1. Where can you charge?
Owning an electric car is less complicated if you have the option to charge at home or at your workplace. Today, it can still be difficult to access a vacancy in some places available charger. Therefore, check your local area for charging options and also look into fast and rapid charging options on the routes you frequently drive.
On the other hand, being forced to charge when the charger is free can be expensive. Electricity prices fluctuate much more than fuel prices. When you have a stand at home, you can charge when the price is lowest.
3. How much do you drive?
There is a big difference in the range of electric carsBut if your daily driving needs don’t exceed 250 km, there are quite a few electric cars to choose from. Many electric cars today have a range of between 300 and 400 km. However, if you drive a lot on the highway, be aware that the range is significantly reduced due to the high speed.
2. How much range should you have in reserve?
The mileage you get from your car dealer indicates the range in mixed driving. That is, on a trip where you are driving in the city, on the highway and on the freeway. The faster you drive, the more battery you use. If you drive a lot on the highway, you should therefore expect the range to be somewhat lower. The same applies to winter driving. An electric car runs between 20 and 50 percent shorter in cold weather than on a warm summer day.
4. Charging speeds
According to FDM, it typically takes between 20 and 50 minutes to fill up 200 kilometers of range on your car at a public charging station. If you often need to charge on the go, it’s a good idea to check the charging speed of your future car. As with range, there is a difference between the stated charging speed and the actual charging speed, so take a closer look at the tests that have been done on the car you’re looking at.
Electricity costs less than gasoline and diesel, and there's less maintenance.
5. What is your budget?
In Denmark, it is generally more expensive to choose an electric car over an equivalent petrol car. At least in procurement. On the other hand, an electric car is often cheaper in terms of “fuel”, maintenance and registration tax. That’s why it’s a good idea to create a budget so it’s easier to compare. In addition, electric cars often come with a lot of equipment as standard and are always equipped with automatic transmission.
7. Do you need a grappling hook?
If you often need to drive a horse trailer or caravan, an electric car is not the obvious choice. There are very few electric cars that can pull this much, and if they can, the range is significantly affected.
6. Do you often go on road trips?
It’s getting easier and easier to take your electric car on vacation, as the time between charging points is getting shorter and shorter in most countries – just like in Denmark. It can still require a little more stop planning when driving an electric car, but if your car doesn’t have a planning app, you can download one.
If you don’t want the hassle of planning and charging stops, you can rent a fossil car the one time a year you go on vacation.
8. Test drive an electric car
Make sure you take a long test drive, driving on country roads, in the city and on the highway. This way you can get an idea of what the range is like with your driving style.
Some EVs can be set to heat the cabin while the car is connected to a charging station. It’s a practical solution that increases range, so it’s worth paying attention to whether your car has this feature.
It’s also a good idea to review how the on-screen menus work.