The electric vehicle/car (EV) is a relatively new concept in the automotive industry. Although more and more companies have now based their entire model of cars around being proactively using electricity, it isn’t uncommon to find those that offer hybrid vehicles which work off both electricity and petrol. There are some that also use hydrogen as a power-source such as the award-winning Toyota Mirai.

An electric car such as the Tesla Model S Plaid (in the title graphic), is a great way for you to not only save money but also help contribute towards a healthy and stable environment. Cars produce a lot of carbon emissions that are ejected into our natural atmosphere, leaving us vulnerable to things like pollution and greenhouse gases. In order to positively help the environment we live in, an electric car is a great step forward.

Buying an electric car also enables you to receive government subsidies for being environmentally conscious. Although you may end up paying more for your vehicle, the positives greatly overshadow the negatives. These are the two sides to consider during the purchase of an electric vehicle.

EVs get their power from rechargeable batteries installed inside the car. These batteries are not only used to power the car but also used for the functioning of other parts of the car. Electric cars have more batteries than regular petrol/diesel engine cars. It’s the same kind of batteries that are commonly used when starting up an engine. The only difference comes in the fact that in electric vehicles, they have more of them which are used in powering up the entire vehicle.

Advantages of an Electric Car

An electric car can be a great way for you as a consumer to save a lot of money on fuel. However, there are so many different reasons why you should invest in an electric car in this modern-day age of technology. And with that, let’s take a look at some of them:

1. No fuel required

Electric cars are entirely charged by the electricity you provide, meaning you don’t need to buy any fuel ever again! Driving fuel-based cars can burn a hole in your pocket as prices of fuel have gone up to an all-time high (it’s even more painful for us that have crude oil, yet – paying through the nose for refined petroleum products).

An average car owner pays quite a lot to drive a fuel-powered vehicle, whereas many electric cars run on lesser amounts when all costs are factored in as electricity is largely less expensive than petrol. And if most people charge their cars in the garage installing a few solar panels, that price can get cut even further, offering savings on powering your entire home as well.

With electric cars, this cost of petrol each year can be avoided.

2. More convenient

An electric vehicle is easy to recharge, and the best part is you will no longer need to run to the fuel station to recharge your car before hitting the road! Even a normal household socket could be used for charging an electric car.

3. Savings

These cars can be fuelled for very low prices, and many new cars will offer great incentives for you to get money back from the government for going green. Electric cars can also be a great way to save money in your own life.

4. No emissions

The biggest advantage of an electric vehicle is its green credential. Electric cars are eco-friendly as they run on electrically powered engines. They do not emit toxic gases or smoke into the environment as it runs on a clean energy source. They are even better than hybrid cars as hybrids running partly on fuel produce emissions. You’ll be contributing to a healthy and green climate.

5. Popularity

EVs are growing in popularity. It is nearly three times as efficient as a car with an internal combustion engine, therefore – owning one offers a lot more ‘efficiency”. With popularity comes all new types of cars being put on the market that are unique, providing you with a wealth of choices moving forward.

6. Safe to drive

Electric cars undergo the same fitness and procedures test as other fuel-powered cars. An electric car is safer to use, given their lower centre of gravity, which makes them much more stable on the road in case of a collision.

In case an accident occurs, one can expect airbags to open up, and electricity supply cut from the battery.

This can protect you and other passengers in the car from serious injuries. They are even less likely to explode in the absence of any combustible fuel or gas. Albeit we’ll need a different method to put out fires from EVs due to cell arrangement as it can still get hot, leading to another fire erupting days later as experienced with the few EVs that have been involved in crashes. Worthy of note.

7. Cost-effective

Earlier, owning an electric car would cost a bomb. But with more technological advancements, both cost and maintenance have gone down.

The mass production of batteries and available tax incentives further brought down the cost, thus, making it much more cost-effective to purchase and own one.

8. Low maintenance

Electric cars run on electrically powered engines, hence, there is no need to lubricate the engines, anything related to the combustion engine requires a ton of maintenance tasks that are usually associated with a petrol- or diesel-powered engine.

Other expensive engine work is a thing of the past when dealing with EVs. Therefore, the maintenance cost of these cars have come down substantially. You don’t need to send it to the service station as often as you do for a standard fuel-powered car.

