This coming 9th September is World EV Day, a very important date for all of us who are more or less involved in reducing CO2 emissions from our journeys and taking care of our planet.
And what better way to celebrate than to highlight some of the testimonials (not all of them, it is impossible) that Electromaps’ users have sent us over the last few days.
What made me switch to an electric vehicle?
What made me switch to an electric vehicle?
Savings on fuel and maintenance
A few months ago, we published the first data about the profile of current electric vehicle users in Spain, a report based on a survey we carried out among our community, in which savings on fuel and maintenance over the lifetime of the vehicle was indeed the reason that most motivated our respondents to make the leap to electric mobility(72.9%).
Ricardo Mialdea tells us in detail about his experience: "I bought an electric car 7 months ago. An e-Golf. The main reason I decided to take the plunge was that I was tired of watching the price of petrol go up and up. I worked out my consumption data for the year 2022: a total of €3,000! We're always complaining about the electricity bill and we don't realise how much we spend on petrol.”
“We're always complaining about the electricity bill and we don't realise how much we are spending on petrol"
"I have gone from a cost of €11.68 to €2.55 per 100 km. Last year's €3,000 would have been reduced to €655. 2,345 euros in savings in just 7 months!," says Ricardo.
And he is not the only one... The fuel savings also convinced Pilar Labella to buy her Peugeot e208: "Although recharging at home is not free, the monthly fuel savings are considerable. I drive about 30,000 km a year just commuting. I've gone from €300/month to €45-50.”
Thierry Michau has driven 23,000 kilometres in eleven months, and one of the reasons for switching to electric was "the using cost". Agustín Tonda also confirms that "the purchase price is offset by maintenance and consumption."
"I did the maths and I said to myself: this electric car is a bargain. I bought a fully electric car and I have driven 80,000 km in two years at zero cost, this represents around €9,000 in fuel savings, as the vehicle cost me €28,000. At this rate of kilometres, in I’ll have amortised it in 4 years. I must also say that I consider myself a privileged person for living in an area where there’re many free charging points," says Manuel Abad.
Manuel De La Guardia points out: "In my case, a significant economic saving, because before going electric my family spent about €300 on diesel, at a cost of about €10 per 100 km, and now we spend about €2 per 100 km... And I’m not counting on the street free chargers that we have in our town, Boadilla. So we don't even spend those €2!"
"I’ve just bought an electric car, an MG ZS EV mainly for economic reasons, at an affordable price, but above all to save money on petrol and maintenance. So I'm banking on this investment to cut costs and reduce my CO2 emissions at the same time," writes Vincent, who drives around 30,000 kilometres a year.
Sustainability
Kim Miquel's story shows how sustainability and climate change were compelling reasons to go electric, although the catalyst was different: "Over a year ago, my car left me stranded, the poor thing could no longer run on its engine, without a major investment and from then on with costly maintenance. And I went electric! (...). I haven't been to a petrol station in almost a year and a half!
"I’m happy to stop polluting, at least with my car, and to keep the air a little better for our children.”
It's been a thorn in my side because I drive a lot of miles every day, and I've been burning a lot of diesel every week, and I've been taking a lot of oxygen out of the air that we need," Kim continues.
In fact, respect for the environment was the second most cited reason by our users (70.2%) in the aforementioned study.
Miguel Pancorbo agrees: "Ecology was my initial motivation to buy an electric car - not emitting any environmentally harmful substances when driving-, being aware of climate change."
"I generate my own green electricity and the surplus more than pays for the EV charges," shares Joan Ponsa.
Other advantages of electric vehicles
Most users are delighted with the driving experience of their electric car. As Kim Miquel reflects: "The silence of the whole vehicle itself, I wish this was the silence in the cities (...) It's also very quiet.”
"(...) Once I started using it, the driving dynamics, the almost instantaneous acceleration, the smoothness of the ride, the absence of noise and vibrations, the cornering stability without any roll... all this made me fall even more in love with electric driving. Now I know that my next car will be another electric one", adds Miguel Pancorbo.
