Electric Car Buyer Guide of 2020

An increasing number of people prefer to switch from conventional to electric technologies when it comes to vehicles. This year there are more than 17, 000 electric cars in Ireland, including plug-in hybrids. Consequently, the amount of reliable EV charger companies, offering affordable home charging stations and public EV charging stations in Sligo and other cities is rising to support the trend.

Carmakers around the world have to quickly adapt to a new growing e-mobility market and design EV models to satisfy every customer’s needs. Now you can find family cars, small electric vehicles, and sport models. Choosing an EV vehicle is not much different from choosing any other car: you need to consider its comfort, design, range, efficiency and running costs.

Performance 

Generally speaking, an electric car is amazingly quiet and smooth to drive as there are no gears. The electric motor gives an immediate response when you touch the accelerator. The standard Nissan Leaf models, for example, are equipped with a 147-hp electric motor and 40.0-kWh battery which allows managing 0-100km in around 8 seconds.

Kia e-Niro goes the same distance in about 9.5 seconds and Renault Zoe in 11.2 seconds. Tesla claims its models to feature the quickest acceleration on earth—from zero to 100 kph in just 2.3 seconds.

Range

The most discussed aspect of electric vehicles is the range they perform on a full charge. This aspect is constantly improving so that a high-class model like Tesla Model S can go over 480 kilometres on a single charge. Although now even mainstream electric vehicles, for instance, Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe, can go up to 240 kilometres between charges.

Some potential EV owners experience range anxiety which stops them from buying one. The truth is there is always a possibility to charge your vehicle at home using affordable home charging stations set by a reliable EV charger company. Another option is to use one of public EV charging stations in Sligo or other Irish cities. 

Most people only drive about 40 kilometres per day regularly so one charge can last you a week. Thus, having an EV vehicle requires simple planning with more focus on long-distance trips.

There are seven public charging stations in Sligo and about 1,100 in the whole country. If you are going to Dublin, you will have a chance to power up your car every 30-40 kilometres as there are plenty of public charging stations along your way in Lucan, Enfield, Kinnegad, Mullingar, Ballinalach, Longford and Boyle. It is a good idea to check the public charging network in advance to know where to stop.

Efficiency

EVs are much more energy-efficient compared to conventional vehicles. EV cars can effectively use over 70% of the energy, whereas conventional vehicles only convert around 15-20% of the fuel energy content.

The most fuel-efficient cars of 2020 are believed to be Tesla, Nissan Leaf and Kia Niro.

Power

Majority of electric cars are not that energy-intensive and can go about 100 kilometres with 15 kWh. However, it is not easy to determine the costs of recharging the battery because the price per kWh may vary depending on your supplier.

Additionally, the consumption of power depends on its battery capacity, its range and the type of driving. Nonetheless, we can estimate the cost of electricity for 100 kilometres is below € 4 (and even € 3 for some EVs). It is much lower compared to internal combustion vehicles for the same distance.

Price

The price of a new electric vehicle can be from 15% to 50% higher than the price of a conventional car. However, there is a possibility to use the government grant to make it comparable.

The prices for the most popular models range from €39,495 (Kia e-Niro) to €106,990 (Tesla Model X) or even €109,285 (Jaguar I-Pace). You can get a decent Peugeot, Nissan, Renault or BMW model for €30-40,000. 

Cost to Drive

The main concern about driving EV is the cost of charging it. The owners who have a garage or a driveway can make use of a government grants to set up an affordable home charging stations with a reliable EV charger company. There are fast 7kW and slow 3kW options available, taking around 4-8 hours or 8-12 hours respectively to charge such models as Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf.  

So, the standard battery needs about 40 kWh to be charged to full, which will cost about €8 (at a rate 19.90c per kWh) and it can last you around 200-250 kilometres. Meanwhile, a conventional car needs about 10 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres. Thus, it is obvious that EV vehicles are more than twice as cheap (four times as cheap if you charge at night) in terms of top-up cost. 

If you are driving about 200 kilometres per week, a conventional car would cost you €1,250 per year (based on a price of €1.3 per litre) whereas a mainstream EV charged at night would cost only €200.

When you’re travelling far, you can use public charging points that allow you to top up to 80% in 30 minutes, in case you choose a fast charger and your car is compatible. You can pay as you go or subscribe to a plan. Moreover, some car parks supermarkets and cinemas can offer free charging. 

Maintenance Costs

EV maintenance costs are significantly lower than their diesel and petrol counterparts as electric motors contain fewer moving parts and even discs, and brake pads get less wear.

Another consideration is battery warranty as EV batteries tend to degrade over time. On average it takes about 6 years for a battery to degrade to 86%. With Renault Zoe, the battery warranty begins automatically upon delivery whether you bought or rented it. In case you chose to purchase it, the warranty covers 8 years or the first 160,000 km. 

Benefits to The Environment

EV is not zero-emission, but the amount of emissions is far less than then driving a diesel or petrol car. Besides, electric vehicles are much quieter, reducing noise pollutions as well. EVs also require a less frequent need for parts replacement and recycling.

Electric vehicles are the future. In 2030 Ireland is to ban new petrol cars, hoping there will be 950,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads by that time. Even though the EV is expensive itself, keep in mind the overall cost of ownership when buying an EV. An electric car is an attractive buy due to reduced maintenance costs, the lower rates of motor tax, and fuel savings.

When considering to purchase an EV vehicle, remember to research the performance, range and price. Think about contacting a reliable EV charger company to install an affordable home charging station. If you need more details on related queries, you can always get in touch with Power Right, experts of EV Charging solutions in Sligo.