9. Reduced noise pollution

Electric cars put a curb on noise pollution as they are much quieter. Electric motors are capable of providing a smooth drive with higher acceleration over longer distances. But as with all things in life, every solution creates more problems. The “lack” of noise has created its own special problem since pedestrians (who are now more distracted than they’ve ever been in history thanks to mobile phones and headsets) crossing can’t hear an oncoming EV leading the governments in these countries to enact new laws that require EVs to play sounds as they drive. Funny, isn’t it?

10. Battery life and cost

Batteries are an integral part of an electric vehicle. Most electric vehicle batteries are made up of lithium, and their costs are improving every year.

The full capacity of a lithium-ion battery cell should be good for 300 to 500 cycles. A good battery could last you up to ten years. And with improving technologies, the cost of these batteries is expected to come down even further.

11. Easy driving

In the world of automobiles, electric cars have the simplest driving method. Commercial electric cars come with a transmission comprising of only one really long gear, and also don’t suffer from the stalling problem as petrol cars do.

This effectively eliminates the need to add a clutch mechanism to prevent that from happening. Therefore, you can operate an electric car with just the accelerator pedal, brake pedal and steering wheel.

Another really useful feature is regenerative braking. In normal cars, the braking process is a total wastage of kinetic energy that gets released as frictional heat. However, in an electric vehicle, the same energy can be used to charge the batteries.

Considering the demand for oil will only be going up as the supplies run out, an electric car will most likely be the normal mode of transportation in the coming future. Companies like Tesla, Nissan and Hyundai offer great electric models with an outstanding number of benefits for people who decide to invest in them. You’ll be saving not only yourself but also your family a huge amount of money.

The environmental impact of an electric car is zero, meaning you’re reducing your carbon footprint and positively affecting the environment.

Although evidence of the positives have become very clear, there are also some downsides that each individual needs to consider before they decide to make an electric car their next big investment.

Disadvantages of an Electric Car include:

1. Recharge points

Electric recharging stations are still in the developmental stage. Not a lot of places you go to on a daily basis will have recharge stations for your vehicle, meaning that if you’re on a long trip or decide to visit family in a rural or suburban area and run out of charge, it may be harder to find a charging station. You might become stuck where you are.

However, until charging stations are more widespread, be sure to have a charging station installed where you live and where you so that you’re assured you’ll be able to charge your EV whenever you need to.

2. The initial investment is steep

As EVs are very new, you may be surprised when you take a look at the price for EVs. Even the more affordable brands can be quite expensive as its starting price. And if you’re looking for a luxury option, you’ll definitely be paying even more. Although technology is advancing and the price to produce electric cars continues to drop, you still have to pay slightly more for an EV than for a fuel-powered car.

3. Electricity isn’t free

Electric cars can also be a hassle on your energy bill if you’re not considering the options carefully. If you haven’t done your research into the electric car you want to purchase, then you may be making an unwise investment. We’ve all seen our people online tease the very few owners of Teslas’ in Naija that they’ll still have to turn on their diesel generators when they get home to charge their cars thereby defeating the entire aim of owning an EV.

Also, electric cars require a huge charge to function properly – which may reflect poorly on your electricity bill each month when you do use the services of an electricity provider. Which is why the best setup for now is to have your own source to derive electricity for charging of your EV(s), and there’s quite a plethora of alternatives that can be explored out there.

4. Short driving range and speed

Electric cars are limited by range and speed. Most of these cars have a limited range before they need to be recharged again. You just can’t use them for long journeys as of now, although it is expected to improve in the future. As matter of fact, from various surveys conducted in North America and in Europe – “Range Anxiety” as it has now been termed, is the biggest impediment to owning an EV for prospective buyers. However, as technology keeps on advancing, we’ll be sure to see improvements on all fronts.

5. Longer recharge time

While it only takes a couple of minutes to fuel your petrol-powered car, an electric car can take several hours to get fully charged. Therefore, you need dedicated power stations as the time taken to recharge them is quite long. Thus, the time investment and necessary planning puts some people off.

