With full disclosure, I presently own a plug-in hybrid and think EV automobiles are the way of the future. With that said, I fear that many will be turned off by the technology due to rushed implementation coupled with ingrained American driving expectations.
The United States encompasses a vast expanse of land, and Americans often like to be able to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. By in large we are an impatient group of individuals as evidenced by our love of fast food restaurants, speedy oil changing shops, on line companies that offer overnight or two day shipping, etc.
All of us grew up with gasoline powered vehicles, but a new era is upon us, the electric vehicle revolution. However, if you purchase an EV now, and don’t attempt to understand the technology, and don’t relearn some of your vehicle expectations, you will regret your purchase. Additionally, you will need to better understand what the real world performance facts are, as they relate to EV ownership, verses manufacturers’ claims.
One of the biggest advantages of owning an EV is the ability to fill it up (charge) at your home. However, don’t expect to do this by simply plugging it into an ordinary house 110/120 volt electrical plug, for it would take approximately 3 ½ days to charge from empty. You will need to purchase and install, minimally, what is known as a Level 2 charger, which can cut the charge time down to 2 1/2 hours, if you purchase a top of the line charger and your EV has that capability. Four to six hours is probably more realistic.
Additionally, according to CleanTechnica, there are approximately 150,000 gas stations in the U.S., each with an average of 8 pumps available, for a total of 1.2 million refueling devices. Biden has set a goal of 500,000 electric refueling stations by the end of this decade. However, this is all dependent upon Congressional approval of over $5 billion to help states implement this, and each state must submit a plan on how they intent to do this. No plan, no money, and Republican controlled oil rich states have already opposed this plan.
Another change Americans must accept is the elimination of what I term ‘the quick in, quick out’ refueling expectation. For now, if a charging station is equipped with what is termed “quick chargers”, and you own a Tesla EV, it will take on the average 10 minutes of charging to go an additional 150 miles at 70 MPH. However, most other EVs can take as long as 20 to 30 minutes. But there is a catch; the outside temperature must be optimally around 70 degrees to get that range even from a 10 minute Tesla Quick Charger. Hotter or colder temperatures will impact that 10 minute charge. Can Americans stand that 10, 20 or 30 minute wait if there is no line at a charging station? A recent Twitter posting by a reporter for the Wall Street Journal claimed, “I spent more time charging the vehicle than sleeping,” when she drove an EV rental car from New Orleans to Chicago and back.
The last major adjustment EV purchasers must make is the acceptance of what the EV manufacturers’ claim is a vehicle’s driving range vs the real world, which, to be fair, is also a concern of gasoline powered vehicles; the EPA gas mileage ratings vs actual.
Let use the highly anticipated Ford electric truck as an example. Ford advertises a 320 mile range on a full battery charge for its most expensive truck. The less expensive one has a range of 300 miles. That figure is calculated with no load in the bed, one passenger, no air or heat on, no towing of any trailer, and a ‘moderate’ outside temperature.
InsideEVs tested several EV models and found that the range difference from what the manufacturers listed for their vehicles and what they got at 70 MPH was on the average 10% lower and that, “as little as 10 degrees change in outside temperature can have a meaningful impact on an electric vehicle’s range.”
Applying this fact to the Ford electric truck, purchasers should expect about 288 maximum real world miles from a charge, but less depending on the weight of the passengers, bed load, and outside temperature. And while these same factors would affect a gasoline powered Ford truck, the lack of a ‘quick in, quick out’ refueling ability, and a limited availability of charging stations might irritate owners unless up front they understood the technology limitations.
However, once you start using the F150 electric for what it is designed for, as a truck, things go south quite rapidly. Motor Trend magazine recently tested the new Ford 150 electric with real world tasks and shockingly found that when saddled with pulling a 8500 pound trailer driving range dropped to a dismal 90 miles on a full charge. A similarly equipped 2022 F150 gas powered vehicle can cover over 250 miles under the same testing conditions on a tank of gas.
As I stated earlier, EVs are the way of the future, but a great deal more education of the public about the realities of owning an EV needs to take place or many are going to be turned off by EVs, and hate them. However, so far there appears to be no unified plan to address these issues, and the disinformation propaganda has already begun by the oil companies regarding this technology.
Sadly, we could see a strong push back against the EV technology because we as Americans don’t readily accept swift, radical change. We just need to slow this adaptation down a bit, because presently there is no meaningful charging stations infrastructure in place once you leave the West and East coasts, and battery technology delivering more real world driving range has yet to emerge.
EVs are not yet fully ready for full ‘prime time adoption’ as your sole means of transportation, but are fun to own as a second vehicle. Performance wise they leave the combustible engine vehicle in the dust, and are the way of the future. But if you buy one now, please understand the present limitations of the technology.
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