As the culture of the automotive industry has moved forward over the last few decades, electric vehicles have become an increasingly popular choice.
Manufactured by titans of the industry like Tesla and Toyota, these electric vehicles have substantial edges over the competition in their areas of specialization. Namely in the areas of fuel efficiency, cheaper running costs, and environmental safety.
Efficiency and Engine Advantages
This advantage of electric vehicles is arguably the original reason that these vehicles were invented. Although there are hybrid models on the market that use a mixture of plug-in electricity and gasoline, models like the Tesla Model X and the Jaguar I-Pace run entirely on electricity. This means that the only upkeep you really need to provide when you’re on a drive is making sure that you’ve got the charge on your motor, an issue that’s been simplified as charging stations become more common across the industrialized world.
Whereas the average driver who bought a new vehicle in 2017 paid $8,469 annually in gasoline costs, electric vehicles minimize those extra costs without sacrificing performance. In fact, the average driver who bought a new electric vehicle in 2017 paid only $982 for their annual upkeep, decreasing their overall expenditure hugely.
In 2018, the average electric vehicle got somewhere between one and two hundred miles from a full motor charge. This is less distance than you’d get with a fully fueled and efficient vehicle, but still, a formidable distance when you consider that it’s charging essentially for free.
The Tesla Model X is a twofer in that, as well as being an electric car, it also comes standard in all-wheel-drive. If you love protecting the environment from mean old carbon emissions and exploring it, too, then the liquid-cooled powertrain of the Tesla Model X might be for you. Fitted with a lithium-ion battery controlled by computerized microprocessors and paired with a three-phase induction motor, this is one electric motor that doesn’t disappoint.
Another advantage of these fully electric motors is that their computerized natures and quick response time increase their torque, allowing you to get that extra power out of your motor and monitor your battery charge time from a smartphone.
Cheaper Running Costs
In a standard combustion-engine vehicle — your average car, so to speak — there a is a bevy of factors that can cause a malfunction in the engine. These engines, which grow treacherously hot and can become dried out, require the lubrication of motor oil at regular frequencies. However, in an electric vehicle, these same situations are handled without the build-up of temperature that causes the most crippling of engine malfunctions.
The only part of the motor that’s actually moving is the rotor. Otherwise, electric vehicles can pass up modern mainstays like fuel injection systems and a radiator. You won’t have to worry about very much breaking down under the hood, although it’s always worth noting that engine batteries have a limited shelf life and need to be replaced eventually.
Some electric vehicles like the 2019 Nissan LEAF EV have even taken to offering a range of different batteries with varying thresholds and limits. Despite the advanced infotainment systems and sporty handling on the Nissan LEAF, running costs are limited to snacks on the road and slightly higher power bills. And that’s if you don’t have a charging station near your house, since one charge can last a matter of days in some electric vehicles.
Environmental Advantages
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the original launching point for these electric vehicles. The advantages applied to the wider world by their decreased emissions and lowered reliance on fossil fuels. Although everyone knows that electric vehicles are good for the environment, most people know it only as a matter of theory, only understanding the complexity as far as they understand the inverse issue that pollution is bad.
This is an advantage that’s crystallized to its most perfect form in all-electric vehicles. While plug-in hybrids still create limited fuel emissions due to their slight reliance on gasoline, fully electric vehicles create zero emissions and zero byproducts. They’ve been championed in the past as a handy solution for trimming down the societal breadth of pollution and climate change — and 2019’s offerings are no exception.
One example that solidifies the merging of style and safety comes from the Porsche Taycan, a luxury electric vehicle slated to carry some of the fastest charging systems we’ve seen on electric cars. The Taycan’s powertrain approaches 800-volts, meaning that you’ll get the roar you’ve come to expect from Porsche even without doing a number on the environment.
Whether you’re looking into electric vehicles because you’re trying to save money or because you’re trying to save the environment, these relatively new additions to the automotive industry have a lot to offer.
To discover more information about electric vehicles, take some time to do your own research or contact your local dealerships today.
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