There are some specialised kits however, that can cut the charging time down. But again, that’s going to be an additional investment. So, consider that too. Also, as stated previously – with improvement in technology, the charging time will inevitably be cut short in future.

6. Silence as a disadvantage

Silence can be a bit disadvantage as people like to hear the noise if they are coming from behind them. An electric car is rather silent, and this can lead to accidents in some cases as mentioned before.

7. Battery replacement

Depending on the type and usage of battery, batteries of almost all electric cars are required to be changed every 3-10 years and this can be extremely costly when the time comes. As a matter of fact, a man from Finland was told an outrageous amount to change his Tesla batteries and out of anger he opted to purchase some dynamite then proceeded to blow the vehicle up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp0tGI1KUVU

8. Not suitable for cities facing shortage of power

As electric cars need the power to charge up, the cities (we all know of a certain supposedly overpopulated “modern” city at the heart of Western Africa *winks) that are already facing acute power shortages are not suitable for electric cars. And the consumption of more power would greatly hamper their daily power needs.

9. Lower amount of choices

The market today for electric cars is expanding, with no signs of slowing down. However, the truth is that there are still fewer options to customise and choose from when it comes to EV as at this moment.

At the same time, there exists a vast amount of customisation that is already available with traditional cars. This is likely to change over time, but for many people this is going to be a disadvantage.

10. Minimal amount of pollution

Electric vehicles are also not 100% emission-free; they cause a little amount of pollution indirectly. The batteries and electricity needed for charging are not necessarily generated from renewable energy sources. Don’t even get me started on the numerous problems the mining of Lithium Ore, Nickel and Cobalt, which are the major components of an EV’s battery – creates on a daily basis especially in countries like Congo where its far-reaching devastating effect is being felt, but little to none of the humongous EV wealth being generated is.

It is also worth noting that some governments do not provide any form of money saving initiative to encourage you to buy an electric car. And just because there is a variety of factors doesn’t mean they have to be overwhelming. Doing a fair bit of research into different models, and maybe even hybrids will help you make an accurate decision moving forward. Thanks for reading.

https://autohub.ng/blog/pros-and-cons-of-electric-vehicles/

Electric cars are good but wey the electric power to charge it in Naija? This one power grid dey collapse like naira up and down,how we want take charge am ? Electricity tarriff nko? We never ready Sha .

If your electric vehicle runs out of battery power in a rural village you will understand what it means to be fully stranded

Nigeria better get your acts together before full adoption of this technology

ELON NA PLUTO BOI

The wahala of EVs it too much abeg

They are expensive

I was in London last week and it seems half of the city vehicles are running on electric or hybrid. All the Ubers and Taxis I got on where either full electric or hybrid.

I hear that their batteries last up to 10 years and the replacements are very expensive (atleast for now). Hopefully they become cheaper as time goes by and as they become more popular.

Electric vehicles have speed and tremendous acceleration. I know because i drive one!

AutoHubNG:
The electric vehicle/car (EV) is a relatively new concept in the automotive industry. Although more and more companies have now based their entire model of cars around being proactively using electricity, it isn’t uncommon to find those that offer hybrid vehicles which work off both electricity and petrol. There are some that also use hydrogen as a power-source such as the award-winning Toyota Mirai.

An electric car such as the Tesla Model S Plaid (in the title graphic), is a great way for you to not only save money but also help contribute towards a healthy and stable environment. Cars produce a lot of carbon emissions that are ejected into our natural atmosphere, leaving us vulnerable to things like pollution and greenhouse gases. In order to positively help the environment we live in, an electric car is a great step forward.

Buying an electric car also enables you to receive government subsidies for being environmentally conscious. Although you may end up paying more for your vehicle, the positives greatly overshadow the negatives. These are the two sides to consider during the purchase of an electric vehicle.

EVs get their power from rechargeable batteries installed inside the car. These batteries are not only used to power the car but also used for the functioning of other parts of the car. Electric cars have more batteries than regular petrol/diesel engine cars. It’s the same kind of batteries that are commonly used when starting up an engine. The only difference comes in the fact that in electric vehicles, they have more of them which are used in powering up the entire vehicle.

