The market is starting to flood with electric cars. And so, at the present time, the prices of the vehicles are high or, at least, much higher than their combustion brothers, despite the fact that the cost to undertake one of these does not stop rising.
Whether we are or against it, it is true that the weight of this type of car is increasing over time and it does not seem that synthetic fuels will end up having a big impact in the last fleet of European vehicles. The cars we buy in the coming year will be more and more electrified.
It should be added that some cars, such as the MG4 Electric, already offer similar (or equal) features to rivals at a much lower price. It is therefore not surprising that every day there are more people who believe that the next car is electric, although in Spain the growth of the technology continues to take very small steps.
I have all this in mind and if I have to buy an electric car now, this is what I’m looking for the most.
What do I ask about an electric car?
I want to clarify this first, that I will not talk about the prices. It is clear that an electric car is more expensive than a combustion one (at least among European manufacturers) but some advantages of this type of vehicle can compensate for its premium buyers.
From another angle, the same can be felt by general vehicle buyers, when they compare their one car with a premium and start analyzing the pros and cons of more (or much more money) for a car that “does the same thing”. With that done, here are the essentials I ask about an electric car.
suitable size
If I were looking for an electric car, I would look (and a lot) for the use I’m going to give it. Do you want it to be a second city car? What kind of vehicles do you need for weekend getaways? If so, I want a small car. And I don’t care too much about its battery size.
In Spain the average driver drives 41.6 kilometers. If I’m looking for a small car, it’s clear to me that it’s best to move around the city in a very compact car. I will not hesitate to look at the Smart Fortwo and, if we want to look for something cheaper, the Seat Mii or the Skoda Citigo seem to me to be good, which, even if they don’t look like it, can also be fun in the city. .
I do not care if some, because of the size of their batteries or because of their deformity, travel a little more than a hundred kilometers, because I myself have never approached those figures within the city. If I considered this type of car, it is because I was looking for a vehicle that can be placed in any space, maneuvers very easily and moves with agility through traffic.
Berlin, without a doubt
And I don’t think the size of it is too big. In fact, I would find a car with the measurements of the Polestar 2 perfect, except that I like the position of the driver’s seat better, a moment of key consumption in an electric car if we want to travel.
At the moment, European manufacturers have given us electric SUVs for huge reasons, but mainly because they are easier to sell than sedans. But, science is science, and the less aerodynamic a car has on the frontal surface, the more efficient the car will be. And, here, the sedation can have an extra life.
Autonomy: the elephant in the room
Car for weekend getaways? To March? Here I have it so clear, I have a hard time because, this time, I bought a car with a battery of less than 75 useful kWh.
For this battery size to be sufficient, consumption on the road should not exceed 25 kWh/100 kilometers. If this is true, the car will be able to do 300 real kilometers without stopping at the plug. However, we will try to find a car that comes close to 400 actual miles.
At this time, the charging network is still scarce in some points, and I consider that without prolonging the journey too much, or unexpected problems that may arise can be contemplated, this amount is almost necessary.
good calculator
Clear, simple, very complicated in appearance. Go to the car park, put the destination in the browser and it shows me the battery and the available autonomy when I get there. For the time being, the only car with which I almost finished the letter was the Polestar II.
It is true that the car needs to be known from our way of driving, but if we set the values to zero, we have to wait for the vehicle to be able to calculate the remaining autonomy in which it is intended, so that the relationship is accepted. He permitted the greatest in the ways which he had set before him.
It should also be noted that the electric car moves in the topography and temperature, which is decisive in the final kilometers. Therefore, it is especially important for the navigator to take into account the unevenness accumulated during the journey.
Bonus: good regenerative braking
I must admit that I am an absolute proponent of pushing one pedal. It seems to me the most comfortable option to move around the city where, moreover, it seems to me that an electric car offers much more than a combustion one.
For this reason, if I were to look for an electric car at this time, I would certainly opt for one that had good regenerative braking, whose levels of retention could be easily controlled with some cams. The best solution is to play with it and get the most out of it.
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