An electric vehicle, also known as an EV, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for its propulsion. The energy used to drive an EV is stored in the battery, which is recharged at a charging station (at home, in the office, or in a public place).

Driving an electric vehicle is even easier than driving a conventional car. The gear lever is the same as that of an automatic gearbox, so you just have to choose forward or reverse. You won't use the brake pedal often, as the car is equipped with a regenerative braking system that slows the car down when you take your foot off the accelerator.

In terms of comfort, safety and technology, the equipment is the same or even better. An electric vehicle is usually always equipped with an automatic gearbox, cruise control and heated seats. With additional features such as a connected navigation system with charging stations available along the way, you can easily prepare for your trip. With a smartphone app, you can manage the charging of certain vehicles from your phone, and much more.

Electric vehicles are approved for all safety factors, just like conventional vehicles. In the event of a collision, it is possible that some parts will receive an active load or that a short circuit will cause an electrical fire, but safety precautions and construction have limited this risk to an absolute minimum.

An electric car, like any other car, has also been tested for safety. In the event of an accident, there is a risk that parts of the electric vehicle will be powered by electricity or that a fire will break out due to a short circuit, although this risk is very low due to safety features and construction.

EVs differ from combustion engine vehicles in more ways than just the size and power of the engine. For example, an EV has:

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  Quiet engine and single-speed automatic transmission
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  No exhaust emissions
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  More interior space due to the absence of a large engine
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  A battery that needs to be recharged. Charging infrastructure is therefore a must

After being used in your electric car, a battery often has a surprising second life. For example, the battery can be converted into a home battery, which acts as an energy buffer and absorbs power spikes from solar panels. As much as 95% of its parts can be recycled to produce new batteries. This ensures that no valuable material is ever wasted.

Your car is equipped with software that continues to work, even when parked in your garage. So, when you don't drive for a long time, the battery will gradually drain. An empty battery is something you should try to avoid.

Ten years ago, battery life was still short. Today, your electric car's battery allows you to easily travel more than 200,000 kilometers, which is the distance that many combustion engine cars can travel before they wear out. In most cases, an electric vehicle's battery even lasts much longer.

Although your car runs on electricity, it is no more likely to catch fire than a car with a conventional engine. On the contrary, the risk of fire is lower than for a petrol car. If a fire breaks out, the power supply is automatically cut off so that you can get out of the vehicle safely.

Keep your battery level between 20% and 80%. Before you started driving electric, you may have been in the habit of filling up at the gas station. However, your electric car's battery is much happier if you stop charging it to 80% capacity - although you can still fully charge it when you need to travel a long distance. We also advise you not to let your battery level drop below 20% unless necessary.

An on-board charger is the charger built into the battery of an electric vehicle. The on-board charger converts the alternating current it receives from the charging station into direct current. This is because an electric vehicle can only use direct current, while the power grid provides alternating current. The on-board charger is one of the factors that determine the speed and charging power of the car.

It's best to compare the cost of cars based on their total cost of ownership (TCO): the total cost of the car calculated over its entire lifetime.

The total cost of ownership also takes into account insurance, taxes, resale value, and running costs such as tires, fuel, and maintenance.

The purchase price of an electric car is higher than that of a fuel-powered car, but the price of electricity per kilometre driven is lower than that of petrol or diesel. An electric car requires less maintenance and you don't have to pay tax (BIV) or road tax.

It depends on the make and model of the car. The construction of an electric car does not always allow for the installation of a tow bar. This could be due to the location of the battery or the extra charge from a trailer or bike rack that would cause the battery to heat up.

Your car is equipped with software that automatically stops the charging process when your battery is fully charged. Unless you have to travel a long distance, it is recommended that you only charge 80% of your battery. Today, many (but not all) electric cars come with an app that also allows you to set a maximum charging capacity.