If you’re considering purchasing an EV for the first time, it’s important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles before making your decision. While EVs offer many benefits, they’re not the right choice for every driver. Let’s review some of the most influential pros and cons of electric vehicles.
Advantage: Eco-Friendly
Perhaps the most obvious and well-known advantage of an electric vehicle as compared to a standard gasoline-powered car is that electric vehicles are eco-friendly. Gas-powered vehicles emit dangerous greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Electric vehicles don’t cause any emissions, so driving EVs doesn’t cause the same environmental damage as other cars.
Disadvantage: Production Emissions
One major disadvantage of electric vehicles that can’t be overlooked is that they’re not carbon neutral or perfectly eco-friendly. The materials and energy used in the production and assembly of EVs and EV batteries have a negative impact on the environment. As such, EV owners ought to be thoughtful about how long they will own and operate their EVs; will the gasoline savings outweigh the energy and emissions from the cars’ production?
Advantage: Less Noise
An often unexpected advantage of electric vehicles is how quiet they are. Other cars have much noisier engines, but the battery-powered engine on an electric car is nearly silent. While this is a smaller advantage compared to some of the other benefits of EVs, many drivers appreciate how the lower noise level improves the driving experience.
Disadvantage: Distance Limitations
A primary disadvantage of electric vehicles is that they’re not suitable for road trips or other long drives. On average, EVs can travel between 100 and 300 miles on a single battery charge. This is only a little bit less than gasoline-powered vehicles, which can typically travel between 200 and 400 miles on a single tank. However, refilling a tank of gas is simple thanks to the abundance of gas stations along every road. Refilling a gas tank is also fast, a task that takes mere minutes. By contrast, an electric vehicle’s battery takes hours to recharge. As such, an electric vehicle has significant limitations on its ability to make long trips.
Advantage: Gasoline Cost Savings
One of the biggest advantages of electric vehicles that EV owners are enjoying right now especially is that electric vehicles, of course, don’t require gas. Drivers of vehicles with combustion engines are subject to fluctuating gas prices, an expense EV drivers don’t need to worry about. Although it does cost money to charge an EV battery, the expense is nominal in comparison. During the summer of 2022, gas prices in the US have soared to over $7 per gallon in some areas. Although utilities costs have also fluctuated, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that it costs approximately $6 to refill a completely depleted EV battery.
Disadvantage: Charging Ports
Owning an electric vehicle typically requires the driver to install an EV charging port on their property in order to charge their car’s battery at home. This can be considered a disadvantage of electric vehicles as well because it’s an additional hurdle with an associated expense (installing an EV charger at home can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars). This also makes EV ownership inaccessible for most renters as they won’t have the flexibility to install an electric vehicle charger since they don’t own their homes.
Advantage: Limited Maintenance
Gasoline-powered vehicles have complex combustion engines. Electric vehicles, in contrast, have more straightforward internal workings. This is why electric vehicles require less maintenance than other cars do. Fewer maintenance needs are another huge advantage of electric vehicles. Car maintenance is a huge hassle and can be incredibly costly. EVs minimize those issues.
Advantage: Lintec Auto
Lintec Auto is the premier distributor of automotive films, tapes, and adhesives for electric and gas-powered vehicles. Our products protect vehicles from damage, facilitate efficient vehicle assembly, and have the capacity to withstand extreme conditions. To learn more about how Lintec Auto works with EV manufacturers, engineers, and dealers, contact a member of our team today.
