Electric vehicles are being sold at higher rates than gas-powered cars across the U.S., according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. California recorded more than 1 million new zero-emission registered vehicles through 2021, according their new electric vehicle sales database.
That, coupled with high fuel prices across the state, has motivated people to start thinking about electric vehicles and the day-to-day routine of owning one.
A reader asked The Bee to answer this question: “how does [charging an electric car] work and what does it cost?”
According to a 2020 Consumer Reports electric vehicle post, while electric vehicle owners spend less on gas and maintenance, they traditionally cost more to purchase than gas-powered cars and might not be ideal for some homes.
So before you consider switching over to an electric car, consider this: the daily miles you drive, if you have regular access to an outlet and if you could afford a possibly high electricity bill.
What are the different types of electric vehicles?
Here are the several types of electric vehicles-based on a driver’s need, according to Drive Clean:
BATTERY ELECTRIC CARS
Battery-electric cars are entirely electric and don’t use fuel. According to Drive Clean, these cars could have more than a 300-mile driving range and don’t require too much maintenance.
PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC CARS
Plug-in hybrid cars can run on gas or electricity. When a car uses up its electric range (around 20 to 55 miles), it switches to gas and drives on fuel.
FUEL CELL ELECTRIC CARS
Fuel cell electric cars are similar to battery electric cars in that they run on electricity, but the power system is different.
According to Drive Clean, the car’s system is composed of cells that chemically combine hydrogen gas from the car’s tank and oxygen from the air to produce electricity.
Fuel cell cars have a driving range of about 400 miles.
Types of charging
First it’s important to understand there are multiple types of charging. They include:
— LEVEL 1 — adds around three to six miles per hour
Level one is the slowest method, but it’s geared to drivers who charge their electric vehicle overnight and travel 30 to 40 miles per day.
— LEVEL 2 — adds around 14 to 35 miles per hour
Level two is faster than level one but requires a charging station. A station requires energy similar to a clothes dryer. Any electric car can be plugged in at a level two charger.
— DIRECT CURRENT — adds up to 10 miles per minute
Direct current produces a faster charge but cannot be installed in a home and not every electric car is equipped for it, according to Drive Clean.
— HYDROGEN FUELING — refuels a fuel cell car in three to five minutes
Hydrogen fueling stations look similar to gasoline dispenser, with a different nozzle and hose. Just remember, according to Drive Clean, hydrogen is more expensive than gas.
How much does it cost to charge an electronic vehicle?
The cost of charging an electronic vehicle depends on the type and location of the charge.
If a level two charger is installed inside a home, costs vary depending on the system, permit fees for the area and the home’s configuration. To offest the cost of installation, you can search for charging incentives and filter by location.
Once a level two charger is installed, the cost will then depends on the car’s battery size and the price of electricity within the area.
According to Drive Clean’s electric car charging page, the average price to charge at home is about 18 cents per kilowatt hour. At this price for example, it would cost about $7 to fully charge a 150-mile range electric Nissan LEAF car.
CHARGING AT PUBLIC STATIONS
California public charging stations can be free, paid or subscription-based and costs are established by the station’s owners, according to the electric car charging overview page. Motorists pay around 30 cents per kilowatt hour for level two charging and roughly 40 cents for direct current fueling.
For example, at a public charging station it would cost around $12 to fully charge a Nissan LEAF car empty to full using level two charging and $16 with direct current charging, according to Direct Clean.
Where is the nearest charging station?
Here are a couple of sites to help you find the nearest charging station:
— Plug Share
— U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy alternative fueling station locator
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“That, coupled with high fuel prices across the state, has motivated people to start thinking about electric vehicles and the day-to-day routine of owning one.”
The obedient sheeple start to succumb to the pressure to go green.
PEOPLE—YOU NEED TO WAKE UP !!!! You’re being sold a bill of goods. Didn’t learn a damned thing from the COVID fiasco did you??
Stop the Whining, Start Refining!
Stop the Whining, Start Refining!
Stop the Whining, Start Refining!
Oil works today while we are threatened, Electrical can wait for safer times.
Blaming Trump, Putin, Our oil efficient American Energy Producers, the boogeyman or The Ghost Buster’s Green Slimer is not adding a drop of American oil to our energy plate or a drop in Fuel Prices that is now to the point of THE PEOPLE having to choose between food that is also rising because of the oil prices,, and the fuel to get us to work to earn the food.
FAILURE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION, and will not be tolerated from our finger pointing leaders, who point at everyone but they themselves who create the mess, or Washington will see a January 6th times 10, by a crowd of all colors, nationalities, genders and political parties. These demented Democrats still do not understand that the cost to charge their electrical nonsense will be the cost of them losing the next 10 elections. Not even a Putin controlled media can fool all the people all of the time!
AND that’s the problem, OUR GOVT DOES NOT WANT To refine locally.. THEY HATE GAS/oil/coal…
California does not get cold weather like some other states. If you live in a state that gets cold weather. Think of a hybrid as a possibility. EVS batteries are not suited for cold weather. Do research
California does get cold weather and snow in some areas….we do have mountains. It will 29 degrees in Mammoth Lakes tonight.
They are too BRAINLESS to wake up i fear..
Biden wants America to be energy independent,,,,on electrical dependency,, so when the Russian hackers or bombers of Joe’s Putin controlling puppet master take down our electrical grid as they now are in Ukrainian cities with just a few attacks, America will shut down in surrender which they never could by trying to take out tens of thousands of American gas stations. Just how many electrical Russian tanks and aircraft do you see in Ukraine today?,,,,ZIP
NOT A DAMN ONE. just like Russia, China, India etc.
Some how I think we are being fed a line of BS. The only people who can afford an electric car are the rich. Look into the facts. One fact is that the batteries cost almost as much as the cars and are hard to dispose of. Fact two is it cost almost as much as the car to have a fueling station built at your home. Fact three, according to research it take 8 hours to fully charge an electric car, and the last but not least is there are very few places that know how to work on them if they break down. Think about the reality not the propaganda.
Over the weekend, i called THREE of my local auto shops, and only ONE HAS A single, read a SINGLE mechanic, that is qualified to work on those electric or hybred cars.. OUT OF OVER A DOZEN Between the three shops…
If you run out of power on the highway, are you going to take a bucket to the charging station and bring back a bucket of electricity?
Also, these cars are actually powered by fossil fuels. Coal and natural gas are used to generate electricity. The evil elite leftist don’t want a more green, efficient means of electric production like nuclear. And solar and wind are only able to produce a small percentage of our power needs. Therefore, it’s impossible for their pipe dream to work.