Prices are falling, range is increasing, models are multiplying on the market, the electric car is attracting more and more interest. And even if the offer of electric cars is less extensive than that of combustion-powered cars, it is often difficult for a novice to find his way around when choosing his electric car. Autonomy, equipment, ... These are the main criteria to consider when making the right choice.
Battery life
Battery life is probably the number one criterion to consider when choosing an electric car. Currently, the average range of an electric car is 140 km, although some top-of-the-range brands announce a range of up to 400 km. It should also be noted that there is still a slight difference between the autonomy proposed by the manufacturers and the autonomy in real conditions. The battery life depends on its capacity, but also on the way each user drives and of course on the weather conditions. Indeed, a low temperature (in winter) lowers the vehicle's performance, not to mention the use of energy-intensive heating. As with combustion-powered cars, sporty driving will increase battery consumption.
Recharging: on-board charger and accelerated charging
The recharging part is also an important aspect when buying an electric car. There are two things to consider. First, the charger on board the car, whose power defines the speed of the vehicle's charging time. The standard on all cars is 3 kW, but some brands offer a power of 7 kW as standard or optional or even 22 kW. Secondly, a quick connector in Combo or CHAdeMO will allow a fast recharge of up to 80% in 30 minutes, essential for those who regularly make long journeys.
Do not neglect the equipment
When choosing an electric car, we focus mainly on range, battery capacity, charging and we tend to forget that a car is also the different equipment that will be used all day long (sunroof, Apple Car Play, driving assistance, reversing radar, GPS navigation, etc.) which are just as important. Since winter temperatures affect the car's performance, it would be interesting to opt for the heat pump option, which is much less energy consuming than a normal heating system. The same goes for heated seats, which allow better concentration of heat to reduce consumption. A check list would be ideal so that you don't forget the equipment you want to equip your vehicle with.