Are electric cars for you? The pros and cons to making the change
They have muscle, size and spirit — but these aren't the electric cars of the past.
While electric vehicles, or EVs for short, have improved significantly in the past few years, they might not be for everyone.
Brian Sobol, general manager of Keyes Hyundai of Van Nuys, said that his dealership is selling about 100 EVs every month but reminds buyers to think about their budget.
"Does it make sense for my budget," said Sobol. "Does it make sense for my driving habits?"
He also said that if consumers are thinking about ditching the pump they should first estimate how many miles they drive and where they can charge their car.
"The person who is living in an apartment and driving 20 miles a day that means 14 days they need to go charge their car," said Sabol. It's easy to go drive 10 miles to charge. You're good to go. You don't have to worry about it.
However, if you have a long commute to remote areas all-electric may not be the best option.
"If I'm driving 200-300 nukes a day and I don't know if I'm near an EV charger or going to be near a charger — that's someone who should not consider it," Sobol said.
In this case, Sobol said that a hybrid is a better choice.
Nonetheless, electric vehicles are becoming more affordable and Sobol suggests not just thinking about your payment but your total car budget.
"It's easy to say, 'I need a $400 car payment,'" he said. "But that's not really your budget, your budget is all your insurance, gas and car payment... So If you take a $400 payment and $400 in gas that's $800.
Scott Painter, the founder of Autonomy, said another option is to rent an EV on a monthly subscription, something that his company provides. So far Painter said that there are more than 2,000 of his company's vehicles on the roads in California.
"It's similar to a lease in that you don't own the car, but different because you don't have to commit to the car for 3 years," he said. "It's simply month-to-month."
He also said a lot of drivers want to get in the seat but can't afford to buy an EV since leases aren't readily available and a used electric car isn't always cost-effective.
"What you really want to make sure of is if you're going to get a used electric car that it is covered under the battery warranty," said Painter.
All electric means that there is no oil, fan belt or engine, just a battery. However, a dead battery could cost almost half as much as a car, according to Sobol.
Companies with long battery warranties are Hyundai at ten years and Tesla at eight years.
"When we looked at these cars having an eight-year battery warranty was absolutely essential to our decision on which car to prioritize," said Painter.
