The development of the automotive industry has led us to use 4-wheel transport in almost all areas of our lives: to get to the office, supermarket, and then drive home. Indeed, it’s convenient and affordable for everyone.

Even when you are going to visit the USA, Chicago car rental under 21 makes it possible to pick up a car for young drivers. Among cars, electric vehicles are rapidly gaining popularity all over the world, and already many people use them for everyday purposes. But despite this, a plenty errors are still associated with them. If you want to buy an electric car, then you should learn a few important things about these unique vehicles.

1. The maximum travel distance depends on the driver

The major part of any car is the driver. When it comes to electric cars, one of the most important parameters is the car’s radius of action, which is the maximum distance a car can travel on a single charge. Old models of electric vehicles have a declared range of 200-300 kilometers. New models, such as Tesla Model S or Model X run on a single charge more than 500 kilometers.

One way or another, it’s important to understand that any numbers stated by the manufacturer are very arbitrary. The maximum range is influenced by many factors, such as the terrain, the quality of the road, and the driving style of a particular driver.

While driving on hilly terrain, the electric car will spend charge faster. Energy is also consumed faster in aggressive driving styles. In general, the range of an electric vehicle is determined not so much by the manufacturer as by a specific customer. In the end, the main part in any car is the person who sits behind the wheel.

2. Electric cars need maintenance

It’s a mistake to think that an electric car is a kind of smartphone on wheels, which only needs to be recharged periodically. Of course, an electric motor is not as complex as an internal combustion engine. However, electric cars still need regular maintenance, like regular cars.

For example, in an electric car there is also an engine cooling system, so the driver will have to monitor the level of coolant. Not to mention that the electric car still needs to change tires and pump up the wheels.

3. The range of the electric vehicle covers basic needs

In most cases, the battery of any electric car is enough for everyday urban use. Electric car fully covers the needs of the average customer. According to experts, the average driver travels about 50 kilometers before returning home.

50 kilometers is much less than the hundreds of kilometers declared by electric vehicle manufacturers. This means that the electric car is simply ideal for ordinary everyday needs. In addition, an electric motor is much more energy efficient than an internal combustion engine. So electric cars really help users save money.

4. Charging stations are still not enough

As it was mentioned, the electric car is just perfect when it comes to everyday needs and not too long trips. But if we speak about long-distance trips, the main problem of electric vehicles is revealed. 

There are still not enough charging stations in the world. As a rule, charging stations are often found at service stations, car parks and in city centres. Often these chargers come with tethered type 1 and type 2 charging cables but some you may need to bring your own ev charging cable. Meaning recharging an electric car somewhere in the province and far away from major destinations can be a real problem. 

In general, if you travel often, an electric car is definitely not suitable for you. Unless, you will carefully plan the route, paving the way from one charging station to another. 

5. A full battery charge is not always good

A car with a full battery shouldn’t be idle. But very often, those customers who are used to driving a regular car keep the battery of an electric car in a fully charged state. In their opinion, a full tank is always good. Unfortunately, it’s not so.

If you keep the electric car’s battery fully charged all the time, this will negatively affect its lifespan. All batteries sooner or later begin to degrade. At the same time, their capacity is gradually decreasing. As practice shows, this process is faster if you discharge the battery to zero. But also full charge without subsequent use contributes to degradation. In other words, if you have charged the battery to 100%, then you should immediately begin to spend the charge.

In smartphones, this problem is solved in a natural way - these gadgets are constantly on, so that the battery is never 100% charged.

With electric vehicles, the situation is different. When the car is in the garage, the battery is not consumed. According to experts, the driver must ensure that in idle mode the battery is not 100% charged. If you want to charge the battery of an electric vehicle completely, try to hit the road immediately after filling the battery. Ideally, in idle mode, the battery should be approximately 60-70% charged.