Of course, since I had never driven an electrical automobile before, I made sure to cover 500 miles across two states in someday on my first drive.
Although public opinion on electric cars stays mixed, the facts suggest that these cars should not a passing fad. Electric vehicle sales within the U.S. topped 1 million for the primary time in 2023, quadrupling the number three years earlier. And although demand has waned, a recent study by industry group Cox Automotive found that greater than half of buyers previously identified as skeptics are able to enter the electrical vehicle market within the second half of the last decade.
While my first experience with an electrical vehicle was unusual—I rented one to drive from San Jose, California, to a piece event in Las Vegas—it included many situations that a possible buyer should consider. If you're recent to electric vehicles, or simply interested in what a road trip in a single looks like, listed below are my insights.
Maximum range isn’t the actual range
The 2023 Chevy Bolt EV 1LT I drove has a combined miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) of 120 and a maximum range of 259 miles, in accordance with the US Department of Energy. These figures don’t reflect reality.
That's because an electrical vehicle's maximum range doesn't have in mind using other components within the automobile, resembling air-con/heating, the infotainment system, charging your phone, or the terrain you're driving through. It's simply a measure of what the battery can do when it's 100% charged.
However, it seems that an electrical battery works best when it’s charged between 20% and 80%, because if this level is exceeded, the battery is subjected to high voltages that may cause it to degrade more quickly over time. (Think of your phone battery and the way it’s going to drain faster because the phone gets older.) So in case you keep your automobile battery charged between 20% and 80% more often than not, your battery should last more.
When I picked up the automobile, the battery was at 80% charge, giving me at the least 151 miles of range. I had planned my trip based on where I could find public charging stations, and I knew the primary leg of my journey would involve about 151 miles over a mountain pass. Before setting off, I made a decision to top up the charge to at the least 163 miles – but luckily I reached the primary stop with 60 miles left, mainly because of regenerative braking, which captures the energy normally lost during braking and feeds it back into the battery.
Charging isn’t at all times possible
I charged the vehicle 4 times during my trip, using three of the 4 largest public charging stations: Electrify America, ChargePoint, and EVgo. Because all three charging stations work in a different way, I needed to determine methods to pay and charge every time. It felt like I used to be 16 again, learning methods to replenish my automobile for the primary time.
Depending in your region, you might have many or no charging options available. This isn’t at all times predictable. Consider two California cities of comparable size: Fresno, with 542,107 residents, and Sacramento, with 524,943 residents. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Sacramento has twice as many charging stations with Level 2 fast chargers and direct current (DC) (the 2 fastest charging options) as Fresno: 359 and 174, respectively. And in several regions of the country, the differences are even greater.
Also, bear in mind that not all of those chargers are suitable for each automobile. Tesla has by far the most important network of charging stations, but while the corporate is opening up that network to other manufacturers and charging station operators, that process remains to be underway. Also, some chargers at each station could also be out of service (two of the 4 stations I visited had chargers that weren't working), and in case you arrive at a station and it's full, you might have to attend.
The charging process can take a protracted time
Enter a drive from San Jose to Vegas into your favorite mapping software and also you'll get the reply that the drive takes about eight hours. My drive took 11.5 hours.
The travel time in an electrical vehicle relies on the vehicle you drive and what kind of public chargers you employ. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, DC fast chargers can charge a battery-powered electric vehicle to 80% in as little as 20 minutes or as much as an hour. When I finished on the ChargePoint in Coalinga, California, I had at the least 60 miles left within the battery. I used a DC fast charger for 1 hour and 9 minutes to get a further 103 miles.
However, most plug-in hybrids and plenty of electric cars should not yet equipped for any such fast charging, so realistically it could possibly take longer. I didn't do Level 2 charging on my trip, but this technology can charge a battery electric vehicle to 80% in 4 to 10 hours and a plug-in hybrid in a single to 2 hours.
In total, I charged for 3 hours and 6 minutes on my 529-mile drive. For comparison, I drove back from Vegas in a gas-powered automobile and only needed to replenish once for eight minutes.
The fear of charging is real
Horrible. That's what it appears like once you take a protracted drive in an electrical vehicle and wonder in case you'll make it to the following charging station.
I experienced this twice on my trip – once I reached Mojave, California, and still had at the least 20 miles to go, after which once I got to Las Vegas and still had at the least 32 miles to go. Both times, I used to be seriously afraid I wouldn't make it to my next stop. I turned off the air-con, stopped listening to my audiobook, unplugged my phone, and tried to remain positive.
I began planning my options in case the automobile died. I used my phone to look for charging stations near me, but had no luck. Worst case scenario, I used to be going to make use of my AAA membership, although I don't know what they might do apart from tow the vehicle to a charging station. Of course, it was newbie nerves, but in accordance with survey after survey, charging and range anxiety is one among the largest barriers to widespread EV adoption. One survey found that about 40% of current EV owners still have a bit anxiety.
A smartphone is indispensable for drivers of electrical vehicles
When you drive a petroleum automobile, there are lots of places to stop. In fact, you will notice road signs along the highway that can let you realize when you may stop. You can't depend on that with an electrical automobile. Instead, you might have to depend on your phone or pre-scheduled charging stations. Even though I had my stops planned prematurely, I ended up in search of stops once I began to get anxiety about charging.
Additionally, chances are you’ll need your phone to pay for charging. Gas stations generally offer two ways to pay: on the pump or with an attendant. None of the charging stations I visited had an attendant on duty, and at ChargePoint I couldn't tap the plug or pay there. Instead, I needed to pay with the app, which isn't ideal in case your phone is dead or you may't get the app to work.
Would I purchase an electrical vehicle after this trip?
Yes, but there are some limitations. I'm lucky to be a two-car household, and if we were to purchase an electrical automobile, it could replace one among the gas-powered vehicles. I think electric cars are great for brief trips, just like the each day commute, but I'm not ready for one on an extended trip. And if I were to purchase an electrical automobile, I wouldn't depend on public charging stations. I might buy a Level 2 charger at my homewhich does incur additional costs for the charger and electrician, but gives me the peace of mind of knowing I can quickly charge every night.
Originally published:
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