Do you want to know what are the costs to charge electric cars? Well, you’re at the right place! Welcome to the world of electric vehicles, and our series of recommendations, tips, and hacks to take yours to the next level. Are you a car passionate, right? You might be checking up Tesla’s stocks on a daily and following Elon Musk on Twitter. Don’t worry, you’re one of us. If by now you have decided to go for an electric car, we have some general tips you should know to not ruin yourself and to save on some costs to charge electric cars .
We will guide you through the different electric car types, to deeper understand the costs to charge electric cars and the upfront costs that come with them. Purchasing your first electric vehicle is exciting, but what could be not so exciting about it? Getting your first electricity bill. You’ll lose it if you don’t pay attention to the following details. So, without further ado, let’s begin!
1. Understand the EV’s Operating Range
Newer generations of electric cars can carry more than 200 miles, so-called anxiety about the range is less important than when EVs had a difficult job in breaking the 100-mile mark a few years ago.
Nevertheless, beyond understanding the costs to charge electric cars, you must ensure that your daily commute and weekend activities are enough for the particular range of the model you’re aiming to buy. The over-estimation of your needs concerning the estimated range of an EV is important because your miles will vary as they say.
At highway speeds, for instance, you deplete the battery faster than what it is around the city. You can also expect to experience significantly different battery range in cold weather conditions. You can check out this cool research made by MyEV, they’ll explain how mother nature can play a significant role in your car’s range. Look at the battery autonomy when you buy your first electric car if you don’t want to have higher costs to charge electric cars.
2. Different types of electric vehicles
Let’s start by the beginning, there are – at least for now – 3 main categories of electric vehicles and the costs to charge electric cars can vary depending on the type of it.
- Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)
They have no engines, no gas tile, and they rely only on electricity. As BEVs use only power, batteries and kilowatt-hour outputs are usually much higher than comparable hybrid and hybrid electric plug-in vehicles. Typically, BEVs cost more than other types of electric vehicles, due to their additional battery technology.
They need to be charged, always. This can be accomplished by either a home charging station or a commercial charging station. Just bear in mind the different costs to charge electric cars on your budgeting.
- Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV)
A hybrid vehicle combines standard gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor and batteries. Although not as environmentally friendly as fully electric vehicles, hybrids use less fuel and emit less CO2 than conventionally powered vehicles.
The parallel hybrid – also known as a self-charging hybrid – is the most common type and can be found in vehicles such as the Toyota Prius. The engine remains the primary source of power, but the wheels can be powered in three ways: directly by the engine, by the electric motor alone, or by both working together. These hybrids never need to be charged. Most can only travel a few miles at low speeds on electric power.
- Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)
This type of electric vehicle can be plugged in and recharged on the move into an electric outlet. It is the middle ground between a hybrid and a fully electric car. Even though the engine has a standard motor, it also has greater batteries than a hybrid and can only power up to 30 miles in most cases. The perks of these are that the costs to charge electric cars like this are cheaper on short travels. They also have more autonomy than fully electrical vehicles.
We share this video from Dan Edmundus, an expert on vehicle testing, that will help you better understand the difference between these three.
3. How to charge your car?
Having an electric car means needing to do some changes to your current parking lots. Let alone the costs to charge electric cars , there are also installation costs of those EV charging stations. They can vary from $3oo to up to $4.500 depending on your needs. Let´s check out what the different ones are and how much they add to the costs to charge electric cars .
Charging your EV, it’s like filling up a gas tank without smoking. That said, it’ll probably take longer. Depending on the type of commercial outlet, in some cases it is free, or you can pay by app or with a credit card. The costs to charge electric cars varies greatly on the station, the season and energy pricing. Also, remember we spoke already about the ENERGY STAR ® label? Well, guess what, they have certified blue label EV Chargers.
- Level 1 Outlets
They’re great for short-term car driving. Are usually included with the car and usually included with the car and they can take up to 24 hours to fully charge the battery. These are regular 120-V domestic cables, the same as the ones you use to plug in your devices. The loaders are practical and cost-effective but have limited output and a slow charge rate.
- Level 2 Outlets
If you drive more than 40 miles per day and you have a BEV, you must need a 240-v charger. These chargers are bigger and need to be professionally installed because they need heavy-duty electrical circuits and plugs. They’re a common selection for homeowners since a regular car, charging time can be 6 to 8 hours. If you don’t know what to buy, ask the seller. Car owners are typically offered a 120 charger with their purchase. However, the upgrade to a 240V charger can pose many perks – including faster charge times
- Level 3 Commercial stations
They’re used everywhere, from parking lots to malls and even gas stations. It’s claimed that you can charge up to 80% of the battery in 20-30 mins. However, it is not good to rely merely on those ones. These stations can overheat the car’s battery making it last way less than expected. That said, check out this website, you’ll be able to find the nearest EV charging station and the charger types.
Let us know what else do you want to know about electric vehicles in the comment section below. You can also share with us your thoughts on the costs to charge electric cars, and on whether you found this article useful. We’re committed to saving you energy and money by bringing you all the information you need to feel powerful when making your own energy choices.
