also some warnings when switching from a gas-fueled vehicle to an all-electric model.

The post Choosing the Right Electric Car: What You Need to Know first appeared on Ride4Watts.com.

The post Choosing the Right Electric Car: What You Need to Know appeared first on Ride4Watts.com.