NOTE: I apologize that this guide is appended to my Stango website, but I didn’t want to pay for another one.
INTRO
Full disclosure: My wife & I own a Toyota Prius Prime (a plug-in hybrid) and a Tesla Model Y.
WELCOME to the most fundamental change in transportation since autos replaced the horse ’n buggy! This Guide was created to help you make the best electric vehicle choice for your needs, whether it’s a fully electric vehicle or a hybrid.
This intro presents some of the major issues electric vehicle shoppers should be aware of. From here, you may want to look at some of the Guide’s four Parts which were written for those desiring a deeper understanding of the many important specifics regarding these new and quickly evolving technologies.
If you are reading this in paper form, the entire Guide can be accessed via this QR code:
FROM GAS TO ELECTRONS – THE EVOLUTION REVOLUTION
Just as gas vehicles are powered by gas engines, EVs are powered by batteries, and hybrids are powered by both. However, EVs differ from their gas equivalents by far more than simply swapping the engine for a battery. The best EVs are also software defined and run vehicles; they’re computers on wheels, where software is king.
Another major difference between gas and electric vehicles is filling them up. While gas cars can go to any gas station where all the pumps fit every vehicle, and all the pumps fill at the same rate, EV charging is a bit more complicated:
- In the U.S. there the two distinct standards for the charging ports built into each EV, one used by Tesla and one used by everyone else.[1]
- And to match, there are two distinct charger standards so that charging ports and chargers can connect like locks and keys.
- Unlike gas pumps, different chargers charge at different maximum speeds, and
- Different batteries also charge at different maximum speeds. (Important note: The maximum speed at which any EV can charge is capped by the slower of the charging speeds between the EV’s battery and the charger it’s connected to!)
- On the plus side, EV’s can be charged conveniently at home! A regular 120v outlet will do.
Therefore, the vehicle you select (and the charging port it comes with) will dictate where you can charge. And the vehicle’s battery will dictate not only it’s maximum charging speed, but depending on its size and chemistry, how far it can go before needing to recharge.
TWO STANDARDS NOW, BUT ONLY ONE IN THE FUTURE!
As mentioned above, there are two charging port / charger standards in the U.S.: NACS, developed and used by Tesla, and CCS, used by every other car manufacturer as well as most of the many independent charging companies. But since Tesla was the first mass EV car producer in the world, and they figured few would buy an EV without being able to charge them during long-distance drives, they simultaneously developed and installed the easiest to use, most reliable, and most technically advanced EV charging network in the North America. Not surprisingly, it’s also the largest, accounting for two-thirds of all Fast Chargers used on long-distance drives, the greatest number of Fast Charger locations, and the second highest number of the slower 240v chargers often used as public destination chargers.[2]
Because of this extensive and excellent charging network, every auto company selling in North America has now committed to joining Tesla’s network by switching from making their vehicles with CCS ports to NACS ports. Hyundai will be the first to do so with the Ioniq 5 coming out in the Fall of 2024. Everyone else will be converting over the coming years. When? We’ll see, but CCS ports are being phased out. (It will take longer to phased out CCS chargers since CCS vehicles will still be on the road for many years to come.)
In the meantime, Ford, Rivian, and GM have been given access to Tesla’s network via Tesla-made adapters (or those approved by each car company) which connect the vehicles’ CCS ports to Tesla’s NACS chargers. The remaining auto companies will be rolled into the network one by one to ensure proper software integration and minimize user inconvenience. The next three companies expected to be included are: Volvo/Polestar, followed by Mercedes, and then Hyundai/Kia/Genesis.
…GETTING BACK TO AN ORIGINAL QUESTION
Are you interested in an EV, a hybrid, or both? While EVs and hybrids are both electric vehicles, they are two very different types of vehicles. PART 1 – ARE EVs WORTH IT? examines the pros and cons of EVs, and addresses the five biggest concerns many have about them: 1) their cost, 2) anxiety about charging them on long-distance trips, 3) their environmental consequences, 4) whether EVs can function well in cold weather, and 5) how long the batteries will last before needing replacement.
And for those not sure whether they want to go full EV, PART 2 – HYBRIDS presents the pros and cons for each of the three different kinds of hybrids, and then compares them to EVs. If, after reading this Part you’re only interested in hybrids, you can skip the rest of the guide!
WHY DO I SEE SO MANY MORE TESLAS ON THE ROAD THAN OTHER EVs?
As a prospective EV owner, it’s important to understand why in the U.S Teslas outsell all other EVs combined, and why they’re the benchmark to which all other EVs are, and should be, compared.[3] This is not to imply there aren’t non-Teslas which are superior in some features or capabilities, just that there are substantial reasons why Tesla is the current leader. Understanding these reasons will help you become a better consumer.
As Ford was to the auto industry, Tesla is to the EV. Being the first auto company to produce EVs in quantity, Tesla had, and to a lesser extent still has, a multi-year advantage over everyone in developing, manufacturing, and selling powerful and highly integrated EVs at both the hardware and, more importantly, the software level. (There’s good reason Teslas are referred to as “iPhones on wheels”.) It’s the combination of their excellent cars and superb charging network, with their software seamlessly integrates into both, that make Teslas so gratifying. This, along with Tesla being the world’s largest EV producer, is why their Model Y (one of the safest cars in the world) was the world’s best-selling vehicle of any kind in 2023, and is on pace to repeat in 2024.
And because Tesla was the first EV-maker, they’ve been able to produce their cars at volume which allows them to be profitable. Every other vehicle maker in the world (except for the Chinese company BYD), loses money on every EV they sell. This is one reason why many of the traditional car companies have purposefully slowed their EV production, and are instead pushing plug-in hybrids (called PHEVs) as the way to boost mileage and be a good environmentalist. Hopefully, things will improve as these companies come out with their next generation EVs in 2026-8.
THERE ARE TWO REMAINING PARTS TO THIS GUIDE
PART 3 – EV GLOSSARY is presented to help you understand all the EV jargon.
And finally, PART 4 – EV Q & A offers more detailed information about EVs and charging them, while suggesting questions you may want to ask auto dealers.
AND TO END…
I highly, recommend watching at least the first half of Consumer Reports’ 2023 YouTube on EVs, and then the last segment starting at minute 23:20. The video deals with reliability and the differences among car companies. I think you’ll find it very elucidating and worthwhile. It can be accessed using the below QR code or this URL: tinyurl.com/CR-reliability
Sincerely,
Ronnie Denburg
Should you have any questions after reading this guide, please feel free to write.
[1] Except for the Nissan Leaf which uses a Japanese standard port called CHAdeMO.
[2] And Tesla may soon have the largest 240v charger network given that Hilton, Best Western, and Choice Hotels have signed agreements to install hundreds, if not thousands, at their locations
[3] This is not just my opinion. Watch this CNBC financial show, minutes 1:30 through 2:10 by using the URL: tinyurl.com/bddj57tc (released 12/24/23).