Although it was only recently that electric vehicles saw an upsurge in popularity, the fact is that EVs are as old an invention as two centuries ago. Of course, the earlier models of these vehicles have nothing to do with today’s unique electric cars, with their exceptional designs and features.
This article provides an overview of electric vehicles’ features, advantages, and disadvantages and discusses key aspects, requirements, and challenges of shipping EVs.
An Overview of Electric Vehicles
EVs are becoming more common on the roads nowadays, with more people opting for them due to their distinct features besides their unique allure. The following provides a brief explanation of electric cars’ general features, their advantages, and disadvantages.
Electric Vehicles’ Features
What sets electric vehicles apart from traditional gasoline-powered ones are the following characteristics:
- The powertrain is the primary difference between electric and traditional cars. Though some EV types have an internal combustion engine for optimized convenience, operating EVs depend on electric motors. They use electricity from a battery pack to create power and turn the wheels.
- Electric vehicles are fueled by charging their batteries at home facilities or specialized charging stations, unlike gasoline-powered cars, which are usually filled at a gas station.
- Electric vehicles have motors provided with instant torque, which accounts for increasing their acceleration and overall performance.
- EVs provide the one-pedal driving feature, a regenerative braking system that allows drivers to lift off the accelerator pedal once they want to slow down and stop the car.
- Many electric vehicles have an over-the-air software update system, allowing manufacturers to add new features and fix bugs without taking the car to a dealership.
Advantages of Electric Cars
- The ability to be upgraded just like a smartphone
- Their optimized acceleration power
- A reduced carbon footprint and pollution
- Ease of maintenance and ownership
- Their low maintenance and operating costs
Disadvantages of Electric Cars
Some challenges of operating EVs mainly include the range issue, meaning that some EV types are less likely to be efficient for long trips, especially for drivers who make such trips on a daily basis. Also, charging electric vehicles can sometimes take a long time, depending on the charging equipment used in the first place.
It can also be challenging to find charging stations at present, being fewer and farther between than gas stations. However, this issue won’t persist in the future as the number of charging stations continues to rise with the increase in EV adoption.
Shipping Electric Vehicles
Shipping electric vehicles is different from the traditional shipping processes, considering these critical aspects of EV shipping:
- Car shippers must be extremely careful in maintaining EVs’ battery safety since the batteries can pose serious risks if damaged or improperly handled. Usually, car shipping companies experienced in shipping electric vehicles follow special precautions to keep batteries secure while on the road.
- EVs also need to be regularly charged, calling for available charging infrastructure at the shipping terminals.
- People wondering how much it costs to ship an EV car must expect higher rates for shipping their electric vehicle due to their heavier weight, resulting from their battery pack weight.
Moreover, other necessary requirements must be kept in mind when shipping EVs, like ensuring the company to ship the car complies with the regulations governing the shipping of these vehicles. Car shipping companies must also provide special packaging for batteries that will prevent them from moving around inside the shipping container and protect them from extreme temperatures and damage during shipping.
Finally, there are specific challenges when shipping electric cars across state lines, including the expensive shipping cost, the small numbers of shipping companies able to ship electric vehicles, and the need for more time to finish the shipping process due to the special needed preparations and regulations.
Tempus Logix is a top-rated car shipping company, operating nationwide and shipping all vehicle types. So far, Tempus Logix has shipped over 45,000 vehicles, including electric and gasoline-powered ones.
In Conclusion
The growing popularity of electric cars stems from their unique feature and abilities on the one hand and from proving more cost- and fuel-efficient on the other. The potential to reduce carbon footprint and save the environment is another significant and essential feature of EVs, leading governments to encourage its adoption.
However, when shipping electric cars across the country, car shippers and clients must be careful about the particular factors, requirements, and challenges related to the shipping processes. Some of these factors include the need for special packaging, trained and knowledgeable staff about EV shipping, and taking the necessary safety precautions.