Advantages of an Electric Car

An electric car can be a great way for you as a consumer to save a lot of money on fuel. However, there are so many different reasons why you should invest in an electric car in this modern-day age of technology. And with that, let’s take a look at some of them:

1. No fuel required

Electric cars are entirely charged by the electricity you provide, meaning you don’t need to buy any fuel ever again! Driving fuel-based cars can burn a hole in your pocket as prices of fuel have gone up to an all-time high (it’s even more painful for us that have crude oil, yet – paying through the nose for refined petroleum products).

An average car owner pays quite a lot to drive a fuel-powered vehicle, whereas many electric cars run on lesser amounts when all costs are factored in as electricity is largely less expensive than petrol. And if most people charge their cars in the garage installing a few solar panels, that price can get cut even further, offering savings on powering your entire home as well.

With electric cars, this cost of petrol each year can be avoided.

2. More convenient

An electric vehicle is easy to recharge, and the best part is you will no longer need to run to the fuel station to recharge your car before hitting the road! Even a normal household socket could be used for charging an electric car.

3. Savings

These cars can be fuelled for very low prices, and many new cars will offer great incentives for you to get money back from the government for going green. Electric cars can also be a great way to save money in your own life.

4. No emissions

The biggest advantage of an electric vehicle is its green credential. Electric cars are eco-friendly as they run on electrically powered engines. They do not emit toxic gases or smoke into the environment as it runs on a clean energy source. They are even better than hybrid cars as hybrids running partly on fuel produce emissions. You’ll be contributing to a healthy and green climate.

5. Popularity

EVs are growing in popularity. It is nearly three times as efficient as a car with an internal combustion engine, therefore – owning one offers a lot more ‘efficiency”. With popularity comes all new types of cars being put on the market that are unique, providing you with a wealth of choices moving forward.

6. Safe to drive

Electric cars undergo the same fitness and procedures test as other fuel-powered cars. An electric car is safer to use, given their lower centre of gravity, which makes them much more stable on the road in case of a collision.

In case an accident occurs, one can expect airbags to open up, and electricity supply cut from the battery.

This can protect you and other passengers in the car from serious injuries. They are even less likely to explode in the absence of any combustible fuel or gas. Albeit we’ll need a different method to put out fires from EVs due to cell arrangement as it can still get hot, leading to another fire erupting days later as experienced with the few EVs that have been involved in crashes. Worthy of note.

7. Cost-effective

Earlier, owning an electric car would cost a bomb. But with more technological advancements, both cost and maintenance have gone down.

The mass production of batteries and available tax incentives further brought down the cost, thus, making it much more cost-effective to purchase and own one.

8. Low maintenance

Electric cars run on electrically powered engines, hence, there is no need to lubricate the engines, anything related to the combustion engine requires a ton of maintenance tasks that are usually associated with a petrol- or diesel-powered engine.

Other expensive engine work is a thing of the past when dealing with EVs. Therefore, the maintenance cost of these cars have come down substantially. You don’t need to send it to the service station as often as you do for a standard fuel-powered car.

9. Reduced noise pollution

Electric cars put a curb on noise pollution as they are much quieter. Electric motors are capable of providing a smooth drive with higher acceleration over longer distances. But as with all things in life, every solution creates more problems. The “lack” of noise has created its own special problem since pedestrians (who are now more distracted than they’ve ever been in history thanks to mobile phones and headsets) crossing can’t hear an oncoming EV leading the governments in these countries to enact new laws that require EVs to play sounds as they drive. Funny, isn’t it?

10. Battery life and cost

Batteries are an integral part of an electric vehicle. Most electric vehicle batteries are made up of lithium, and their costs are improving every year.

The full capacity of a lithium-ion battery cell should be good for 300 to 500 cycles. A good battery could last you up to ten years. And with improving technologies, the cost of these batteries is expected to come down even further.

11. Easy driving

In the world of automobiles, electric cars have the simplest driving method. Commercial electric cars come with a transmission comprising of only one really long gear, and also don’t suffer from the stalling problem as petrol cars do.

This effectively eliminates the need to add a clutch mechanism to prevent that from happening. Therefore, you can operate an electric car with just the accelerator pedal, brake pedal and steering wheel.

