10 Brutal Truths About Owning Electric Cars Buyers Aren't Prepared To Hear VIPLANE

Know your driving habits/style, know your Rideshare Market, know your community, know your available local/state/federal (country) EV related credits/rebates, know your electrical grid., know your financing options from dealer/Manufacturer/ bank & credit union.

Then make a decision. And be disciplined.

I purchased a Plug-in Hybrid.

• I live in an apartment and only have access to 110v in my garage. No access in my complex for 220v charging.
• 5-1/2 hrs to get full charge for my 32 miles of all EV / electric range.
• Hybrid mode gives me 550+miles gas+EV.

Locally I have many options for paid charging (but have never used any yet). Also limited but available free charging I can use (use a couple times per week). 2-1/2 hrs for a full charge. Use when on a break “if” available.

I don’t trust my California Electrical Grid / Charging Stations 100%. I have an elderly family member 2 hrs from me that I help monthly and if an emergency would arise. Main reason I haven’t yet purchased an EV and opted for Hybrid Plug-in. I need to know I can jump in my car “anytime” night or day and drive 130 miles.

Tires – yes, EVs “can” wear out tires faster than an ICE vehicle. But your EV settings and driving style can mitigate this. Do you need a 0-60 time in a Tesla of 3-4 seconds? Or can you be happy with 7 seconds in Tesla’s Chill Mode? Just learn your vehicle, drive it hard if you don’t care or change settings and driving habits and learn to drive an EV. I could wear out tires faster than most on any vehicle by driving it hard….or not.

Always trade-offs on any vehicle you purchase.

• EVs and Hybrids/Plug-in will not need brake jobs as often as ICE vehicles. That is even with added weight of batteries.
• I sold my Prius Hybrid after 150,000 miles and the original factory brakes were still at 6/10. I don’t drive slow, but usually let the regenerative brakes do their job.
• No or fewer fluid changes with EVs.
• Transmissions on ICE vehicles are complicated and need maintenance more than EVs. On EVs mostly not so complicated but depends on Mfg.

Getting Repairs done can be a problem for some EVs. Especially if in an accident. Depending on were you live even more so. Do your research. Check out online user forums or go to a local Collision Repair shop and ask questions about how long it takes to get an EV repaired.

So this debate about EVs depends on individual needs now and into the near future. There is no right answer for any one person.

I’ll have an EV in the future but for now, it’s a Hybrid Plug-in for me.