How to choose your electric car ?

Electric vehicles are all the rage! For several years, manufacturers have been developing more affordable and efficient vehicle ranges. And car buyers are more concerned about their ecological footprint. Many of them want to give up their polluting and fuel-guzzling internal combustion vehicles. However, serious thought must be given to this change (budget, choice of vehicle, etc.) in order to make the right choice, whether it be for a new or second-hand purchase or a leasing operation.

Here are some pointers to help you.

How will you use the car on a daily basis ?

Your daily use is probably the most important criterion when comparing electric cars. If you only make short trips, the range of your electric car does not need to be very long, and you can opt for city models with batteries of 30 to 50 kWh. However, if you are used to long-distance driving, you should look for models that offer similar performance to combustion vehicles. This means mainly luxury and premium city models, some of which now have a range of over 800 km.

In determining which electric car to choose, size can also be a criterion, depending on whether you have to park in the city or regularly have several passengers on board, for example.

To keep your car running, you need to recharge it regularly with energy, i.e. electricity. You can use home charging, or charging at public stations. How you charge your car depends on how you use it. The greater the range of your electric car, the larger the battery capacity, the longer the charging time.

If you use your car for long journeys and need to recharge it quickly, you can opt for a fast charging station.

On the motorway, service areas generally offer powerful charging stations which sometimes enable you to recharge your car up to 80% in less than an hour (sometimes only 30 minutes). Some on-street charging stations also have fast charging facilities.

The cost of an electric car can be a barrier to purchase. But there are more and more models and prices are available for all budgets.

There is also a second-hand market. However, there is one essential criterion that should be checked before buying a used electric vehicle: the condition of the battery. Not all batteries age in the same way, so it is important to be able to check your battery life before making an investment. For this, it is best to turn to a professional, as he or she will be able to perform a live battery test to determine the current battery life. It is normal for a battery to become less efficient after several years, but remember that changing it costs about 40% of the price of the vehicle! It is therefore important that it has at least 70% of its capacity.

You should also know that choosing an electric car is a real long-term investment: maintaining an electric car requires very little time and expense, unlike traditional cars. A good way to save money!

03/23

My Money