How to buy the right electric car for yourself?
New technology is always a bit difficult to get used to. It’s almost as if the younger generation has a genetic predisposition towards it and just instinctively knows what to do, while older people can be a little slow on the uptake. However, buying an electric car is something that many people are doing now in order to help reduce their carbon footprint and also because of its associated tax credits for buying an environmentally friendly vehicle that emits fewer greenhouse gases than conventional cars.
For most consumers buying an electric car can seem like buying a computer or other piece of electronic gear. There is often very little information available when buying one so it takes some research before you find one that suits your needs best. This kind of buying decision isn’t easy for everyone, but buying an electric car does have some advantages.
Electric cars are typically very quiet to drive, so they provide a peaceful driving experience that conventional gasoline-powered vehicles just can’t. They are also extremely efficient which means that you don’t have to spend as much on gas every week or month. Electric vehicles are also exempt from many of the governmental taxes and fees on buying new vehicles, including registration fees, license plate fees, and purchase taxes. This is why people all over America are buying these vehicles in droves – because buying one can save them thousands each year.
One thing that makes buying an electric car difficult for some people is simply not knowing what to look for when buying one. There are some differences between buying this kind of vehicle and buying a regular car. The first thing that you will notice is the MSRP, which is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for buying an electric car. Because these vehicles are typically produced in lower numbers than conventional cars (the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt are considered “mass market” and sold all over the world) they tend to carry a high MSRP which can make buying one difficult.
Another consideration when buying an electric car is charging it. If you don’t have access to a standard wall outlet at home or work, then buying a charging station (or two) might be necessary as well as special equipment such as jumper cables if your battery runs down unexpectedly. However, most people with average daily requirements can charge their vehicle simply by plugging it into an ordinary 110v wall outlet. This can be done overnight or even during working hours for those that are just a few minutes away from their place of employment.
Electric cars are now produced all over the world and buying one is becoming easier as people become more accepting of them. If you take your time to do some research about buying these vehicles, you might find one that fits your needs better than what you were originally looking at buying. There’s no reason not to make this environmentally friendly choice – buying an electric car saves money, reduces emissions, and gives you a great driving experience every day.
Article summary: Electric cars can lower maintenance costs compared to conventional vehicles; buying an electric car has its own quirks (high MSRP, charging station required).
It is a good idea to have knowledge of the features available when buying an electric new or used vehicle.
(When buying a new or used electric vehicle it’s important you know about the different options for quick-charging stations as well as those that come with standard wall outlets.)
Most people with average daily requirements can charge their vehicle simply by plugging it into an ordinary 110v wall outlet.
Electric vehicles are now produced all over the world and buying one is becoming easier as people become more accepting of them. If you take your time to do some research about buying these vehicles, you might find one that fits your needs better than what you were originally looking at buying. There’s no reason not to make this environmentally friendly choice – buying an electric car saves money, reduces emissions, and gives you a great driving experience every day.
(If you’re having trouble finding information on features but have heard good things about electric cars in general then use bullet points or quick lists.)
What features should I look for when buying an electric car?
1. MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price)
2. quick-charging station requirements
3. maintenance and upkeep required for an electric vehicle (no oil changes, regular tire rotations and pressure checks; remember to check brake fluid).
If you are thinking of buying an electric vehicle after the cut-off date of March 2021, you will need to buy a new registration number. This can be done without having to pay VAT for cars purchased between 1st April 2017 and 2018 if it satisfies the criteria for ‘new light goods vehicles’. To find out more about this read our article on buying an electric car with no vat.
Considering that these types of vehicles are still not mainstream yet, there is certain key information that you must know before committing yourself. We have put together 9 points that anyone who plans to buy an electric car should consider carefully.
