Electric vehicles: What are the pleasures of driving an EV?

» It’s boring to drive an electric car! »

Bet you’ve heard that one a lot, and you’re starting to believe it. Is it a misconception, or is it actually true? Let’s find out in this article.

First of all, what makes driving a car enjoyable? What makes you enjoy driving one car more than another?

Here are just a few of the elements associated with driving pleasure that stand out:

• Vehicle appearance
• Engine power
• Car interior
• Engine sound
• Acceleration speed

While the horsepower, purring sound and sporty look of a gasoline-powered vehicle are all sought-after features, you can get them in an electric model too!

Audio quality

One of the most surprising things about driving an electric vehicle for the first time is the absence of noise. Everything is silent. So you can listen to your favorite music and enjoy the quality of every note without having to turn up the volume, for example. You’ll find that the sound quality of an EV is far superior to that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. What’s more, the silence that will surprise you at first will quickly become a very positive aspect of your driving.

Customization

Do you miss the engine sound of your old gasoline-powered car? No problem, many EV models allow you to add special sounds when starting up or honking the horn, for example. Sound generators can also be added to your vehicle to recreate the characteristic sound of gasoline-powered vehicles. It’s a modern, technologically advanced option that’s sure to please fans of engine noise and, what’s more, solves the long-standing problem of the absence of noise from your EV: you can’t hear them coming, you can’t hear them going backwards. By adding sound to your vehicle, you’ll get back to your old loves, and it’ll be easier for you to make your presence and intentions known while driving. It’s a win-win situation!

Easy maintenance

This is a huge advantage, especially for those who know nothing about mechanics. An electric car requires much less upkeep and maintenance than a gasoline-powered vehicle, for the simple reason that it has no gasoline engine, transmission or fuel tank – all parts that have to be replaced on a combustion-powered vehicle (an average of 14,000 parts!). There’s no need for oil changes or transmission repairs. So you don’t have to worry about a particular part failing. And your wallet benefits too, since you’ll be making far fewer trips to the mechanic with your bike.

Vehicle reliability

In the same vein, an EV is much less prone to mechanical breakdown than a gasoline-powered vehicle. Of course, EV’s also have their own little faults and require a few visits to the garage, but these will be very rare. So you can take to the road with confidence, knowing that your vehicle is reliable and intelligent: it will advise you when problems arise or when maintenance is required, since EV’s are generally equipped with diagnostic systems and you can program maintenance reminders. The only downside in terms of reliability is that by opting for an electric car, you’ll lose your number 1 excuse used in the coldest weather. The famous «sorry boss, my car didn’t start this morning» excuse will no longer work, unfortunately…

Savings and rebates

It’s true that the price of electric cars is a little higher, but to encourage people to go electric, the Quebec and Canadian governments have set up some very interesting subsidies. Through its Roulez Vert program, the provincial government offers a rebate of up to $7,000 on the purchase or lease of a new vehicle, and up to $3,500 on the purchase of a used EV.

The federal government offers a $5,000 incentive for the purchase or lease of a battery-powered, hybrid or hydrogen-powered vehicle. With all these discounts, not to mention those offered on charging stations by the Quebec government and certain municipalities, the price of electric cars becomes much more attractive for everyone!

Privileges

Electromobilists have a number of privileges that other drivers don’t have. They have access to reserved lanes (very interesting in the metropolitan area!) and benefit from certain freebies. Electromobilists are offered certain ferries free of charge, and pay nothing on toll bridges. What’s more, some cities offer free parking. The cities of Joliette, St-Jérôme and Victoriaville, for example, currently offer this privilege to electromobilists.

Performance

Many people think that electric cars don’t offer real performance. It’s often thought that, apart from its acceleration speed, which is faster than that of gasoline-powered cars, an electric car has little to envy from combustion-powered models. But this is not true.

Yes, the electric car offers excellent acceleration, but it offers much more than that! New models offer ever greater range, enabling electromobilists to cover longer distances without having to recharge as often as before. What’s more, many models now feature modern technological functions that reproduce the vibrations and sensations associated with combustion engine gearboxes.

Advanced technology

One of the strengths of electric cars is, of course, the modern, sophisticated technology found inside them. Intelligent systems optimize the car’s energy efficiency. These systems ensure better battery management, notably by controlling battery temperature.

Visually, the technology on board electric cars is impressive. We generally find large, high-resolution touch screens that enable us to control various advanced functions such as your GPS, music playlist or air conditioning, for example. Visually, EV’s interiors are very modern, and the technologies used are up to date. In terms of connectivity, the electric car is a highly versatile intelligent device, allowing you to connect your cell phone, surf the Internet or use a variety of applications.

On the driving side, safety is further enhanced by state-of-the-art technology. Not only are some EVs equipped with semi-autonomous (on-demand) driving systems, but they also feature advanced safety systems such as lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, cameras and radar to detect obstacles and prevent collisions. Needless to say, these features make life much easier for drivers (especially if you have trouble with parallel parking!).

In short, driving an electric vehicle is optimized by technology, and in 2023, we can no longer do without it. The pleasure of driving is still there, it’s just different and more modern. It responds to the technological needs of our time, and continues to improve over time. Can’t wait to see what the 2024 models have in store for us?