Last year, over 200,000 electrically powered vehicles were purchased in the United States of America, and most consumers give one simple explanation for making the switch from gasoline powered cars; money.
Though electric cars can have a slightly higher sticker price than their internal combustion engine counterparts, they can offer drivers huge savings on fuel costs and maintenance. As vehicle charging stations have become more numerous, and home vehicle charging options have gotten better than simply sticking a plug in an outlet, electric vehicles have become more and more popular with consumers.
Here we are going to look at some of the ways that drivers are saving money by using electric cars, and how you can join in and start saving yourself some money too.
At a Cost-Per-Mile, Gas-Guzzlers Cannot Compete
The biggest saving that drivers of an electric car make is on the cost of fuel per mile. Even the most frugal internal combustion engines cannot begin to compete with fuel efficient electric vehicles.
Some electric car manufacturers offer free charging for their vehicles at selected charging stations, so gas powered cars have no chance to match those savings, but even electric vehicles that are charged at home or at charging stations that require payment offer drastically lower fuel costs. For electric vehicles, the cost per mile is often measured in cents, not dollars.
Less Maintenance, Fewer Trips to the Mechanic
Another area that driving an electric car can save you money over a regular gas-guzzler is in the cost of regular maintenance and trips to your mechanic.
The internal combustion engine is incredibly complex with hundreds of moving parts that require adequate lubrication, and the fuels and oils it uses need topping up and fresh filters. The drivetrain that powers electric vehicles couldn’t be more different, with most electric motors only having one moving part. This drastically reduces maintenance costs, and the possibility that one small part will fail on your car and keep you stuck indoors while a mechanic fixes your engine.
You Can Generate Your Own Electricity at Home
Imagine if you owned an oilfield. You would be much less concerned about the cost of fuel if you could just fill up your own car from your own supply of gasoline.
Many owners of electric cars are doing something similar to this by generating and storing their own electricity at home with solar or wind power and home battery packs. This electricity is essentially free, after the cost of the equipment, saving owners of electric cars even more money.
Some electricity suppliers will even offer their customers discounted electricity rates when it is used to recharge electric vehicles, saving them even more money.
The price of gasoline is constantly increasing, as well as the cost to the environment that gas-guzzling, carbon-emitting cars produce. When you take a look at all the savings that driving an electric car has to offer, as well as the environmental benefits, it is easy to see why hundreds of thousands of American drivers are now making the switch to electric vehicles.
