Questions to ask before buying an electric vehicle

Loadshedding. Power cuts. Rolling blackouts. Whatever name we may choose to give it, the fact is that we are facing prolonged periods without power. These times are both frustrating, but also give us chance to appreciate something we may tend to take for granted.

In 2021, a staggering 7 million hybrid or full-electric vehicles were sold across the globe, of which only 218 were sold in South Africa. More such vehicles are sold every week now than were sold in the whole of 2012. This is due to several reasons, such as the increased awareness around climate change and the rapid advancement in electric vehicle technology.

In addition to this, most vehicle manufacturers are phasing their petrol and diesel models off the production lines and are focusing on building hybrid and full-electric vehicles.

Although the question of whether South Africa is ready for electric vehicles is up for debate, the fact remains that more vehicle buyers are leaning towards all-electric and hybrid vehicles. In fact, a recent study found that around 64% of South Africans are willing to spend up to R500,000 on an electric vehicle.

If you are looking at buying an all-electric vehicle, there are some things that you would need to consider.

Range

Regardless of whether your vehicle makes use of traditional fuel or runs on battery power, the fact remains that your vehicle has a limited range it can drive.

In the past, an electric vehicle may have struggled to do 200 km on a “full tank.” Nowadays, the advancement of electric vehicle technology has seen that range more than double. Some of the more advanced electric vehicles can even reach an impressive 500 km (or even 700 km) on a full charge.

The range of your electric vehicle should be a foremost consideration before you decide to head out and buy one. There are, of course, ways to extend the range of your vehicle. The most prevalent of these is to apply a light foot on the accelerator pedal when driving, as this needs less fuel.

Charge time

Unlike petrol or diesel cars, you cannot quickly pull into the filling station and top up your tank when your electric car’s batter runs out. This is because an electric vehicle’s battery takes a longer time to fully charge compared to filling your tank with fuel.

Currently, an electric vehicle could take in the region of 10 to 12 hours to charge to full capacity. Given the frequency of power cuts in South Africa, it might be difficult to find a continuous 10 to 12 hours to be able to fully charge your battery.

A feature that most electric cars offer is a “fast charge” feature, which allows you to charge your battery to around 80% capacity in 30 minutes or so. However, this is not something that is meant to be used continuously. The “fast charge” feature wears your battery out a lot quicker, as the flow of current is greater than what the battery is typically designed to take. So, while this feature is good for a quick charge, it is not a sustainable method of charging your vehicle.

Availability of charge points

Electric cars can be charged off the mains either at home or the office. However, you might find that you need to find a charge station while on your journey. Some shopping malls and car dealers offer charge points for you to make use of, but their general availability at major hotspots is few and far between at this stage.

Also, not all dealers allow other manufacturers to charge at their charging point. This is something that is very important to consider should you find yourself in a situation where you need to charge your vehicle at a public charging point.

Cost of a replacement battery

Batteries in your electric car, like in any other device, have a limited lifespan. As a result of advancement in the technology used in electric vehicles, this is in the region of 15 to 20 years – which is a considerable improvement on the first electric vehicles that entered the market.

Eventually batteries’ effectiveness will decrease, and they will need to be replaced. This is something that will be quite prevalent in a few years from now when demand for second-hand could be expected to increase.

At present, the battery in an electric vehicle could cost upwards of R100,000. Not everybody has access to that amount of money but will need it if their battery needs replacing. This makes ensuring that there are enough funds to cover a replacement battery that much more important.

Driving experience

The fundamentals of driving an electric vehicle are the same as a normal car. One of the notable differences that comes with such vehicles is the silence. Some motoring enthusiasts enjoy the hearty notes that a petrol or diesel engine provide. With electric vehicles, the silence can initially be somewhat jarring and may take some getting used to.

Another difference is in the fact that most electric vehicles deliver all their power almost immediately. So, if you are driving a more powerful electric vehicle, you might feel a “twitchiness” when putting your foot down. It may take some time for you to get used to how and when to apply the accelerator when driving an electric vehicle.

Maintenance and servicing

When it comes to maintaining or servicing an electric vehicle, this is one area where it has a slight upper hand on “traditional” vehicles.

Electric cars have fewer parts, which means they are simpler to fix. Also, all electric cars have a form of regenerative braking, which makes the brakes much more efficient.

Current research shows that electric cars cost around 30% less to service and maintain compared to “traditional” vehicles. The two options have around the same tyre wear, though, so you would still need to change tyres with the same frequency on an electric car as with a comparable petrol or diesel vehicle.

Government regulations

At this point, we still have the option to choose whether to buy an electric car. It may happen that government regulations around non-electric vehicles change so that the sale of such vehicles is prohibited – indeed, this is something that some governments are doing or are in the process of doing. While this is likely to still be a few years away in South Africa, greater awareness around climate change and the environment could see this brought forward sooner rather than later.

Most people buy cars with the intention of keeping them for a few years. In South Africa, most people keep their car for 3 to 5 years, but this number has been increasing lately given the current economic climate. Someone considering buying a new car now might well consider an electric vehicle in anticipation of this change in regulations.

At present, the there is a stiff import tariff of 25% for electric vehicles in South Africa as opposed to the 18% on vehicles with an internal combustion engine. This, along with a relatively steep total cost of ownership, means that not all South Africans can readily purchase electric vehicles. Should Government incentivise electric vehicles, which would help in reducing the total cost of ownership, it would enable more South Africans to embrace the future of motoring.

Test drive the future today

At Pace Car Rental, we have all-electric MINIs on our rental fleet. Renting one of these cars for a month or more would allow you to assess what an all-electric vehicle is like and would be useful in helping you make an informed decision as to whether this is the right choice for you.

If you would like to rent an electric Mini from Pace Car Rental, simply call 011 262 5500 or email [email protected] and a Reservations Agent will assist you with your booking.