These are times of change in the automotive industry and, therefore, in our lives. The means with which we have to travel, both to go to work or class and to make idle plans, are changing. Sustainability takes center stage to make this world a better place and freer from everything harmful that can cause harm, and traffic and the vehicles involved in it have a lot of responsibility for this.
For all this, as well as the increasing restrictions imposed in this regard, it is worth asking if it is worth buying an electric car. Doing so has its pros and cons, but in the following lines we will try to give an answer to this question from AutoUsaPremium. In this way, those of you who are thinking about it are going to kill your curiosity, while those of you who have already done it will know if you were right or not.
The million dollar question: is it worth buying an electric car?
Once we have warmed up through the usual introduction, it is time to get down to business and explain why, or why not, it is worth buying an electric car. To do this, we will address the advantages and disadvantages of this decision for you, the users. Here we go.
1. The availability of charging points is no longer a problem
Several energy and automotive-related companies have recently been involved in the construction and development of charging stations of all kinds for electric vehicles in different parts of Spain. Besides, Shopping malls and residential garages also currently house facilities for recharging electric cars..
Of course, electric charging points for cars have not yet reached the total numbers available for internal combustion vehicles, although the problem linked to their availability seems banished.
2. Insurance for an electrician is more expensive
Vehicle insurance companies do not per se make distinctions in their prices for the fuel that feeds them, but the appearance of these is what determines the final cost of the policies contracted by users. In this way, the insurance that is contracted for an electric car has a higher economic cost since they have additional coverage to those of another conventional and specific one. And it is that elements such as the battery or the charging cable require attention in this regard and, therefore, imply that the price of electric car insurance is higher than that of a combustion vehicle.
3. Electricians are less exposed to breakdowns
Since there is no evil that does not come for good, a car model powered by electricity is less likely to break down than a combustion model. This lower probability is explained by its lack of components such as the clutch, filters, timing belts, oils and many others that a gasoline or diesel car does have.
That said, it is less expensive to maintain, so some estimate that it can be reduced by approximately 25 percent. However, there are components such as the battery that, whose replacement, can mean an outlay of 2,000 euros, the payroll of a month of work for many.
4. The installation of a charging point supposes an additional cost
About 1,200 euros can cost the installation of a charging point for electric cars, although the Government encourages this initiative with subsidies that can be around 70 percent of the total cost. However, it all depends on where the car is usually parked.
If you have a private garage, the solution is easier to undertake. Quite the opposite happens if you live in a building that has a community garage, but your neighbors do not fully opt for electric vehicles. Nor is it easy if you park regularly on the street, since in busy urban environments it is not common to find charging points.
5. The driver has more freedom to move with an electric
The fact that environmental restrictions are growing and the possibility of parking in more different areas (in the green and blue areas it is free) make it possible for the driver of an electric car to enjoy more freedom when moving around. And it is that with the entry into force, from 2023, of the low emission zones (ZBE) in all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (apart from the cities where they were already established) internal combustion drivers will not be able to access them.
In addition, this also allows you a great economic saving, and it is that The 4 euros that it costs to leave the car parked in the blue zone or ORA for a week can go over 200 euros per yearso the difference is more than palpable in the pocket.
6. Electric ones have higher prices than combustion ones
Despite the fact that the institutions are encouraging the acquisition of electric cars, with plans and discounts at large, the truth is that they are at higher prices in the market. Normally, the difference or distance between an electric and another combustion car is between 5,000 and 15,000 euros, which can be a world for drivers who have a tight budget or have a special priority. However, this argument has an answer in what is going to be told next in the next point.
7. The cost per kilometer of an electric car is much lower
Efficiency is one of the banners that have encouraged electric vehicles to position themselves as the main alternative to internal combustion. To be clear that this actually happens, it is enough to take the following example as a reference. Traveling 100 kilometers on board an electric vehicle consumes, on average, about 13 kWh – although this also depends on its size.
A combustion car that approves about 5 liters per 100 kilometers traveled needs the amount equivalent to 45 kWh of gasoline to travel the same distance.. This added to the fact that the kWh in off-peak hours is below 10 cents (taxes included) while gasoline stands at €1.30 per liter, the difference is abysmal: €1.30 costs to do 100 kilometers in an electric car and €6.50 in a one of gasoline
8. Autonomy, an electrical Achilles heel that is being resolved
Despite the fact that combustion vehicles have always offered and continue to offer greater autonomy with a full tank, the truth is that electric vehicles have significantly reduced the difference in recent times, with vehicles of a certain exclusivity that can go perfectly to the 500 or 600 kilometers in this direction. Therefore, the difference is diluting like a sugar cube with the passage of time and the progress that electrical technology focused on the automotive sector is undergoing.
9. Taxation benefits electric companies
In the case of Spain, there are provinces in which drivers of electric vehicles can take advantage of various tax advantages, such as discounts on the Circulation Tax, a tax that can be reduced up to 75 percent of the corresponding total amount.
10. The variety of models is greater in combustion
Despite the fact that electric vehicles are gradually reaching more segments and market niches, the truth is that they are not abundant in some of them, such as 4x4s or super sports cars. This has a significant impact on the experience that the user will enjoy behind the wheel, which, after all, is the most important thing for them to be happy and content.
11. The electric ones provide more peace of mind on board
Where there is no doubt that electric cars are a magnificent solution is in the peace of mind they provide the driver and passengers during driving and travel time, respectively. The soundproofing of its mechanics is one of its great virtues, compared to many noisy ones powered by gasoline or diesel.
So is it worth buying an electric car?
Whether it is worth buying an electric car depends on the number of kilometers you are going to do aboard it. The more kilometers you do, the more profitable and profitable it will be for you to have it. On the contrary, if the only thing you are going to use it for is to move around the city or on exceptional occasions, the investment will not give you the return you would like.
So that you can see for yourself, the Royal Automobile Club of Spain (RACE) makes a calculator available to drivers on its website so that they can enter the number of kilometers they plan to travel and the price they have to pay to buy the car. electrical you have in mind. In any case, after around 20,000 kilometers an electric car begins to be profitable.