Electric Car Benefits You Should Know About

For some, they are the vehicles of the future; for others, the transition away from combustion engines is met with mixed feelings. There are still many uncertainties surrounding electric cars, fueled not least by negative media coverage. Are electric cars the answer to pressing current and future problems? Is the technology safe, and won't driving on electricity be much more expensive? At CARIFY, we've been incorporating electric cars into our fleet for a long time and can therefore answer many important questions based on our practical experience. Find out everything about the 11 benefits of electric cars below!

11 Benefits of an Electric Car

Are you mainly concerned with questions like range, charging time, and charging infrastructure when it comes to electric cars? Once you've driven an electric vehicle, these concerns quickly dissipate. The following 11 benefits show why switching to environmentally friendly cars is worthwhile for almost everyone.

1. Zero Emissions While Driving

Unlike combustion engines, electric cars emit no CO2 or other pollutants while driving. This makes them environmentally friendly vehicles that can drive in any low-emission zone. Even in Switzerland, there will be more low-emission zones and driving bans in the future, further restricting the movement of combustion engine vehicles.

2. Lower Noise Pollution

Traffic noise, like exhaust emissions, contributes to a decline in the quality of life. Electric cars are whisper-quiet when driving. Since electric motors do not produce explosions like combustion engines, they generate hardly any noise during operation. The more electric cars on the road, the less traffic noise disturbs residents.

3. Better CO2 Balance

In Europe, transportation accounts for about 20–25% of greenhouse gas emissions—far too much to meet climate protection goals. From 2035, the EU's "Fit for 55" package stipulates that only vehicles that emit no CO2 will be newly registered. This means an EU-wide ban on all combustion engine vehicles like gasoline or diesel, with far-reaching consequences for the global automotive market, as many major car brands produce in the EU and the EU is a key market for cars. Electric motors powered by electricity have established themselves as an alternative mobility solution. Although electric cars have been around for almost 150 years, it is only in recent years that these emission-free vehicles have gained traction.

4. Lower Operating Costs

Even if you charge your electric car at a public fast-charging station, electricity is still cheaper than filling up with premium gasoline or diesel. Electric motors also don't require operational fluids like oil. The following table clearly shows how much cheaper it is to drive with electricity.

5. Less Maintenance Required

Several components of electric cars ensure that your vehicle needs to visit the workshop less often. This saves about a third of the costs—and, of course, time that the car would otherwise spend in the workshop:

• Fewer moving parts mean less wear and lower maintenance costs for electric motors.

• Regular oil changes are no longer necessary.

• Vehicles with regenerative brakes wear out less quickly and have a longer lifespan.

• The simple cooling and heating systems of electric cars require less maintenance.

6. Tax Benefits

Unfortunately, the long-standing exemption from car tax for electric cars ended at the beginning of 2024. In the future, 4% of the import price will be taxed, just like combustion engine models. However, some Swiss cantons still offer discounts on vehicle taxes, and in some cases, these are even waived entirely for electric cars. The Federal Office of Energy provides further information on this.

Additionally, subsidies and incentives in some cantons sweeten the purchase of electric cars. There are also incentives for installing charging stations for electric cars. You can even deduct the purchase cost of a home wall box from your taxes.

7. Quiet Driving

The quiet electric motors generate almost no driving noise, which you will enjoy while driving as well as the smooth running. Whether listening to music or an audiobook on the go, chatting with the passenger, or making a call via hands-free—without engine noise, everything becomes much more pleasant. As a result, you remain more relaxed on long journeys.

8. High Acceleration

From 0 to 100 km/h in no time? While with combustion engines, you need to accelerate and shift gears for a while before reaching your target speed, electric cars accelerate much faster. This is due to their immediate torque delivery, allowing for a sprightly driving style.

9. Charging at Home

A fuel station in your own garage—wall boxes make it possible. You can conveniently charge your electric car at home when you don't need it anyway. If you combine the wall box with a home solar panel system, charging costs you almost nothing, and you increase your consumption of solar power. This positively impacts the levelized cost of electricity, the price you must calculate for a kWh of self-produced electricity over time and operating costs. While others complain about rising fuel costs, you drive past them laughing, pleased that mobility costs you hardly anything.

