Electric Cars: Benefits Of Electric Driving: Top 5

Electric Cars: The Basics

For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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For those new to electric vehicles (EVs), we would suggest a read of the different types of EVs on the e-zoomed Electric Living Blog. Though, there are a few types of electric vehicles, this article focuses on the benefits of driving pure electric cars, also known as battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

tesla model 3 — **Ashvin Suri, Founder e-zoomed With A Tesla Model 3 Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV)**

Benefits Of BEVs: Top 5

Advantages Of Electric Cars
Zero-tailpipe emissions	Unlike conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) petrol and diesel vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), a BEV has no tailpipe emissions. In fact, a pure electric car, like the best-selling Tesla Model 3, does not have a tailpipe (exhaust). Zero-tailpipe emission electric cars help improve local air quality, a significant benefit for all, given the continued increase in air pollution and related illness, in Ireland and globally.
Lower cost of driving per kilometre	Indeed, saving money is another key advantage of electric driving. For a start, recharging an EV battery is substantially lower than filling a full tank of petrol or diesel. In Ireland, the average cost of household electricity is 23.97 cents/kWh. If we assume 64 kWh as an average size of an EV battery, the cost of charging 0% – 100% is €15.34. In comparison, given the current fuel prices in Ireland, the cost of a full tank of petrol or diesel, is closer to€100, if note more, for some cars. We have already witnessed a substantial increase in petrol prices, over the past few years and this is only set to continue to increase. Yes, it is true that energy prices are also on the increase, but despite the energy cost inflation, charging an EV, like the all-electric Nissan Leaf, is substantially cheaper than filling a tank of fuel. Moreover, given the costs of recharging Vs refuelling, the running cost per kilometre is substantially lower for a BEV compared to a petrol/ diesel car. As an average, the driving cost per kilometre for a BEV is€0.05 cents, compared to €0.15 cents for an internal combustion engine vehicle. A significant difference and saving!
Lower maintenance costs	How often have we had to fork out for unanticipated costs, for the maintenance of a petrol/ diesel car! A battery-electric vehicle has far fewer moving parts compared to an ICE vehicle. The fewer moving parts result in a lower the maintenance burden of the vehicle i.e. lower maintenance costs!
Lower noise pollution	Though not highlighted as often as air pollution, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), noise pollution is just as harmful as air pollution. Densely congested cities, with significant increase in road traffic have resulted in harmful level of noise pollution, as a result of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Urban noise pollution increases the risk of psychological, cardiovascular and other health disorders. Electric cars are silent vehicles, as the onboard battery and electric motor used to propel the EV do not make any noise. In fact, most EVs have an ‘artificial noise generator’ to warn pedestrians, that an EV is in operation. The recommend noise levels of a city are 68 db or below. Traffic noise is typically 85 db.
Convenience of home charging	Though public EV charging infrastructure is debated significantly, most EVs are charged at home. In fact, nearly up to 80% of EV charging is done at home (usually overnight). Plugging an EV to charge is really quite as simple as charging a smartphone. Most EV owners plug the electric car to charge on their return from work and start the following day with a fully charged EV. So no more inconvenient trips to the petrol station! Of course, when driving long distances an EV will need to be charged at a public charging station.

Apart from the above, there are numerous other benefits to driving an electric car, to include: government subsidies, lower taxes, free parking, smoother drive, instant torque and more!

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