To EV or Not To EV?
It’s 10 a.m. I’m standing in the lot of a new car dealership under the beaming sun. There’s a few people milling about – some excited, some annoyed at having to go through the car buying process. I am more aligned with the latter group. It’s time for me to get a new car, but it’s been a while since I was in the market, and I’ve had to do a ton of research. Suddenly, a car horn from behind makes me jump. Oh yeah, electric cars are a lotquieter than the internal combustion engine types. I move out of the excited driver’s path and watch the smooth, silver ninja-like car glide pass me. The rear “Tesla” badge disappears, and I wonder if it’s a metaphor for me getting left behind.
Well, as it turns out, electric vehicles (EVs) are not a new technology. In fact, between 1897 and 1900, 28 percent of all vehicles on the road were EVs (Un-Noor). Low oil prices in the early 20thcentury made the EVs a niche thing at best. Though, they have made a big comeback starting in 1996 with GM’s EV1 concept. Now, there are all kinds of EVs from numerous manufacturers. Of particular note, governments around the world are in the process of mandating the change from internal combustion engine type cars to electric, which means if you are going to be driving 30 years from now, it’s highly likely that it will be in an EV. The question is, do you get on the bandwagon now or wait as long as possible to give into societal pressures?
It depends on your bottom line. Though EVs are not a perfected technology yet, there’s a significant amount of choices available. Want luxury? Tesla and BMW have you covered. Want something cheap? Chevrolet, Toyota, and Nissan have options. In other words, start your new car buying journey by identifying how you will be using it. With that in mind, let’s go over a few things.
Not Every EV is the Same
A 2017 worldwide multi-university collaborative study by Fuad Un-Noor et al. gets into the weeds on the current and projected details of EVs. A major takeaway is that there are actually a few different kinds of vehicles that qualify as an EV. There’s the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) like the Prius, which uses both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to propel a vehicle. The biggest advantage to this type is that it runs on unleaded and gets exceptional gas mileage. Then, there’s the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which is like an HEV, but you can charge the vehicle’s battery using a power plug. PHEVs are designed to use their electric motors more than and even independently of their internal combustion engines. Lastly, there’s the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), like the Tesla Model S, which has no internal combustion engine and requires being plugged into an electrical power source to keep running.
Limitations
Here’s the meat of it. BEVs currently have a range of 150 to 350 miles before needing a recharge. Sometimes recharging can take hours or just minutes depending upon the service station charger you find – the higher the voltage, the quicker the charge. More range means bigger batteries which means the car costs more. Currently, with a tax credit, you can get a BEV for as little as $22,500 but that cost can skyrocket to over $100,000 based on battery performance. Really though, if you are driving your car away from home a lot, a BEV might not be for you.
HEVs and PHEVs are the easiest transition into the EV world right now. If you are still willing to burn fossil fuels, these options allow you excellent gas mileage, good trip range, and it’s very quick and easy to fill up. They are still (slightly) more expensive than equivalently performing traditional vehicles, and they not a great option for speed demons. If you have a need for speed, then BEVs would be the way to go.
What Next?
Simply put, great EVs are available now, but you have to have deep pockets. Better batteries, better recharging stations, more available recharging stations, and decreased manufacturing costs are on the horizon. For now, I’m going with PHEV. Next time around, I’ll be getting a BEV.
Work Cited
Un-Noor, Fuad et al. “A Comprehensive Study of Key Electric Vehicle (EV) Components, Technologies, Challenges, Impacts, and Future Direction of Development.” Energies 10.8 (2017): 1217. Crossref. Web.
Well, as it turns out, electric vehicles (EVs) are not a new technology. In fact, between 1897 and 1900, 28 percent of all vehicles on the road were EVs (Un-Noor). Low oil prices in the early 20thcentury made the EVs a niche thing at best. Though, they have made a big comeback starting in 1996 with GM’s EV1 concept. Now, there are all kinds of EVs from numerous manufacturers. Of particular note, governments around the world are in the process of mandating the change from internal combustion engine type cars to electric, which means if you are going to be driving 30 years from now, it’s highly likely that it will be in an EV. The question is, do you get on the bandwagon now or wait as long as possible to give into societal pressures?
It depends on your bottom line. Though EVs are not a perfected technology yet, there’s a significant amount of choices available. Want luxury? Tesla and BMW have you covered. Want something cheap? Chevrolet, Toyota, and Nissan have options. In other words, start your new car buying journey by identifying how you will be using it. With that in mind, let’s go over a few things.
Not Every EV is the Same
A 2017 worldwide multi-university collaborative study by Fuad Un-Noor et al. gets into the weeds on the current and projected details of EVs. A major takeaway is that there are actually a few different kinds of vehicles that qualify as an EV. There’s the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) like the Prius, which uses both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to propel a vehicle. The biggest advantage to this type is that it runs on unleaded and gets exceptional gas mileage. Then, there’s the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), which is like an HEV, but you can charge the vehicle’s battery using a power plug. PHEVs are designed to use their electric motors more than and even independently of their internal combustion engines. Lastly, there’s the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), like the Tesla Model S, which has no internal combustion engine and requires being plugged into an electrical power source to keep running.
Limitations
Here’s the meat of it. BEVs currently have a range of 150 to 350 miles before needing a recharge. Sometimes recharging can take hours or just minutes depending upon the service station charger you find – the higher the voltage, the quicker the charge. More range means bigger batteries which means the car costs more. Currently, with a tax credit, you can get a BEV for as little as $22,500 but that cost can skyrocket to over $100,000 based on battery performance. Really though, if you are driving your car away from home a lot, a BEV might not be for you.
HEVs and PHEVs are the easiest transition into the EV world right now. If you are still willing to burn fossil fuels, these options allow you excellent gas mileage, good trip range, and it’s very quick and easy to fill up. They are still (slightly) more expensive than equivalently performing traditional vehicles, and they not a great option for speed demons. If you have a need for speed, then BEVs would be the way to go.
What Next?
Simply put, great EVs are available now, but you have to have deep pockets. Better batteries, better recharging stations, more available recharging stations, and decreased manufacturing costs are on the horizon. For now, I’m going with PHEV. Next time around, I’ll be getting a BEV.
Work Cited
Un-Noor, Fuad et al. “A Comprehensive Study of Key Electric Vehicle (EV) Components, Technologies, Challenges, Impacts, and Future Direction of Development.” Energies 10.8 (2017): 1217. Crossref. Web.
