The Top Five Biggest Problems With Electric Cars
Driving Range
One of the biggest worries EV owners have is driving range anxiety. Basically, it’s the fear of their cars running out of battery before reaching the next charging station. After all, these cars do have a set driving range.
For instance, a car with a smaller battery or a damaged electric motor may have a lower driving range and vice versa. The driving range will also depend on your driving speed, the weather, and the terrain. The average driving range of electric cars is about 341 km.
Unfortunately, a battery electric vehicle can limit your driving range more than a hybrid. After all, hybrids do have fuel engines as a backup.
Temperature Sensitive Batteries
Most batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, are temperature sensitive. Therefore, they function better in temperatures between 7 and 46 degrees Celsius.
When the temperature rises, the car uses more juice to power the AC. This leaves the car with less juice to power the wheels.
Freezing temperatures can also affect the regenerative braking system that recharges EVs’ batteries. Hence, your car recovers less power when driving, which reduces your driving range.
Battery Fires
Generally, an EV is less likely to catch fire than a regular car. And when they do, they don’t catch alight quickly, so you will have time to get away before it explodes. Unfortunately, EV battery fires are very hard to put off.
The problem with these fires starts inside these batteries. Lithium-ion batteries have a flammable solution and a cathode that produces oxygen. Hence, they can explode when an EV’s battery swells or raptures.
What makes these fires even more shocking is how long they take to put out. Firefighters use more resources than they would with fires caused by conventional fuels. They have been known to use over 100,000 litres of water to put off a burning EV.
Further, the battery sits in a titanium shell on the car’s bottom, making it inaccessible. As it continues to burn, the components inside the battery release more oxygen to fuel the flame.
Charging Time
Another critical issue with EVs is the charging time. Generally, charging a flat EV battery can take up to 48 hours, while refuelling takes a few minutes. This can be a huge inconvenience, especially when travelling long distances.
Fortunately, the charging speed of EVs depends on the equipment used. For instance, a 240 V can take between 4 and 10 hours to charge your car at home.
On the other hand, it can take about an hour to charge your EV at a public charging station. It’s still not as practical as fuelling a regular car, but it’s better than using a 120 V outlet at home and waiting 50 hours to charge a flat battery.
No Standard Plug
Unlike the standard pumps found in traditional gas stations, EVs have a variety. Hence, you need to know what’s available at the nearest charging station. After all, you can’t plug your car just anywhere.
Besides determining the charger you’ll use, you must also get the right cables. Next, confirm if you’re using an AC or DC outlet.
AC outlets come as single or triple-phase plugs. On the other hand, DC outlets have CCS and CHAdeMO plugs. The CCS plug allows AC and DC charging, and its speed is 350 kW.
Car Cost
Generally, EVs are more expensive than regular cars. And that is because there are many factors affecting its price. Some of these factors include the cost of R&D and components. There’s also a status attached to the EVs; therefore, they sell as luxuries.
Not as Green as Expected
Unlike regular cars, EVs don’t have tailpipes; therefore, they don’t emit exhaust gases. Battery electric vehicles don’t use any fossil fuel. But this doesn’t mean they’re 100% green, as marketers want you to think.
And that is because some electricity production methods use coal, which pollutes the environment.