Filling a gas-powered vehicle can still be cheaper than charging an electric one

[Av8tor]

I think you have to look at that most people reading that article need it to be compared to how they fuel their current car. At a gas station, DCFC is the same comparison. I equate finding at free charger to someone who likes geocaching.

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[KevinS]

I think you have to look at that most people reading that article need it to be compared to how they fuel their current car. At a gas station, DCFC is the same comparison. I equate finding at free charger to someone who likes geocaching.

Nonsense. Most EV owners have a capability to charge that's either at home or work. DCFC is the exception, not the rule, no matter how much the anti-EVs want to make it so.

 

[jhalkias]

I drive about 90 miles a day for work, and charge at home. The Mach E has been awesome. I have taken a few 1,000 mile RT road trips, and it doesn't bother me to do all the planning, but it would make my wife crazy. My biggest worry is that EV adoption is going to soon outstrip the charging infrastructure and that we are living right now in a "golden age" where when you show up at EA, there is ALWAYS a charger available. It doesn't bother you to take a 25 minute break and plug in. When the day comes that you have to wait 30 minutes before you can plug in, that is going to cause a whole other host of issues. Plus the fact that I currently cannot drive through WV from Ohio.

We currently have a Fusion Energi, which is a great PHEV for my wife as a daily driver because we fill it up with gas about twice a year. But it is not great for road trips because they filled the trunk with batteries. So we are trading it in for the Lincoln Corsair PHEV - all those same benefits but ROOM for stuff. Until things get more settled in infrastructure, we will use that car for road trips as this golden era comes to an end.

In the last year since I got my Mach E, I have gone from ZERO cars at the EA stations on such trips, to being one of 3 or 4 cars charging.

 

[MachMachWhoThere]

It just goes to show how much education the world still needs on it. Yes, DCFC is the closest thing to a gas station, but also horrible for your battery long term if it’s what you rely on for primary charging. I’ve DCFC’d once in my 3 months of ownership, but it was out of curiosity, not need.

Those that must be on the road for 200 miles per day should really consider if an EV makes sense for them. That’s got to be a small percentage of folks.

My 56-mile commute (round trip) yesterday consumed 18% battery. Would have used less if it wasn’t so cold on the way home (only my departure was preconditioned). I plugged into 110V charging as soon as I got home (6:30 PM), and as of this moment (8:04 AM), I’ve recovered 15%. That’s further than most would drive arguably, and I’m only down 3% compared to my starting point yesterday, charging with the slowest method possible.

I’ve calculated it costs about $13.82 to charge my entire battery at home, assuming 90% charging efficiency. Recent driving efficiency suggests that gets me around 308 miles of range. I’m good with that! That amount in gas gets my wife’s Telluride about 65-70 miles!

 

[Logal727]

Only the not so smart rich folks with Taycans exclusively DCFC, it’s more common than you think lol

 

[Timelessblur]

Hybrid…….

It’s just another example of how electric cars aren’t the solution for everything.

They’re amazing for daily driving near home.

But if you’re talking road trips, long distances, especially in the cold, they’re actually at a disadvantage.

Making everyone go all electric causes issues. I really think a PHeV is a better solution for most.

Hybrid…….

It’s just another example of how electric cars aren’t the solution for everything.

They’re amazing for daily driving near home.

But if you’re talking road trips, long distances, especially in the cold, they’re actually at a disadvantage.

Making everyone go all electric causes issues. I really think a PHeV is a better solution for most.

I would argue that for most BEV would be the best solution once we have a better DC Fast charging network.
Yes on long distance road trips the PHEV would be cheaper but you have to still pay to maintain the ICE engine. Compare that to say a range of something like the Mach E. That range covers most day trip range, it will put a lot of weekend trips in range and even if you have one DC fast chargers in there the BEV is going to come out cheaper because the other part is covered by home charging. My mach E I am going to take it on a longer road trip this summer for the first time that my wife's ICE might work out to be cheaper but the Mach E is a nicer car and it still will work out to be cheaper than the alternative car we we were looking at that we did not get. In my book the Mach E is competing against the Honda Pilot/ Passport as that would be what we would have if not for the Mach E.

the issue I see is far to many people for the 1-2% use case for them and sacrifice the other 98%. He’ll just look at all the 4wd pick up trucks that might in their entire life of the truck need 4wd once. I am not even going to go down the truck with massive towing that never tow or use the bed for hauling

 

[Thanos85]

I have owned my 2021 Mache-E Select AWD for 10-days, and driven it for over 1k-miles thus far. Total charging cost for me has been $8.70. There is a free level-2 ChargePoint charger in a downtown area where I have my business located, and I charge up for free currently at a University where I also work.

The chargers at the University ParkMobile and are supposed to only cost $1/hr. for level-2 charge. However, the one I use has not been charging me at all, and I even reported it. So I am just going to keep on enjoying this!

Perhaps I might need to use one of these for 3-5/day to maintain 80% battery daily, but even if the University charger were billing me, the daily cost would only be $3-5 dollars + tax.

