Pros and Cons of Owning an Electric Vehicle

July 15, 2024

Almost 1.2 million Americans went electric in 2023, and according to Kelley Blue Book, electric vehicles are the fastest-growing category in car sales. With states such as California putting forth legislation that will require all vehicles to be electric by 2035 and new federal regulations for all government vehicle acquisitions to be electric the same year, EV sales are expected to remain steady.

“For people thinking about going to EV, just get educated,” says CEO of ChargePoint Rick Wilmer, who operates the world’s largest network of EV charging stations in North America and Europe. “If you understand how it works on a basic level, you should be fine.” So if you’re thinking about owning an EV, here are some pros and cons to going electric.

Pro: Savings on Gas

Depending on how large the battery in your EV is and what your electric rates are, it will still cost you money to charge your vehicle at home, but it should be less than what it would be to fill a gas tank. You can calculate the cost of filling up an EV by multiplying the size of the car’s battery by your home’s electricity rate, which can be found on your electric bill in kilowatt hours (or kWh). Then you could compare that price to how much it would cost to fill up a car with gas and yield the same mileage. If you pay the 2024 national average of 17 cents per kWh and have an EV with a 65-kWh battery, then you would pay $11.05, or $0.17 × 65, to fully charge the car’s battery. At the pump, if you paid this year’s average gas price of $3.35 per gallon, then10 gallons of gas would cost you $33.50. Plus, if you utilize public chargers or have access to other free charging stations, then your gas savings could be even higher. At the end of the day, the amount of money you’ll save on gas will depend on how many miles you drive and the difference between what you’ll pay for electricity versus gas.

Pro: Less Maintenance Costs

EVs have less engine than a traditional gas-powered car, so there are less things that can go wrong. Since there’s no engine, there are also no oil changes or certain routine engine maintenance to take care of. This isn’t to say EVs come without maintenance though. You may need to replace your tires more often due to the heavy battery and regenerative braking, which helps charge the battery every time you use the brakes. EV tires typically wear out 20% faster than a traditional car’s. While the cost of replacing a battery can range from $6,500 to $20,000, many EVs now come with battery warranties of up to eight years or 100,000 miles. Putting your savings on gas on maintenance into a sinking fund may help if you end up needing to replace the battery down the road.

Pro: Better for the Environment

EVs don’t burn gas, and even though the battery makes it more material-intensive than a gas-powered vehicle, the environmental benefits outweigh the initial environmental cost. The greenhouse gas emissions from charging the vehicle are also lower than a gas car’s total emissions, especially when the local power plants are using clean energy sources rather than burning fossil fuels.

Con: Investing in Home Charging

Unless you plan to rely completely on charging your EV in public spaces or you live somewhere that already has charging stations available, you’re likely going to have to install a charging station in your home. In addition to the cost of installing the charging station, your electric bill will be higher. How much higher your bill will be depends on your electric rate, the type of charging system you use, and how often you need to charge your battery at home.

Con: EV Range and Charging Difficulties

An EV’s range is how far a full battery charge will get you. Today, you can buy a new EV with a range between 260 and 400 miles. Even on a full battery though, most EVs won’t take you as far as most gas-powered cars on a full tank. The other downside to having to charge the battery versus filling up at a gas station is that fully charging a battery can take up anywhere between 15 minutes and 12 hours depending on the charging speed. Yet another sticking point to getting where you need to go is that it might be difficult to find charging stations along the way as EVs are still new. You’ll likely have to plan your route around where you can stop and charge up.

Con: The Upfront Cost of Buying an EV

While it’s becoming less expensive to buy EVs, they are still more expensive than your traditional vehicle. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average cost of buying a new EV was $49,507 by the end of 2022. “Buyers expect their vehicles to be affordable. Fully 74 percent of those intending to buy an electric expect their next vehicle to cost less than $50,000,” says Deloitte’s Automotive Research Leader Ryan Robinson. “With the average price of a new vehicle already approaching $40,000, that’s a very narrow band for electrics.” As production increases and technologies improve, EV prices are expected to equalize with conventional cars in the coming years. Also, the cost of buying an EV may be offset by the potential fuel and maintenance savings and the federal tax credit. This year, you may claim a tax credit of up to $7,500 on your 2023 taxes for purchasing an electric vehicle.

Are Hybrids the Middle Ground?

If you’re hesitant to buy an EV, then a hybrid car might be an alternative. Since hybrids use less gas, they are still environmentally friendly and will still cost you less at the pump. Another plus is that since they are self-charging, they don’t require charging stations. Even though skipping out on charging stations is a benefit, they do still have a battery that will eventually cost you to replace. Since you can think of a hybrid as being part traditional, there will also still be maintenance costs. They will also cost you more to buy upfront, because a hybrid uses newer technology just like an EV. If you think you can afford the added costs upfront and possibly replace the battery eventually, then the upsides to hybrids are going to be less emissions, gas savings, and hassle-free battery charging.

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If you’re unsure of buying an electric vehicle, another solution may be to lease one and see if the EV life is right for you. Otherwise, as long as you think you can reduce the upfront costs of transitioning to an EV, the savings on maintenance and gas over time are appealing, while you would also be doing your part in reducing emissions. At Insureyouknow.org, you may store and access all of your financial information and vehicle maintenance records easily so that if you’re considering going electric, the transition can be seamless.

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