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.
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 out the engine for a battery. The best EVs are also software defined and run vehicles; they’re computers on wheels, where software is king. (Which is why the traditional auto companies are having such a difficult time transitioning to, and competing with, Tesla and the Chinese EV producers.)
EVs and hybrids are both electric vehicles, but they are two very different types of vehicles, each having their pros and cons. And in order for you to make the right choice that’ll fit your needs – whether it’s a gas vehicle, hybrid or EV – you need to become informed about how EVs and hybrids differ from each other and from gas cars. This is why this has been written.
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.
For wanting to go “electric”, but 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!
PART 3 – EV GLOSSARY is presented to help you understand all the EV jargon, which in turn will help to elucidate key EV issues.
And finally, PART 4 – EV Q & A offers more detailed, and very important, information about EVs and charging them. It also suggests questions you may want to ask your auto dealers to find out what their offerings are really capable of.
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.
If you are reading this in paper form, the entire Guide can be accessed via this QR code:
[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).