ARE EVs WORTH IT?
This Part consists of three sections: 1 Why EVs are Great, 2 Addressing the Five BIG Concerns about EVs, and 3 The Downside of EVs.
By the time you finish this part, you should have a very good feel as to whether you’ll want to continue learning about EVs, and/or investigate the three different kinds of hybrids, which is what Part 2 is all about.
WHY EVs ARE GREAT
- The pickup and speed are incomparable to gas cars, which makes them safer when merging onto highways, changing lanes, and avoiding accidents (not to mention a lot more fun!).
- If you have at least a standard 120v outlet at home for charging, you can kiss goodbye ever visiting a gas station. You’ll also have 100% freedom from the gas industry as well as spewing respiratory-illness causing, cancer-causing, and CO2 emitting exhaust fumes as you drive.[1]
- Other than tires, maintenance costs are almost non-existent since there’s no engine needing repair, or oils and belts needing replacement. There’s basically nothing that can break. Visiting your mechanic will dwindle to tire and windshield wiper changes, saving a lot on maintenance.
- Since EVs’ batteries are located at the center and bottom of the vehicle, their lower and evenly distributed center of gravity makes them safer. By comparison, gas cars have their engines up front and higher-up. (BTW, it’s a myth that EVs are more likely to burst into flames. They’re actually less likely than conventional gas cars or hybrids to catch on fire.)
- EVs and their batteries can last for hundreds of thousands of miles[2], far longer than gas cars because they don’t experience the constant vibration and breakage of gas engine parts. This is another reason their total cost of ownership is significantly lower.
- Compared to filling up with gas, you’ll have a major savings on fuel when charging at home or at free or fee-reduced chargers found at many municipal locations, shopping centers, and lodgings. Your EV’s battery will even recharge whenever you’re slowing down!
- You’ll never have to go to the DMV for an inspection… ever! (At least in NJ.)
- EVs use 6.7-10 times less energy than gas cars keeping their occupants cool in hot, sunny traffic jams[3]. And EVs won’t pollute or waste fuel in stop-and-go traffic during nice weather.
- Drivers who travel more than average prefer EVs over gas cars, at least in countries with more mature charging infrastructure.[4]
- And depending on the car company you purchase your vehicle from, you may receive free over-the-air software updates − which will make your EV more capable and safer over time, free DC fast charging at Electrify America for up to 3 years, or free Level 2 charger installation at home! So ask.
THE FIVE BIG EV CONCERNS
People unfamiliar with EVs understandably have concerns based on negative stories they’ve heard, or simply from lack of information. Afterall, EVs are a revolutionary new product needing different treatment than gas cars.
The five most often sighted concerns are: Cost, Charging anxiety, Battery environmental concerns, the Fear of EVs not functioning well in cold weather, and Batteries wearing out and the cost to replace them. Each of these issues is addressed here (or you can watch this enjoyable YouTube with similar info: tinyurl.com/5EV-Objections).
1 COST. Just like gas cars, EVs come at all price levels, although currently none in the U.S. are priced below $30,000 (as they are in other countries). However, some excellent EVs cost less than the average new U.S. vehicle price ($47,000), and prices are continuing to drop due to EV competition and battery prices falling. And when you add in the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) tax rebate (up to $7,500), and state incentive (up to $4,000 in NJ), prices become even more affordable, and are comparable to many gas cars. For example, Chevy’s Equinox EV, which gets over 300 miles, and has a peak charging speed of 150kW, only costs $27,500 after the IRA rebates. And in NJ, you could pick one up for $ 23,500. That’s an incredible deal! Looking forward, it’s expected that by 2026/27, EV purchase prices, overall, will be comparable to equivalent gas cars.
But the initial purchase price of EVs is only one aspect of affordability to consider. If you can charge at home (you only need a 120v outlet), you’ll save significantly on fuel. EVs also have lower maintenance costs since they lack just about every maintenance required by gas cars. Then consider that EVs, including their batteries, are good for hundreds of thousands of miles, not the average 160,000-200,000 miles for gas cars. Taken all together, this is why in just a little over five years, the total cost of ownership of an “expensive” EV, such as the Tesla Model 3 sedan, is on par with a low-cost gas car like a Toyota Corolla.[5] After that, and for years to come, the EVs becomes the less expensive car to own.
