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

Driving an EV is even easier than driving a conventional car. The gear lever is the same as an automatic transmission, so all you must do is choose Drive or Reverse. You won't use the brake pedal that often because the car uses 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. Thanks to additional functions such as a connected navigation system with available charging points along the way, you can easily prepare your journey. With a smartphone application, you can manage charging from your phone for certain vehicles, and much more.

Electric vehicles are approved for all safety factors, just like conventional vehicles. In the event of a collision, there is a possibility that some parts may receive an active charge or that short-circuiting causes an electrical fire, though the safety precautions and construction have limited this risk to an absolute minimum.

An electric car, just like any other car, has also been tested for safety. In the event of an accident, there is a risk that parts of an electric vehicle will be electrically powered or that a fire will start because of a short circuit, although the chance of this happening is very small due to safety features and construction.

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

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  A quiet engine and automatic transmission with only one gear
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  No tailpipe emissions
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  More interior space due to the lack of a large engine
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  A battery that needs to be recharged. Charging infrastructure is therefore a must

After it has been used in your electric car, a battery often gets a surprising second life. For example, the battery can be transformed into a home battery, which serves as an energy buffer and absorbs power peaks from solar panels. no less than 95% of its parts can be recycled to produce new batteries. So, no valuable materials are ever wasted.

Your car is loaded with software that continues to work, even when your car is parked in your garage box. So, when you do not drive for a long time, the battery will gradually run down. An empty battery is something you should try to avoid

A decade ago, battery life was still short. Today, the battery of your electric car allows you to easily drive more than 200.000 kilometres, which is the same distance as many cars with combustion engines can do before they are worn out. In most cases, an EV’s battery will even last much longer

Although your car runs on electricity, it is not 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 does break out, the power supply is cut off automatically so you can safely exit the vehicle.

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

An on-board charger is the built-in charger for the battery in an electric vehicle. The on-board charger converts the alternating current it receives from the charging point into direct current. This is because an electric vehicle can only use direct current, while the electrical grid provides alternating current. The on-board charger is one of the factors that determines how fast the car can charge and with what power.

It is 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.

Total Cost of Ownership also considers insurance, taxes, resale value and running costs such as tires, fuel and maintenance.

The purchase price of an electric car is higher than fuel cars, but the price of electricity per mile driven is lower than gasoline or diesel. An electric car requires less maintenance, and you don't have to pay Inland Revenue Tax (BIV) or Road Tax.

This depends on the make and model of the car. The construction of an electric car does not always allow a tow bar to be fitted. This could be due to the placement of the battery or the extra load from a trailer or bike carrier that would heat up the battery.

Your car has 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 (yet not all) electric cars have an accompanying app that also allows you to set a maximum charging capacity.