If your electric car offers bidirectional charging, it can even serve as a power storage device, feeding energy back into the grid or into another device from the car battery. This way, you can use electricity generated during the day at night. Newer models from manufacturers like Nissan and Hyundai are suitable for this, such as the Nissan Leaf or the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

10. Simple Motor Design

Electric motors are incredibly simple and particularly efficient. They have a much higher efficiency rate than combustion engines (70 to 95% compared to 20 to 30%). Here’s how an electric motor is constructed:

• Stator: The stationary part of the motor generates a magnetic field in its windings when electricity flows through it.

• Rotor: The movable part of the motor, made of permanent magnets or electromagnets, rotates within the stator.

• Rectifier: Converts alternating current (AC) from the battery or power grid into the direct current (DC) needed to operate the electric motor.

• Control Unit: Regulates the flow of electricity to the motor and controls the speed and torque.

• Battery: Stores the electrical energy.

You won't find these typical wear parts of combustion engines in electric motors:

• Starter battery

• Gearbox

• Carburetor

• Alternator

• Fan belt

• Fuel pump

• Timing belt

• Exhaust

• Catalytic converter

• Air filter

• Starter motor

11. Energy Recovery through Regeneration

What increases consumption in combustion engines reduces it in electric cars: In stop-and-go traffic, electric vehicles utilize regenerative braking. This process converts the kinetic energy released when braking into electrical energy that is stored for later use. This makes electric cars even more economical and increases their range.

12. The Most Popular Electric Cars at CARIFY

Over 400 electric cars are waiting for you at CARIFY to convince you of their benefits on a subscription basis. With us, you can test the new type of mobility without commitment before fully committing—try our Try & Buy program, for example. Otherwise, a car subscription at CARIFY is a great idea if you want flexible and simple mobility solutions with full cost transparency. These electric cars are particularly popular with us:

• VW e-Golf – The compact classic from Volkswagen in the electric version.

• FIAT E-Scudo – A great utility vehicle not only for the city.

• JEEP Avenger – An SUV with a distinctive look.

• VW ID.4 – An eco-friendly SUV with a long range.

• CITROEN C4 – A sporty sedan with electric drive.

• OPEL Combo-e – A spacious station wagon with plenty of room for the family.

• MERCEDES-BENZ EQE SUV – An SUV for discerning tastes.

• CITROËN E-Berlingo – A climate-friendly minivan that fits up to 7 people.

Discover our range of electric compact cars, station wagons, minivans, sedans, utility vehicles, convertibles, SUVs, and delivery vans!

Conclusion

Many advantages, hardly any disadvantages—electric cars are your mobility solution for a climate-friendly future. The range of electric vehicles is steadily improving, and thanks to a well-developed charging network across Switzerland and ever-shorter charging times, even long journeys with electric vehicles are no problem with a bit of planning. With CARIFY's electric car subscription, you also get the Explorer subscription and an evPass charging card, allowing you to charge at reduced rates in Switzerland's largest charging network.

FAQs

What are the advantages of electric cars on the road?

Electric cars are characterized by their agile driving style, which is especially beneficial in city traffic. Their quiet operation also improves the quality of life for residents, as does the cleaner air resulting from lower pollutant emissions.

What privileges do electric cars have?

Combustion engine vehicles already face restrictions today and will face even more in the future. With an electric car, you enjoy the following advantages:

• Free or discounted parking spaces for electric cars in some cities, often with charging stations.

• Free access to low-emission zones.

Is an electric car really better for the environment?

The production of electric cars is, unfortunately, not yet climate-neutral. There are environmental impacts, especially during the production and recycling of batteries. Hopefully, newer technologies will change this in the future. Also, CO2 emissions can occur when generating electricity if it comes from non-renewable sources. Overall, electric cars are better for the environment due to their higher efficiency and because they do not produce direct CO2 emissions.