Of course, EVs may be a little more expensive for insurance and accident repairs, but that’s also true of newer gas vehicles which are similarly chock-full of electronics and sensors.
2 THE ANXIETY OF CHARGING, PARTICULARLY ON ROAD-TRIPS. If you’re able to charge at home, then charging is easy-peasy. All you need is a typical 120v outlet which would allow over-night charging for about 60 miles of driving. Should you install a 240v outlet and buy a Level 2 charger for it, you’ll be able to get 200 miles over-night.
So really, the only possible anxiety-producing charging concern is on road-trips. And in this regard, things are continuing to rapidly improve. Tesla has the most technically advanced, extensive, and easiest to use charging network in North America. And because of this, every, literally every, major auto maker in the world selling in North America has announced that starting in 2025 they’ll be switching their cars ports (where you plug the electric cables into the car) from their current (CCS) standard to Tesla’s (NACS[6]) standard so their cars will be able to use Tesla’s Supercharger[7] network.
In the meantime, Tesla is starting to give other auto makers access to about 65% of their charging network[8] so long as they have an authorized charging adaptor to handle the CCS-to-NACS conversion. Already Ford, Rivian, and GM have gained access, with others to follow. (The only negative is these vehicles will pay a higher fee than Tesla vehicles.) Meanwhile, Tesla and other charging companies are rapidly expanding their charging networks (with the help of IRA incentives), making driving long distances in an EV – already very good for Teslas (and OK for others) – increasingly easier and less anxiety-ridden. Nonetheless, when it comes to driving EVs in the hinterlands, charging can become a bit more challenging. This too will improve over time.
As for how long you’ll need to charge, that will depend on your car’s battery and the charger you’re hooking up to. These issues are discussed on Part 4. But keep in mind that the average stop-time for those taking a 400+ mile road-trip, regardless of their vehicle type, is 26 minutes,[9] more than enough time for a good EV to sufficiently charge. (To get a feel for what constitutes a “good EV”, please read Part 4.)
3 THE ENVORONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF EVs. Many people have the mistaken notion that mining and processing minerals for car batteries causes a great deal of destruction and pollution. And yes, the initial creation of an EV takes about twice the energy and causes more pollution than a gas car.[10] But then, from the first day of usage, and every day forward, EVs use less energy and cause less pollution per day than their gas car equivalents. By the end of the third of driving, the EV’s total CO2 contribution is equal to a gas car, and over the lifecycle of the EV, it will produce about 1/3 as much CO2 as a gas car. [11], [12]
Even when an EV uses electricity derived from a fossil fuel power plant, the negative effect on global climate change is far less than from an equivalent gas car since power plants are more energy efficient, and have better pollution controls, than gas cars. And as solar and wind continue to account for an ever-greater portion of our electrical supply, each EV’s CO2 contribution will continue dropping. Additionally, EVs don’t spew dirty and smelly exhaust causing irritation, respiratory illness, and cancer as they drive down the street.[13]
With regards to the environmental and social consequences of mining battery minerals, there are no free lunches − all extractive energy resources have negatives. However, EV owners should be buoyed by two trends: 1) increasingly, batteries are being made without environmentally unfriendly elements (nickel, cobalt, and manganese), and even these elements are being obtained in more socially responsible ways, and 2) The growing battery recycling industry will be able to reclaim 95-99% of your EV’s battery to make new ones. This closed-loop system will drastically reduce the need for future mineral mining and refining. Oil companies will never be able to recapture combusted gas for reuse!
4 EVs DON’T FUNCTION WELL IN COLD WEATHER. Due to the EV charging fiasco during the January, ’24 Chicago blizzard, many have come to believe EVs don’t function well in cold weather. And as shown in the “THE DOWNSIDE TO EVs”, the third section of this Part, there are some clear negatives to EVs in cold weather. However, the Chicago fiasco was an aberration[14], and as is readily apparent from the accompanying chart, the very cold and long-wintered Scandinavian countries LOVE their EVs! Just look at the top five countries which lead the world in EV market share! Obviously, EV users in these countries don’t have a problem with cold weather. And if they can deal with their harsh winters, so too can we. (Chart update: As of September, 2024, Norway continues leading the world with EVs accounting for 96% of all the new auto sales! So much for the deterrence of cold weather!)
