What will it take for more Americans to make the switch from gasoline- and diesel-powered cars to electric vehicles? The answer is gas prices hitting an average of $5 per gallon, according to a Cars.com survey of non-EV owners. With the national average priceof a gallon of gas hovering around $2.80, according to AAA, it may be a hot minute before we see a majority of shoppers getting serious about EVs — but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in this growing segment.
Cars.com surveyed up to 1,560 participants age 18 or older in July and August 2018. One-third of survey respondents who don’t currently own an EV said they’d consider buying or leasing one, and it shouldn’t shock anyone to learn that these EV-curious shoppers are most interested in reducing or eliminating the cost of fuel from their budgets. Perhaps this is an unintended consequence of the popularity of SUVs and pickup trucks — not all of which are what you’d call fuel sippers.
After saving money at the gas pump, environmental impact was the second most popular ownership perk, with tax incentives, cutting-edge technology and lower maintenance costs rounding out respondents’ list of EV ownership pluses.
But it’s not all sunshine, daisies and fuel savings. The non-EV owners surveyed had some serious concerns when contemplating taking the EV plunge.
Range Anxiety Attack
Surveyed respondents cited limited range as their largest concern. With EVs, range anxiety is a real thing; Cars.com’s editors experienced it when we became early adopters and purchased the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt. What many don’t realize is that weather affects an EV’s range significantly. AAA reports that a range can decrease by 40 percent or more at 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let’s soothe that anxiety a bit. The average commute is 29 miles a day, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation survey released in May 2017. That’s short enough that the average EV can get you to work and back without having to plug in the car while you’re at the office. With a 29-mile commute, a shopper could easily live within the limits of these EVs’ shorter ranges: The 2019 Honda Clarity EV has an 89-mile range, while the 2019 Nissan Leaf can go 150 miles and a used 2011 Leaf has 73 miles of range.
Of course, to get that range, you need to charge your EV. For our survey respondents, the lack of charging centers and the length of charging times were also among the hurdles for EV ownership.
For an Additional Charge …
The truth is, if you’re going to own or lease an EV, you need to commit to charging it overnight at your home. And you may need to upgrade from charging on a standard 120-volt household outlet, which could get you a whopping 5 miles for every hour if you have a small EV. For larger vehicles, you’ll be happy to get 3 miles for every hour it’s plugged in.
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You can upgrade your charging situation and install a Level 2 charger with 240 volts that will significantly speed up the miles added each hour when plugged in, but the installation costs can vary significantly.
Depending on where you live, charging centers can be surprisingly plentiful, but relying on them as a means to charge your EV on the daily can be a risk. Charging can take a long time, and while you can run some errands while your car is charging or log a day at the office, there’s only so much you can do to fill that time. EV drivers might also find limited charging station availability and, as in our experience, need to jockey with other EVs to get time to charge up. And don’t forget that you’ll pay to use some charging stations; the fuel savings you were hoping to pocket will now fund your EV charging.
Eco-Conscious Alternatives
Of course, EVs aren’t the only way to save the environment and your hard-earned cash. Cars.com recently named the 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid our Eco-Friendly Car of 2019. It has an EPA-estimated electric range of 47 miles, and when that’s depleted, it switches to its gas engine, which gets an estimated 42 mpg. To learn more about the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and all the Eco-Friendly Car award nominees, go to Cars.com.
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