7 Disappointing Facts to know Before buying EV

First to clarify, I’m up for Electric Car and this website is to encourage that. Then why am I writing about Disappointing Facts of EV? See, I don’t want to sound less convincing when I suggest people to buy EV with a “BUT” at the end. Its all about knowing what one is getting into and setting the expectation right.

See in this decade, most people will be transitioning from a traditional fuel-powered car to an EV for very first time. Moving to next-gen technology one would obviously think there are no issues ahead. And will have high expectations on their would-be purchase.

With that said Electric car doesn’t come without compromises. Yes it has many advantages over fuel powered ICE car, like they are fast, cheap to run and good for environment than ICE counterpart. However following is a short list of disappointing facts of EV one needs to know before diving into.

1. Range can be far less than promised

Range of EV is the first thing everyone considers before buying the right one. But it’s best to take ‘manufacturers claimed range’ with pinch of salt. Because factors like driving style, passenger load, elevation of road, temperature outside all have huge bearing on how far your EV will go.

By the way less of manufacturer promised Range or Mileage is also common to Fuel powered cars

• Using AC or Heater to max can deplete as much as 35% range _^[1]
• Driving aggressively or above 90 mph can also reduce range by 5% or more _^[2]
• Using open design alloy wheels can also deplete around 3% of range _^[3]
• To maintain optimal battery temperature, your EV will be always ON and will keep on losing range until 0%
• On top of these to maintain battery life of EV, manufacturers don’t recommend charging above 80-90%

Hence when all above factors are added up “Range of EV” can be considerably less than expected. So for everyday use its safe bet to assume half of manufacturer advertised range. Main thing to consider is how much realistic distance you will need everyday. On average people drive 25 miles or 40 km per day. _^[4]

Solution:

You can get EV manufacturer range if you really need to, just undo some of the above points. In case of emergency, switch off AC and Heater, accelerate slowly, drive below 50 mph/80 kph. Put car in Eco or Max regeneration mode which will generate power as motor decelerates.

And in case of real need of range beyond manufacturers advertise range, you can try Hypermiling which involve methods like tailgating other vehicle to reduce drag or wind resistance while moving forward. However it can be dangerous and in some countries like US its illegal.

2. Charging can be lot slower

Charging an EV might be slower than you used to with say laptop or phone. Shockingly to charge a typical EV from typical 3-pin-plug might take a whole day. Whereas with a standard home charger of 7kW (which is the most common compatible charger for most houses) can take around 11 hours.

Above are charge timings for average battery size EV for e.g. Tesla Model 3 (75 kWh). However real time can vary on various factors such as environment or manufacturer. Small battery sized EV can be charged faster than a large one.

Solution:

Easiest way is to charge your EV overnight. Mostly all EVs or even smart home chargers have ability to schedule, start or stop charging at desired time and percentage of battery. So if you are bit patient, you will be a OK.

3. Factors installing home charger

Before you buy an EV, you not only have to factor-in the cost of installing a home charger which can be around USD $900 but it might not be ideally located where you want.

Things you have to consider

• Where the charger can be installed? In garage, on wall or at your parking spot.
• How closer can the EVs charging port to wall charger can be to avoid trip hazard.
• How far is the charge point going to be from meter?
• Where is your charging port located on your EV?
• Would you always be parking in reverse or forwards to charge?
• Would you have more than one EV and would you change it in future?

Solution:

Ask EV dealer or enquire with your energy provider either of them should be able to help you out. Also look for government grant for home charger. And note only approved Electrician can install the EV charger.

4. Battery degradation is a thing

Batteries don’t last forever and everyone who has used a mobile phone knows that. The reason batteries degrade so fast is because they are charged regularly and incorrectly. Batteries work and last longer if they are kept at room temperature around 23 degrees centigrade. And as a general rule avoid charging battery to 100% or discharge it to 0%.