Another really useful feature is regenerative braking. In normal cars, the braking process is a total wastage of kinetic energy that gets released as frictional heat. However, in an electric vehicle, the same energy can be used to charge the batteries.

Considering the demand for oil will only be going up as the supplies run out, an electric car will most likely be the normal mode of transportation in the coming future. Companies like Tesla, Nissan and Hyundai offer great electric models with an outstanding number of benefits for people who decide to invest in them. You’ll be saving not only yourself but also your family a huge amount of money.

The environmental impact of an electric car is zero, meaning you’re reducing your carbon footprint and positively affecting the environment.

Although evidence of the positives have become very clear, there are also some downsides that each individual needs to consider before they decide to make an electric car their next big investment.

Disadvantages of an Electric Car include:

1. Recharge points

Electric recharging stations are still in the developmental stage. Not a lot of places you go to on a daily basis will have recharge stations for your vehicle, meaning that if you’re on a long trip or decide to visit family in a rural or suburban area and run out of charge, it may be harder to find a charging station. You might become stuck where you are.

However, until charging stations are more widespread, be sure to have a charging station installed where you live and where you so that you’re assured you’ll be able to charge your EV whenever you need to.

2. The initial investment is steep

As EVs are very new, you may be surprised when you take a look at the price for EVs. Even the more affordable brands can be quite expensive as its starting price. And if you’re looking for a luxury option, you’ll definitely be paying even more. Although technology is advancing and the price to produce electric cars continues to drop, you still have to pay slightly more for an EV than for a fuel-powered car.

3. Electricity isn’t free

Electric cars can also be a hassle on your energy bill if you’re not considering the options carefully. If you haven’t done your research into the electric car you want to purchase, then you may be making an unwise investment. We’ve all seen our people online tease the very few owners of Teslas’ in Naija that they’ll still have to turn on their diesel generators when they get home to charge their cars thereby defeating the entire aim of owning an EV.

Also, electric cars require a huge charge to function properly – which may reflect poorly on your electricity bill each month when you do use the services of an electricity provider. Which is why the best setup for now is to have your own source to derive electricity for charging of your EV(s), and there’s quite a plethora of alternatives that can be explored out there.

4. Short driving range and speed

Electric cars are limited by range and speed. Most of these cars have a limited range before they need to be recharged again. You just can’t use them for long journeys as of now, although it is expected to improve in the future. As matter of fact, from various surveys conducted in North America and in Europe – “Range Anxiety” as it has now been termed, is the biggest impediment to owning an EV for prospective buyers. However, as technology keeps on advancing, we’ll be sure to see improvements on all fronts.

5. Longer recharge time

While it only takes a couple of minutes to fuel your petrol-powered car, an electric car can take several hours to get fully charged. Therefore, you need dedicated power stations as the time taken to recharge them is quite long. Thus, the time investment and necessary planning puts some people off.

There are some specialised kits however, that can cut the charging time down. But again, that’s going to be an additional investment. So, consider that too. Also, as stated previously – with improvement in technology, the charging time will inevitably be cut short in future.

6. Silence as a disadvantage

Silence can be a bit disadvantage as people like to hear the noise if they are coming from behind them. An electric car is rather silent, and this can lead to accidents in some cases as mentioned before.

7. Battery replacement

Depending on the type and usage of battery, batteries of almost all electric cars are required to be changed every 3-10 years and this can be extremely costly when the time comes. As a matter of fact, a man from Finland was told an outrageous amount to change his Tesla batteries and out of anger he opted to purchase some dynamite then proceeded to blow the vehicle up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp0tGI1KUVU

8. Not suitable for cities facing shortage of power

As electric cars need the power to charge up, the cities (we all know of a certain supposedly overpopulated “modern” city at the heart of Western Africa *winks) that are already facing acute power shortages are not suitable for electric cars. And the consumption of more power would greatly hamper their daily power needs.

9. Lower amount of choices

The market today for electric cars is expanding, with no signs of slowing down. However, the truth is that there are still fewer options to customise and choose from when it comes to EV as at this moment.

At the same time, there exists a vast amount of customisation that is already available with traditional cars. This is likely to change over time, but for many people this is going to be a disadvantage.

