By the end of the decade the experts predict that electric vehicles will command a significant portion of the market, if not the vast majority. I have already owned two Chevy Volts and a Tesla Model 3, and what follows is what I have learned so far.
All electric vehicles come with a 110 volt charge cord for home use. The charge rate is low, 2 to 5 miles of charge per hour. However, if you have a garage, you can install a Level 2, 240 volt charger, which will give you 15 to 25 miles of charge per hour. Currently they cost $300 and up, plus installation, typically another $1,000—unless you already have 240 volt circuit in your garage. Essentially this gives you a “gas station” at home. But Level 2 chargers are not necessary if you can live with the slower charging rate of the 110 volt charger your car comes with.
The nationwide Tesla charging network of 1,000 Superchargers is made up of DC Fast Chargers, which can give you some 500 miles per hour of charge. In a recent trip to Austin Texas, I spent between 20 and 40 minutes for charges of anywhere from 100 to 200 miles. The most I paid for a charge was $8. Tesla also plans your route, estimates how long you will be at each Supercharger, which are all located near motels or gas stations or restaurants. My Model 3 is the Long Range model of somewhat over 300 miles of range, though in practice you are advised not to dip below about 40 miles. And cold weather and strong head winds can have a significant negative effect on range.
But Tesla is not the only electric vehicle out there. All major manufacturers have released electric vehicles or will do so within a year. But unfortunately none have Tesla’s national charging network, which it is continuing to expand. In any case, electric vehicles require no maintenance other than rotating and replacing tires and cabin filters.
Battery degradation and life does not seem to be a major concern, other than with the early Nissan Leaf, which did not do well in hot climates. If President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill passes, there will be a major national buildout of DC Fast Chargers. Eventually charging stations will be as common as gas stations, though it is estimated that most charging will take place at home between commutes.
But a large charging network is important for apartment dwellers and others who can’t do home charging, and for those undertaking long trips. No big deal: we don’t currently gas up our cars at home. We expect to spend a bit of time refueling them every week or so during commutes to work or shopping or on long trips.
With time, as electric utilities convert to renewable sources of energy, wind and solar, electronic vehicles will be powered for the most part by the wind and the sun, vastly reducing the carbon footprint of the transportation sector—and with significant improvements in air quality. Much of my driving, perhaps a third, is already powered by my rooftop solar array.
What’s not to like? Change is always challenging. When I bought my first used Chevy Volt, I was somewhat irritated at having to plug it in every night—but that soon became an unconscious habit, reinforced by the thought of not having to stop at gas stations to refuel, except about once a month. (The Volt has a backup gas engine which charges the battery after about 50 miles; my lifetime miles per gallon was around 110, low because of frequent trips out of state).
Many of us who have grown up with internal combustion engines will no doubt miss the astounding complexity of the modern gas or diesel engine, even its sounds—though perhaps we won’t miss its need for regular maintenance and repairs. But for those of us who wish to cling to the past, there is always the collector car market. Though in the not-too-distant future, finding a gas station for one’s old 1950 Chevy pickup may be like finding a DC Fast Charger today….
For anyone wishing some hands-on advice, Renewable Taos is holding an Electric Vehicle Expo on Saturday, September 25th, noon to 4:00, in the Taos Library parking lot, where many brands of two- and four-wheeled electric vehicles will be on display.
Stanley Crawford writes and farms in the Embudo Valley. He is the District 5 trustee on the Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative.