What should you pay attention to when buying an electric car?

Choosing a new car is first of all fun and you will already find advice from AutoWeek for its choice. Of course, these also apply if you are looking for an electric car. An electric car has additional points of interest for many people. The AutoWeek CarBase car comparator is a good starting point for an overview of the range of electric cars. What else should you pay attention to when buying an electric car? We list a few things here.

Range

For many people, the range is an important factor and compare this with a petrol or diesel car. For an electric car, it is especially important to consider the distance you regularly drive per day. If you drive ten kilometers to work and back every day, the range does not have to require such a headache as having to make various appointments throughout the country and beyond. Then you should look at an electric car that has a larger range has. Keep in mind that the range is given according to the WLTP tests. If you want to translate that into daily practice, calculate roughly ⅔ of that range as more realistic. An electric car with a specified range of 350 kilometers will in practice take you more than 200 kilometers on one battery charge. If you drive faster than 100 km/h on the highway, the range will drop faster. Even when it gets colder and you use more electrical accessories such as heating and air conditioning. You may then have to stop at a (fast) charger more quickly during a longer journey.

The size of the battery

If you want to get ahead with a battery charge, it depends on the size of the battery. The bigger the car battery, the further you will get with it. That is comparable to the fuel tank of a car with an internal combustion engine. You should also keep in mind if you buy an electric car that a larger battery often takes longer to fully charge.

The time to fast charge the battery

Certainly if you regularly drive longer distances, it is good to view the time that the electric car needs to charge quickly. Some cars are faster than others in that area. And that makes the difference! After all, a car that can charge better quickly ensures that you are back on the road more quickly to make kilometers. And then you will be better off in the long run if your car can charge with a DCC or Combi plug compared to a CHADeMo connection.

More engines

Electric cars have a lot of torque and therefore drive very smoothly. And it’s easy to get even more power and torque just by adding extra motors. After all, the engines take up little space. These cars are often four-wheel drive. That looks good on performance. This is at the expense of the range.

Maximum load capacity

This part also mainly relates to the way in which the car can handle fast chargers. You can use a 350 kW fast charger, but if the car itself can only charge a maximum of 50 kW, then you have nothing to do with that advantage. The capacity of the fast chargers will only increase in the coming years. You should therefore also pay attention if you buy an electric car or whether your new car can handle it.

Also check whether your car is prepared for 3-phase charging. That will become the standard, but there are also cars that cannot. They charge with 1-phase current. That goes at ⅓ of the speed and you notice that even when you are standing in the street at a charging station.

Load if possible

And before you think that the range is everything… driving an electric car is different in practice than with traditional fuel. You will see that especially if you regularly drive distances, you simply leave in the morning with a full battery. If you are somewhere, at work or at an appointment, you charge there or nearby if you can. That means your car will be charged again when you continue. If you have a (business) lunch, you also top up. And you can continue. This ensures that you can get surprisingly far with your electric car, without having to take the charge of your car into account. So do not focus too much on the range, but on the daily use of the car.

Trailer not always possible

Do you sometimes drive with a trailer? Or are you going on holiday with the caravan? Then pay attention. A towbar is not possible with several electric cars. Sometimes you can arrange this with a separate assessment from the RDW, but it is easier to select the option of towing a trailer when purchasing. Read the article we made about towing a caravan or trailer with an electric car. And in the AutoWeek CarBase car comparator you can also select by trailer weight. Then you immediately have an overview of the possibilities!

If you cannot install a towbar, this can also have consequences if you have a bicycle carrier. You may then have to transport the bicycles in a different way, for example on the roof.

Higher purchase price

An electric car is more expensive to purchase. This is mainly because the batteries are more expensive. On the other hand, you will not pay road tax until 2025 and that electricity is cheaper to drive than petrol or diesel. Insurance is also more expensive due to the higher weight and the more expensive purchase price. Maintenance is also often cheaper. It can be useful to look at private lease. With this you can get the electric car within your reach because you do not have to pay the purchase price directly yourself and various fixed costs are also included.