If you're thinking about buying an electric car in Seattle, there's not a lot of better places to do it. The Emerald City has a reputation for being green and a strong electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, boasting over 700 charging stations in an 83.73-square-mile boundary. Let's talk about the pros and cons of buying an electric car in Seattle.
Pros and Cons of Buying an Electric Vehicle
There are plenty of other reasons to consider buying an electric vehicle, but living in a city where they thrive is certainly a good start. Here are some of the pros and cons to buying an EV in Seattle:
Savings at the pump – According to www.plugincars.com, electric vehicles cost only a third to a quarter of what it costs to fill up at the pump based on price per mile. This also alleviates the need to stop at seedy gas stations.- Savings on maintenance – Because EVs lack an internal combustion engine, you don't have to pay the costs associated with keeping this kind of complex engine running, like oil and fluid changes.
- Zero emissions – Going green is one of the main reasons EVs are around in the first place. Driving an electric car is a great way to reduce your overall carbon footprint.
- Smooth and silent – EVs are zippy things due to the high torque they offer, which instantly delivers power to the wheels when you accelerate.
- No trips to the gas station – With home chargers, most people can avoid having to stop for a charge in their daily routine. Just plug in each night, and you're good to go the next day!
Cons to buying an EV in Seattle include:
- Electric vehicles are expensive to buy new – With average prices of new EVs around $35,000, the new car price is likely to send some into sticker shock, and price many others right out of the new EV market.
- Driving distance could be limited – While the range electric vehicles can drive on a charge has been growing, many top out at around 200 miles on a full charge. This may seem far, but when you live in a spread out city like Seattle, a trip up and down the Sound could call for a charging break. Good thing the Emerald City has you covered with its many public charging stations – it’s one of the top 10 EV friendly cities in America.
- Registration fees – Even with tax breaks and incentives offered to those who buy electric cars, Seattleites are seeing steep price increases on their registration fees, and they’re likely to get higher. The state of Washington passed a bill in 2019 that increases fees for electric vehicle owners, tacking on an additional $75 to the $150 EV fee owners already pay – making it the highest EV registration fee in the nation.
Save Money, Buy Used
When it comes time to get a car in Seattle, the best way to save money on an electric vehicle is to buy used. Used EVs are a great choice if you're buying one for the first time.
This way, you can see if it's the right choice for you without spending the big bucks on a brand new model. With all the automakers ramping up EV production, you're sure to have a wide variety of choices.
Make sure you research the makes and models of used cars before you buy so you get the right kind of EV for your needs. Once you're confident that you’ve found the one for you, you need to find a dealer to work with. This is especially important if you're dealing with bad credit.
Finding the Right Dealer
When you have bad credit, you typically can't just go to any dealership and get an auto loan. You usually have to find a special finance dealer that has lenders available to work with bad credit borrowers.
Here at Auto Credit Express, we know just where to go in Seattle and the rest of the country, and we can help you get connected to the right kind of dealership. To get the process started, simply fill out our fast, free, and no-obligation car loan request form today!