Hence to last longer, batteries in EV are stored in battery packs where they maintain their temperature (with help of heat management system) around 23 degrees centigrade 24/7 like a fridge. It is up to the owner of the EV to do the second part and try keep it in between 20 to 80%, to maintain optimum battery performance.

But despite these best efforts there will be some battery degradation mostly due to wear and quality of battery chemistry. On average EV looses battery capacity of around 2.3% per year. _^[5] One important thing you may learn along the way is that its not advisable to charge battery more than 80%.

Solution:

A tip to keep maintain longest battery life is to try maintain battery level between 20 and 80%. Due to stress it creates on batteries, never leave EV with 100% or take it near 0%. You can charge the EV to 100% only if you are immediately going to use that energy.

5. Range anxiety can be your new worry

EVs are prone to spontaneity, you cant hop in it to attend an emergency 500 miles away without having time to take break. EV charging takes time even on Public charger, so atleast 20 minutes long break is necessary. And in practice no person can drive that far without a much needed bladder break.

Even on public charger it massively depends what’s the battery percentage of your EV and the output capacity of the charger in kW. For e.g. it may take 45 mins to charge from 0 to 80% but it will also take another 45 mins to charge from 80 to 100%, if you really need so for long journey.

Reason being “Filling up a lithium battery is a lot like filling an empty milk jug with a pressure washer. You’ve got to start backing off the pressure or the water will start foaming out and that’s where you can get actual physical damage to the battery.” – Terry Hershner _^[6]

Solution:

Here’s where you have to plan your charging accordingly. A tip to keep your EV available for such spontaneity, is to always keep your EV plugged with max battery level set to 50%. In this way EV battery would not degrade and will always be available to do a quick top-up quickly when needed.

6. Insurance can be unnecessarily high

The more expensive a vehicle generally its more expensive to insure it too. Hence insurance costs for EVs tend to be costlier than the norm. In some cases the premiums can be 21% higher on average, than a comparable gas-powered models.

That doesn’t mean they’re less safe or more accident-prone than other vehicle types. Rather, it’s because EVs are priced higher than conventional alternatives and generally cost more to repair after getting into a collision, especially because of their pricey battery packs.

Solution:

The gap between EV and ICE car insurance is slowly but surely shrinking as EVs are here to stay. Also competition to serve lowest price is growing. Look for EV specialized Insurance companies that understand that EVs are safer than ICE cars. Ask your EV dealer who might suggest the compliant one.

7. Battery replacement is expensive

Life of EV batteries is longer than average laptop batteries, in some cases more than million miles.^_[7] Batteries in EV will degrade slowly and after 10 years or 100,000 miles it may fail. In unlikely situations if it does then the cost of repair can one-third of original price of EV.

For e.g. Replacing a new battery pack of Tesla Model 3 costs around $13,500. _^[8]

But as battery prices are declining year by year. And recycling of salvaged battery is now reached to 100%. _^[9] I am confident this price will be slashed in half in a decades time when most of the materials needed for batteries will not come from mining but from recycled EV batteries rather.

Solution:

To save your wallet for now, it is highly advisable to have battery warranty cover for your EV. Generally manufacturer gives around 8 years to 100,000 miles which ever comes first. Even after this period expires you can extend it with third party but it can be expensive.

Revolution Electrified’s Thoughts

These are all the shortfall of EV which shouldn’t deter you from getting one. Rather prepping you to take that leap to buy it knowing what they are and their solutions. Don’t make a mistake of buying yet another gas-guzzler because its cheap or convenient.

With their increasing fuel costs and their depreciating value, its electric car that turns out to be cheaper on the long run. ^_[10] And its not like fuel powered vehicles have no negatives, with their forgoing maintenance costs and polluting qualities they are worst for the planet and your bank account. ^_[11]

The benefits of driving electric cars are clear. With this exciting new technology being developed, cutting charging times to minutes, extend range significantly and further enhance safety and automation features, there has never been a better time to switch to driving an EV.

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