Guide to electric vehicles
The subject of electric cars amongst the Australia public was limited prior to the subject matter being given a boost by the Australian Labour Party in its campaign for the 2019 federal election.
Politicisation of the technology has actually placed electric cars in the limelight for the first time, but the public are still trying to figure out what's special about these cars, how are they different from conventional cars and why are they so expensive?
Although the initial upfront cost can seem high, electric vehicles promise lower running and maintenance costs – so total cost of ownership may result in price parity with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
That initial 'sticker shock' boils down to the cost of batteries. To store the necessary power for performance and range, the EV's battery pack has to be 'energy-dense' and compact. The best battery technology to date for EV application is the lithium-ion battery. This is basically the same sort of battery which powers your laptop or mobile phone, but, for cars, the battery has to be scaled.
As companies gear up to develop and produce these batteries (and companies dig up more lithium), the cost will reduce. Indeed, EVs and plug-in hybrids, using the same type of battery, are increasingly affordable.
What does it cost you to run in Australia?
For all their high-tech images, Electric Vehicles cost less to run than most people expect. Putting home solar to the side for a moment, the cost of off-peak electricity is considerably cheaper than petrol, and servicing an EV should cost less than an internal-combustion car, because there are fewer moving parts and fewer related components (cooling, for example) requiring attention.
Home charging varies depending on the plan, however AGL currently offers a $1 per day plan for unlimited kilometres. Supercharging is 0.35c per kilowatt, however it's free if an owner referral code is used when purchasing a Tesla. Destination Charging is a free service offered by most of the landlords that have installed the chargers.
Servicing an Electric Vehicle.
Electric motors are far simpler than an internal combustion engine. With the motor and drivetrain employing less than 17 moving parts (in the case of a Tesla), there is far less to go wrong. Servicing is typically recommended annually for safety and diagnostics checks. Brake fluid changes and battery coolant fluid also need changing eventually.
Love them or hate them there is change afoot. With more and more manufacturers producing electric vehicles, we as the public will soon take advantage of being spoilt for choice as well as the likelihood that the cost will soon be reduced.
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