by There’s a lot of buzz around electric cars right now, with manufacturers offering a range of different models at different price points.
An increasing number of people are switching to an electric car as their primary vehicle, and that number is only going to go up in the coming years.
But while electric cars might be great for the environment, they aren’t necessarily perfect for everybody.
If you’re thinking of switching to an electric car as your primary vehicle, read on to find out if it really suits your needs or not.
The upfront cost is going to be too much for you.
The upfront cost of a new electric car is going to be significantly higher than for a traditional car.
For example, the entry-level Tesla model currently retails for $49,000.
Even after taking into account the fact that you won’t have to pay for fuel, the savings you get from driving an electric car just aren’t going to be enough to offset the higher upfront cost.
If you’re hoping to switch to an electric car and then make enough savings to pay off the difference in cost, you’re better off sticking with a traditional car.
You’re looking for a car to commute long distances.
Long-distance commutes are a pain in a traditional car, thanks to the problems of traffic and the associated pollution.
Switching to an electric car solves the latter issue, but not the former. Electric cars are great for short commutes, but they don’t have the range to support long distances.
The Tesla model mentioned above, for example, has a range of just over 300 miles.
For most people, that isn’t enough range to commute every day.
And even for those who commute a shorter distance, the charging time for an electric car might be too long to make it worth your while.
A full charge takes around 8 hours on a standard outlet, and if you can’t get a ChargePoint charging station installed at your house, that’s going to be a problem.
And even with a ChargePoint station installed, it can take over 12 hours to fully charge your car.
We Don’t Have the Infrastructure to Support Them
In order to make electric cars a success on a larger scale, we’re going to need to build a widespread network of charging stations.
Right now, there are just a handful of charging stations in operation, and not all of them are compatible with every type of electric car.
In theory, as the number of electric cars on the road grows, so too will the number of charging stations.
In practice, though, the time it takes to build the necessary infrastructure isn’t worth the effort.
Right now, the most realistic solution is to install a charging station at your house. Again, that’s not a viable option for many people.
Slow to charge
One of the biggest selling points of electric cars is that they’re clean and produce no emissions. Unfortunately, that’s not the case when you’re charging the car.
The process of charging an electric car produces emissions, and they aren’t as clean as you might think.
For example, the charging process for the Tesla model produces 40 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour.
Compare that to the 13 grams of CO2 that is produced by burning a gallon of gasoline, and it’s clear that the charging process isn’t really all that clean.
The process of charging an electric car can also take a significant amount of time.
On average, it takes around 8 hours to fully charge a car, even if you have a charging station installed at your house.
Few experts to work on them
Most people don’t think about this when looking into switching to an electric car, but it can be a big problem.
The majority of mechanics have been trained and licensed to work on traditional cars, not electric cars.
Many mechanics simply aren’t willing to take on the time and expense involved in getting their license to work on electric cars. That’s a big problem because, as we’ve already seen, electric cars don’t function in the same way as traditional cars.
If you experience a problem with your car and try to take it to a mechanic who isn’t certified to work on electric cars, they might not know what they’re doing.
That can lead to even bigger problems down the road.
Conclusion
Overall, electric cars are a great choice for many people.
But, for a few reasons, they aren’t suitable for everybody.
If you’re looking to buy an electric car, make sure that you’re fully aware of the pros and cons before you make the switch.
