Buying An Electric Car: Your Ultimate Guide

They have been saying that electric cars are the future for quite a while and that future is here now. There are several dozen models of electric cars available for purchase in Australia and dozens of new models are ready to be launched in the coming years. People are still coming to terms with this new technology and the availability of so many choices has made things a bit complicated for buyers.

You want comfort, range and safety in a package within your budget. However, some factors are much more important, especially over the long term. This blog post will explore the factors you should consider before buying an electric car and how to go about choosing the right electric vehicle that fits your needs and is available within your budget.

EV Facts You Should Know

The first electric car was launched in the 19th century, in 1892 precisely
Electric vehicles have exceptionally low running costs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles
There are electric vehicles that have only around 20 moving parts whereas a conventional ICE vehicle has more than 200 moving parts
Most EVs are powered by lithium cells and Australia is the leading exporter of lithium across the globe
ICE vehicles can’t even come close to EVs in terms of driving experience
With less than 10,000 EVs sold in Australia, EVs only account for 0.2% of the market. Australians are just getting started.
The prices continue to decrease and are likely to fall further in the coming years
The charging infrastructure is being built up rapidly and there are many suppliers of electric vehicle charging solutions in Australia.

Types of Electric Cars

There are 3 main types of electric cars including:

Hybrid electric vehicles
Battery electric vehicles
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Hybrid vehicles combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. A hybrid electric vehicle does not allow you to charge the battery separately whereas a plug-in hybrid does. A battery electric vehicle is a conventional electric vehicle where all the power is provided by the battery pack and electric motor.

Things to Consider Before Buying an Electric Car

There are so many electric models out there that it can be an overwhelming task for a beginner to make the right choice. In fact, there is so much information and misinformation available online that most people don’t even know where to get started. Here are a few tips you should consider before going shopping for an electric car:

How are you going to use the vehicle?
Is it for daily driving or you’re going to use it occasionally?
How are you going to charge the vehicle?
What are the features you want?
How safe is the vehicle to drive?
Are incentives available in your state?
What about after-sales service?
Do you have to pay extra for certain features or is everything part of the initial cost?
What is the real-world range of the vehicle?
Do you want a family car or a car just for yourself?

In terms of range, you have a whole lot of choices. For instance, there are cheaper vehicles that have a range of around 200 km but there are also absolute beasts with a range of more than 500 km on a single charge. There is also the question of available space inside. There are bigger cars that are good for a family whereas there are also relatively small cars that are good for a couple of people inside. In short, there are a lot of choices and you need to take some time to figure out your own requirements and how you are going to drive this electric vehicle to make the right choice.

Electric Vehicle Buying Quick Tips

Most people don’t know a lot about the technology behind an electric car and it can quickly get overwhelming with so many new things to consider. For instance, many people are worried about battery range in the real world, availability of charging infrastructure, cost of maintenance and other such things. Here are a few tips to you help you buy the ideal electric vehicle for your needs:

First and foremost, you should finalise your requirements.

How much space do you need?
How much real-world range do you need?
What about the availability of charging infrastructure?
Do you plan to charge it using commercial chargers or do you plan to mostly charge it at home?
What about the safety rating of the vehicle? Not all electric vehicles available for sale on Australian roads have a five-star safety rating
Are there any incentives available for buying a particular type of electric vehicle in your state?
Is autonomous driving important for you? You should know that truly autonomous driving does not exist. It’s more of a driving assist feature than the fully autonomous driving you see in movies.
What is the long-term cost of maintenance?
Do you have to pay extra for the updates or are major updates free?
What is the reputation of the manufacturer? Do they support their vehicles in the long term?

These are some of the things you need to keep in mind to get the best value for your money. Australians are just getting started with a few thousand electric vehicles on the roads but manufacturers are now increasingly looking at Australia as a market for electric vehicles. This is why most global car manufacturers are lining up several models for launch in Australia.

Final Thoughts

The long-promised electric vehicle future is already here with several dozen models available for purchase in Australia. In fact, the prices have been falling down and today, you can own a decent quality electric vehicle with a decent range for less than $45,000. The charging infrastructure is also being built up at a good pace and with the availability of affordable electric vehicle charging solutions for home use, charging your car shouldn’t be a problem. However, you still need to do some research to choose and buy the EV that’s suitable for your specific requirements. The tips we have mentioned above should at least help you in getting started.

Buy Electric Vehicle Chargers at GET Electric

GET Electric offers a wide range of electric vehicle charging solutions for residential and commercial use. We have multiple products catering to the diverse needs of our customers. Our products are solid and backed by reliable customer service.

Please call us today on 1800 GET NOW to learn more about our EV charging and infrastructure solutions or leave an enquiry and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.