From skepticism to electric vehicle enthusiast: My experiences with the transition
Just a year ago, I never would have thought I’d write an article about how satisfied I am with my electric car. Like many other 30-year-olds, I was quite skeptical about the whole electric vehicle thing. “What if the battery runs out on a long trip?” and “Isn’t it too expensive?” were the questions going through my mind.
But here I am, a year later, as a convinced electric car owner who will never go back to gasoline.
Why I changed my mind
It actually started with economics. My partner had begun working in Bærum, and the commute from Oslo kept getting more expensive as gas prices soared in the summer. We had an old Passat that started costing more in repairs than it was worth, so we definitely had to find something new.
I’m quite careful about calculating things before making big purchases, so I spent a lot of time comparing options. A car loan calculator was my best friend in this process – it’s incredibly useful to get an overview of the actual monthly costs when comparing different cars and financing options.
The calculation that convinced me
When I added up everything – monthly loan costs, fuel, tolls, insurance, and maintenance – it was actually cheaper to go with an electric car than to continue using a gasoline car. Especially considering that we don’t pay for tolls, parking is free in many places, and electricity at home costs a fraction of what gasoline does.
What really opened my eyes was calculating the annual costs:
Gasoline: Approx. 25,000 km × 0.80 kr/km = 20,000 kr per year
Electricity at home: Approx. 25,000 km × 0.25 kr/km = 6,250 kr per year
We also saved around 8,000 NOK per year on fuel for our route.
The charging – less complicated than feared.
I have to admit I was most worried about the charging. Would it be complicated? Time-consuming? Unpractical?
The answer is: generally not.
At home, we installed an 11kW charger in the garage. I plug it in when I get home, and by morning the car is fully charged. It’s actually more convenient than having to go to a gas station. And for longer trips? The fast chargers work better than I expected. 15-20 minutes at a rest stop gives me enough power to keep going.
Unexpected advantages
There are many small things I hadn’t considered that make daily life better:
Silence: No engine noise in the morning when the neighbors are sleeping. No vibrations in the car.
Responsiveness: Electric cars have torque from the very first moment. This makes driving on highways much safer.
Less maintenance: No oil changes, fewer moving parts, and less brake wear thanks to regenerative braking.
Warming up: It’s fantastic on cold mornings to be able to warm up the car while it’s plugged in at home.
What I would do differently
If I had to do it again, I would first investigate the charging options at my workplace. I found out later that my workplace offers on-site charging at a very favorable price. That could have saved me even more money.
I would also look closer at the different charging subscription plans available. It can be worthwhile to consider this if you drive a lot on long trips.
My advice for others
If you’re considering an electric car, don’t let the myths still circulating scare you off. Do what I did – calculate it, test it, and consider your own driving habits.
Start by mapping out where you can charge. Do you have access at home? At work? Where are the nearest charging stations near the places you drive to often?
Then calculate the costs. It’s not just the purchase price that matters, but all the expenses over time. And don’t forget to consider the financial benefits an electric car offers you.
For me, switching to an electric car was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. Economically, practically, and environmentally. Now I understand why Norway is so far ahead with electric cars – it simply works extremely well here.
So if you’re still on the fence, I can recommend making a trip to a dealer and trying out an electric car. I think you’ll be just as positively surprised as I was.
This article has been checked for plagiarism using Plagiatkontroll.no.