When you buy a car in Singapore, you are left with two options: Electric Vehicles (EV) or Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Cars. Even though EVs are more attractive than ICEs when it comes to sustainability, you still have a lot of factors to consider before you decide to purchase an electric car.

The Rise of Electric Cars

More and more car manufacturers are now investing in the electrification of vehicles because EVs are easier to build since they require few moving parts. Not only that, but many countries like Singapore are pushing for a sustainable future to combat climate changes. Thus, it would be a smart choice for car companies to introduce EVs in the market. Some companies even made a move to make EVs dominate the market:

  • In 2017, Volvo announced that they will phase out their ICEs by 2019. All of their cars will now be either electric or hybrid to reduce carbon footprint significantly.
  • BMW, Land Rover and Volkswagen just made plans for an EV expansion in their products to promote the normalisation of using EVs.

Because of these changes in the automotive industry, different types of EVs are now available in some countries like Singapore. They are, namely, BEVs (Battery-Electric Vehicles), PHEVs (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles), and HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles), You can even get them not just at official car dealers, but also from parallel importers in Singapore 

 

Electric vs Gas-Powered Cars

However, the adoption of EVs in Singapore is only at its baby-phase. Thus, it is not certain that it would be a better decision to purchase an EV now. You have to consider some of these factors first before deciding to get an EV car from car dealers in Singapore:

  • Performance of the Vehicle
    It is essential to know about the concept of “Quick vs Fast” to understand how an EV and an ICE differs when it comes to performance. Quick means how long does a car take to get to a specific destination. Whereas, fast means the “top speed” of the car.
  • If we compare EVs and ICEs, EVs are quicker, but ICEs are faster. In simple terms, an EV reacts quicker because it does not run using an engine— the power goes straight to the wheels. Meanwhile, an ICE or gas-powered vehicle needs more time to move the car forward, but its speed can still go faster, unlike electric cars. Thus, ICEs have more advantage when it comes to performance.
  • Fuel & Electric Costs
    One of the most evident differences between these two cars is the power source— EVs run on electricity while ICEs are powered by fuel. Although there are fuel-efficient cars, the overall fuel costs of maintaining a gas-powered car are still much higher than an electric vehicle. Moreover, fuel prices are often fluctuating, so it is difficult to determine how much more expensive it is to keep a gas-powered vehicle.
  • EVs also have an advantage when it comes to power costs because there are now more electric choices to choose from. Some of them are leaning to greener options like solar, wind, and other renewable sources. So, if you plan to buy a car in Singapore, you may want to consider the electric ones.
  • Maintenance
    Although electric cars are more advantageous than gas-powered vehicles when it comes to cost, the latter has the upper-hand in terms of convenience. ICEs need to fill up their tanks after one or two weeks. The duration can be longer depending on how fuel-efficient that car is. Whereas, when you own a PHEV. you need to charge it every day. It doesn’t help the fact that there are few charging facilities in Singapore. Thus, it would be a hassle to get stranded in the middle of the road because your car is low in battery.
  • Fortunately, you can get both the benefits of ICEs and EVs by purchasing an HEV from a reputable parallel importer in Singapore. HEVs run two power sources: an electric motor and gasoline engine. Here’s how it works: the gasoline engine will power up the vehicle while the electric motor will automatically save energy every time you hit the breaks. Since it runs on gasoline, you get to conveniently fill your tank occasionally while enjoying the energy-saving benefits of electric cars.

 

Final Thoughts

Electric and gas-powered cars each have their advantages. It is up for you to decide which advantages you want to prioritise the most. If it is too difficult to decide, then you only have to consider your lifestyle when you buy a car in Singapore. See what’s more practical in the long run.

 

Are you interested in buying a car in Singapore? Check out our cars for sale here at Carlingual!