Electric Car vs. Gas Car

There are five main points that contribute to an electric car or a regular gas engine car. Having a car is among the most essential needs for most families to solve. However, the main question remains: what type of car should I choose? Vehicles can be categorized into two main classes: electric and gasoline cars, both of which have their particular pros and cons.

Comfort

Most families use cars daily, meaning they have to maintain their cars in working order. Cars require some source of energy for them to work, and it can come from either a fossil fuel or electric power. Gasoline happens to be one of the readily available sources of power, although it is quite expensive compared to electricity. On the other hand, though electric power is almost available everywhere, it is not accessible for vehicles in all places. It is very necessary to have a place to recharge the electric vehicle batteries as this can be time-consuming. Many areas like malls, supermarkets, universities, etc. provide electric stations in their parking lots to recharge the electric cars. It can be comfortable for many people to recharge their vehicles in public places, but recharging the car in a private garage is most convenient. Having a private garage with easy access to electricity plugs provides a good environment to have a comfortable and affordable position to choose an electric vehicle.

Financial affordability

Financial affordability is one of the most important factors that a majority of consumers consider when choosing a vehicle. While governments allocate several types of grants or financial aids to buy electric cars, still electrical car price tags are more than similar class gas engine cars. Several factors contribute to making a vehicle more affordable. The cost of energy is a considerable part of running a vehicle. Usually, the cost of gasoline is higher than electricity, but it costs more to purchase or rent electric cars. So, it will be necessary to know how much consumers use their vehicles daily since the cost of energy can change the equation. Having an electric car has financial benefit if the consumers drive their vehicles more frequently than just a regular mileage usage. On the other hand, having gas engine vehicles can be a good economical option for many people who use vehicles infrequently. Other factors contribute to the cost of running a car, such as maintenance.

Example:

Electric Vehicle:

Monthly cost of lease/finance after using government grants and aids: $650 USD / $925 CAD

Gas engine vehicle:

Monthly cost of lease/finance: $400 USD / $575 CAD

Cost of electricity: Free

Price of regular gas: $2.50 USD per gallon / 0.90 CAD per litter

Millage drive per month:

A- 1000 miles / 1600 kilometers

B- 3000 miles / 4800 kilometers

Cost of gas: assume that car use 10 liters in 100 kilometers

A- Cost of gas for 1000 miles / 1600 Kilometers drive is: $101.38 USD / 144 CAD

B- Cost of gas for 3000 miles / 4800 kilometers drive is: $304.15 USD / 432 CAD

Compare total costs:

Cost of electric car per month is: 650 USD / 925 CAD

Cost of gas engine per month is:

A- Total cost for 1000 miles / 1600 kilometer:

$400 USD / 575 CAD + 101.38 USD / 144 CAD = 501.38 USD / 719 CAD

B- Total cost for 3000 miles / 4800 kilometers:

$400 USD / 575 CAD + 304.15 USD / 432 CAD = 704.15 USD / 1007 CAD

Result:

A- It is more economical to drive gas engine vehicle

B- It is more economical to drive electric vehicle

*Other cost such as cost of maintenance should be added to have accurate number.

Maintenance

Maintenance and the cost of maintenance are other points that should put into consideration. Usually, electric cars need lower maintenance than gas engine cars. Maintenance can provide matters for the consumer, such as wasting time to repair the car and the cost of maintenance. Gasoline engine cars need more attention in general, so the consumer should expect to spend more time and money to maintain their vehicle. On the other hand, electric vehicles require lower maintenance, as an electric engine has a smaller number of moving parts such as pistons, gas pumps, timing belts, and the like. Another important factor that can be categorized under maintenance is reliability. Some companies that manufacture electric cars also make gas-powered vehicles; from their previous creations, some have had quite a remarkable level of reliability. The vast use of electric vehicles is relatively newer than that of gas engine cars; therefore, more inquiries need to implement to understand which cars have better reliability. Some of the sections that need to work on for electric vehicles are lifespan, capacity, and price of batteries.