5 HOW LONG WILL THE BATTERIES LAST BEFORE NEEEDING REPLACEMENT? As previously mentioned, current batteries are lasting for at least 300,000 thousand miles, way more than most gas cars can go without their engines being rebuilt. Some EVs have been driven over 400,000. And remember, EVs have only been around for a handful of years, so to have driven over 400,000+ miles means someone is driving over 55,000 miles per year (assuming they bought their EV back in 2017)! Not too many people drive that much, so who knows how long they’ll really last as the years continue to roll on. In any case, the new batteries being designed will be warrantied for at least 600,000 miles.
OK, here’s a sixth issue I’m throwing in as a bonus for those opposed to the Federal Government supporting EVs through the IRA’s maximum $7,500 tax credit for those buying or leasing qualified EVs… along with my rebuttal.
THE IRA’S FUNDING.
- First, the IRA (named for reducing inflation) was really designed to employ Americans to rebuild the American car and battery industries so they could fight off the coming onslaught of (primarily) Chinese EVs, while simultaneously helping to slow down the negative financial and social consequences of global climate change. If Americans were worried about the Japanese car industry overtaking Detroit in the 1970s and 1980s, they haven’t seen nothing yet. The Chinese EV domination is coming, and sticking our heads in the sand to preserve Detroit’s gas cars is as foolhardy as the horse n’ buggy industry ignoring the automobile.
- Second, the IRA’s tax credits are only available to those making less than $150,000 (single filers), $225,000 (heads of households), and $300,000 (joint filers). Granted, those are high ceilings, but the credit is intended to help the middle-class buy EVs, not the superrich. And since China currently controls the battery minerals and batteries going into EVs, these credits are only available to those purchasing EVs built in North America with batteries and minerals from North America and our free-trade partners.[15] Thus, the IRA is addressing not only our economic viability, but our national security as well, helping to ensure China doesn’t completely dominate the battery and EV industries which could enable them to have leverage over us.
- And finally, only a small portion of the IRA’s entire 10-year budget of $433 billion is allocated to car tax credits. This pales in compares to the $760 billion – $20 trillion subsidy per year US tax payers give to the fossil fuel industries.[16] If you’re against federal money going to favored industries, this is the whale to take down, not the IRA!
THE DOWNSIDE OF EVs
FAST-CHARGER LOCATIONS Where EVs can travel is dependent on where the chargers are. Suffice to say that along major roads, charging is less of an issue these days. But driving into the hinterlands is more challenging, sometimes very challenging and slow. However, new chargers are constantly being installed, and the situation is one of continual improvement.
COLD WEATHER Unlike gas cars, EVs need to use some of their energy just to keep their batteries warm[17]. So if you’re not using your EV for multiple cold-weather days, and your car isn’t plugged in, be careful the battery doesn’t go down to zero.
Modern gas-burning cars are only 38-40% energy efficient[18], with the rest converted to heat instead of motion. The silver lining is that this heat can be diverted to warm the interior in winter. EVs on the other hand, must use their battery energy to heat the cabin. (The EV remedy for this is to heat the seats and steering wheel instead of the air. It works surprisingly well.)
And lastly, while all cars lose range at freezing temperatures, EVs can lose up to 30+% of their range, which is more than gas cars lose[19]. (Again, for EVs to save energy, and therefore range, users should use heated seats and steering wheel.) As a side note, as of the Spring of ‘24, battery manufacturers are developing batteries unaffected by cold weather. They should be hitting the market within a year or two.
70% OF RANGE When going on road trips, you can safely count on only having access to about 70% of your car’s range. Why? To reduce the anxiety of your battery dropping dead, it’s a good policy not to go below a 10% state-of-charge. At the other end, charging batteries above 80% is super slow, which is fine if you’re charging at home, but typically not worthwhile on a road trip. That leaves you with 70% (80%-10%) of the car’s max range.
BATTERY DEGRADATION On average, current batteries lose about 1.8% of their capacity per year. (Typically, most of the loss occurs within first 50K or 100K miles, with degradation slowing up significantly after that.)
