Have you said in the past that you were eventually going to buy an electric car but have not pulled the trigger yet? There is no better time than the present (which is true for most things). First and foremost, if you would like to know more about electric cars and other types of alternative fuel vehicles, we highly encourage you to check out this blog post from eTags. eTags is well-known for its online registration renewal services, but eTags also provides information regarding vehicle safety, shopping for new cars, and more.

If you think that now may be the time to buy an electric vehicle, here are a few points to affirm your decision:

It Is Much Cheaper to Operate: According to the EPA, it could cost as little as $3.84 to travel 100 miles with an electric car. It might be as much as $10 in gas to go the same distance, depending on the type of vehicle and the cost of gas per gallon. While you may be concerned about the upfront cost of an electric vehicle, think about the long term savings in “fuel” and also other areas where you will be saving money outlined below.

The Price of Electric Vehicles Is Going Down: One of the biggest obstacles for prospective buyers in the past has been the purchase price of electric vehicles. Luckily, as the technology has improved, the costs have gone down. You can now easily buy a new electric vehicle for under $20,000 after federal and/or state tax incentives that give you money back for purchasing an electric or alternative fuel vehicle. While Teslas may be the most popular electric cars right now, you should also be considering others like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Smart ForTwo, Hyundai Ioniq, Chevrolet Spark EV, and many others.

There Is Less Overall Maintenance Needed on an Electric Vehicle: All you need to do is look under the hood to see how complex a gas-powered engine can be. Electric vehicles do not have an engine and are operated by a much simpler electrical system. This means there is much less that can go wrong. While a particular repair on one component of an electric vehicle may be more expensive than a similar component on a gas powered vehicle, the sheer simplicity of the build of an EV makes it a slightly safer bet when it comes to budgeting for maintenance.

Electric Vehicles Are Good for the Environment: We all know that gas-powered vehicles are bad for the environment. They are also bad for us as gas-powered vehicles emit toxins into the air that we later inhale. Electric vehicles are more sustainable, and they are simply much better for air quality. This is why many states and cities have emissions checks or inspection requirements. Many eTags customers looking to renew in states like California and Maryland have to complete an inspection to assure their vehicles are emitting more than average toxic gases when they are being operated. If you are concerned about environmental impact, you certainly want to consider purchasing an electric vehicle.