A Beginner’s Guide to Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are getting cheaper, so whether you’re looking for a way to save on hassle and gasoline costs , cut carbon emissions, or just drive your new Tesla, there are plenty of reasons to consider going for a hybrid or electric vehicle.

But before you go electric, there are a few decisions and some planning to make to make sure the vehicle you buy meets your driving needs. Here are a few things to consider before switching.

Decide whether to use a plug-in hybrid or a full electric vehicle.

While a conventional hybrid (HEV) relies on its gasoline engine and small battery to operate in tandem, the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) can only run on its battery – and not burn fuel – for a limited number of miles to the engine. begins to help.

If you never plug in your PHEV, it will behave like a regular plug-in hybrid, with the engine and battery replaced. So, while you can charge your plug-in hybrid to reap the benefits of only short-distance driving on battery power, you don’t need to.

On the other hand, a full electric vehicle is powered exclusively by a battery, which means that it needs to be recharged regularly.

Calculate your costs

There are several elements for comparing the cost of an electric vehicle to a conventional car. One of them is the cost of getting your car out of the parking lot. Electric cars are still more expensive at $ 55,600, compared to the industry average of $ 36,600. The average cost of a PHEV is somewhere in the middle ( around $ 46,000 ).

Some electric vehicles qualify you for federal tax credits up to $ 7,500 plus additional discounts and benefits offered by your state or city. Some PHEVs have slightly lower credits than full electric vehicles.

Installing tier 2 home charging equipment will increase your upfront costs (more on that in a minute).

But the real difference lies in the long-term costs, which vary greatly depending on factors such as the make and model of the car; prices for gas and electricity at the place of residence; when and where you charge your electric vehicle; operating costs; and how much you drive.

For example, it’s likely that your electricity costs will be lower with an electric vehicle (electricity) compared to a conventional car (gas) and somewhere in between with a PHEV. Use a calculator (such as the Plug-in Hybrid Tool from FuelEconomy.gov and the e-gallon comparison ) to get a rough estimate.

Install the charger at home

Depending on where you live, you can rely on public charging stations to recharge your electric vehicle’s battery. But many owners of electric vehicles say that it is much easier and more convenient to install a charger in their home, if possible. Your car will likely spend most of its idle time in the garage or driveway, so if you can charge there, you save yourself the hassle of waiting at the station.

If you live in an apartment or have to park on the street or in a public parking lot, you may be out of luck (unless you convince your landlord or property manager to install charging equipment).

Setting up home charging is pretty simple. You can plug the Level 1 charger directly into a standard 120V outlet, although this will charge your vehicle very slowly (2-5 miles per hour, DOE estimates).

A Tier 2 charger uses 240V, costs a few hundred to $ 1,000 or more to install, and is much faster, adding 10 to 20 (or more, for some models) miles of range per hour of charging. You can install such a charger yourself or hire an electrician. Make sure you have purchased the correct parts for your vehicle. Tesla, for example, has dedicated hardware and installation instructions for its vehicles.

Benefit from free charging (and downtime)

Charging at home will slightly increase your electricity bill, and some charging stations require you to pay to charge your electric vehicle. But there are many ways to charge you for free.

For example, your office may have staff charging stations so you can leave your car on for part of the day. Some hotels, restaurants and shops offer to charge for visitors. You can also find free public charging stations nearby using cards like ChargePoint and PlugShare (which have filters for toll and free stations).

Note that public charging stations often have time restrictions (similar to parking restrictions). Make sure you check the signs and follow all posted guidelines.

In addition, you can use any time you are not driving and any place where you can plug into a 120V outlet as a charging option (at your friends house, on your Airbnb, etc.).

Plan your routes in advance

The range of your vehicle can be one of the most serious constraints to consider before purchasing. Most EVs have a range of less than 300 miles, making long-distance travel difficult unless you find charging stations along the way. PHEVs have a very short range per charge – usually enough for commuting or errands – but they switch to gas when needed.

Since there are so many more gas stations than charging stations, traveling long distances in a full electric vehicle requires some planning. Google Maps shows the stations nearby and what equipment is available if you search for Electric Vehicle Charging or Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. Apps like ChargeHub and PlugShare offer similar mapping functionality.

Depending on where and how much you drive, the range of an electric vehicle can be large. But if you travel a lot, you might find yourself disappointed with charging stops and route planning if EV is your only option. If there are few charging stations and they are far from each other, if there is already a queue of cars, or you simply do not want to stop longer than your lunch break, this can become outdated very quickly.

Possible workaround: If you travel less frequently, rent a car as needed for travel distances outside of your electric vehicle’s range. Or grab the PHEV, which can switch to gas for longer trips.

Use the correct charging equipment

If you need to charge your car while away from home, make sure you are using the correct charger and plug combination . Most cars have a standard J1772 port that connects to a level 1 or 2 charger. Some cars can also connect to faster level 3 chargers using one of several different connectors (called CHAdeMO and SAE Combo).

Teslas can connect to its ownSupercharger stations , although Tesla also has J1772 and CHAdeMO adapters for stations outside of its network.

Your vehicle’s specs should indicate which connectors and charging systems your EV can use (or that’s what you’ll find out on the first day of ownership). It’s possible that not all charging stations you come across will have fast charging capability, but you should be able to connect to any level 2 charger with or without a J1772 adapter.

Maintain your car

Electric vehicles do not require regular oil changes like gasoline-powered vehicles. But that doesn’t mean you can just charge and walk away. You will still have to tackle other common car maintenance tasks, as well as regularly inflate and rotate tires, change wiper blades, and keep an eye on brake pads. Some EV drivers report that under-inflated tires can significantly affect your vehicle’s range. Mainly maintenance matters.

But most EVs go through much less frequent maintenance checks than regular cars (example: the Chevy Bolt has no scheduled maintenance other than changing tires every 7,500 miles, the air filter is changed every 22,500 miles, and the coolant is flushed every 150,000 miles ). Minimal battery and electronics maintenance may be required, and of course things can go awry unexpectedly.

In contrast, PHEVs will have the same schedules as regular cars because they still have gas engines and associated fluids.

Depending on your specific service needs, a local mechanic may not be equipped for the job (for example, if special tools are required). In this case, you may need to find a dealer that works with your electric vehicle model.

Prepare for extreme temperatures

Electric vehicles have their own characteristics in cold weather . All cars are slightly less efficient in winter, but electric cars lose some of their range ( 25 percent or more ) because batteries are very sensitive to temperature. In addition, energy is required to control the climate – be it heating or air conditioning.

One way to get around this is to prepare the electric vehicle while it’s connected to a charger – this heats up the car and the battery, so the stored energy goes to power your real drive. It’s like turning on the heating of your gas-powered car before you really need to get in and drive away, but with most EVs, you can turn on or schedule this feature using the connected app. Heating the battery and cab ahead of time means you will feel warmer and the car will perform more efficiently in cold weather. You can also set up pre-setting for summer work to keep your car nice and cool for commuting.

In PHEV, heat is dependent on the gas engine. If you want to keep running on battery power, turn on the heated seats until you can no longer tolerate the cold and need to relieve heat.

Don’t forget to turn off your car

Electric cars and PHEVs are generally much quieter than regular cars, which means they’re easy to get out of, close the door, and forget that the car is driving. Remember to turn it off before leaving. While it is unlikely that you will come close to draining your battery before you return, you probably shouldn’t get in the habit of leaving it on. You may have the option to turn on an alarm that sounds when you leave the machine on. Some electric vehicles will automatically shut off after a certain amount of time, and Tesla will shut down when you exit and close the door behind you.

Updated 09.20.19 at 15:20: Added charging information.

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