Why drive electric?

If you’ve ever hitched a ride in an EV or have driven one yourself, you already know that thrilling sensation of effortless driving that you can’t get anywhere else. If that alone isn’t enough of a reason to switch to driving electric, we’ve listed several more for you below. From avoiding nasty emissions to just plain fun behind the wheel, they all contribute to feeling good about driving.

Go faster, smoother

First things first, driving an EV is a lot of fun. Every time your electric car accelerates, you will feel like you are on your private little rollercoaster. Electric cars don’t have gears or engines that take time to speed up, they accelerate instantly. Even a cheap EV at a stop light can humiliate an expensive fossil fuel car in the first few metres after takeoff. But don't worry, not every ride needs to feel like a rollercoaster. In many EVs, you can choose how fast you accelerate with a chill mode or by selecting your desired maximum acceleration. This makes driving fast and fun but also safe. 

Your biggest contribution to a sustainable future

There are no two ways about it, driving an electric car is much more sustainable than driving a fossil fuel burning car. Not just in terms of the emissions resulting from car production, but especially in the use phase of the car. For example, if you charge at a Fastned fast charging station you are using 100% renewable electricity from the sun and wind. One charging session at Fastned avoids on average 24 kg of CO2. That’s equivalent to almost 8 litres of petrol that you did not burn while driving. Eight! In just one charging session. Because electric cars also last longer and longer, the amount of CO2 emissions released when producing an electric car is also significantly less, taken over the car's entire lifetime. If you drive a car, switching to an EV is one of the bigger contributions you can make as an individual to help create a sustainable future.

Hug the road, rain or shine

Continuing on the topic of safety on the road, let’s get into traction. Traction is how well your car's wheels grip the road. Electric cars have heavy batteries spread out under your feet, creating a low centre of gravity that makes them almost glued to the road. On the other hand, regular cars with gas engines have heavy engines in the front, which can sometimes make the back wheels slip. And here's the cool part: electric cars can react fast when the road is slippery, like in the rain or snow. So, electric cars are awesome at keeping you safe on slippery roads, even if both have something called traction control.

Fewer costly trips to the garage

An electric car's engine contains far fewer moving parts and, therefore, there is a lot less that can go wrong mechanically. That means less maintenance and less cost for the owner. With one pedal drive, you also don’t wear out the brake pads as quickly which also helps. Many car manufacturers aim to build cars that last more than a million kilometres. One Tesla Model S built before 2014 currently holds the Guinness world record with over 3 million kilometres on the odometer and counting!

Everywhere charging

The European Union has set the goal that fast charging infrastructure be in place every 60 kilometres along Europe's main roads and motorways by 2030 at the latest. Over the past decade, an incredible number of fast charging locations have been added already. This makes it increasingly easy for electric drivers to go wherever they want to go. In addition, many organisations involved in (fast) charging offer apps where you can plan your route and see where there are charging opportunities. The Fastned app, for example, makes it possible to find your way to all European charging locations — both Fastned stations and other providers. The fast growing European charging network is the perfect recipe for avoiding charging stress and getting more people driving electric.

Get a jump start to the future

According to the same EU, no new fossil fuel cars can be sold in Europe from 2035. The growth of the number of electric cars on the road is only going to increase in the coming years. More and more affordable models are entering the market and new electric cars are also getting better and better batteries, making them last much longer. This makes it financially attractive to switch to electric driving. On the other hand, fossil fuel cars will become less valuable in the future as they slowly disappear from the roads. Electric driving is the future. No doubt about it.

Hopefully, you found this article to be helpful. If you’re now thinking “I want to know more about fast charging” or “Why do we need fast charging when I can charge at home?” then definitely have a look at our other stories. Many thanks for reading!