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If you’ve been pondering whether the time is right to move to electric then let us tell you that there is no better time to make the move. Here at Birchwood, we are thrilled to bring you some of the most innovative and efficient electric vehicles ever produced by ŠKODA. Take a look at our range below.
Everything you wanted to know about hybrid, fully electric and fuel cell cars
Both types are equipped with a socket for charging, but otherwise they're fundamentally different. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) combines a classic internal combustion engine with an electric motor which can be recharged from an electrical outlet as well as energy recovery while driving. Even the PHEV can be driven in pure electric mode, but the range is limited to 30 to 50 kilometres.
Yes, you can even charge your electric car in the rain with no fear of electric shock or damage to the car. Both the car and the charger itself have several levels of protection for these cases. For example, the current doesn't tun until it's securely plugged into the socket and both car and charger aren't sure that everything's ready.
With every generation of electric vehicles, the range for a single charge gets better. The ŠKODA VISION E study anticipates a range of up to 500 kilometres, which is sufficient for full and unrestricted travel. Just like cars with a combustion engine whose consumption in winter slightly increases, electric cars also have to use more energy in cold weather.
Battery life in electric vehicles is very long. Experience from countries where electric cars are widely used, even as taxis, for example, shows that the batteries maintain 75 to 90% of their original capacity even after 200,000 or 300,000 kilometres, depending on the technology used. Moreover, with the development of eMobility, the cost of replacing batteries is rapidly declining. Batteries can be exchanged by parts, and warranty and service programs are developing to deal with these costs.
Like conventional cars, electric cars also go through standard crash tests with good results. Batteries are not explosive in an accident, and electric cars can also operate without a clutch and without gearbox or engine oil, which is usually a cause of fires in a crash. Overall, they have much fewer components, which further reduces the likelihood of failure. The batteries are completely insulated from the rest of the car, and in the event of an accident, the whole system is disconnected.