Tips for choosing an electric car

November 18, 2022

Excessive pollution of the environment and the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide carry many risks. The main one is climate change on the planet. Car companies are trying to solve this problem with the production of electric cars, and consumers are supporting the trend. If you want to sell your petrol used car and buy a new electric car, JunkCarsUs can help you. For example, you can check the Honda Civic scrap price or the price of another car on the company’s website before selling.

Table of Contents

What is an electric car?

An electric vehicle is a trackless vehicle that is driven by an electric motor (one or more).

Today, hybrid cars are very popular – cars in the design of which there is an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. In such cars, batteries do not require mandatory recharging from the network. The internal combustion engine drives a generator that generates the right amount of energy to run the electric motor.

If we compare electric cars with hybrids and conventional cars with internal combustion engines, the former have a number of undeniable advantages:

The efficiency of electric motors is many times greater than that of internal combustion engines – 90-95%. For comparison: the most efficient internal combustion engine has an efficiency of 42%.
Thanks to the special design of the electric vehicle (the absence of a radiator and other cooling systems), the frontal resistance of the car during movement is significantly reduced.
Compared to other vehicles, electric vehicles are inexpensive to maintain and do not require frequent maintenance. If we calculate the cost of refueling a conventional car and compare it with the cost of charging an electric car, we get obvious savings. Some electric vehicles outperform their diesel and gasoline competitors in terms of power.

At the same time, this type of transport has certain disadvantages:

In some regions, the infrastructure is not sufficiently developed for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.
The disadvantages include the low noise level, which creates a certain danger for pedestrians. After all, they are often guided by the loud sound of the running engine of an approaching car.

Criteria for choosing an electric vehicle

If you have clearly decided for yourself that an electric car is exactly the car that you need, you should think about other important characteristics of your future car:

Manufacturer. At this stage in the production of electric vehicles, the championship belongs to Tesla Motors. Naturally, the cost of these cars is too high for most car enthusiasts. Fortunately, there are several more popular models of well-known manufacturers on the market, such as Audi, Ford, Chevrolet, Mercedes, and Volkswagen.
Body type. First of all, you should decide for what purpose you are purchasing an electric car. If this is going to be your main vehicle for city trips and small country trips, then it is quite possible to limit yourself to a compact hatchback or sedan. For fans of crossovers, some concerns offer environmentally friendly options for such cars that run on electricity. Obviously, a compact electric car will consume much less electricity than a massive crossover.
Capacity (number of seats). Among the electric vehicles on the market, you can find both very compact 2-seater cars, and full-fledged five-seater sedans, hatchbacks, and crossovers. Naturally, if you are buying an electric car as the main family car, you should opt for a full-fledged 5-seat option. If you plan to regularly maneuver in urban areas (for example, to work), you can also choose a small electric subcompact.
Engine power. The driving characteristics of the car – the maximum speed and acceleration speed – directly depend on this indicator. The greater the engine power, the faster the batteries will discharge (pay attention to this when choosing an electric car).
Drive unit. Depending on which wheels are driving, the drive can be front (the engine rotates the front axle), rear (rear wheels are driven), or all-wheel drive. The best option is a 4×4 wheel formula (all-wheel drive). Front-wheel drive cars are more stable on the road, simple, and comfortable to drive.

The advantages of the rear-wheel drive are a small turning radius, good cross-country ability, and excellent dynamics. Disadvantages: difficult to manage with a lack of driving experience (the car can easily go into a skid, especially on slippery roads). It is worth noting that all-wheel drive vehicles consume much more energy. After all, to set all four wheels in motion, the engine requires much more effort.

Battery capacity. This indicator is one of the main ones that you need to pay attention to when choosing an electric car. The larger the battery capacity, the less often you will have to charge it. The battery capacity of an electric car directly affects the potential (in other words, the range) of the car.
Power reserve. This indicator indicates the distance that the car can travel on fully charged batteries without recharging. Obviously, the higher the speed, the more active the ride, and the faster the battery of an electric car will be discharged. In addition, the power reserve is greatly affected by weather conditions – in the cold, the batteries are quickly discharged.
Safety. Electric vehicles, like any other cars, are equipped with the most modern safety systems for the driver, passenger, and other road users. Obviously, the more seriously equipped the car, the higher its cost will be. At the same time, in the basic configuration of any electric car, you will find airbags and seat belts.
Charging speed. The fastest and safest way to charge an electric vehicle battery is to go to a specialized power station. In this case, you will spend an average of 20 minutes refueling your car. But, the charging speed may be different for different models of electric vehicles.

Wrapping up

Choosing an electric car is not a difficult task if you have determined your vehicle requirements and financial capabilities. You can get help in selling a used car from JunkCarsUs. The company buys non-running, damaged, old, totaled cars in any US city except Alaska and Puerto Rico.