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FAQ - Electric Cars

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What you need to know

FAQ

Looking to buy an Electric Car, might raise questions. We wrote down the most common ones. But feel free to ask any question.

What you need to know

FAQ

Looking for a new Electric Car, might raise questions. We wrote down the most common ones. But feel free to ask any question.

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Charging costs of an electric car

Is an EV expensive to charge?

How much will it cost me to 'fill' up my EV battery? (more…)

CO2 emissions and Electric Cars

Manufacturing an Electric Car produces a lot more CO2 emissions than a Gasoline car. Is that true or false? Let's dive into it. (more…)

Taking care of the battery

There is a lot you can do to keep your battery in top condition. With our tips you don't have to worry about your battery losing capacity. (more…)

Do EV’s easily catch fire?

Do electric cars easily catch fire? People often think that an Electric car will catch fire more easily than a gasoline car.  Often triggered by social media and spectacular pictures of incidents. Let's find out. (more…)

Driving through water, how ‘shocking’ is it?

Do you get an Electrical Shock when your EV enters water, or when you charge in the rain?  Let's find out! (more…)

WLTP, NEDC, and CLTC Explained

Understanding Electric Car Range Measurements - Three terms you might encounter are WLTP, NEDC, and CLTC. But what do they mean?  Let's find out! (more…)

Electric Car

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a special charger?

For EV’s with a small battery up to 40 KWh, a normal (european) 240V outlet is sufficient and even 110V is possible (16 Amp breaker)

For Larger EV’s with a battery of 50 KWh or Up, a wall charger is recommended (240V, 32 Amp or 40 Amp breaker)

How many KM can I drive on a full charge?

NEDC or CLTC is a very optimistic manufacturer range. City drive, Sportive or Easy going driver, Air Conditioning, etc. limits the range.  The real range estimation will be around 75% of the NEDC/CLTC range.  So, an 400km NEDC range will be around 300km in the daily use.

Can I use all energy that is in the battery?

No, we advice to keep at least a 15% charge, depleting the battery often will cause the lifespan of the battery to degrade sooner. So the capacity of the battery will be affected overtime, by not taking good care of the battery.

Can I charge at any charger?

Most public chargers are D-point, we sell charging cables for D-point chargers. For the small EV’s it is even possible to charge at your home using the regular 110v or 230v socket.

How long does it take to charge?

If you charge a small EV at home, 4 seconds to connect and 3 to disconnect.

But joking aside;
The charging self from 20% to 80% will take 8-10 hours but your car is parked at night, so you don’t spend extra time to charge.

At a level 2 charger it will take 3-4 hours.

A large EV will require a wall charger on 230V and a 32 Amp or 40 Amp breaker but still charges well overnight.

How often do I have to service an electric car?

Once a year or every 10.000 KM whichever comes first.

Did you know it will be much cheaper to service an EV car instead of a gasoline car?  We don’t need to change oil, oil filters and so on.  There is almost no ‘engine’ service to do. That’s the great advantage of EV driving.
Also, your brake pads will last longer as an EV does a lot of its braking using ‘regenerating energy‘ which is actually braking using the electric motor.

Where can I charge my Electric Car on Curacao?

You can charge your EV at home using a regular household outlet (220V or even 110V).  So even tourists can charge their rental EV using a regular outlet of the appartement (if it’s equipped with a 16A breaker).

If you have a larger EV, a wall-charger may be recommended as it will provide more current output than the household outlets, so your car will charge faster.

In some hotels, companies or tourist locations you will find public charging stations.
Read our special page about all the public charging stations on Curacao.

Is an EV Fire-Safe?

A car fire. You hope you never have to deal with it. In most cases, car fires involve a culpable technical defect, arson or an accident. That a fully electric or hybrid car would pose a greater risk is a myth.

Fire is rare in electric cars
Car fires are relatively common, but in few cases, they do involve electric cars. You might expect that there is a greater risk of fire because of the battery of an electric car, but manufacturers have also thought about that themselves. The entire electrical system is extremely well secured. As a result, car fires from the vehicle itself, caused by a technical fault, do not often occur.

An advantage of an EV compared to a ‘conventional’ car is the lack of a hot engine and highly flammable fuel. In electric cars, fire in the battery pack is the risk factor, because extinguishing it is quite difficult. But that is also a rarity.

Granted; If, on that very rare occasion, the battery is on fire, it is much harder (if not impossible) to extinguish it.

Read more in our article: Does an EV easily catch fire?