“The road is calling & I must go “, now as a responsible traveler!
No one can call himself/herself a traveler if he/she has not undertaken any road trip. Be it exploring the beach side or going uphill the mountains, breezing through those dense forests, or starting at 4 am to catch the perfect sunrise, road trips make the journey more beautiful than a destination. We always look for a chance to explore local & international destinations through road trips. So our love for four wheels drive is impeccable. However lately we have started taking up sustainable solutions in every phase of our life. We have to be responsible & must set an example for others to be responsible travelers. One of the measures we surely wanted to do is to switch from our ICE-based car to an Electric car or a Hybrid car.
While driving an electric vehicle (EV) is a delight, they also ensure zero-emission making our road trips carbon neutral. In this article, we are sharing some of the parameters to be considered while picking up an EV.
Things to consider before buying an Electric Car:
1. Budget for Electric Car:
While EVs are getting popular across the globe and their running cost is very low, still their purchase price is very high as compared to conventional cars. Although Government is subsidizing the purchase a bit, we still have to check our budget. So calculate monthly EMI beforehand to better manage cash flow & finance. It was stated that in 2020, the average cost of an EV was 29% higher than the average cost of a new light-duty vehicle in the US.
We opted for a car loan from the bank this time. To check the total cost that we would incur, we checked the car payment calculator. It takes into consideration all the costs, including taxes, loan term, and any owed-on trade-in to help us derive at the final cost incurred while buying.
And do you know the fun part? While calculating and working on the budget was definitely an arduous task, we had super fun checking out their Gaming arcade. It was super fun rescuing the lil’ cat in Apple and Onion Cat rescue game.
2. Charging infrastructure:
Check how is the charging facility available in your vicinity. Do check whether they include fast or slow chargers. There must be enough charging points/terminals on your frequently traveled route to make charging comfortable as & when required.
3. Battery replacement cost:
One of the major expenses of any 2 or 4-wheeler EV is the cost of replacing the battery after 4/5 years. How quickly you may need replacement depends on the charging cycle. You have to consider the replacement cost while budgeting for buying a new car as it may make up 10 -30% of the total car cost.
4. Service infrastructure:
The Engine of an EV is very different from regular ICE cars & so does its battery system. So pick a brand that has established a wide service network or provides roadside assistance as regular car mechanics may not be able to service Electric cars.
5. Software Support & update:
Like our phones our upgraded with rapidly changing technology, so be it for cars. Even Cars are getting regular software updates to provide a seamless experience to riders. Do check how frequent the updates are & if these are lifetime free or sold with AMC packages. In such a case, you have to add this cost to your budgeting.
Other important parameters include Govt incentive calculation, Insurance support, and Exchange offer for existing used cars.
Why you must opt for an Electric car or a Hybrid vehicle?
Going green is not an option anymore & there is no Planet B to go to. We must act responsibly and ensure every step we take is helping in the healing of our mother earth. We have made our switch to Electric car & even installed a Solar system to generate clean electricity to charge the car. This way we can enjoy our road trips responsibly, as we still have a lot to cover on our bucket list.
For our readers too, we hope you too make the switch soon. Feel free to write if you have any questions related to Electric cars or Car Budgeting and we would be happy to help.
Love,
Jhilmil
