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Are electric cars more expensive than gas cars to operate?
If I want to buy an electric car, is it going to cost me more to own and operate it? I’m talking about the cost of charging it, maintaining it, all that kind of stuff. Never had an electric car, so I’m trying to understand the difference in cost of ownership!
Jason Crosby · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Actually, owning an electric car is less expensive for owners, at least in terms of
maintenance
, repairs, and recharging costs. There are three main reasons that electric cars are less expensive to own and drive: - They are more energy-efficient vehicles when compared to gas-powered cars. The average electric car can travel up to 43 miles on a single dollar’s worth of electricity. An average gas-powered vehicle, in comparison, can only make it about 20 or so miles on a single gallon of gasoline.
- Electric motors and their batteries rely on regenerative braking to recharge when drivers use their brakes. As an engine downshifts and the driver applies pressure to the electric brakes via the brake pedal, energy is transferred back into the motor, which means less torque is required to accelerate. Less energy needed to accelerate means a more efficient vehicle.
- Less money spent on repairs is one of the crucial differences betweenelectric carsand gas-powered cars. With fewer parts that can break (thanks to computer systems and intentional design by most car makers), electric cars routinely have less problems that owners will have to take them to the shop for. Just imagine—no brake fluid or engine oil changes needed.
Even though electric cars are less expensive to operate, that doesn’t mean that your car insurance is as cheap as it could be. Let
Jerry
help you fix that—within minutes, you could be saving hundreds on your auto policy. View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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