Cutting Costs? Ditch Your Car and Go Electric
Every year, millions of people complain about fuel price fluctuations that affect their mode of transportation. If the fuel prices are cheap, many people can opt to use their own vehicles. However, if the fuel prices are ridiculously high, many individuals choose to economize and make use of a public mode of transportation instead. The big question looming ahead of everybody owning natural gas vehicles or NGVs is this: “Will fuel prices ever achieve a sense of price stability?”
To destroy any illusion that somebody might discover a seemingly-bottomless oil well that will bring oil prices back to a cent per litre, here are the stark facts: One, our fuel sources are rapidly depleting; Two, oil companies are quickly working on their profits “while supplies last,”, and; Three, the reason why automobile companies are producing hybrids and Electric Vehicles or EV’s is simply because NGVs will not last long in the radar. If you want to avoid fuel price instability, save more on travel-related expenses, and rescue Mother Earth, here are the reasons why you should ditch your NGV and go electric:
The Battery Technology of EVs is Outstanding
The EV concept from the 80s wasn’t much of a hit because who would be impressed with a vehicle that could only run for two hours at 40kph and require a charging time of no less than 12 hours? But today, the battery technology for EVs is outstandingly compact and efficient. Imagine this: 1,000 ft3 of natural gas converted to electrical energy in an EV can make it run for 457 miles. However, if the same amount of gas is used to power up an NGV, the maximum range travelled by the vehicle is just around 227 miles (and there’s a study that can prove it!).
High Speed Charging Makes Everything Easy
Another problem addressed by modern-day EV engineers is the efficiency of charging an EV battery. If it took 12 hours to charge a 2-seater vehicle three decades ago, now there’s a high-speed charging system that can power up a 68-seater bus in no more than 20 minutes. And there isn’t even a need to charge your vehicle every day if it can travel a maximum of 457 miles before running low on energy.
EVs are the Thing of the Future
Lastly, the trend of automobile production companies all point to the direction of hybrids and purely-electric vehicles. This means that there will be less production of spare parts for NGVs. A change to EVs will make it easier to avoid the costs of spare parts for your old vehicle, which will definitely increase in price as the supply for parts no longer produced are depleted. If you’re maintaining an EV, not only do you get to save on fuel and run more miles, you also gain access to more spare parts which will become cheaper as more EV products are developed by automobile companies.
The debate over whether to use Natural Gas Vehicles or Electric Vehicles can rage for one or two more decades, but it doesn’t change the fact that automobile companies are looking to create more efficient vehicles using alternative means. With the perks of using an EV, especially for budget-conscious people like us, the new trend of vehicles is definitely worth a look and worth every penny.
Laura is a writer for uSwitch.com a leading comparison site for utilities, insurance and even broadband. Visit uSwitch to compare prices and compare the services you are interested in today.