Proud to own an EV: It's not just fun but also economical & sustainable

Though I have been driving various types of electric vehicles for over 6 years, only recently I became a proud owner of a full electric car – Hyundai Ioniq! Why did I buy an electric vehicle when I could have bought a more luxurious petrol engine at the same price range?

Sheer excitement of instant acceleration, impressive handling due to a lower center of gravity and futuristic technologies like smart cruise, auto-pilot…etc. No doubt, the modern electric cars will easily convince anyone within 10 mins of test driving. But the reason I bought an EV is not just about fun, there are a few more:

It helps to reduce my carbon footprint

One may debate whether electric cars really help in cutting back carbon footprint and slowdown climate change., especially since still a significant percentage of carbon involved in the production of batteries and with the source of electricity.

True, electric vehicles may not be completely green now; but the total negative impact on the environment is a lot lesser than buying /driving a conventional fossil fueled engine. Certainly, ground pollution is zero with the lack of tailpipe emissions; and the impact only decreases further with the increase of renewable energy sources.

I have solar panels at home which serve as the major source for my car’s charging. So, I’m happy and proud of my reducing personal carbon footprint. I – an individual switching to electric mobility may be a little drop; but such little drops that together can make up the ocean (i.e.: the sustainable environment we all need). So, I would always encourage everyone to switch to electric driving.

It is cheaper to drive and maintain

One of the most obvious benefits of buying an electric car is the fuel cost savings. I live in Europe and used to spend approximately €2000 every year - which has come down to just under €400, especially with solar panels at home. That's a pretty upright incentive!

Additionally, the maintenance expenses also came down to close to zero. In general, electric cars have a very fewer moving parts in comparison to fossil fuel combustion engines, thus the chances of wear-out and maintenance is naturally close to zero. Just do a google search on “top 10 most common vehicle repairs” and you’ll realize that none of those are applicable with EVs! Over the years, these reduced costs will result in large savings.

And, it’s affordable!

Many might get surprised when I say that EVs are affordable. True, initial price tags of electric vehicles are still high, until you realize the tax credits, subsidies, reduction in road taxes and other incentives.

To boost the faster adoption of electric mobility, the government of India as well all the state governments are actively supporting various subsidy and incentive schemes. In addition to the purchase of EVs, the creation of charging infrastructure is also supported to address range anxiety among users.

If you do a detailed math of total cost of ownership (TCO) with all the incentives and savings in fuel costs, maintenance and taxes, some of the electric vehicles have come in at a price extremely competitive with equivalent combustion engine vehicles.

Overall, I’m a happy EV owner, enjoying all the fun and benefits the EV brings-in. However, there is one issue that a potential EV owner must consider: where and how to get charged up?

Conventional combustion engine vehicle owners can just drive to one of the billion-gazillion petrol pumps across the country., whereas the EV driver should think about his charging solutions upfront. Currently, it is most convenient to charge your vehicle at home - for everyday commute. However, for long travels, you need a trusted charging network. That’s where goEgo can help you, by providing seamless charging solutions for your home, business and aiming to create one of the large public charging networks in India.

Starting to see the benefits of getting an EV and consider buying one? Do you want to know more about the right charging solution for your dream EV? Contact us to discuss how our networked charging solution can help you.

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