9 Benefits of Driving an Electric Vehicle (Besides Never Worrying About Gas Prices)

You’ll find that zipping around town in an EV offers plenty of other perks, too.

When I bought my first electric car, I was thinking about the benefits for the planet, not my pocketbook. But when gas prices spiked over the summer, I felt pretty great about escaping the pain at the gas pump, too.

Fortunately, those aren’t the only perks that you can score when you own an EV. Check out these electric vehicle benefits that may just convince you to take one for a test drive (or bring one home with you).

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1. You can fill up an EV as easily as you charge your phone

If you have an outdoor outlet or charger available at home or at work, all you’ll have to do is plug it in, and your car will be charged and ready to go—no more visits to the gas station, ever.

“For those with the ability to set up home charging, there will be a significant time savings since the charging can be done while you are sleeping or focused on anything else,” says Ronald Montoya, senior consumer advice editor at auto research guide Edmunds.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t work for everyone quite yet. “For those relying on public chargers, this shouldn’t be looked at as a time saver at all, but rather a time suck and inconvenience.”

2. You may feel a little bit like a racecar driver

Most EVs can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under six seconds—which can definitely give you a major rush when you’re driving. Once you enjoy the smooth handling, you might have a hard time going back to an internal combustion engine.

“From a performance standpoint, the quick acceleration in an EV is a real game changer,” Montoya says. “No driving feature is as gratifying as the instant torque you get from an EV’s electric motors, and EVs in general make consumers feel like they’re in on the cutting edge of transportation tech. Getting more shoppers to test drive EVs and realize that the driving experience is more fun in an EV than most traditional gas-powered vehicles could lead to even stronger demand.”

3. You can get some serious tax benefits

While prices of EVs have started to come down, they still tend to be more expensive than their gas-powered counterparts. But tax incentives can help bring the EV price closer to that of a standard car.

The Inflation Reduction Act will enhance the tax credits available for EV owners in 2023. You can get up to $7,500 back on certain EVs or plug-in hybrids, and there’s no limit on how many cars from a particular manufacturer qualify for the credit.

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4. You won't be heading to the service center often

You can say goodbye to oil changes with an EV—or, frankly, any other maintenance required for a combustion engine, which can save you a few hundred dollars every year. You’ll still need to have tires rotated and fluids topped off occasionally, but your routine maintenance will be cheaper and visits fewer and farther in between.

And you may not be seeing your mechanic for expensive repairs, either. “Bigger expenses like engine components breaking down aren’t there,” Montoya says. “Since there’s no engine in an EV, there’s far fewer moving parts, and less that can break down. The most expensive components in an electric vehicle, such as the battery and electric motor, are usually covered by a warranty of up to 10 years.”

5. You may encounter fewer hurdles when registering your vehicle

Since EVs don’t emit anything, in many states you won’t be required to get your car inspected. “That is one great perk of EV ownership—since EVs don’t release tailpipe emissions, there is no need for smog checks,” Montoya says.

6. You may benefit from other state-specific perks

Many states offer additional perks for EV owners—which can include state tax rebates, discounts on home charging and equipment, or even cruising faster in the carpool lane. You can see what’s available in your state on the U.S. Department of Energy site.

7. You can give your brake pedal a break

“Many EVs are equipped with a fun feature referred to as one-pedal driving, where taking your foot off the accelerator with the car in motion can bring the vehicle to a stop without [using] the brake pedal,” Montoya says. “This is great for use in stop-and-go traffic, both as a more comfortable driving experience and as a way to capture kinetic energy and return it to the vehicle’s battery to potentially save or even add range on your vehicle.”

8. You'll get some peace and quiet on the road

Electric vehicles run so silently that at under 20 miles per hour that they’re required to emit soft noises to alert people and animals that they’re in motion—and they’re practically silent at higher speeds. “Replacing a roaring engine with a silent battery leads to a much quieter cabin,” Montoya says. “That’s particularly nice for folks with longer commutes or those that take road trips.”

9. And yes, you'll benefit the planet

Every EV that replaces a combustion engine on the road helps reduce the carbon pollution on the planet. EVs plug into your local power grid—so depending on how your state’s electrical grid gets its power, you may be driving virtually emissions free. You can use this tool from the Union of Concerned Scientists to see how your EV’s emissions stack up compared to a gas-powered car in your area. (And keep checking back, as the emissions numbers will likely improve as more wind, solar and other renewable power sources come online.)

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