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What To Know About Modern Electric Vehicles
MODERN EV PIX
Electric vehicles are increasingly noticeable on roadways across the globe. That growing popularity reflects changes in the industry that have made it more feasible than ever to own an EV.

Motorists who spend a lot of time behind the wheel have undoubtedly noticed the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) traversing the roadways. Once a relatively rare sight, EVs are growing in popularity, and one need look no further than the nearest highway for evidence of that trend.

The sight of an EV on the road may spark some curiosity in drivers who have never before driven such vehicles. Some drivers may even ponder purchasing an EV when the time comes to replace their existing vehicles. With that in mind, here are some interesting characteristics of modern EVs.

The EV market is booming: Drivers’ eyes are not fooling them, as there are, in fact, significantly more EVs on the road today than there were as recently as eight years ago. Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that there were 114,000 battery electric and plug-in electric car registrations in the United States in 2015, a figure that rose to 295,000 by 2020. And the United States is lagging far behind regarding EV registrations, which totaled just under 1.4 million in 2020.

EV purchases are incentivized: The IEA reports that governments across the world spent $14 billion on direct purchase incentives and tax deductions for electric cars in 2020. That marks a 25 percent year-on-year increase.

EV offerings have diversified: Though buyers outside the United States have more options than buyers in the U.S., the EV market has still diversified to provide drivers with more options than in years past. The IEA reports that worldwide roughly 370 electric car models were available in 2020. That marks a 40 percent increase from 2019. Though supply chain issues may affect the availability of EVs in certain regions of the world, there’s no denying that EV manufacturers offer significantly more options to modern buyers than they did in years past.

EV batteries last a long time: The automotive experts at J.D. Power note that EV batteries generally last between 10 and 20 years. Certain variables affect the life expectancy of EV batteries, which explains the significant gap in the J.D. Power estimate. Drivers who live in areas where extreme weather, such as excessive heat and frigid cold, is the norm, may not get as many years out of their EV batteries as those who live in consistently moderate climates. And though the driving range of EV batteries varies, the Credit Union of Southern California indicates drivers can expect to get an average of 250 miles in a single charge.