22 Dec 2022

Will you soon be switching from ICE to EV?

Electric vehicles, also known as EVs, are seen as the future of the automobile. In many countries around the world, they’re the fastest-growing car segment. That change is now coming to Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Why are so many people switching from the more traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) car to an EV? Let’s jump in to explore why EVs are so exciting.

The Performance

First of all, let’s talk about performance. EVs are fun to drive, and it’s all down to the torque, the movement of force that your car generates to accelerate. An ICE vehicle must first build up revs before it can move the car forward; an EV can begin moving the wheels of the car instantly after you press the accelerator. This basically means that you get an immediate response and unmatched rapid acceleration. Despite this, EVs are much quieter. They have fewer moving parts than your ICE-powered equivalent. If you miss the purr of your current car, you can recreate this sound with an EV’s on-board computer.

The Charging Experience

EVs need to be plugged in, and that can be a confusing process for those who haven’t experienced an EV. There are many ways to recharge an EV, including through a plug in the wall (you can use a standard wall plug, though the charging rate is slower than most people need). For many EV owners, they have a “Level 2” wall charger at home. These chargers run off a 240-volt connection – just like a washer or dryer – and require professional installation. Once in place, it’s easy to plug in and switch on the charger when you are parked at home. For many EV owners, they can recharge their cars in a couple of hours overnight, which means your EV is fully charged when you’re ready to leave in the morning. And what’s even better is the cost and convenience. Filling an EV can work out much cheaper than filling an ICE vehicle with gasoline.

The Range

Have you heard of range anxiety? One of the first questions we get asked is, “does an EV have a big enough battery to drive this or that distance?” The range of some EVs can equal their ICE counterparts. The other question you need to ask yourself is, “how far do you drive a day?” For most of us, it’s less than the range of most EVs currently on the market. If you need to drive more, you can top up your battery at a public charger. For the majority of people, the range of your typical EV can easily meet your needs. And with EV range increasing with the introduction of new technologies and faster public chargers, the question of, “how far can you go” will become one for the history books.