The first electric automobile was developed in 1891 by William Morrison. An electric car works using electricity instead of gas, which is why electric cars are making a comeback in a time of high gas prices. While it is a viable alternative to a regular gas-powered car, there are a few disadvantages to buying and driving an electric vehicle that you should consider before you buy one.
Electric cars are more expensive than regular gas-powered cars. For instance, the Phoenix, a midsized SUV, costs about $45,000. An SUV like the Honda Pilot, which is similar in size and features, goes for around $30,000. (Some people balance this additional cost by considering the money that will be saved on gas.)
All-electric vehicles can only last for about 100 miles before they need to be plugged back in and recharged. If you need to drive more than 100 miles and you don't have a power source, you will be stranded and the car will have to be towed to a charging unit in order to get it back in operation. Because of this, these cars are not for people who do a lot of highway driving, road-tripping or commuting. An electric car is an ideal choice, on the other hand, for people who use it to run quick errands around town.
Adding to the aggravation of running out of power on the road, it is very difficult to find plug-in stations when driving an all-electric vehicle. Some parks, stores and rest stops have these charging stations, but the driver must do extensive research to find them. Some stations charge you to use the power source.
Some insurance companies look at electric vehicles as riskier, so an electric car could be more expensive to insure. The higher cost could be due to a variety of factors, such as the hazard of running out of power in inopportune locations, the higher price tag on the car and the additional risks involved when you are dealing with electricity.
Many electric vehicles are very limited in the speeds that they can reach. Some can only reach about 25 miles per hour while others can only go as fast as 65 miles per hour. For this reason, many electric cars travel in the slow lane on highways. Some models, like the Phoenix all-electric car, claims to reach as high as 100 miles per hour, but that is still low compared to gas-powered cars that reach as high as 120 to 140 miles per hour. Some electric cars are also considered "sluggish" and slow to accelerate.