BLACKOUTS In the event of a multi-day blackout, you won’t be able to charge your car. And if it occurs in a state-wide blackout, you won’t even be able to drive to a nearby charger. Having solar panels and/or electrical storage units would be advantageous, and
REPAIR & INSURANCE COSTS I’ve heard, but don’t know for sure, that repair costs due to accidents are more expensive for EVs than gas cars. But this cost-disadvantage may not exist when compared to modern gas cars equally filled with sensors and cameras. To find out, you’d have to compare the repair costs between the EV you’re considering and its gas alternative. A good proxy might be their insurance costs, assuming they’re equivalently priced cars.
[1] Each gallon of gas causes the equivalent of about 50 cents in climate damage. www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2023/electric-vehicle-charging-price-vs-gasoline/ “Is it cheaper to refuel your EV battery or gas tank?…” Michael J. Coren, Updated Aug. 14, 2023.
[2] There are “many” Teslas with 300+K miles, and several with 400+K miles still going strong with their original batteries. tinyurl.com/400KMilesPlus (September, 2024). And now, CATL, the world largest battery company is coming out with a battery over the next two years that is not only good for over 600,000 miles, it will basically lose no capacity over the first 2 years, and not more than 15% over 15 years. tinyurl.com/600kMilesbattery (September, 2024).
[3] During the 8-hour test, the Model Y used 12kWh, or about 2% of its battery, equivalent to about 5 miles, per hour. tinyurl.com/trafficjam-energyusage (September, 2024)
[4] For example, in China, EV owners drive 66% more, in Netherlands 56% more. It’s also true in Norway, Sweden, Canada, and in California which has the highest EV adoption rate in the US. Autoline Daily, tinyurl.com/EVsDrivemore (released 9/5/24)
[5] tinyurl.com/Model3-Corolla (April, 2023)
[6] CCS stands for the Combined Charging Standard, NACS stands for the North American Charging Standard.
[7] Tesla’s name for their DC Fast Chargers (abbreviated as DCFC) stations.
[8] This is because Tesla’s older V2 chargers won’t work with CCS vehicles. But as Tesla expands their network, all the new chargers will be CCS accessible.
[9] According to K. C. Boyce, VP of Automotive & Mobility, Escalent. tinyurl.com/trip-stop-time Watch minute 27-28 (released 3/14/24).
[10] tinyurl.com/Tesla2023Impacts , page 10.
[11] What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions? Hidaya Aliouche, B.Sc. Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.; tinyurl.com/ExhaustFromCars, 3/23/24.
[12] Or according to Tesla, their cars will account for 25% fewer tons of CO2 by year 10, and 45% fewer tons by year 15. See tinyurl.com/Tesla2023Impacts , page 10.
[13] Ibid.
[14] This fiasco was brought on by the confluence of several factors: Chicago having relatively few charging stations for the number of EVs; that they have a high percentage of EV owners who can’t charge at home; a high percentage of EVs used by Uber and Lyft drivers trying to charge to keep working; EV drivers who didn’t charge ahead of the storm; EV owners who didn’t know to precondition their batteries which prolonged charging times; and that due to all the above, many EV owners had their batteries drained waiting to plug-in, often resulting in an hour of charging just to get their batteries warmed-up enough to accept a charge. To watch a good discussion of the 2024 aberration in Chicago watch: Out of Spec’s analysis: tinyurl.com/Cold-Chicago2024
[15] The tax credits are also available to those leasing EVs from these trading partners.
[16] “According to the IMF, the U.S. spent $760 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2022. However, estimates vary widely, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimating that the total was around $14 billion in 2022. Some estimates say that taxpayers pay around $20 billion to the fossil fuel industry each year.” – Google AI answer 5/8/24.
[17] Gas cars, however, have to expend energy to sufficiently warm up in cold weather before they can run full-out .
[18] EVs on the other hand are 88%-90+% energy efficient according to Michael Bly, Senior VP Head of Global Propulsion Systems at Stellantis N.V., tinyurl.com/ICEvsEVefficiency Watch from minute 6:00-6:45, 3/21/24.
[19] EV’s lose an average of 30% (16-46% depending on the model) of their range at 32°F, and perhaps up to 50% below 0°F. Teslas “only” lose 24% because they have heat pumps. By comparison, gas cars can lose up to 33% of their mileage in 20°F weather when driving short trips, though generally 15% in cities. Hybrids are no better, losing between 31-34% of their range in cold weather. tinyurl.com/Cold-Chicago2024