Operation of electric vehicles

The main articles are:

• Electric vehicles
• Electric cars in Russia

2025: Traveling around the city on an electric car in Russia is 6 times cheaper than on a car with ICE

On January 28, 2025, Alexey Turchakov, an expert at the Autonet NTI market, said that owners of electric vehicles in Russia spend 6 times less on movement than drivers of cars with internal combustion engines in 2024.

The monthly costs of owners of electric vehicles are ₽1,5 thousand against ₽9 thousand for owners of traditional cars. At the same time, savings for the year may exceed ₽100 thousand, the expert said in a conversation with RIA Novosti.

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Фото: Freepik

The expert also noted the need to charge an electric car for five to six hours daily, recommending that charging places be determined before buying. The presence of a personal outlet allows you to charge the car at night and avoid worrying about the battery charge.

Alexey Turchakov emphasized the safety benefits of electric vehicles: a reduced risk of ignition after accidents, fewer parts subject to breakdown, and better handling thanks to a downwardly shifted center of gravity.

Despite the fact that more and more charging stations for electric vehicles appear in large cities, the presence of a personal and separate outlet guarantees the absence of worries about battery charging, - said Alexey Turchakov.

In Russia, there are a number of benefits for owners of electric vehicles. The government has extended the right to free travel on paid federal highways until the end of 2025 for owners of Russian-built electric vehicles.

In some regions of the country, additional preferences are provided. For example, in Moscow, owners of electric vehicles can use city parking lots for free.

According to experts, an electric car remains the most economical option for those who prefer to travel around the city by private transport. Infrastructure development and state support contribute to the growth of the popularity of electric transport in Russia.^[1]

2024

Resellers have learned to "twist" the residual battery life

A new fraud scheme has been identified on the Russian electric vehicle market - unscrupulous sellers began to adjust the indicators of the residual resource of traction batteries before selling. The use of special devices for data distortion was recorded in October 2024. Read more here

Electric cars are three times more likely to hit pedestrians than ordinary cars

Hybrid and electric cars are more likely to hit pedestrians than conventional cars, primarily in cities where such incidents are three times more likely, according to an analysis of road accidents in Britain. Such data were released in May 2024.

Researchers suspect that the increased danger of electric vehicles is due to a number of factors. Drivers of electric cars are usually younger and less experienced than those who use ordinary cars, and the electric cars themselves are much quieter than cars with internal combustion engines, which makes their approach more difficult to hear, especially in noisy cities. In addition, electric cars accelerate quickly and are much heavier than conventional cars, which leads to an increase in the braking distance. Pedestrians have become accustomed to navigating the roads by listening to traffic, transport and electric car drivers should consider this and be particularly careful.

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Фото: Unsplash

Earlier, a US Department of Transportation report showed that the risk to pedestrians from electric and hybrid cars in normal circumstances is 20% higher than from cars with an internal combustion engine, and 50% higher when driving at low speed, for example, when turning, reversing and gradually stopping. For this reason, from July 2019, all new hybrid and electric cars sold in Europe must be equipped with an acoustic warning system that makes noise similar to that of an internal combustion engine when the car is moving slowly. However, by 2024, hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles without such devices are driving on the roads.

The government should make sure that similar systems are installed on all electric vehicles regardless of year of production, "noted Professor Phil Edwards, lead author of the study.[2]

2023

Electric cars wear tires 30% faster than regular cars

On May 19, 2023, Bridgestone announced Turanza EV tires designed specifically for electrified vehicles. It is claimed that the novelty solves the problem of rapid wear inherent in ordinary tires when used on electric cars. Read more here.

Why electric cars are less likely to get into an accident

In mid-January 2023, the American Insurance Institute for Road Safety studied the features of accidents involving electric vehicles based on crash tests. As a result, the nonprofit found that the effects of crashes involving electric vehicles come out less frequently compared to models on an internal combustion engine.

Experts have listed the reasons why electric cars are considered safer than cars with an internal combustion engine.

According to the test results, it turned out that electric cars are less likely to get into an accident

The authors noted that thanks to the battery located under the bottom, electric vehicles have a lower center of gravity. This allows you to maneuver the car at high speeds and prevents overturning.

Experts also stressed that electric cars are more advanced - as a rule, their manufacturers pay attention to technologies that can reduce the negative consequences of accidents.

In favor of high safety of electric vehicles, not only the results of crash tests from IIHS, but also statistics of real accidents. According to IIHS, from 2011 to 2019, the number of reports of injuries to people in electric vehicles in road accidents was 40% lower compared to ordinary cars over the same period.^[3]

According to the Insurance Institute for Road Safety (IIHS), modern electrically driven vehicles in emergency situations benefit from greater mass and a low center of gravity. The main threat to the life of the driver and passengers of electric cars is associated with the risk of fire, IIHS experts say.

The IIHS converted the crash test site to break cars weighing up to 4.3 tons on it - this is due to the large mass of electric machines. For example, the electric version of the Hummer SUV weighs 4.1 tons, and the Tesla Model S electric sedan weighs 2.1 tons. On the IIHS test site, cars are subjected to head-on collisions, collisions with various ceilings and roof strength tests at speeds up to 65 km/h.

According to IIHS data, the best-selling electric vehicles for 2022 have an enviable track record in IIHS safety ratings: Tesla Model 3 and Y-model received Top Safety Pick +, as did Hyundai Ioniq5 and Kia EV6. Although the IIHS noted that the bottom of the A-rack in the Tesla Model 3 is bent back about 20 cm. Ford Mustang Mach-E does not reach the standard Top Safety Pick, partly due to poor standard headlights.

The IIHS subjects electric vehicles to the same crash tests as conventional vehicles: a full head-on collision, various overlapping collisions, roof integrity tests. Heavier cars typically push lighter cars, transferring less energy to passengers of a heavier car. The increased safety of people in electric vehicles is due to their large weight and low center of gravity due to batteries.

2019: Electric car owners will be able to choose sounds for driving at low speeds

In mid-September 2019, it became known that owners of electric vehicles will be able to choose for themselves what sounds they want to use when driving at low speeds. The fact is that since 2018, automakers have been integrating noise generators into electric cars and hybrid cars, which are activated when the vehicle drives slowly. These noise systems warn pedestrians when a car is approaching.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Authority USA said drivers should "choose a preferred sound from a set of signals installed in the vehicle." However, regulators do not yet know whether to limit the number of artificial sounds that manufacturers will install in electric vehicles.

Owners of electric vehicles will be able to choose for themselves what sounds they want to use when driving at low speeds

Electric cars are quieter than their combustion engine counterparts. The only noise produced by an electric car is usually caused by wind resistance or tire noise, but it only occurs at moderate to high speeds. It is assumed that in the United States by 2020 there should be no electric cars without artificial sound signals at low speeds (30 km/h or less), ensuring the safety of pedestrians, especially the blind or visually impaired. In the European Union, the transition should be completed by the end of 2021.

Some automakers have already chosen sounds for their electric vehicles, like Mercedes-Benz, who collaborated with rock band Linkin Park. Other manufacturers are looking for workarounds. In 2018, Ford tried to get a silent driving permit for a line of police cars. The company requested that a "noise switch" be built into these vehicles - presumably so that law enforcement officers could use electric vehicles to silently spy on suspects.^[4]

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