Buying a new car is an exciting time, but with so many to choose from it’s hard to tell which is best for you. With the current climate and environmental issues, you’ve probably heard electric cars being spoken about a lot, but you may not know much about them. You’d assume that they’re more eco-friendly and perhaps quieter, but is this the case? So if you’re considering buying or perhaps financing an electric car and will eventually need gap insurance, read on for this helpful guide to understanding electric cars and find out whether they're as quiet as they claim.

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"An increase in the use of electric cars is set to reduce noise pollution and quieten the roads in general."

What is an electric car?

Firstly, it’s important to establish what an electric car is. The difference between an electric vehicle and a petrol or diesel vehicle is essentially how it is operated and powered. Electric vehicles have a battery instead of a gasoline tank and an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. This means that to recharge your car you’ll need to plug it in to charge it up and power it rather than filling it with fuel.

Is an electric car quieter?

Yes, they are! Generally speaking, electric cars are quieter than vehicles with combustion engines. They're famously quiet as they do not require the mechanical valves, fans or gears of traditional combustion engines.

An electric car does make some noise, however, this is a quiet hum whilst it’s idle, nothing compared to the general loudness of a fuelled vehicle. When moving, the driver and passengers will only hear the wind and tires moving rather than the mechanics of a more traditional vehicle.

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An increase in the use of electric cars is set to reduce noise pollution and quieten the roads in general. This will make for a better driving experience for everyone.

Are electric cars better for the environment?

Electric cars have broadly been established as the environmental saviour of vehicles and transportation, but in such a drastic change it's left many people wondering, how clean can they be? The short answer to whether they are better for the environment than petrol and diesel-powered vehicles is simply, yes.

Petrol and diesel cars put out an awful lot of unwanted emissions when they are driven – for example, CO2. CO2 is damaging to the environment as it increases global warming and causes climate change. Electric cars, do not emit CO2 whilst driving which is a lot cleaner for the environment.

However, it is important to remember that electric cars are not entirely clean, as no car would be. This is due to the manufacturing process. When anything is manufactured, fossil fuels are released. In fact, with electric cars, more energy is required to manufacture them than traditional petrol vehicles. The amount of CO2 released can also vary depending on the size of the electrical battery.

Furthermore, if the electricity they use to charge the car comes from fossil fuels rather than renewable energy sources, this will also indirectly cause the emission of harmful gases like CO2.

This being said, it’s important to keep in mind the lifeline of both electric vehicles and petrol or diesel cars. Both cars release CO2 when being manufactured, with electric cars more than others. However, each car is only made once, whereas driving your vehicle is a continuing process which regularly happens. Even if electric cars use electrical energy that comes from fossil fuels, the rate at which these are burned and how much is emitted from driving petrol or diesel cars is incomparable. Driving petrol or diesel-fuelled cars releases significantly more CO2 than their more environmentally friendly counterpart and taking into account all of these aspects it’s clear that electric cars are much better for the environment.

Pros and cons of electric cars

To help you make an informed decision about the purchase or financing of an electric car, below is a list of pros and cons:

Pros

• Better for the environment

• Quieter

• No congestion charge

• Lower running costs

• Better driving experience

• Free Parking

• Government funding

• Renewable electricity tariffs
 

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Cons

• Expensive to buy

• Can’t drive as far

• Release more emissions to manufacture them

• Not enough charging ports currently so not as accessible

Considering swapping to an electric vehicle?

If you’re looking at financing an electric car and want to see the full financial picture before committing, explore more of Direct Gaps services. For gap insurance in the UK that suits you, contact Direct Gap for a gap insurance quote today for a quote.

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