So, You Want An Electric Car?

It’s the 20th century – it’s the future! Or at least that’s what we thought when we were kids. And now you’re thinking of a futuristic car to go along with it – you’re thinking of going electric. One of the biggest questions looming about electric cars, though, is how efficient they are. So, are they?

And just in case you’re unsure – efficiency is defined as “the ratio of the work done or energy developed by a machine, engine, etc., to the energy supplied to it, usually expressed as a percentage.”

To give you a point of comparison, internal combustion engines only convert 12% of caloric energy to motion. Electric motors convert roughly 75%. So just in terms of actual efficiency, electric vehicles do quite well.

And there are a couple other things that electric vehicles do well -

• Environmentally friendly - Electric vehicles are zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) as they emit no tailpipe pollutants.
• Performance benefits - There is no motor to turn in an electric vehicle, there is no noisy engine! The ride is quiet and smooth.
• Less energy dependence – The Tesla Roadster, an early model luxury electric vehicle, has a comparable MPG of about 100. Not only do you not have to deal with fossil fuels, the electricity used is comparably less, as well.

There are a good number of elements that will need to be refined if EV’s and BEV’s (battery-electric vehicles) will truly become mainstream, though -

• Range anxiety coupled with a lack of charging stations – Range anxiety is a condition that is encountered by drivers of EV’s when they constantly worry about whether or not they will reach their destination on a single charge. It will usually take overnight to change an electric battery, and for many the range does not exceed 100 miles. (And that can be lessened by various factors, including whether or not you run the AC, how aggressive your driving and acceleration is, etc). Add in that there is not a large number of charging stations in the US, and you can easily see yourself stranded with a hunk of metal in a town in the middle of nowhere, three-quarters to your destination. Might not be the best plan to take an electric vehicle to follow the cross country movers. Probably better to ship the car or load it somewhere with one of those cool 4 post lift things.
• Space – There is no traditional engine in an electric vehicle, but at the same time, batteries are quite heavy and take up a good deal of space, which affects the actual space available in your car – in terms of leg room and trunk space.
• Charge time and battery life – It usually takes overnight (though sometimes as little as three and a half hours) to fully charge a battery – plus, when you purchase an electric car, a cost you should take into consideration is you are most definitely going to have to replace the battery – usually at about 5 years, less if you practice bad charging habits – quick charging and other methods that will in the long run harm the life of your battery.
• Noise concerns – While the performance of an EV is a benefit, it is also a detriment to the public, especially those that are hearing impaired or blind – because an EV is battery and not combustion, we can’t hear it coming! This can pose huge potential safety risks to the public, and the US has instated minimum noise levels for EV’s.

These are a few things that you should really take into consideration before buying an electric car, and of course, take it for a spin and see if it’s the right fit for you! Cars should have at least an aspect of fun, after all.

Jade Evans is a freelance writer who works often for uShip, an online marketplace for shipping goods. She loves cars, but doesn’t always understand how they work.

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