Things To Know Before You Buy Your First Electric Vehicle

EVs are gradually gaining ground as a result of government measures to promote electric vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So, if you’re looking to buy an electric vehicle, you might have some questions running through your brain. Questions like, is the electric vehicle good for me, is electric Here are the 9 questions you might want to know the answers to before purchasing an electric vehicle to help relieve your mind.

1. How much do you drive your car daily?
   

   

   The first thing you should determine before even considering purchasing an electric car is how much the car will cost to operate on a daily basis. An electric car simply makes more sense if, for example, you are searching for a vehicle for your daily commute and the distance is less than 100 kilometres. Or the commute will be within the city. This is because cars with an internal combustion engine do not return ming blowing fuel efficiency (except for some cars).

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   Moreover, diesel was prominent when it came to more driving. However, this is also slowly fading away as many carmakers in India have either pulled the plug on diesel engines or are planning to do so. Talking about CNG, that too is expensive when compared to its petrol counterpart. With that out of the way,  do you intend to travel log extensively with an electric car?

2. How often you’ll go on long drives?
   

   

   Next, things alter significantly if you desire an electric car for long tours and driving. When compared to a car with an internal combustion engine, electric cars return less efficiency on highways. This is because of the aerodynamic drag. The drag equation on the front of the vehicle equation states that drag D equals the drag coefficient Cd times the density r times half of the velocity V squared times the reference area A.

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   This means the drag force increases exponentially. In order to maintain greater speeds, the motor draws more power from the battery. As a result, they are released quite fast, thus reducing their range on roads. But does it have remedies are there?

   • Well, the best one is to pre-plan the trip with marked charging stations. With that, be ready to stop often, depending on the trip and the vehicle range.
   • But, if you are like us that make improv plans, you better wait for the right EV with an extra extended range, or IC is the way to go still.
     

3. Are there any public charging stations near buy?
   

   

   Coming to the crucial part. Now, as you’ve decided to buy an electric car, you have to plan for its fuel, i.e., electricity. When it comes to charging the vehicle, there are multiple ways through which you can put some juice into the battery. So, either you have to rely on the charger provided or charge the vehicle through charging stations. Considering these two, there are two possibilities to charge.

   Also, Read: Mahindra XUV400 vs MG ZS EV | Electric Car Shootout!

   • One, through the 15A car charger provided with the vehicle. This charger usually charges the car overnight, depending upon the vehicle.
   • The next option are public charging stations spread across the various cities. Another thing to note is that electric vehicles are available in various cities, but most of the cities in India still lack infrastructure. There are various applications on the app store on both Android and iOS to track the charging stations near buy. They will come in handy.

4. What is the service cost of an electric vehicle?
   

   

   Now with the charging situation also sorted, the thing that is left is the service cost for an electric vehicle. Hands-down, this is the department where an electric vehicle wins from its conventional counterpart.

   • A typical automobile needs servicing at least once a year, or every 10,000 kilometres, depending on how the car is operating. Additionally, this procedure entails routine fluid changes (engine oil, coolant, brake oil and others).Here is How Carbon-Ion Batteries Can Change Electric Cars Forever
   • However, an electric vehicle needs certain operations to be carried out. This covers tasks like brake oil top-ups, wheel alignment and balance, and tire rotation. This implies that fewer activities are performed on an automobile with an electric powertrain; hence the expense of yearly maintenance for internal combustion engines is higher.
   • For instance, A car with IC (Internal Combustion engine) will typically cost between Rs. 11,000 and Rs. 15,000 per year for maintenance starting in the second year of ownership. However, the same would cost about Rs. 5000 for an EV. or 25,000 rupees over five years, which is affordable compared to its IC competition.

5. Are electric vehicles expensive to buy?
   

   

   Electric cars are pricey, end of the story. Electric vehicles are, in fact, 30% more expensive than their traditional internal combustion engine counterparts. Regardless of the vehicle, electric interaction is always more expensive. But does this mean they should be considered? Well, there is more than meets the eye.

