What are Electric Vehicles?

Electric vehicles (EVs), are cars that are powered by electricity, rather than petrol. There are a few types of EVs, including battery electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles. Rather than filling up a tank of petrol, EVs are plugged in and charged.


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Electric Car FAQs

How EVs are just as reliable as regular petrol cars.

Yes, electric cars are typically cheaper to run than petrol cars, especially with rising petrol prices. Aside from the costs of filling up or charging the car, electric cars have less ‘moving parts' so they can require less maintenance and ongoing costs than a petrol car.

The range of electric cars in Australia is growing every year. Currently, some of the best EV SUVs in Australia are:

  • Audi e-tron

  • BMW iX3

  • BMWiX

  • Hyundai Ioniq electric

  • Hyundai Kona electric

  • Hyundai Ioniq 5

  • Jaguar I-Pace

  • Kia EV6

  • Kia Niro Electric

  • Lexus UX300e

  • Mazda MX-30 e35

  • Mercedes-Benz EQA

  • Mercedes-Benz EQC

  • MG ZS EV

  • Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric

Globally, Tesla produce the best electric cars in the market. Not only are they electric, but they have advanced technology such as auto pilot and entertainment system. In Australia, one of the most popular electric cars is the MG ZS EV.

Currently in Australia, the smallest electric car on the market is the Mini Cooper SE (Mini Electric). The Mini Cooper SE is an electric version of the three-door Mini Hatch, with prices starting from $61,479.

There are many pros and cons of owning an electric vehicle, and depending on your goals will ultimately impact your decision if an electric car is worth investing in.

The obvious pros of owning and operating an electric car is they emit less greenhouse gas (meaning they’re better for the environment than petrol cars), and they are also cheaper to run. On top of this, they often have lower ongoing and maintenance costs, are quieter to drive and usually feature high quality technology.

On the other hand, electric cars can be more expensive to purchase. The range of a battery can be far shorter than a petrol engine, and it can take a couple of hours to fully recharge a battery.

Other than being better for the planet and being cheaper to run, some other benefits of driving an electric car include reduced traffic noise, less vibration while driving, improved comfort and convenience and cheaper operating and maintenance costs than a petrol car.

Just like a petrol car, electric vehicle batteries may need to be replaced while you own it. However, unlike a petrol car, electric car batteries are huge and can be up to the full length of the car, therefore it requires a mechanic to make the change.

Electric cars do have a regular 12V battery as found in a regular petrol car, which powers the headlights, indicators, brake lights, windscreen wipers, audio and other electronic features.

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