As any fan of electric vehicles will tell you – yeah, me again – high gas prices are just one reason we made the switch from our old internal combustion engines.

EVs are quiet and fun to drive. There are no tailpipe emissions and you can charge them overnight at home. As an EV owner for the past four years, I would say those are my favourite features.

Of course, the gas savings are real. Economics can drive our decision-making – so the higher gas prices rise, the better EVs look.

The savings depend on your driving habits, the cost of electricity, when you charge and the fuel-efficiency of the gas-burning car you intend to replace.

One online tool (more on this in Today’s Financial Tool, below) calculated that I’m currently on pace to save about $1,500 a year with my overnight home-charging routine in Ontario. That helps offset the relatively high upfront price of the car.

Other consumers may be arriving at a similar conclusion, given the rising interest in EVs in some parts of the world after gas prices surged to multiyear highs when the Iran war began.

In Britain, EV sales soared 56 per cent in April, compared with the same month last year, according to a report from New AutoMotive, a research organization that supports the transition to electric. In mainland Europe, sales rose 51 per cent in March, the report said.

In Canada, the data is still a bit murky: EV sales – specifically, zero-emission vehicles – soared 47 per cent year-over-year in February. But this stat encompasses sales before the war and after the federal government introduced a new financial incentive under its Electric Vehicle Affordability Program.

Still, the uptick is promising.

Even in the United States, where sales have slumped over the past year, consumers are now showing renewed interest. Sales of new vehicles increased by 20 per cent in March, compared with February, according to Cox Automotive, the auto services company. Used EV sales jumped nearly 54 per cent over the same period.

If a large source of opposition to EVs is the belief that governments are forcing them upon consumers with incentives and mandates, rebounding interest in the vehicles globally – and the U.S. in particular – suggests that consumers are very much in control here.

I’ve written a lot about EVs since buying my own in early 2022, mostly in a monthly column that explored the benefits and challenges.

With interest in EVs on the rise, I thought it would be helpful to revisit some of the key points if you are considering making the switch to electric.

Are you worried about range?

Estimate how much you drive each day or each week. Now compare that with a fairly typical range of 400 kilometres on a full charge. For most people, most of the time, that’s probably more than enough. My pet peeve: Car manufacturers are feeding us big batteries, but most of us could probably live with much smaller ones.

What about winter range?

It is significantly lower. If you are commuting, that’s probably not a problem. If you are driving long distances, your drive will take longer with additional stops for charging.

Do you need a home charger?

No. In fact, I thrived for more than two years on public charging. I’ve since embraced 240-volt home charging, though, and it is awesome.

The convenience of charging overnight, when electricity rates are low in my city (Toronto), is a truly wonderful aspect of EV ownership. A full charge, giving me a 400-km range, costs about $5.70.

If you’re patient, a slower 120-volt electrical outlet could suffice. But remember: Electricity prices, like gas prices, can also go up.

Is the public charging network dismal?

It could be a lot better. But the answer to this question really depends on where you live and how fast you need a charge. I’ve found that there are enough fast-chargers along the highways in Ontario, but charging speeds can be slower than claimed and the cost is a lot higher than charging at home.

For insights into your local network, check out a charging app such as ChargeHub. You may be pleasantly surprised by the number of options. More EV drivers should translate into a better network.

Do you take a lot of road trips?

Long trips can be challenging in an EV, especially when public chargers are hidden in dark corners of lots. Charging apps and the onboard navigation systems remove a lot of the stress, though. And if you’re like me – I like to rest my eyes about every two hours – the charging breaks aren’t deal-breakers. But they can slow you down.

Do you live in the country?

I hear this complaint a lot: EVs only make sense in cities. While it is true that they are no-brainers in dense urban centres, where slow-moving traffic creates billows of exhaust, rural owners shouldn’t rule out EVs.

In the country, you probably have more room for a home charger, perhaps in a garage (I can only dream). Although driving distances are probably longer in the country, consider that a fully-charged battery can deliver about 400 km of range.

What if I need to tow a trailer?