EV Pros and Cons
Obviously, we here at EV Resource prefer electric vehicles, but we want to give you an honest and fair idea of what you’re getting into. So here, we’ll give you a quick rundown of the pros and cons of EV ownership compared to gas or diesel vehicles.
First let's start with the Pros: Where EVs Are Better
Efficiency
EVs are much more energy efficient. The reason for this is that they do not lose as much energy between the source (battery) and the wheels. Here’s a flowchart by the US Department of Energy showing us where the energy in a gas vehicle goes:
EVs are much more energy efficient. The reason for this is that they do not lose as much energy between the source (battery) and the wheels. Here’s a flowchart by the US Department of Energy showing us where the energy in a gas vehicle goes:
Right from the beginning, a gas or diesel engine wastes 75-80% of the fuel. All of that lost energy is converted to waste heat, and is expelled through the radiator and the exhaust. Even the most efficient combustion vehicles still waste more than half of their energy this way.
EVs solve many of the efficiency problems shown in the flowchart. Electric motors don’t have to keep spinning to stay “turned on”, so there are no standby losses from idling. Drivetrains are simpler, and thus have less loss as well. Braking losses aren’t eliminated entirely, but are greatly improved by regenerative braking and so on.
Bottom line: EVs waste far less energy than vehicles powered by fossil fuels.
Performance, Especially At Lower Speeds
EVs are capable of significant acceleration because electric motors give full power from zero RPM, right from the beginning. There’s no need to wait for a turbocharger to “spool up”, or for the engine to get to the point where it makes peak power. The torque is instant, and stays at maximum until anywhere from 30-60 MPH, depending on the model. With superior acceleration, it’s no surprise that the fastest accelerating vehicles on the road are driven by electric motors.
Other performance advantages include improved handling due to a lower center of gravity (because battery packs are usually placed low in the car), and no power loss during shifts (because most EVs have only one gear). Braking is often improved as well, because the normal brakes work together with regenerative braking.
EVs solve many of the efficiency problems shown in the flowchart. Electric motors don’t have to keep spinning to stay “turned on”, so there are no standby losses from idling. Drivetrains are simpler, and thus have less loss as well. Braking losses aren’t eliminated entirely, but are greatly improved by regenerative braking and so on.
Bottom line: EVs waste far less energy than vehicles powered by fossil fuels.
Performance, Especially At Lower Speeds
EVs are capable of significant acceleration because electric motors give full power from zero RPM, right from the beginning. There’s no need to wait for a turbocharger to “spool up”, or for the engine to get to the point where it makes peak power. The torque is instant, and stays at maximum until anywhere from 30-60 MPH, depending on the model. With superior acceleration, it’s no surprise that the fastest accelerating vehicles on the road are driven by electric motors.
Other performance advantages include improved handling due to a lower center of gravity (because battery packs are usually placed low in the car), and no power loss during shifts (because most EVs have only one gear). Braking is often improved as well, because the normal brakes work together with regenerative braking.
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Lower Cost of ownership and nearly maintenance free
Because EVs are so energy efficient, and because electricity tends to be a lot cheaper than gas per mile driven, fuel costs are far lower. Depending on the electricity and gas costs in your area, and how much free charging is available to you, the cost can be anywhere from ⅓ the cost of gas to the infinitely cheaper price of $0.00 per mile. The other cost advantage to EVs is how simple they are. They don’t need oil changes, tune-ups, and often don’t need transmission service. There are no timing belts, spark plugs, and many other items to worry about at all! EVs also tend to be far more durable, which means they could last hundreds of thousands of miles before needing a major repair. |
Image: The official service and maintenance schedule for a 2016 Chevy Spark EV
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Smooth and Quiet Operation
One thing people tend to love about their EVs is how smooth and quiet they are.
With so few moving parts, electric motors don’t put out much vibration at all. They don’t jostle you around with shifting gears. When sitting still, there’s no idling engine, so the EV just sits quietly.
Noise is also not a problem. Electric motors aren’t 100% quiet, but the whirring and whinining noises they do make are far quieter than the humming, buzzing, and growling sounds you get from a gas or diesel engine. Plus, with no exhaust, there’s no extra noise coming from the back of an electric vehicle.
Emissions/Environment
Finally, the car doesn’t emit any emissions directly.
For yourself personally, there’s no smell of gas or exhaust. There’s no poisonous fumes. Having an EV turned on in a garage isn’t going to hurt anybody. The car doesn’t emit hydrocarbons, ozone-causing chemicals, and doesn’t directly contribute to climate change with carbon emissions.
Yes, EVs do indirectly contribute to pollution and climate change in most cases. It depends on where they get their power from. If run exclusively on renewable energy, the vehicle’s only impact will be from the building of the vehicle and the renewable energy devices (solar panels, wind turbines, etc).