   • For instance, the Sharp (O) 1.3 Turbo AT top-end trim of the MG Astor costs Rs. 17.73. (ex-showroom). Versus the MG ZS EV, which is the electric vehicle that is based on Astor. Well, MG ZS EV’s top-end, exclusive trims costs Rs. 26.60 Lakhs. That is about Rs. 10 lakhs more than the IC counterpart.Interesting Read: Tata Nexon EV vs MG ZS EV vs Hyundai Kona Electric: Detailed Comparison
   • However, the Indian government and various state governments are offering various subsidies and rebates on purchase of electric vehicles. For instance, the FAME-II scheme, governments waving off the registration tax and more.

6. Which electric vehicle to buy?
   

   

   In India, there aren’t many electric cars on the market right now. These are the only automobiles with electric drivetrains that are currently on the market. Only a small number of goods are in the inexpensive group, while the majority of the options are in the luxury segment. Additionally, the listed costs are ex-showroom as of November 2022. (Prices mentioned in ex-showroom)
   
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   • Tata Tiago EV (Rs. 8.49 Lakh)
   • Tata Tigor (Rs.12.49 Lakh)
   • Tata Nexon (Rs. 14.99 Lakh)
   • MG ZS EV (Rs 22.58 Lakh)
   • Hyundai Kona (Rs. 23.84 Lakh)
   • BYD Atto 3 (Rs. 33.90 Lakh)
   • Volvo XC40 Recharge (Rs. 55.90 Lakh)
   • Kia EV6 (Rs. 59.95 Lakh)
   • BMW i4 (Rs. 69.90)
   • Mini Cooper SE (Rs. 50.90 Lakh)
   • Audi e-Tron (Rs. 1.01 Crore)
   • BMW iX (Rs. 1.16 Crore)
   • Jaguar I-Pace (Rs. 1.08 Crore)
   • Porsche Tycan (Rs 1.53 Crore)
   • Mercedes-Benz EQS (Rs. 1.55 Crore)
   • Audi E-Tron GT (Rs. 1.68 Crore)

7. Range anxiety, is that a thing?
   

   

   If you have planned your journey and the route precisely, there is something that will definitely hunt you down on long tours. This is range anxiety. What exactly is range anxiety? This is a physiological phenomenon that humans phase when they are driving an electric vehicle.

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   No matter how good the planning is, there always is some room for error, which triggers anxiety. The anxiety is of what if the battery is reduced to zero midway. How do you overcome it? While planning the route, simple things do take a lot of buffer of kilometres and charge.

   1. For instance, during your drive, you might encounter some traffic or a lot of traffic. Now, if you are running AC on the highway, that will ooze out the juice from the battery rapidly. So, if you’ve had a lot of buffer of battery charge, you might make it to your destination without a fuss.
   2. Additionally, one can also keep track of all the charging stations on the way. Even though they may not be in the direct planned route but in the proximity of your way where you may need to stop in case of emergency. This will allow some sense of comfort to the brain.

8. Lease or buy an Electric vehicle?
   

   

   The decision to lease or buy an electric vehicle always depends on the individual. For instance, Tata Nexon is among the vehicles for which the company provides a subscription. This means that if you have a month running of more than that provided in the subscription, leasing is a bad idea, and Tata Nexon comes with monthly usage plans of 1000kms, 1500kms, 2000kms, and 2500kms. Naturally, the price will vary according to the usage.

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   Although it is reasonably easy to lease an electric vehicle, it comes with some serious flaws. Apart from the cap on the kilometres, at times, the speed limit is also restricted, like the Tata Nexon, which is limited at 80kmph through subscription. But if you are someone who drives relatively less, the subscription could be a fun option.

9. Do you need a backup IC vehicle?
   

   

   We’d say if you have two vehicles, one is an electric vehicle, and the other is a car with an internal combustion engine, that would probably be the best car garage for now. Why, may you ask? Well, for daily duties and inter-city drives, electric vehicles just make sense. Kudos to fast charging plus KERS the range is quite decent. Now, what is the other vehicle for? Simple, it will do its duties out on the highway on long weekend drives and long tours.

   Interesting read: All-Electric Toyota Innova! | Concept Or Reality?

So, these are the frequently asked question one may ask before buying an electric vehicle. Still, if there is something we ask, let us know in the comment section below.