I believe most people who have used a pure electric vehicle can never go back to a gasoline car. But why are EVs so appealing? Let's look beyond the surface and discuss the difference in energy conversion efficiency between electric and gasoline vehicles.

First, a quick fact: calling an electric vehicle a 'new energy vehicle' is not entirely accurate. On June 11, 1895, the first 'Grand Prix of the International Automobile Race' was held in Paris, France. There were 22 entries (some say 23), including 16 internal combustion engine vehicles (what we now call gasoline cars), 6 steam-powered vehicles, and 1 pure electric car.

The result: only 8 vehicles reached the finish line over 1,100 kilometers away — 7 gasoline cars and 1 steam car. The gasoline cars swept the top 7 positions. This race cemented the dominance of gasoline vehicles for the entire 20th century. The electric car, due to range limitations, did not make it to the finish line.

So, electric vehicles have existed for at least 130 years — they are not a new invention. That said, it's still fine to call vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen, etc., 'new energy vehicles.' That's beside the point.

Why do people think EVs save money? Let's do a rough calculation and comparison based on the cost and efficiency of gasoline and electricity.

First, look at energy density.

Gasoline:

• 1 kg of gasoline contains 44 MJ (megajoules) of energy.
  
• 1 kg of gasoline = 1.37 liters.
  
• Therefore, 1 liter of gasoline contains 32.12 MJ.
  
• Assuming 1 liter of gasoline costs ¥8, the energy cost per MJ is: 8 / 32.12 = ¥0.25/MJ.
  

Electricity:

• 1 kWh (kilowatt-hour) contains 3.6 MJ of energy.
  
• Typical household electricity rate: ¥0.6/kWh → cost per MJ = 0.6 / 3.6 = ¥0.17/MJ.
  
• Even if charging at a public station at a peak rate of ¥1.5/kWh → cost per MJ = 0.42/MJ (off-peak rates may be as low as ¥0.3–0.5/kWh — not counted here).
  

From the above comparison, the unit energy cost of gasoline and electricity is generally comparable. Since I used a relatively high electricity price (peak rate ¥1.5/kWh — though most EV owners charge during off-peak or normal hours), in reality electricity has a lower unit energy cost than gasoline. For now, let's assume they are equal.

Now look at energy consumption per 100 km:

• Gasoline vehicle: Assume average consumption of 8 liters per 100 km (a relatively fuel-efficient sedan). Energy consumed: 8 L × 32.12 MJ/L = 257 MJ.
  
• Electric vehicle: Assume 18 kWh per 100 km (actual annual average for my dual-motor SUV; a single-motor sedan would theoretically consume less). Energy consumed: 18 kWh × 3.6 MJ/kWh = 64.8 MJ.
  

In summary, for the same 100 km, the gasoline car consumes 257 MJ, while the EV consumes 64.8 MJ — about one-quarter of the gasoline car. That is, assuming the cost per MJ is roughly the same, the gasoline car uses three times more energy and therefore spends three times more on fuel.

So why does a gasoline car consume three times more energy than an EV? A major reason is the huge difference in efficiency between internal combustion engines and electric motors.

• Internal combustion engine efficiency: 28–35%.
  
• Electric motor efficiency (commonly used in EVs): 90–98%.
  

Another angle of comparison:

To travel about 500 km on a full tank or full charge, the energy carried by a gasoline car's tank and an EV's battery differs greatly:

• Gasoline car: Assume a 50-liter tank → energy contained: 50 × 32.12 = 1606 MJ.
  
• EV battery: Assume a 90 kWh battery → energy contained: 90 × 3.6 = 324 MJ.
  

Conclusion

As battery technology advances and energy density continues to increase, each EV will be able to carry more electricity: 100 kWh, 120 kWh, 150 kWh, or even 200 kWh. The range on a single full charge will keep growing.

Moreover, once new products and technologies such as solid-state batteries become widespread, issues like reduced battery efficiency in winter, flammability, and explosion risks will be fundamentally resolved.