If you’re thinking to buy an electric car in the UAE, you may have questions around whether it’s the right choice for you. How do electric cars compare to hybrid or diesel cars? What electric cars are available on the market? And which electric car should you buy to fit your specific lifestyle and needs?
Read on and learn the answers to all your electric car questions to help you make the right choice for you.
Are electric cars better than petrol cars?
Around 95% of UAE drivers use petrol cars. This might lead you to believe this is because petrol cars are simply better than electric cars, but actually, there are pros and cons of each.
Benefits of electric cars compared to petrol cars
- The main reason buyers choose an electric car is due to environmental factors. Switching to electric reduces your carbon footprint by eliminating the use of fossil fuels and the pollution associated with driving.
- Recharging using public charging points or at home is simple and often less costly than refuelling with petrol. This can help make up for the more expensive purchasing price of electric vehicles.
- Electric vehicle technology has taken great leaps forwards over recent years. Electric cars generally perform better than petrol cars in terms of speed, acceleration and agility.
- Electric vehicles may benefit from government initiatives. For example, in Dubai, electric vehicle owners enjoy free public parking spaces and a free SALIK tag upon registration of their vehicle.
Benefits of petrol cars compared to electric cars
- Petrol vehicles cost less to purchase.
- Charging an electric vehicle can take a long time. For long journeys, you may have to stop at a charging point for hours compared with a few minutes to fill a petrol tank.
- For long journeys, you may need to plan your route in advance to ensure you find a good route with enough charging points, and this may even include multiple stops to recharge.
- Nowadays services like CAFU allow you to have petrol delivered straight to your door for easy and convenient refuelling.
You can learn more about charging your electric vehicle here.
Should I buy an electric car or hybrid?
Hybrid vehicles use a combination of petrol and electricity. The benefits of using a hybrid vehicle are:
- Lower fuel consumption than petrol cars can make hybrids more economically and environmentally friendly.
- Regenerative braking allows the battery to recharge while travelling.
- Hybrids generally have better battery life than fully electric vehicles.
- Hybrids offer the owner higher resale values than petrol cars.
However, electric cars still come on top compared to hybrids when it comes to their eco-friendliness, as unlike hybrids they are emission-free. It’s for this reason that electric cars are the top choice among more environmentally conscious drivers.
How do electric cars reduce pollution?
Electric cars are powered by a battery, which is charged using electricity. Just like your phone, an electric vehicle is plugged into a charging point which feeds electricity into the vehicle. This electricity is stored in the vehicle to power it when you next take it on the road. In doing so, there are lower emissions involved with a fully electric vehicle which can be zero if the electricity used to charge the vehicle comes from green energy.
Are electric car batteries safe in heat?
Some believe electric cars to be dangerous, but in actual fact, there is no evidence to suggest electric car batteries are not safe, even in heat. All EV batteries are tested in extreme conditions to provide assurance that these vehicles are safe and heat is not a concern.
Will electric cars hold their value?
Like all technology, electric cars will be upgraded and improved rapidly. More manufacturers will produce EVs, making them more accessible to the wider market. It’s hard to predict what this will do to prices, but if EVs follow a similar trajectory to other electricals, like iPhones, then prices for used EVs could drop quickly.
What electric cars are available?
If you’ve decided to buy an electric car, there are a great many options available on the market to choose from.
Nowadays, electric cars are no longer a niche option. Big car manufacturers including Tesla, Porsche, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and more offer many types of electric vehicles to choose from.
From stylish sports cars to nimble city hatchbacks or spacious SUVs, there are electric vehicle options to fulfil every need.
Which electric car should I buy?
The electric car you choose is ultimately up to you, but here are a few things you may want to consider when making your choice.
- What is the car battery like?
Is the battery range big enough for the length of journeys you require? If not, you’ll find yourself in a position where you’ll be stopping to charge the battery more often than you’d perhaps like.
2. What is the car performance like?
Electric cars generally have great acceleration, but take the car out for a test drive and try it for yourself if you’re unsure, as different models do have different acceleration rates.
3. What size car and body type do you need?
How big is your family, or how many passengers are you likely to carry? How many seats do you need? And what size boot will you require for luggage and possessions?
If you’re using your car to run errands around town, it’s unlikely you’ll need an SUV. On the other hand, if you’re a family of five planning holidays away, generous space in the boot and for the passenger seats will be required to hold belongings and keep youngsters happy and comfortable enroute.
4. Does the car meet your budget?
It’s important to consider not just the initial cost of the car, but also maintenance costs going forwards, such as charging fees, vehicle testing costs and car insurance.
Luckily, an electric vehicle is usually much cheaper to recharge than it is to refuel a petrol vehicle.
Where to buy electric cars and buy second-hand electric cars
Dubi Cars connects buyers and sellers of both new and used cars across the UAE. With options from leading manufacturers like Tesla, Volkswagen and Audi, browse our range of electric cars today.
