8 benefits of an electric car

Benefit 2: An electric car requires less maintenance

An electric car requires less maintenance because it has few moving parts. By comparison, a car with an internal combustion engine has over 200 moving parts in the powertrain; in an electric car, there are less than twenty. Moving parts are subject to wear and tear and maintenance, and therefore must be replaced from time to time. Moreover, with an electric car, you don't have to change oil, renew spark plugs or replace the clutch or timing belt. Also, the brakes tend to last longer than on a fuel car because you can make more use of braking on the electric motor. The tires may wear a little faster on an electric car, though, because it is heavier than a car with an internal combustion engine.

Benefit 3: An electric car has exemption from BPM

If you drive an all-electric car, you are exempt from BPM. BPM, Tax on Passenger Cars and Motorcycles, is the tax you pay for a passenger car, van or motorcycle. The tax authorities calculate the BPM for a passenger car on the basis of its CO2 emissions. The more fuel-efficient the car, the less BPM you pay. For a fully electric car, you pay no BPM; it is exempted by the tax authorities. In this way, the central government wants to stimulate fully electric driving.

Benefit 4: You do not have to pay motor vehicle taxes

Normally, as a motor vehicle owner, you always pay motor vehicle taxes. The amount of road tax depends on the type of fuel, the weight of the vehicle and the province where you live. However, as an electric car owner, you do not have to pay road tax. The central government has exempted owners of an all-electric car from paying road tax through 2024.

Benefit 5: It is better for the environment

An electric car is a lot better for the environment than a car with an internal combustion engine. An electric car produces no nitrogen and particulate matter, and emits less CO2 in both driving and manufacturing the car. If the car runs on energy generated by nature, for example by windmills or solar panels, the car runs with no emissions at all. This is positive for the climate. Electric driving is therefore a sustainable choice. That is why the central government also tries to stimulate this, by exempting electric car owners from BPM and MRB.

Benefit 6: You can generate your own energy with solar panels

Do you have solar panels on your home? Then you can use the energy generated to charge your electric car. This works as follows: in the summer months you naturally generate more power than in the winter months. Excess power you can therefore supply back to the power company. At the end of the year, the returned power is deducted from your electricity consumption. You then pay only the number of kWh remaining. This is called the net-metering scheme. Of course, your electric car is charged with power from the grid, but because you generate more than you used, you can feed it back and the two amounts are offset against each other.

Please note that starting in 2023, the balancing scheme will be slowly phased out. This means that each year you will receive less back for the excess power you generate and feed back to the power company.

Benefit 7: More and more charging options are becoming available.

As electric driving becomes increasingly popular, more and more charging stations are being added. Not only in the Netherlands, but throughout Europe. The Netherlands already has over 60,000 charging stations, and by 2030 there should be 1.7 million. They will be placed in various streets and residential areas, along freeways and highways, at supermarkets and restaurants. So you don't have to worry about being stranded by the side of the road because you can't find a charging station.

Benefit 8: An electric car is very quiet

This is actually both an advantage and a disadvantage. Normally, most of the sound of a car is produced by the internal combustion engine. Since an electric car does not have a combustion engine, but is powered by electricity, these cars are very quiet. Very nice for you as a motorist and people who live close to a highway, but more dangerous for pedestrians and bicycles. Therefore, electric cars are required to make noise at low speeds. That way you can hear electric cars coming, but they still make less noise than a gasoline car.

Electric car insurance? Take out car insurance directly on Alpina.nl!

Are you planning to buy an electric car? Then you can arrange your car insurance on Alpina.nl ! All-risk car insurance is often chosen for an electric car. Not only is the battery of an electric car very expensive, repair costs can also be more expensive than for a regular gasoline car. Therefore, all-risk car insurance is often a wise choice. With this you are insured for all kinds of damages and theft and the (often high) costs are reimbursed by the insurer.

Do you still have questions about insuring your electric car? If so, be sure to contact us!