Hello, darlings!
Before we begin today's post, let me start by thanking you all for the kind feedback on the past few posts. It seems the more serious subjects go down well with you lot and I even seem to have gained a few new readers off of them (at least according to those fancy statistics sites Stevie has shown me).
So, because you should always give your audience what they want, this week, we're going to be tackling yet another relevant subject: electric cars. Specifically, we're going to be weighing their pros and cons when it comes to using them for courier jobs, in place of regular petrol and diesel vans.
Now, even though I don't know most of you personally, I know you've probably given some thought to getting an electric car or van at some point or another. These types of vehicles are becoming more popular every day, and with good reason. They're eco-friendly, much less noisy than regular cars and you don't have to spend a fortune on petrol to keep them running! Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Well, slow down. There are also some areas in which these vehicles lose out over plain, regular old cars – and some of those issues can be significant when it comes to using them for courier jobs. So, without further a-do, let's have a look, shall we?
The Pros
Some of the pros of buying an electric vehicle have already been mentioned above, but are definitely worth mentioning again.
- Eco-Friendly. These cars don't damage the environment anywhere near as much as petrol cars, and that is always a bonus. After all, we all have to live in this world, don't we?
- These vehicles are also much quieter than regular petrol-powered cars, which is fab if you want to listen to music during a long trip, or are driving through a city at night and don't want to disturb the residents, for instance.
- Less maintenance. One of the worst aspects of fuel-powered vehicles is how much TLC they require. No such problem with electric cars or vans; they are much less demanding, and their engines last a lot longer. The main source of concern is their battery, and even that lasts for donkey's years.
- They're becoming more affordable. Electric cars are not a wondrous thing of the future any more. And, while some can still be expensive, most won't cost you much more than a similar fuel-powered vehicle.
Again – sounds appealing, doesn't it? But read on to get the other side of the story as well.
The Cons
Every rose has its thorn, as they say, and electric cars are no exception. Below are some of the factors working against these types of vehicles, especially when it comes to courier jobs.
- Short range. Quite simply, these vehicles don't go for as long as regular ones, and you have to charge them up a lot more often and that takes time. Range is also affected by factors like the weather –which is not ideal when it comes to urgent courier jobs.
- Batteries are expensive. While the cars themselves are becoming more affordable to the average person, batteries can still be expensive, and so can range extenders (contraptions you can buy to make the car's range longer.) For owners on a budget this can be a problem in the long run.
Even despite the issues above, however, swapping petrol-powered vans for electric ones can be well worth it if, for example, you don't need to travel long distances or can make sure they are charged up regularly. These types of vehicles do have a lot of positive traits about them, so if what is written above sounds manageable, by all means look into them further.
For me, though, there is only one thing left to say...
Ta-ra!
- Gertie
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