According to IHS Markit, EVs accounted for only 1.8% of vehicles in the market in 2020. However, analysis shows that by 2025, that number will rise to over ten percent. So, whether the public loves or hates them, electric vehicles are about to hit the roads in masses. That said, shifting from internal combustion to EVs will require a total shift in mindset. Especially for the traditional enthusiasts. The pure soundtrack of some of the best-sounding cars in the market is not easy to get off the mind.

Related: These Major Companies Still Don’t Have An EV In The Works

Even familiarizing with EVs might take some time. Many people have spent years understanding the ins and outs of the engine — the purrs and roars that indicate something is not right under the hood. Driving a quiet electric car for 10 miles can be jarring, and many of the noises EV makers offer for false feedbacks are just not easy to interpret. Either way, EVs are going anywhere, and the question of whether to buy one or not will soon be out of the table. So, what next? It is to answer these questions right before purchasing an EV!

9 Do I Have The Electricity?

An EV Charging from Home
Via mashable.com

As the number of electric vehicles continue to increase, many states in the USA have increased their EV charging stations significantly. This means that the country is pretty much ready for EVs. That said, there are two common myths about EVs and electricity supply. One says that when EVs finally become so many, utilities won't match the need for electricity. The other myth suggests that EVs will bring down the electrical grid.

An-EV-Charging-from-Home
Via afeco.co.uk

These are just myths. Electricity suppliers have no problem and have not shown any sign of defeat in supplying electricity to EV buyers. Many new EVs have long driving ranges that can last the entire day, allowing owners to charge overnight when electricity consumption is low. In the case of the electrical grid, utility companies are used to making upgrades as needs arise. In neighborhoods with many EVs, they install higher-capacity transformers. Instead of bringing it down, EV adoption might end up making the electrical grid even better.

8 What Happens When An EV’s Battery Runs Dry?

An EV with empty battery - 2
Via leasing.com

Just like a gas-powered car would need towing if it runs out of gas, so will an EV if the battery runs dry. And just as traditional cars have different fuel-tank capacities, electric cars have varying driving ranges per charge. Some cars have relatively long driving ranges per single charge, while others have short. As the battery reduces to a very low state of charge, the car typically reduces the available juice and alerts the driver to pull over or find a charging station.

Nissan Ev on road - 2
Via nissaninthenews.com

As in gas-powered vehicles, carmakers have different approaches to distance-to-empty readouts. In some EVs, such as the Audi E-Tron, zero means zero — completely out of power. In other EVs such as Teslas and Fords, the vehicle can move a certain distance after the predicted range has come down to zero.

7 Does An EV Battery Degrade Like A Cellphone's?

Cellphone Battery - 3
Via bloomberg.com

Yes! An EV's battery pack degrades with time, and it depends on various factors, one of them being charging habits. Recharging the EV's battery to full capacity and draining it to zero weakens the anodes within its cells.

Related: 10 Great But Rarely Talked About EVs

Av EV's Battery Pack
Via fixshop.eu

Automakers recommend recharging the battery to around 80 to 90 percent every day. That ensures that the vehicle never runs to the point of issuing a "pull over now" warning. While many EV makers, including GM, are working on a solution that minimizes the battery pack deterioration rate, no breakthrough has been realized.

6 How Do I Get My Garage Ready For An Electric Vehicle?

Home Garage Charging Station
Via jdpower.com

The first thing to add to a garage before bringing home an electric vehicle is a dedicated 240-volt circuit for charging the car. A professional installation would cost anything between $750 and $1750 plus the cost of permits.

Home Garage for an EV
Via cleantechnica.com

If the current power line cannot handle the extra load, there'll be a need for an additional service line. Depending on other large-power consuming units in the house, a modest house with 150-amp or higher can squeeze in an extra 30-40 amp circuit. Such larger power drawers include tankless water heaters, hot tubs, and electric stoves. After installing the 240-volt circuit unit, what follows is to bring in charging equipment to connect the car to the power source. Garage ready!

5 What If I Don’t Have The 240-Volt Charging Unit?

240-volt charging unit
Via forbes.com

A house with a standard 120-volt plug can charge an electric vehicle. The problem is that it only adds a few miles per hour, meaning to recharge an empty large battery pack could take days. It will do if the owner drives less than 30 miles a day or has access to a charging unit at work or somewhere else.

240-volt-charging
Via realtor.com

Drivers can also use local DC fast chargers, but it comes at a huge cost. Fast charging degrades the EV's battery longevity. Using the Electrify America charging stations cost almost three times the cost of home charging.

4 Are Used EVs The Bargains They Seem To Be?

A Used Chevy Bold on the road
Via thecarconnection.com

Generally, EVs depreciate faster than their gas-powered counterparts, except for a few, like Teslas, that hold up their value pretty well. Compared to gas-powered cars, EVs lose 13% more in three years.

Related: We Can't Wait For These Future EVs To Hit The Streets

A Used Chevy Bolt parked outside
via: Cargurus

When hunting for a used electric vehicle, maintenance history is not more of a concern. What is more important than anything else is the health of the battery. The best way to verify a used EV's battery life is to fully charge it and drain it to compare its current range with the advertised range. If the numbers are close, then it is a good used EV. That said, EVs with under 30,000 miles cost less than $20,000.

3 Can I Tow With An EV?

Towing With A Tesla
Via cleantechnica.com

Generally, EVs are built aerodynamically-slippery, so attaching a trailer behind it is like strapping a parachute and ankle weights on a sprinter. When building electric vehicles, towing is not normally a consideration by the automakers.

Towing With A Tesla
Via thedriven.io

Several EVs on the market today do not have tow ratings, and those that have can only tow minimal loads. However, some electric vehicles, like the Tesla Cybertruck and the electric Ford-F150, are built rugged enough for off-road driving and heavy load towing.

2 Is A Plug-In Hybrid A Brilliant Or Dumb Idea?

A plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi
Via wikipedia.org

Plug-in hybrids are hard to categorize because many approaches are used to combine gas engines and electric motors in a single unit. To decide whether a given plug-in hybrid is a brilliant or a dumb idea, drivers should look at its electric power output and how long it can go on the electric motor only before the gas engine kicks in. An ideal plug-in hybrid helps minimize gas consumption during short drives and comes in handy during long-distance drives.

A plug-in hybrid Renault
Via renaultgroup.com

The ideal plug-in hybrid makes more than 100 horsepower and can run for more than 20 miles on battery. A shortcut to know which one is good, look for a plug-in hybrid that qualifies for the $7500 federal tax credit; this means it's serious about its electric capabilities.

1 Should I Be Worried About The Electromagnetic Radiation EVs Produce?

Driving an EV
Via insideevs.com

The components used in electric vehicles' battery packs produce more electromagnetic radiation than internal combustion engines, but they are below the harmful limits.

Driving an EV
Via mashable.com

According to a Norwegian research group, SINTEF, the radiation readings inside an EV are below the limits approved by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. The radiation exposure is less than 20 percent of the limit near the floor and less than 2 percent at head height. That means EV drivers don't need their tinfoil hats and lead underpants to drive safely.