What are the realities of buying an electric car? Subsidies, electricity prices and the cost of running a car all affect your bank balance later on, so when planning your purchase, it's worth checking the cost-effectiveness of an electric car. Find out how to do this below!
What factors influence the cost-effectiveness of an electric car?
The cost-effectiveness of buying an electric car does not seem as obvious as it really is. What is clear is that before such an important purchase as a car, it is worth checking all the pros and cons. Case in point - what factors might influence the cost-effectiveness of an electric car?
The first and most important question we should ask is how much it costs to run an electric car. We are talking about the issue of battery replacement, possible repairs and the cost of travel itself. Manufacturers estimate that the service life of such batteries can be determined to be close to 10 years. However, everything depends on the kilometres driven. There is also already a move away from thinking that the way the battery is charged affects its life.
Another factor that can affect the viability of an electric car is safety. In the case of electrics, much controversy surrounds the car's battery and how it would behave during an accident. This is a major concern for many people due to its extremely high voltage - up to 400-800 volts. However, it is important to know that cars would not be allowed to be sold if there was a high risk of electrocution at the time of even a slight collision. During a collision, the car system has five seconds to reduce or disconnect the voltage.
Another important aspect of the cost-effectiveness of an electric car is free parking. However, these can only be used if they are designated as municipal. This is to encourage car users to choose electrics. It is also worth noting that the battery of an electric car can be charged in many places for free. There are many chargers marked as free on the map of Poland. In other cases, charging station manufacturers may charge a fee for filling up the battery. When driving on the road, you don't have to worry about having nowhere to charge your battery.
It is also important to mention the concessions within the purchase of an electric car. The government, through the 'My Electric' programme, offers subsidies for fully electric cars. This means that you cannot apply for a subsidy for a plug-in hybrid car, because these types of cars have internal combustion engines. Additionally, it can be applied for if the price of the selected vehicle does not exceed PLN 250,000 gross. It is worth mentioning that persons with a Large Family Card are not subject to this limit. 
Is it worthwhile to drive an electric car on long journeys?
The cost-effectiveness of electric cars can also be tested by their ability to travel long distances. It is accepted that electrically charged cars cannot boast long distances driven at once. However, the electrics being developed in recent months can already drive up to 400-500 kilometres on a single charge. Charging the battery itself also no longer takes several hours, but several minutes thanks to DC fast charging cables.
Which is more worthwhile to buy - an electric car or a combustion car?
How much it costs to maintain an electric car provides the answer to the question of which car is better: an electric or a combustion car. Despite the price increases for electricity, it is still a small amount compared to fuel rates. Is an electric car worth buying? It is a bigger expense at the outset, but by buying a new car, we do not have to worry about repair costs for the next few years.
