Sooner or later, we will all be driving electric vehicles. In the meantime, the whole EV lifestyle is something of a mystery to many of us.
You know that EVs exist, and you may have a basic understanding of how they work, but actually living with an EV in place of a regular car is an entirely different matter.
Unsurprisingly, curious motorists with questions to ask are turning to Google for answers. Having recently revealed the most frequently asked EV car questions, Google has shed light on the most pressing issues on the minds of UK motorists.
And here are the six most frequently asked EV car questions, submitted to Google on an annual basis:
1. How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
Right at the top of the list comes the most obvious entry of all. Not to mention, a question that still has no defined answer. At least 111,600 people ask this question on Google each year. In all instances, quickly finding out that countless variables influence EV charging costs.
As would be the case with a regular car, it depends entirely on electricity prices at the time, the capacity of the vehicle, whether charging it at home or at a station, where you are based in the country and so on. Ironically, therefore, the most Googled EV question is a question without a definitive answer.
2. How long does it take to charge an electric car?
Google’s figures indicate that around 56,400 people are asking this question each year. Once again, the answer differs significantly on a case-by-case basis. For example, the type of charger used, the vehicle being charged, the capacity of its battery and other factors will have a major impact on charging times.
As a general rule of thumb, it takes somewhere in the region of eight hours to charge the average EV from 0% battery to 100% battery. However, a quick top-up can be performed in less than 10 minutes, and engineers are working frantically to reduce these times as drastically as possible.
3. How long do electric car batteries last?
This question could actually refer to two things; the range of an EV with a fully-charged battery, or the lifespan of the battery itself. Either way, it’s a search term entered by around 13,200 people per year.
All EVs have their own unique range, and this tends to be one of the biggest selling points of an electric car. Some EVs have a range of less than 100 miles, while others can run for several hundred miles from a single charge. In terms of battery lifespan, an EVs lithium-ion battery will usually last for 10 years or more, before any significant performance issues are noticeable.
4. How much to charge an electric car at home UK?
An extension of the first question in the list, the answer again depends on a variety of factors. Skyrocketing energy prices are doing nothing to make charging an EV cheaper, but it still costs (on average) way less to charge an EV than to fill a traditional car with fuel.
For example, a 60 kWH EV may cost you around £15 to £20 in electricity to charge at home, depending on energy prices at the time.
5. Electric car stocks
A somewhat curious addition to the list, the search term “electric car stocks” is entered by 2,400 UK Googlers each year. Presumably, their intention is to find out what kind of availability varies with popular EVs, and to decide whether or not now is the right time to make a purchase.
As far as the experts are concerned, the answer is yes – the balance between supply and demand is pretty much spot on. At the same time, there are those who insists that EV prices across the board will come down significantly over the years to come. But as investing in an EV could save you money (and help save the planet) in the interim, it is an investment worth considering.
6. What is a hybrid electric vehicle?
Last up, there is still a fair amount of confusion among motorists with regard to what separates an EV from a hybrid. More than 1,000 people ask Google this question each year, to which the answer is fairly straightforward. An EV is powered exclusively by electricity, whereas a hybrid has both an electric motor and a traditional combustion engine.
Hybrids can be far more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional vehicles, but there is one rather pressing catch. Over the next couple of decades, the UK government will be pushing to get all combustion engine vehicles off the roads entirely – including the latest hybrids. Something to think about, if unsure whether to go with a hybrid or a full EV.