Electric vehicles (EVs) garner the spotlight these days the way the conversion to digital (HDTV) television did 15 years ago.
This relatively new technology arrives rife with concern, confusion and controversy. Some wealthy acquaintances recent drove their new EV to their winter residence on Amelia Island, Fla., only to discover the island lacks a single charging station, even at the Ritz-Carlton.
Recent columns about EVs elicited useful feedback from readers that I’m pleased to share.
“I’m on my second Tesla Model S. This one is a Long-Range. I believe that it is marketed as having a range of 416 miles. Not as much range as the big Lucid, but better than 350 miles. My previous Model S 100D had a range of 335 miles, as I recall.
“One doesn’t actually need to install a home charger. The charging at Tesla Superchargers was happily free with my first Tesla, but I have to pay for this one. I’ve just used our 110-volt plug at home since it was going to cost upward of $1,600 to install a 220/240 volt charger given the layout of our house and electrical panel. The 110-v. only charges at a rate of 4 miles per hour, but I just plug it in most of the time it’s in the garage, and that works fine. If I need a quick charge, I just run up to Meijer for a dose at the Supercharger. It appears that it costs about four times as much to charge at the Supercharger than at home, but that may change with the increase in electric rates.
“We stop at Superchargers every 2-4 hours when on the road and have found that the car is invariably charged by the time we get back from a bathroom, coffee or meal break.”
Here’s another:
“I’m 2.5 years on electric — more than one electric only (2017 BMW i3 — pandemic lockdown shopping from home and a 2021 VW ID4 — VW started with a review that it was boring, but a solid car. I think everyone should drive an EV, but I am very aware that personal taste has a lot to do with car choice. The bad deal for an EV charger is the one you mentioned in your column. I have 2 EVs, and my level 2 charger cost $200, and a small modification to my garage could have been $300 (but went with a better designed and UL-approved switch for sharing the electric dryer outlet).
“Almost no cars can use an 80 amp level 2 charger. My 16-amp L2 gives 100 miles during Ameren’s eight-hour off-peak rate. In a week, that’s 700 miles, at home, zero effort.”
Here’s an email from another Tesla owner:
“I’ve been driving Tesla for several years. My first one was totaled on a hydroplaning incident that we walked away from without a scratch. (The engine-free front collapsed, saving us from the impact when hitting a tree.)
“Your recent article on EVs focused a lot on range since 95% of driving is local that is not an issue — charge up nightly in the garage. And, on long trips, the car’s range is better than mine — need a bathroom break. And Tesla directs you to a charging station that charges in about the time it takes to use the facility and grab a snack.
“On cost — I have solar panels and Power Smart Pricing. The result is that I pay zero for power, meaning the car runs free unless I’m on a trip …”
All EVs come with flaws, possibly more than internal combustion engine cars at this time. Recently, Ford stopped production of its Lightning 150 pickup because of battery issues. Cadillac recalled the Lyriq for a major software upgrade. VW recalled the ID4.
Tesla and Lucid transmit frequent over-the-air software updates. These are still early days.
Rich Warren, who lives in the Champaign area, is a longtime reviewer of consumer electronics. Email him at hifiguy@volo.net.