There is some controversy about the overall impact of EVs, but they are cleaner over the lifetime of the vehicle than gas or diesel. You can read more about this in some of our other pages.
One thing people tend to love about their EVs is how smooth and quiet they are.
With so few moving parts, electric motors don’t put out much vibration at all. They don’t jostle you around with shifting gears. When sitting still, there’s no idling engine, so the EV just sits quietly.
Noise is also not a problem. Electric motors aren’t 100% quiet, but the whirring and whinining noises they do make are far quieter than the humming, buzzing, and growling sounds you get from a gas or diesel engine. Plus, with no exhaust, there’s no extra noise coming from the back of an electric vehicle.
Emissions/Environment
Finally, the car doesn’t emit any emissions directly.
For yourself personally, there’s no smell of gas or exhaust. There’s no poisonous fumes. Having an EV turned on in a garage isn’t going to hurt anybody. The car doesn’t emit hydrocarbons, ozone-causing chemicals, and doesn’t directly contribute to climate change with carbon emissions.
Yes, EVs do indirectly contribute to pollution and climate change in most cases. It depends on where they get their power from. If run exclusively on renewable energy, the vehicle’s only impact will be from the building of the vehicle and the renewable energy devices (solar panels, wind turbines, etc).
There is some controversy about the overall impact of EVs, but they are cleaner over the lifetime of the vehicle than gas or diesel. You can read more about this in some of our other pages.
The Cons: Where Gas and Diesel Do Better
There are two important reasons to cover these downsides to EVs. Not only is it the fair and honest thing to do, but we don’t want our readers to buy an EV and find any disappointment after the fact. We want you to have all of the facts so you can make an informed decision.
Range
The biggest downside to EVs is range. While the newest, top-of-the-line EVs can go almost 400 miles on a full charge, most cannot go that far. Ranges from 150-250 miles (under ideal conditions) are more common. For most people, this more than covers their typical daily driving needs, and covers most every unusual daily need to drive.
Unfortunately, road trips are another matter. Having to make more frequent stops to charge up can add a lot of time to trips depending on the vehicle. This is something that is improving with newer EVs.
Charging Time
For most people’s daily needs, even slower charging isn’t a problem–provided you are able to charge at home. You take 10 seconds plugging the car in when you get home, and 10 seconds unplugging it before you leave. Yes, it can take 4-10 hours to get a full charge from empty, but that can happen while you sleep and relax at home. You start every day with a “full tank” without ever going to the gas station.
If you can’t charge your EV at home on 240 volts, you don’t get the benefit of a fully charged battery, though. People living in apartments or other places where you aren’t allowed to install a 240 volt charging station should think before buying an EV unless other charging is readily available near your home or workplace.
For longer trips (or unexpected local driving), there’s rapid charging. DCFC stations aren’t as fast as filling your tank though. The newest vehicles on the best stations can add a pretty good charge in 20 minutes, but for most vehicles today it’s more like 30-60 minutes. That’s better than home charging (20-60 minutes vs 4-12 hours), but can add a lot of time to road trips.
For this reason, many people who own an EV have a second gas vehicle or a PHEV they can use for situations where the EV’s range and charging speed is inconvenient.
Range
The biggest downside to EVs is range. While the newest, top-of-the-line EVs can go almost 400 miles on a full charge, most cannot go that far. Ranges from 150-250 miles (under ideal conditions) are more common. For most people, this more than covers their typical daily driving needs, and covers most every unusual daily need to drive.
Unfortunately, road trips are another matter. Having to make more frequent stops to charge up can add a lot of time to trips depending on the vehicle. This is something that is improving with newer EVs.
Charging Time
For most people’s daily needs, even slower charging isn’t a problem–provided you are able to charge at home. You take 10 seconds plugging the car in when you get home, and 10 seconds unplugging it before you leave. Yes, it can take 4-10 hours to get a full charge from empty, but that can happen while you sleep and relax at home. You start every day with a “full tank” without ever going to the gas station.
If you can’t charge your EV at home on 240 volts, you don’t get the benefit of a fully charged battery, though. People living in apartments or other places where you aren’t allowed to install a 240 volt charging station should think before buying an EV unless other charging is readily available near your home or workplace.
For longer trips (or unexpected local driving), there’s rapid charging. DCFC stations aren’t as fast as filling your tank though. The newest vehicles on the best stations can add a pretty good charge in 20 minutes, but for most vehicles today it’s more like 30-60 minutes. That’s better than home charging (20-60 minutes vs 4-12 hours), but can add a lot of time to road trips.
For this reason, many people who own an EV have a second gas vehicle or a PHEV they can use for situations where the EV’s range and charging speed is inconvenient.
