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3 Facts We Bet You Didn't Know About Electric Cars and Energy
Any regular readers of our blog will be fully aware by this point of the common facts and benefits that come alongside Electric Cars (EVs). In recent articles we’ve discussed everything from price, convenience, performance (noise) all the way through to some well-known environmental benefits.
What we want to delve into today are some of the lesser-known facts associated with EVs -because more knowledge can never be a bad thing, right? Take a look below to see what else you should (but probably don’t) know before committing to your next vehicle choice.
Not all Electric Vehicles are the same
EVs are often held up against traditional petrol or diesel vehicles as an all-singing, all-dancing greener alternative mode of transport. Whilst that statement might be true, what should also be taken into account is how each EV actually uses electricity and how it is generated in the first place. When also taking into account vehicle range and energy efficiency, it’s clear that EVs should be evaluated on their own merits rather than grouped together as one.
The majority of energy used by Electric Vehicles is during charging
Studies have shown that on average with a petrol vehicle, 26 megajoules are needed in order to transport petrol into the car to take the vehicle 100km. With an EV, a huge 74 megajoules are needed to generate and transfer electricity to the vehicle when the energy has been generated in an oil-fired power plant. Where EVs claw this deficit back is through the actual driving of the car, where EVs use 38 megajoules per 100km in comparison to the incredible 142 megajoules needed per 100km in order for petrol cars to be able to get around.
…so EVs still perform significantly better in the energy-efficiency stakes, just not in the way you were probably expecting.
Source of electricity for vehicles is different depending on location
You may already be aware of where the UK gets its electricity – a mix of renewable energy and fossil fuels – but did you know that the source of electricity actually differs from country to country? For example in France, the majority of electricity is sourced via nuclear energy, Norway source virtually all of theirs from hydroelectric power sources, and interestingly US sources are split by region – in West coast areas you might find renewable sources, whereas other regions might be more coal-based.
If you’re thinking of making the switch to an Electric Vehicle and you’d like to get more of a feel for information like this or simply the market in general, please get in touch today and one of our team will be happy to assist with any queries you may have.