10. Minimal amount of pollution

Electric vehicles are also not 100% emission-free; they cause a little amount of pollution indirectly. The batteries and electricity needed for charging are not necessarily generated from renewable energy sources. Don’t even get me started on the numerous problems the mining of Lithium Ore, Nickel and Cobalt, which are the major components of an EV’s battery – creates on a daily basis especially in countries like Congo where its far-reaching devastating effect is being felt, but little to none of the humongous EV wealth being generated is.

It is also worth noting that some governments do not provide any form of money saving initiative to encourage you to buy an electric car. And just because there is a variety of factors doesn’t mean they have to be overwhelming. Doing a fair bit of research into different models, and maybe even hybrids will help you make an accurate decision moving forward. Thanks for reading.

https://autohub.ng/blog/pros-and-cons-of-electric-vehicles/

The most difficult thing with electric vehicles is the battery management system. The car needs a special type of fire extinguisher to put out fire because of the battery chemistry.

They are a great innovation
But we here in Nigeria, no almost half of Africa are not ready yet….that’s just it

ValarDoharis:
Electric vehicles have speed and tremendous acceleration. I know because i drive one!

Definitely not here in Nigeria

Attendance: Present ✔️
Lemme use this opportunity to pray for one....

If tesla cars for Nigeria no get their own power bank, then it's not needed here, we never change fone well finish na tesla car dem won introduce.

Misplaced priority.

What is the purpose of Electric vehicle? They said it will help to protect the environment.

Truth is, Climate Change is a big scam. I pity the sheeple blindly following all these woke/ liberal policies and agendas. The global temperature has been changing back and forth since the history of this planet. There's nothing strange about the current warming we're experiencing. Don't take my word for it, just research on it.

Your electric car is being charged by electricity generated from oil & gas. The interior of your electric car is made of plastics produced from oil and gas. Meaning you haven't yet avoided oil and gas.

If you have been brainwashed to accept electric cars in order to save the planet then you are the JOKE!

This idea will bring down

The demand for crude oil.

A good read. It will take some time for EV's to thrive in third world countries; Africa in particular.

8. Low maintenance

Electric cars run on electrically powered engines, hence, there is no need to lubricate the engines, anything related to the combustion engine requires a ton of maintenance tasks that are usually associated with a petrol- or diesel-powered engine.

Other expensive engine work is a thing of the past when dealing with EVs. Therefore, the maintenance cost of these cars have come down substantially. You don’t need to send it to the service station as often as you do for a standard fuel-powered car.

AutohubNg, the emboldened got me confused, does it mean it doesn't use engine oil to lubricate the engine?

Apc want us to buy electric vehicles that is why they removed fuel subsidy. His minister of environment was reported saying that it is an achievement that vehicles plying the roads have reduced due to subsidy removal.

Electric cars are the faster when compared to similar ICE cars. The OP is wrong on most facts listed. Electric cars ain't cheap to maintain. One fender bender will total loss due to cost of repair. You want to know the difference between ICE and electric? Try sell an older electric car and you will understand.

Obierika:


Definitely not here in Nigeria

ValarDoharis:
Electric vehicles have speed and tremendous acceleration. I know because i drive one!

Y will u quote the whole post just to comment

I price one last week I for buy but electricity is the problem

If flood catches you with your electric vehicle on the move, just park the car in a safe place and start trekking.

The maintenance looks good, but once it comes, you are indirectly buying a new car.

When your battery starts degrading, you will always have a gas generator in your trunk.

Is it your quoting?

Dyfynezz12:

Y will u quote the whole post just to comment

The pros outweighs the cons

Hybrid is the best.
But easy repairability by our Mechanics is a major factor in any choice of vehicle in Naija.

With the increased cost of fuel it will be damn foolish to buy a car above 12m. How much fuel can you continue to buy. Generally theres world shortage of crude oil so the prices of fuel will only go up so EVs are the way to go now.

Every challenge with it will be perfected with time. They will continue to improve till there aren't many issues with it.


Have you sat down and wondered how it was when the first automobile set was manufactured commercially?

If you know how much it cost in the UK to dispose those batteries when they reach end of life you will be shocked. Buying a new set of batteries is a huge headache as much as disposing off the old ones.