And we can keep on adding advantages, such as free parking and charges in certain places, access to low-emission zones, incentives and grants, the convenience of charging at home... Or simply "living an all-electric experience (...) and being able to participate in the energy independence of my country", says Pierre Buhot.
Not all good news: where there is room for improvement in eMobility
Some of our users have taken the opportunity to point out aspects of electric mobility that could be improved. Jeanne van Sebille, owner of a KIA e-Soul, highlights some of the problems she encounters, such as the lack of charging points in Spain, and that "some of them don't work", or that there are "many companies offering charging points, each with their own applications and ways of paying. A real chaos, very annoying.”
At Electromaps we couldn't agree more, that's why we work to facilitate electric vehicle charging, providing the most reliable information about connectors and offering the best solutions to users, such as easy activation of charging sessions or secure payments. Our map includes the largest number of charging stations, but not all of them. That’s why, on the occasion of World EV Day, we kindly request all CPOs to share their charger information so that, together, we can democratise public charging.
Ricardo Mialdea tells us that his car had a breakdown in a battery cell and, although it is covered by the warranty, he has been without a car for several weeks: "There are very few garages nationwide that are qualified, so repairs take a long time. I bet this problem is common to all vehicle companies. As electric vehicles gain ground, these ‘youth’ problems will disappear. Batteries will be more reliable and garages will be qualified to repair them. It is also true that subsidies and privileges will disappear.”
Some users point out that it is easier to switch to electric if you have a charger at home or at work, for convenience and cost reduction. At Electromaps, we offer specific solutions for companies and individuals and we will advise you without obligation.
How to convince electric car sceptics (if you fancy)
Like almost everything else in life, electric vehicles have supporters and detractors. What does seem to be clear is that zero-emission car sales are on the rise and will grow exponentially in the coming years due to the EU ban on the sale of new combustion vehicles from 2035.
The EV generates a lot of debate and Albert Modol confesses that "before you get it, it is already a challenge to defend it in front of the public and it becomes a challenge to overcome." And he adds: "When you have it, you know that this is what you wanted. It meets your expectations. It’s silent, it doesn't bother anyone. It has many more economic advantages than you thought. It’s fast and fun to drive, at the same time I would almost say that it is relaxing to drive, it is NOT tiring to drive. Last -but not least-, the user’s community is very friendly and close. I've never made friends at a petrol station like I have now in front of a charger.”
Others, like David Iborra, face the sceptics' comments with humour: "I'm not going to try to convince the typical sceptics to buy an EV because their answers are already tiring: the car pollutes much more than a car more than 10 years old; the battery has to be changed every X years; I can't make long trips; when there are many electric cars how are we going to charge them all at the same time… In short, I prefer that there are not many and so I can take advantage of free parking zones, free charges, road tax of 11€ in my town, and take some free charging vouchers from Electromaps.”
Why I drive an electric vehicle: conclusions
We were particularly struck by Pere's way of putting it, which sums up quite well some of the reasons that we found common to most of the testimonies we received:
"Reasons why you SHOULD buy an electric vehicle
- Savings on fuel and mainteinance (...).
- Driving user experience.
- Zero emissions.
Reasons for dismantling the naysayers
- There are more charging points than cars, although we are still far from the ideal level. I have never dropped below 15% battery.
- Most drivers commute short distances to work. There is no reason to doubt about the EV’s authonomy.
- Fuel prices are rising exponentially and are not likely to fall again.
- Unrestricted city driving.
- Free parking in a lot of cities.
- Grants (added).
Reasons for not wanting to convince the sceptics
- My sceptic friends, the longer it takes you to realise this, the more we will enjoy benefits such as free charging in shopping centres, discounts, grants…"
"I have had to adapt somewhat to the EV system. As any change, it is a new challenge, like any new stage. It requires a different approach, but I'm satisfied," concludes Ricardo Mialdea.
Discover more testimonials from our users in the Community section of our blog.
