I recently needed a new car. So I thought, better practise what we preach at the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) about electric cars rapidly becoming the most cost-effective option for consumers. And on this very day I am speaking at an event organised by a coalition of car makers, NGOs, and others – who also confirm the rise of the electric car.
But back to my car. The one I bought is a standard mid-range car, not a hyped pioneering model. I have been driving it for two months now and am totally in love with my electric vehicle, or EV as the acronym goes.
To understand where I am coming from, you need to know about my driver profile. A public transport commuter, I currently drive around 300 kilometres per week mostly to see family, friends, and do some shopping. I live in a house with a garage. I am 62 and do not really mind taking a minute more to get where I need to.
As I started the process of buying an EV, a few hurdles certainly needed to be overcome. I acknowledge that coaching by my experts at BEUC helped to ask the right questions to the salespersons.
The most difficult information to get out of the salespersons was to know how to charge when not at home. There was seemingly no straightforward answer, and even some scaremongering about the price of fast-charging. In the end, it took research on my side to better understand how the system works, and, I admit, determination to be part of the green transition to persist in buying that car.
What I found since is that there is a lot of good news that is not sufficiently promoted towards would-be EV buyers. Some feedback on my experience.
Range anxiety can be overcome
This was my biggest and, once I had overcome the stress of making the initial investment, only anxiety about a full electric car. Now that I am driving it, I am getting more and more relaxed.
Firstly, given my profile, I can comfortably charge my car at home. A home wall box charger at an additional cost of €1,500 to €2,000? Not needed, as the standard plug in my garage is sufficient to feed the beast [1]. I only need to charge it once a week (overnight), sometimes twice in case I want to be sure.
Charging doesn’t end at home. After some comparative checking, being a consumer advocate after all, I subscribed to an app. It provides a card allegedly giving you access to charging stations all over the EU (not that I need it), and easy access to info about all charging stations that are compatible with the card on your itinerary (their charging speed, cost).
The app is free, you only pay when you charge. The mere fact that this card is in my car has substantially reduced my level of stress, although I do not expect to use it more than five times a year (following BEUC’s own estimation). I have not yet driven longer distances. What will further reduce my stress is if public chargers allow me to pay by debit card, in case I use my car to go on holidays or for a weekend abroad.
I also bought an extra cable that can be plugged into public charging stations, just in case. It might be costly, but if you need that additional 20 kilometres autonomy when stopping in an unknown city, it might be worth the price.
Criticism about the lack of charging stations should melt like snow in the months to come. Now that I pay attention, they are starting to pop up everywhere. And, also thanks to EU regulatory initiatives on charging infrastructure, more are to come.
Driving an electric car is pure pleasure
Despite not being a car geek, I truly look forward to the EV journey. No noise, no smell, and automatic – the latter a first experience for me after 40+ years of driving.
Going electric also changes your driving attitude, as the smoother you are on the road, the less you consume your battery and the more the battery can recharge itself while driving (due to regenerative brakes). Speedy driving has never been my thing, but it is true that driving 90 rather than 120 kilometres per hour makes an enormous difference for your range, while for the distances I travel it makes only a few minutes difference. I also seem to be doing well in terms of electricity consumption, with a current average use of 14.8 kWh per 100 kilometres.
No need to stop at a petrol station anymore
I never liked filling up petrol at the station. Now, I go to my garage and plug the car into the home grid. I use the night tariff and am trying to convince my landlord to install solar panels on the roof. In any case, home recharging is less expensive than refuelling with petrol.
Speaking about cost reductions, there are many
There are lot of other advantages to electric cars. For example: insurance companies provide you with discounts (in my case 20%) while taxes in Belgium are lower. The maintenance programme is very light (no need to drain engine oil). And the batteries are supposed to last a long time, coming with an eight-year guarantee which means you can expect them to last much longer.
What could go better
From my experience, more trustworthy guidance from salespersons – perhaps better training? – on how to manage range and charging solutions could be useful. Driving full electric requires a bit more planning of journeys, certainly if long distance. If you wish to get the maximum out of your range, you need to adapt your driving habits. Unless you prefer to reduce the heating comfort of your car, that is.
Seriously, I am pleased to have dared the jump into the electric car era: it is fun to drive, it will be cheaper than previous cars and, most importantly, it contributes to the green transition. Just do it.
[1] The electrical safety of my house has been accounted for.