Home Car Services HERE IS A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRIC CARS

HERE IS A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ELECTRIC CARS

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With more auto manufacturers embracing Tesla’s success in electric cars, it is time to learn more about them. Many governments hope to phase out gas combustion engines in the coming decades and embrace the game-changing technology of electric vehicles. They are increasingly becoming attractive thanks to their expanding choice of models available, lower running costs, and, most importantly, low emissions, which means a cleaner planet. Here is all about electric vehicles (EVs).

Why electric cars are the cheapest option for business drivers

What is an EV?

Let’s start with the working mechanism of internal combustion engine cars, whose counterparts are electric cars. They combine fuel with air, and then a spark ignites the mixture. The expanding gas and heat push down the engine’s piston and move the wheels.

On the contrary, an electric car has an electric motor and a battery pack that powers it. It doesn’t come with an internal combustion engine, a gas tank, or a fuel pump unless it is a plug-in hybrid electric model.

When you plug an EV into an EV home charger or public charging point, it takes electricity from the grid. It stores the charge in the rechargeable battery pack that powers the electric motor, facilitating the movement of the wheels. The car is lighter to drive, so it accelerates faster than the gasoline-fueled ones, but you must keep topping up the electric charge. Popular electric models in the market include Tesla, Toyota Prius, and Honda Clarity.

Types of events

There are different types of events in the market. They include battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and extended-range vehicles. Here is how they work:

Battery electric vehicles (BEV)

A battery-electric vehicle is powered 100% by electricity and is purely electric. You can charge the car with an external power source: a home or public EV charger. The car doesn’t produce any tailpipe emissions making it more environmentally friendly. Most of the electric vehicles in the market can cover 100-300 miles on a single charge, and popular models include the Tesla Model 3, Renault Zoe, and Nissan Leaf.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)

A PHEV balances a fully electric car and a gas-fueled one. It has an electric motor, a battery pack, and an internal combustion engine. Therefore you can drive it using a gas combustion engine or electric motor. Like electric cars, you have to charge the battery pack at an external power source, either a home charger or a public EV charging point for electric vehicles.

A typical PHEV has an electric range of 50 miles; the gas combustion engine takes over when the electric charge is over. That means you don’t have to worry about charging your PHEV while on the road. However, a PHEV’s gas combustion engine is less efficient than a traditional gas-powered vehicle. The best thing about PHEVs is it comes with an electric motor and a gas combustion engine striking a balance between the two types of cars. The BMW 220e and Mitsubishi Outlander are examples of PHEVs in the market.

Extended-range electric vehicles (E-REV)

BMW i3 range extender is an E-REV, although it is no longer available. The E-REV is a better version of the PHEV. It has an electric drive motor, a battery pack, and a gas generator. The electric motor always drives the wheels, and t internal combustion engine is a generator when the electric charge is depleted. The electric range is also higher than a PHEV since it can go 150-300 miles on a single mission.

Reason to buy an electric vehicle

Although an electric vehicle is expensive, it has more savings in the long run, thanks to its lower running costs. Here are some of the perks of an electric car.

  • A fully electric vehicle has zero rates of vehicle excise duty.
  • A full charge in a fully electric vehicle gives over 200 miles and will likely cost less than $15 when charging home. On the contrary, driving 200 miles in a gas-fueled car will cost you double, three, or four times more than the expense of setting up an electric vehicle. You can save more by using an EV home charger and accessing an off-peak overnight electricity tariff.
  • An electric car has fewer mechanical parts than its gas-fueled counterpart. That results in less maintenance and servicing costs.
  • It doesn’t emit harmful gases, so it is more environmentally friendly.
  • An EV feels lighter to drive hence better performance than its gas-fueled counterpart.
  • Free parking with charging points is available for events in major cities.

Charging an EV

A gas station is useless to a fully electric vehicle, so you must find an EV charger HK or plug-in at home. The better part is that you don’t have to charge your car daily if you drive only a few miles, like commuting to work. Most EVs can cover 200-300 miles on a single charge, and many people do not exceed 25 miles daily.

However, many drivers fear running out of charge far from a petrol station where PHEVs come in. You can comfortably charge your EV at home with a 120-volt plug like the one used for everyday appliances. It is known as level 1 charging, and your EV may take from eight to more than 16 hours to charge completely.

The good news is that you can install a level 2 EV charger in your home. A level 2 EV charger that reaches 240 volts is found in most public charging points for electric vehicles. With this, you can expect 20-30 plus miles of range for every hour of charging, and it may take around eight hours for your car to charge fully.

In a few years, EV public charging points are set to increase in major cities worldwide. A level 3 EV charger takes about 40 minutes to get the charge to 80%. However, not all-electric cars accept that power level and cost more than level 2 charging.

conclusion

Investing in an EV is a good idea, saving you more in the long run.