Are EVs Cheaper to Drive Than Gas-Powered Cars?
For the people that are new here, I have been a lifelong petrolhead. Before I embarked on my journey as a writer, I was an automotive mechanic for almost 15 years. Throughout my career as a technician, I worked on thousands of different vehicles of all makes and models. I started my career modifying Hondas built in the 1990s. Through natural progression and a little blind luck, I spent the latter half of my time as a mechanic giving the same treatment to Porsches. So, it is fair to say I spent plenty of time worshipping at the altar of gasoline.
Now that you know I’m not some Elon Musk cultist (though I am a fan), I have a confession to make. Electric cars (EVs) are growing on me. I am old enough to remember when electric cars started hitting the streets in the early 2000s and, let me tell you, they were a joke. The top-selling electric car at the time was the pathetic G-wiz, which had a range that was so short that you could walk it. Even the king of EVs today, Tesla, was struggling to find their footing with its first car, the Roadster.
My newfound interest in electric vehicles stems from the fact that Mrs. Dude and I are in the market for a new car. Before our baby dude came into the picture, we were more than happy with our little Volkswagen hatchback. Now, with all the baby stuff, the Golf is feeling a little cramped.
Are EVs Cheaper to Drive Than Gas Powered Cars
Yes, it is cheaper to drive an EV after you get past the higher initial cost of buying the car. ON average, you will spend about half as much money charging your electric car as you would putting gas in a petrol-powered vehicle.
I’ve driven a number of electric cars in my time as a mechanic. The only one I’d buy myself is a Tesla. The other EV options feel slow and wet to drive. I’ve test-driven all of the Tesla models on the market. They are exponentially better than any of the other available electric vehicles out there.
That being said, Teslas are not feasible for every family. The Model 3 is the most affordable Tesla and it still costs around $50,000. I don’t know about you, but that is a lot to spend on a car. At the same time, folks with $100K or more to spend on their car can’t go wrong with the Tesla Model S. It is seriously one of the best full-size sedans you can buy right now.
Numbers aside, there are some downfalls to purchasing an EV. If you don’t have a garage to charge your car in overnight, it will suck big time. Only major cities have fast chargers and they still aren’t widely available. This has led to some EV car owners running out of battery power at inopportune times.
At the end of the day, I’m personally still not ready to make the switch from a traditional gas-powered car to an EV. As much as I like Teslas, I will still probably buy a turbocharged Audi station wagon.
The “most affordable Tesla” costs $50000 which is about the median household income in the nation.
And how much will the electricity cost to charge the car, especially if, like in CA, there is not enough electricity to go around?