The Biggest Mistake EV Shoppers Make

Considering switching to an EV? You might want to consider one with less range. Read on to see if long-range EVs are worth their cost.
Written by Hannah DeWitt
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
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When
buying a car
, bigger is always better, right? Unfortunately, that's not a clear-cut answer, especially when it comes to electric vehicles. It's easy to assume that you need the max amount of range, and while that might be true for someone who is constantly traveling cross-country, for most people, too much range could be a bad thing.

Don't fall for too much range

Why would having too much range be a bad thing? The answer boils down to the overall cost, according to
CNET
. Like having a bigger gas tank, having an EV which has more range will leave you spending more money at electric charging stations.
One example that CNET gave was the Nissan Leaf. If you decide to go with the trim that offers 226 miles of range, as compared to the Leaf which only has 149, you may think you're getting a better deal. At the end of the year, however, you've spent $6,600 more than you would have if you had just chosen to go with less.
So why is this, exactly? It has to do with the weight of the battery. When your gas tank gets empty, your car becomes lighter. Batteries don't get lighter, however, so your car remains the same weight even though the amount of charge you have lessens. 
This means that even though the long range might sound good on paper, it's actually costing you more money. Yet some people still remain anxious that they need the extra range to reach their destination safely.
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Do you have range anxiety?

MORE: The Effect of Electric Vehicles On International Fuel Taxes
Range anxiety is a simple term for anyone scared of being left sitting on the side of the road because of their electric vehicle. It's justifiable, as well. It's not like you can fill up a jug with electric power and cart it back to the car if you break down in the middle of nowhere, after all.
That's not likely to happen, however. According to the
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
, most Americans drive a mere 40 miles a day. If you have a vehicle like the Nissan Leaf with a range of 149 miles, you can realistically drive for nearly four days without having to charge your vehicle. 
This could be frustrating for people who are used to going for a week to two weeks without having to refuel a gasoline-powered vehicle. It's also alarming that there are whole towns in America that don't have electric charging stations yet. If you live in a big city, you're probably used to them, but for rural communities, it’s wise for now to either charge at home or stick with a gas-powered vehicle.  

This too shall pass

While electric vehicles aren't the norm just yet, that will probably change in the future. Just as many people refused to give up their cassette players, believing that CDs wouldn't take off, they soon switched over, and then turned to MP3s. The same will most likely happen with electric vehicles.
Thanks to government incentives to go green through tax credits on green vehicles, it's becoming more affordable to switch. Still others simply like how quiet EVs are compared to gasoline-powered vehicles.
While the change may not happen yet, hybrids are becoming increasingly popular, as it gives drivers the best of both worlds. It helps that hybrids are often very affordable, and give you the comfort of knowing that if you run out of gasoline, you still have a few miles to go on electricity before your car dies.

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