The Electric Car - The Good, The Bad

The Nissan Leaf - An Affordable Electric Car from Nissan

The electric car has been causing a lot of interest, even though quite a substantial amount of people don't particularly know too much about them.We can't decide whether the electric car is quite ready to take over the petrol/diesel car just yet, but what we do realise is the amazing potential these cars could have, not only for our environment, but also on our reliance of resources such as oil as well.  

We have had a look at the pros and cons of being an electric car owner.

Let's start with the Con's:

1. Not all electric cars are available at any price - the cost combined with the availability of these cars is quickly becoming an issue. Tesla's Roadster costs approximately $100,000 and Nissan's 'Leaf' has already had their maximum order of 20,000, which means it won't be available again until the next phase - whenever that may be. For a full list of prices of electric cars, click here.
2. Costs - it is easy to imagine how cheap it would be to run an electric car - just being able to plug in and charge your car up at any of the charge stations - could really offset the costs in comparison to a full tank of fuel. However, the price of electric cars are still pricey. Just like all new things, those that buy them new will always pay premium prices. Our advice, is to wait until these prices come down before committing to purchase one. Only then will you be able to see the benefit of the costs.
3. Slow Charge - these cars can take up to 4-8 hours to fully charge, some that use a typical household plug charge can take up to 16 hours. It's not a simple case of being able to hop into your car and go for a spontaneous drive somewhere, every journey needs forward planning.
4. Count the miles - You will now need to make a mental note of the miles you are travelling when you are on a journey in order to keep the car running. You will have to change the whole way you drive by planning every mile to the number.
5. Where is the mechanic? - That's a good question. Electric cars are so new that mechanics haven't learnt how to be electricians yet, this could mean higher charge prices for repairs (as demand increases, so does the costs generally speaking) and that finding one to repair your car could be more complicated than the repairs to the car itself! 

So now let's look at the pro's:

1. Environment - it goes without saying that electric cars are miles better for the environment than standard fuel cars because of less emissions and the lack of an exhaust!
2. Quieter, smoother ride - Not only is it important to reduce emissions but also noise pollution can be greatly reduced using an electric car. A smooth ride also enhances the overall driving experience that many drivers seek out in a car.
3. Cheaper - the cost to charge up your car is much cheaper than filling up a full tank, especially if you charge at off-peak times. 
4. The mileage - electric cars are quite capable of travelling up to approximately 45-70 miles at a time when fully charged. Considering the average car driver drives approximately 25 miles a day (school runs, shopping etc) this should be more than enough for most people. Although if you are driving in winter and need the heating on, this could reduce dramatically (another aspect to consider). 
5. A comment from an electric car owner (Mitsubishi i MiEV) - "Thanks to its instant performance, the car could out-accelerate most other cars in day-to-day driving. When people had a short demonstration run and could see how user-friendly and competent it was, many of them were convinced that electric cars could be a genuine replacement for petrol power." - Michael Boxwell, author of 'The 2011 Electric Car Guide', said to The Guardian. Read his full article here, it is quite an interesting read to get a perspective on someone who actually owns one and enjoys owning one.

So to conclude, we think that electric cars will eventually become a common and popular thing of the future, but there are still some things that need ironing out. We still recommend waiting for prices, availability and familiarity with electric cars to become  more apparent and reasonable before jumping in head first to buy them. 

Do you own an electric car? Please post a comment below. We'd love to hear your opinion!