I had bought myself an electric scooter over 12 years ago. This was at a time when there were severe fuel shortages and fuel pumps bore a derelict look. I still have that electric scooter and use it several times a week. I have replaced the battery four times in this time. There are several reasons I would recommend an electric vehicle, but would point out several shortcomings of EVs as well.
EVs are zero-emission vehicles. Since they are battery-operated, there is no combustion and no pollution. So EVs could be said to be better for the environment. They can also be economical to use since the plugging in and charging the battery is cheaper than using petrol or diesel for the car.
There are no moving parts, so little is required in the way of maintenance, services and so on. Since they are battery-operated, there is very little noise and vibration, which are a surprisingly big part of driving fatigue.
Electric vehicles have come a long way since my humble scooter purchase which had a range of about 40 km on a full charge. Back in the day, all we had were a few excruciatingly slow scooters (only a couple of models could go over 40kmph) and the tiny, cramped-looking Reva. There was little one could use an EV for except a short office commute and running errands and so on.
Now we see many more EVs on the roads: scooters, cars and e-rickshaws as well. We now have cars such as the Mahindra e2oPlus, Mahindra e-Verito, Tata Nexon EV, Tata Tigor EV, MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona Electric and others. These cars have a range of just over a hundred km range to over 400 km ranges along with fast charging options. Now EVs have gone beyond just the office commute. With longer ranges and big boot spaces, they now let you travel out of town as well.
EVs used to be funny-looking earlier but now are attractive and thoughtfully designed cars. Many governments encourage the use of EVs and may offer tax-relief or other incentives from time to time.
EVs are not a new phenomenon. They have been around for a long time; the first-ever EV was built in 1884. However, the concept never really caught on, chiefly because of the limited range of an electric-powered vehicle before it needed a recharge. This remains the main drawback of EVs.
While the newer improved electric cars can have a range of several hundred km, this is still not enough for a long road trip. Though these cars now come with a quick-charge option (about an hour or so), a full charge still requires 6 to 8 hours. A power failure can strand you literally in the middle of nowhere. And it's not as if you can walk to a fuel pump and walk back with a can of fuel to get your car to move.
Staying in an apartment may present obvious problems for charging a vehicle parked on the ground floor or basement while one lives on the higher floors. Charging stations may not be available elsewhere such as in offices either.
Then there is the fact that while EVs don’t use fuel like other cars they do use electricity. If the electricity is produced in coal-based plants, this adds to the pollution anyway. Plus there is the problem of replacing batteries – this can be a significant expenditure. What you save on petrol/ diesel, you may end up paying when buying a new battery for the EV. And then there is the question of the safe disposal of exhausted batteries – they can end up in landfills and create more pollution.
As of now, the options are few. While there is a mindboggling variety available in every auto-segment, EV options can be counted on one's fingers. So while electric vehicles are a good option for some of us, they are not without their limitations.
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