It is much more expensive than fuel vehicles of the same level. Is it a waste of money to buy a pure electric vehicle now?

At present, there are two attitudes on the Internet regarding pure electric vehicles: one is that pure electric vehicles have insufficient battery life and are troublesome to charge, and cannot be compared with fuel vehicles, and people who currently buy electric vehicles are simply being fooled; the other is that after driving an electric vehicle, they find that the cost of using the vehicle is reduced and the driving experience is also improved to a higher level. They believe that most of the people who criticize electric vehicles are trolls, and are glad that they bought an electric vehicle early.

So what exactly is the existence of pure electric vehicles now? Is buying an electric car a waste of money?

It is believed that from the perspective of national policy, pure electric vehicles are the main technical route and development direction of China's new energy vehicles. On the one hand, the development of pure electric vehicles is to save electricity and fuel, reduce dependence on oil imports, and ensure energy security; on the other hand, it is to seize the development opportunities of new technologies and enhance the overall competitiveness of my country's automobile industry. Although national policies are promoting pure electric vehicles, pure electric vehicles will eventually be consumed by ordinary people. Whether electric vehicles are worth buying now is the most important question for consumers.

Pure electric vehicles do have shortcomings

We have to admit that there are indeed many problems with current pure electric vehicles.

The biggest problem is the lack of battery life. The current pure electric vehicles are far inferior to fuel vehicles in terms of battery life. A fuel vehicle can run about 1,000 kilometers on a full tank of gas. However, when the current pure electric vehicles are out of the city, the owners are prone to feel insecure.

However, compared with the electric vehicles with a range of only 100-200 kilometers in previous years, the current pure electric vehicles have made great progress. Accordingly, the national subsidy standard for electric vehicles has also been greatly increased, and electric vehicles with low range are no longer eligible for subsidies. The proportion of long-distance travel by most people is not high, and the current electric vehicles can fully meet the needs of urban transportation.

At present, new energy vehicle companies usually promote NECD range in their publicity. The test environment of this range is relatively ideal, and the actual range of electric vehicles often does not reach this number. Consumers should pay attention to distinguish when buying a car.

High-speed scenarios are when fuel vehicles are most efficient, but the endurance of pure electric vehicles will be further compromised in high-speed scenarios.

Most of the current pure electric vehicles have single-stage reduction motors, which is equivalent to a fuel vehicle with only one gear. On the highway, pure electric vehicles need to increase the speed desperately to increase the speed. As a result, when driving at high speed, the motor and battery system are in a high-load state, energy consumption increases, and efficiency decreases.

Data shows that when the temperature drops from 25℃ to -20℃, the energy released by the battery will decrease by about 30%. In the winter when the temperature is low, the range of pure electric vehicles will drop significantly.

Inconvenient charging is another major pain point of pure electric vehicles. When buying a pure electric vehicle, it is best to pair it with a private charging station. To have a private charging station, you often need a private parking space. There are no private charging stations, and the number of public charging stations is limited and poorly managed, which limits many people from buying pure electric vehicles.

When buying an electric car, you must consider the issue of battery replacement. Battery capacity will decrease with age. However, car manufacturers now provide an 8-year or even lifetime warranty for the batteries of pure electric vehicles. Some manufacturers also provide lifetime battery warranty, battery repurchase and other services. This has actually eliminated consumers' concerns about battery capacity attenuation to a large extent.

The high price is not the only complaint about pure electric vehicles, because after all, the country is using real money to subsidize them, and the price of electric vehicles after the subsidies is still competitive.

As the scale of pure electric vehicles continues to expand, the scale effect will gradually emerge, and the cost and price of electric vehicles will further decline. Even if the subsidies disappear in the future, electric vehicles will remain quite competitive in price.

The current depreciation rate of pure electric vehicles is terrible, which is much different from that of fuel vehicles. However, as the number of electric vehicles increases, the corresponding second-hand electric vehicle market will gradually improve. The residual value rate of pure electric vehicles will become more rational and gradually return to its true value.

Pure electric vehicles have obvious advantages

Pure electric vehicles do not use oil or electricity, which can indeed reduce the cost of using a vehicle. At present, the oil price remains high, and the advantages of pure electric vehicles are further highlighted.

Pure electric vehicles are not good at high speeds, but are particularly suitable for commuting in urban areas. Frequent starting and stopping of fuel vehicles in urban areas will consume a lot of fuel. However, pure electric vehicles will not have unnecessary energy loss when parking, and energy recovery makes pure electric vehicles more power-efficient.

The power system of pure electric vehicles mainly consists of three parts: motor, battery, and electronic control. It has a simple structure and a low failure rate. However, the power system of fuel vehicles has a complex structure and is prone to failure. The cost of car maintenance and repair of fuel vehicles is much higher than that of pure electric vehicles.

Pure electric vehicles have a natural advantage over fuel vehicles in terms of acceleration, which can bring a better driving experience. At present, the trend of small displacement of fuel vehicles is very obvious, which will inevitably weaken the power of fuel vehicles while saving fuel. The advantage of pure electric vehicles in acceleration will be further strengthened.

Electric vehicles are not completely useless compared to fuel vehicles. They still have many advantages. For those who want to reduce vehicle costs, are tired of fuel vehicle maintenance and repairs, or want a better driving experience, electric vehicles are a good choice.

In the following situations, buying a pure electric car is definitely not a waste of money.

Buying luxury electric cars, such as Tesla, as a big toy. This situation is not discussed much.

Buying a pure electric car for the license plate. In first-tier cities, it is not uncommon for a license plate to be more expensive than the car itself. You don't know when you can get a license plate by lottery, so selling an electric car and getting a license plate for free is a great deal.

If you already have a fuel car at home, the second or Nth car is an electric car. If you already have a fuel car, you don't have to worry about long-distance driving.

There is less demand for long-distance travel, and cars are mainly used for commuting in the city, especially for those who have parking spaces and private charging piles at home. Pure electric vehicles can basically avoid using oil when used with home charging piles, and the cost of using the car will be greatly reduced.

Buying a car is a complex decision for most families. Consumers should consider many factors and decide whether to buy a pure electric car. Before buying, you need to fully understand the current shortcomings of pure electric cars and choose carefully according to your needs.

Pure electric vehicles have a brighter future

From a long-term perspective, the construction and management of public charging stations will surely catch up. When charging becomes as easy as refueling, the anxiety about the range of electric vehicles will be greatly alleviated. By then, there will probably no longer be any discussion about whether buying a pure electric vehicle is a waste of money.

The most important technical challenge for the development of pure electric vehicles is how to improve the energy density of batteries, followed by fast charging technology. The former allows electric vehicles to travel farther on a single charge, while the latter allows electric vehicles to charge in a shorter time and replenish power more quickly.

There is another important reason why we say that electric vehicles are the future direction of automobile development. That is, compared with fuel vehicles, electric vehicles are more suitable as a platform for smart cars. The combination of the two has lower energy consumption and is less prone to failure.

Smart cars can expand the functions of cars and redefine the meaning of cars to human society. Today's pure electric vehicles rely more on policy promotion, while smart cars have a broad market. The development of smart cars will drive the popularization of pure electric vehicles.

The significance of the current national subsidies to support pure electric vehicles is to guide automakers to invest resources in the field of pure electric vehicles, promote the advancement of pure electric technology, and enhance the performance of pure electric vehicles.

Subsidy support policies can expand the scale of pure electric vehicles, so that the cost of pure electric vehicles can be spread to a level that can compete with fuel vehicles, and even be cheaper than fuel vehicles without subsidies.

Although pure electric vehicles still have many imperfections, they have a promising future.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.