What You Need to Know About EVs

If you are thinking about driving greener with an electric car, but are not sure whether making the switch to an eco-friendly EV is the right move. You probably have questions about EVs and wonder what your options are before buying an electric car.

Electric vehicle options are gaining in popularity worldwide since people become more aware of climate change. By July 2020, electric vehicles make up about  3.34% of vehicles sold in Canada. The increase in figures makes manufacturers continue to introduce new EV models into the mainstream. In this post, we show you the basics of what you need to know about EVs, including EV options, range, ownership costs, charging, and more so you can choose the right electric vehicle that meets all your needs.

What you need to know before buying an electric car?

Electric Vehicle Types: 

An electric vehicle works depending on its type. EV is the general term for an electric vehicle, the familiar terms of today’s EVs are BEV, HEV, PHEV, and FCEV. Different types of electric cars changed and are continuously developed to give users and potential users choices.

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

A Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), also called All-Electric Vehicle (AEV), uses only electric motors or motors for propulsion. Electricity is charged by plugging into the electricity grid and then can be stored in a large battery pack, which provides power to one or more electric motors to run the electric car. BEVs produce no tailpipe emissions since they don’t have a traditional internal combustion engine and use no gasoline.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)

An HEV is called a standard hybrid or parallel hybrid. An HEV has both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. It runs on an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine of an HEV generates energy from fuels, while the motor gets electricity from batteries. The electric motor of an HEV uses energy from a battery, and energy regenerates from braking when slowing the car and charging its battery. HEVs are known for their fuel economy, but it has no charging port that can be recharged from the electricity grid.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

A Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle is as its name suggests, can be plugged into a power outlet or electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) to charge its batteries. A PHEV is a type of hybrid vehicle that has a motor and an internal combustion engine. Therefore, a  PHEV also can use a conventional or an alternative fuel to power the internal combustion engine. Some PHEVs can travel 60 kilometers or more on electric power alone.

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV)

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), also known as fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) or Zero-Emission Vehicles. It runs on compressed hydrogen, and the chemical energy of the fuel is converted directly into electric energy.

Electric Vehicle Range

As electric car battery manufacturers continue to improve capacity and recharge times, today’s EVs can easily accommodate most daily drivings. Many BEVs can travel more than 300 km on a full battery charge, and the most advanced models can reach about 600 km between charges. It’s normal for drivers to worry while they see the number of available KM on a battery-electric car ticking down toward zero. However, if you use your EV for commuting to work or doing daily groceries shopping, most electric cars can easily cover this range with one single charge. In addition, the temperature also has an impact on the performance of the range. Hot weather and cold temperatures reduce the range of electric cars with the use of air conditioners and heaters.

Charge your EV at home or public charging stations

An electric vehicle can be recharged at home or use EV charging stations when you’re on the road. 

For most potential electric car buyers, a common question is how much does it cost to charge an EV? For charging at home, the cost is largely dependent on the price you pay for residential electricity. But if you drive as most Canadian drivers at the average range of 20,000 km per year, that’s at least $1000 saving on fuel per year.

For charging at public charging stations, a searchable map of electric vehicle charging stations from AFDC shows there are 51,895 locations in Canada and the United States. Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations map in Canada and the United States.

EV Ownership Costs

In comparison, the sticker price for an EV can be higher than a gasoline vehicle of the same size. Even when you factor in the government incentives, it drives down the overall price of a new electric car, but the benefits aren’t immediate. The most obvious benefit of buying an electric car is the saving on fuel.. In addition to the savings you’ll save from gas expenditures, you’ll also benefit from the savings in maintenance costs and even in insurance costs. Maintenance costs for EVs are another saving since EVs have far fewer moving parts and don’t need oil changes. In the end, you will see net savings come in with an EV after your purchase.

Learn more about the benefits of buying from Carnex. We believe that all clients deserve to know the good and bad of what they’re buying. Because we wanted to know these when we bought cars. That’s why at Carnex.ca, we will proudly display every detail every step of the way. Browse all the best cars, automobile buying tips, auto insurance, young drivers, driving techniques, auto industry trends from Carnex Blog.