So, you’ve got a nearly silent engine, immediate and often immense power, plus heaps of amazing gadgets and gizmos, one of which is ‘dog mode’ – technology to keep Fido safe and cool while you’re in the shops.*

It’s going to be expensive to run right?

Not necessarily.

What are the running costs of an EV?

According to the research, the running costs of an electric car can be as much as 70% lower** than those of a petrol car. That includes maintenance and electric vehicle service costs, which makes sense given that compared to some 2,000 moving parts that make up a standard internal combustion driven car, EVs like Tesla’s have something like 20 moving parts.***

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

Gauging the electric ‘fuel’ cost completely depends on your own electricity supply – for example, those generating their own solar power can be at a distinct advantage. However, even without solar power it can cost roughly $45 a week on average** to run an EV.

That’s certainly cheaper than your petrol options.

How do I find electric vehicle charging stations when I’m out and about?

Public electric vehicle charging stations are popping up across Australia, but they do vary in speed and compatibility. For example, Destination Chargers (found at shopping centres) can typically take 2 hours for a full charge. To see what’s available in your area, visit the Electric Vehicle Council charger map.

ENGIE, has partnered with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to build 100 new EV charging stations across Australia too. 

And this is just the beginning. The future’s looking bright for EVs with smart solutions like charging that can be customised and controlled based on the energy costs at the time. Meaning you can be super tactical and thrifty with your power.

And as the technology improves further, we could see solar panels on the cars themselves, charging their own internal batteries and even giving you a portable electricity charger that you could plug back into the grid for bonus energy tariffs.

So, ready to trade up?

Sources

*Car and Driver 
**Electric Vehicle Council
***Parliament of Australia