Just before the spike in fuel prices I traded my gas guzzler that was taking $160/week in fuel, and at the current rate would be $198/week

 

[Mach1E]

I would argue that for most BEV would be the best solution once we have a better DC Fast charging network.
Yes on long distance road trips the PHEV would be cheaper but you have to still pay to maintain the ICE engine. Compare that to say a range of something like the Mach E. That range covers most day trip range, it will put a lot of weekend trips in range and even if you have one DC fast chargers in there the BEV is going to come out cheaper because the other part is covered by home charging. My mach E I am going to take it on a longer road trip this summer for the first time that my wife's ICE might work out to be cheaper but the Mach E is a nicer car and it still will work out to be cheaper than the alternative car we we were looking at that we did not get. In my book the Mach E is competing against the Honda Pilot/ Passport as that would be what we would have if not for the Mach E.

the issue I see is far to many people for the 1-2% use case for them and sacrifice the other 98%. He’ll just look at all the 4wd pick up trucks that might in their entire life of the truck need 4wd once. I am not even going to go down the truck with massive towing that never tow or use the bed for hauling

A better charge network will make BEVs “not as bad” for road trips.

It won’t make them “best.”

To be best they must:
1. Have the longest range
2. Refuel in the most places
3. Refuel for the least money
4. Refuel in the fastest time

And the title for those go to a PHeV. 3 is the only debatable one, depends on the weather and DC charging costs.

BEVs have a very long way to go to become best for road trips.

 

[jhalkias]

I would argue that for most BEV would be the best solution once we have a better DC Fast charging network.
Yes on long distance road trips the PHEV would be cheaper but you have to still pay to maintain the ICE engine.

Just as a point of reference, if your daily driving is within the range of that PHEV, the maintenance costs are REALLY low. We change the oil only once a year in my wife's Fusion Energi - because we think we should - the car doesn't even call for it. And brakes last longer too by using regen for braking.

 

[dml105]

I think you have to look at that most people reading that article need it to be compared to how they fuel their current car. At a gas station, DCFC is the same comparison. I equate finding at free charger to someone who likes geocaching.

Nonsense. Most EV owners have a capability to charge that's either at home or work. DCFC is the exception, not the rule, no matter how much the anti-EVs want to make it so.

That's a big part of the education that this article skirts. People who have used ICE cars all their lives think only in terms of ICE car use. They've never thought "man, wouldn't it be great if I had a gas station at my house" unless they live on a farm. Like, they can't even fathom it.

Now that I'm one year into owning an EV, I can't imagine having to stop at a gas station before setting out on a long drive. The way to get the most out of an EV is different than the way to get the most out of an ICE car. This article (stupidly) only considers a direct substitution.

 

[WheresMyCar]

We change the oil only once a year in my wife's Fusion Energi - because we think we should - the car doesn't even call for it.

The maintenance schedule for our Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV insists on a synthetic oil change every 6 months! I assumed they just failed to update the manual for a PHEV, but when I talked the service department at the dealer they insisted that it was necessary (even though I only run the engine 15% of the time max).

 

[cvk71]

I drive about 90 miles a day for work, and charge at home. The Mach E has been awesome. I have taken a few 1,000 mile RT road trips, and it doesn't bother me to do all the planning, but it would make my wife crazy. My biggest worry is that EV adoption is going to soon outstrip the charging infrastructure and that we are living right now in a "golden age" where when you show up at EA, there is ALWAYS a charger available. It doesn't bother you to take a 25 minute break and plug in. When the day comes that you have to wait 30 minutes before you can plug in, that is going to cause a whole other host of issues. Plus the fact that I currently cannot drive through WV from Ohio.

We currently have a Fusion Energi, which is a great PHEV for my wife as a daily driver because we fill it up with gas about twice a year. But it is not great for road trips because they filled the trunk with batteries. So we are trading it in for the Lincoln Corsair PHEV - all those same benefits but ROOM for stuff. Until things get more settled in infrastructure, we will use that car for road trips as this golden era comes to an end.

In the last year since I got my Mach E, I have gone from ZERO cars at the EA stations on such trips, to being one of 3 or 4 cars charging.

My wife is the same way with the extra time on long trips which is why we usually take her car. You are right about this being the golden age. I have steadily seen more cars at charging stations and even a bus was charging at one on Bakersfield.

 

[narmstrong79]

I posted a spreadsheet calculator on here where you can do the math yourself.

It all comes down to how much driving you do. And what kind of car you're willing to drive?. You could get a Hyundai Ioniq plug-in for under $26k and there's no BEV that that could beat that in pure capex and opex comparison, hell the RAV4 prime could probably even win in most cases too.

 

[Scooby24]

Oh, Fox News? huh.

 

[cvk71]

When I talk to people about owning an electric car the thing they are most surprised about is the 80% charge limit. This is also the thing that actually makes an electric car worse for long trips because after your initial 100% charge you realistically don't do it again for the remainder of your trip. This makes my 270 mile range GT a 200 mile car in the best of conditions.

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