9 tips above before buying an electric car
1 – Know your charging options While full charge already takes 2-3 hours in most public facilities, you may want to consider your personal circumstances before committing yourself to making the purchase. Here are some tips on how you can charge your electric car at home:
– Use public facilities (charging points) every time possible since they are not very expensive compared to home chargers. The price of charging an electric vehicle ranges between 0.22 € and 0.35 € per kWh, depending on your supplier . This rate is for common 4 amp public charging points which will take up to 20 hours to fully load a standard 24KWh battery pack;
– Charge it at work if there’s an available plug;
– Install a dedicated charger in your garage (if you have one). Check with your local authority whether the installation of such infrastructure complies with local legislation;
– Make sure that you have access to at least one public charging facility within a radius of 20km from your house. You can use apps such as Zap Map or Chargemap , which will help you find the closest points to you;
2 – Think about where you are going to buy your electric car The government has recently announced their commitment to significant investments behind the development of the infrastructure for electric vehicles. This investment is meant both at national and local levels, so it’s likely that the availability of public charging facilities could improve over time. But if there are no public charging points near enough, consider buying an electric vehicle with a sufficiently large battery pack so it covers most of your needs. If this is not possible then think twice before committing yourself to buying an electric car.
3 – Remember the price difference This is the most important point of this list and perhaps one of the main reasons why people aren’t rushing into buying electric cars yet: the price difference between conventional cars and those that run on electricity. While you can find a few very cheap models such as Hyundai Ioniq EV (16K €) or Kia Soul EV (22K €), most electric vehicles cost at least 30-40% more than their gas counterparts. So for example, if you want to buy a Nissan Leaf, it will set you back about 26K€ after adding VAT and delivery charges;
4 – Think about running costs Running costs include maintenance and repairs but also energy costs since charging an electric car is not free. Nissan Leaf (26K € after VAT and delivery charges) has an official range of 179 km on a full battery; this will be enough if your daily commuting requirements are within this radius. If you need more, or you need to travel long distances, then think twice about buying an electric vehicle since the running costs (mostly electricity) will be higher than for petrol/diesel cars, at least in the first years when electric cars are still very new on our roads.
5 – Pay attention to incentives There are many incentives to buy an electric car so it’s worth doing some research before making your purchase decision. Some examples of these include: – Greater initial tax deductions for their purchase compared with conventional vehicles with combustion engines (if your car is declared as company car, this may be very useful for you); – Reduction in the annual circulation tax;
– Exemption from public parking fees;
– Reductions on toll roads;
– Use of HOV lanes throughout Spain, which can help avoid traffic queues during rush hours.
6 – Think about second hand prices Second hand electric cars are more expensive than their gas counterparts so you will recover most of the price difference if you buy them new. For example, a battery Nissan Leaf with 80 km range costs 28K € after VAT and delivery charges but it’s estimated that its resale value will only be around 4K€ in 2020. So there is not much incentive to purchase an electric vehicle second hand.
7 – Think about resale prices In general, the price of electric vehicles doesn’t tend to decrease much over time so this is not a good reason to buy an electric car. On the contrary, for example, it’s estimated that a conventional Nissan Sunny with a 1.5l engine will lose more than half its value in 3 years and only about 25% after 5 years. So you don’t need to worry too much about depreciation when deciding whether to buy an electric car or not. The resale value of an electric vehicle can even be higher as buyers who are looking for second hand cars with zero emissions become more interested by these types of cars over time.
8 – Think about battery life Electric cars use batteries and all batteries degrade over time so it’s important to think about this before buying an electric car. All producers provide a warranty of 8 years for their electric cars but some people worry that by the end of its life cycle, the battery is worth much less than the full price of the car minus VAT and delivery charges. Fortunately, manufacturers have already thought about this problem as they usually offer a guarantee on batteries for 5-8 years which is usually enough according to experts in the field.
9 – Think about your day-to-day habits Think about whether you really need a vehicle for your daily commute or if there are alternatives such as using public transport or hiring a vehicle when required. If you decide that owning a vehicle will bring significant benefits compared to these alternatives, then it’s worth going through the 9 tips above before buying an electric car.
Editor’s Comment: Electric cars are known for their environmentally friendly nature and the reduced emissions they produce when compared with gasoline/petrol engine vehicles. Let’s welcome them!
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