After I purchased my Kia EV6, I wasn’t planning on going electrical. I’d rented a Tesla Mannequin 3, and the expertise was horrible. However my outdated BMW X1 – with its needy upkeep schedule and its thirsty inline-6-cylinder engine – was draining my pockets. I had my eye on a Mazda CX-50, however I jumped at an awesome deal on a used EV as a substitute. Although I’ve been delighted since I drove it dwelling, there are issues I want I’d recognized.
Are you contemplating an electrical? Whether or not or not you possibly can cost at dwelling, listed below are an important issues I want I’d recognized earlier than shopping for.
Know your charging ranges
(Picture credit score: TechRadar / John McCann)
I stay in an house with a parking house however no electrical outlet. Which means I can’t set up a high-voltage outlet for what EV house owners name ‘Level 2’ charging.
Chances are you’ll like
Stage 1 is a normal 3-prong family outlet. My automotive got here with an adapter for this, nevertheless it takes days to cost fully.
Stage 2 is quicker and requires a devoted charger (like a dryer outlet). Most automobiles – together with my 2022 Kia EV6 – use the so-called J1772 port, although the business is shifting to Tesla’s NACS commonplace. The most recent Kia EV6 makes use of NACS, so it really works at each Tesla charging station and different suitable chargers. My automotive can cost in lower than 8 hours utilizing a Stage 2 charger.
Stage 3 makes use of DC energy for quick charging. These are the chargers you see at relaxation stops; they seem like a much bigger Stage 2 charger, and so they pump energy immediately into the battery a lot sooner. With Stage 3 charging, my Kia EV6 can cost from 1% to 80% in about 20 minutes, and that will get me 200 miles of vary. It takes one other 20 minutes to succeed in 100% cost.
Public charging isn’t free (often)
(Picture credit score: Tesla)
A whole lot of of us suppose EV charging is free. It’s not. The chargers at relaxation stops or procuring facilities are seemingly owned by networks like Electrify America or Tesla. You pay various charges for charging, identical to a fuel station.
Charges fluctuate by charging community, charging pace, and even time of day. You might be charged by the kilowatt-hour (kWh).
My automotive has a 77.4 kWh battery. If I pay $0.50/kWh, I’d pay $38.70 to drive round 300 miles. I determine that’s roughly equal to paying $4/gallon for fuel in my BMW. That’s not horrible, nevertheless it’s not precisely a financial savings.
Charging at house is the place the financial savings are: the common US dwelling’s electrical energy fee is round $0.13/kWh. Sadly, I don’t have that possibility. Nevertheless, I discovered a free charger at my native commuter rail station. It’s a rarity, however I haven’t paid for my native driving but, since I’d cost at no cost once I park on the practice station.
Chances are you’ll like
Put together for app overload
(Picture credit score: Shutterstock / Tada Photographs)
The charging infrastructure is fragmented. What began with Tesla has expanded into myriad corporations like Shell, ChargePoint, and Electrify America.
Faucet-to-pay chargers are much less widespread than you’d count on. Normally, you need to obtain the precise community’s app to begin a charging session. Which means coping with community points, bugs, account setups, and subscription charges.
The primary app you want is PlugShare. It’s like Yelp for electrical car charging. Customers report which stations are literally working, how a lot they price, and how briskly they cost, saving you from driving to a nasty plug.
The ‘80% Rule’ saves time
(Picture credit score: EV)
EV batteries cost in a short time to 80%, then decelerate drastically to guard the battery’s longevity.
This implies on highway journeys, you must not often cost to 100%. My Kia hits 80% in 20 minutes. Attending to 100% takes one other 20. It’s a lot sooner to drive 200 miles, cost for 20 minutes, and get again on the highway than to attend for that ultimate 20%. I solely cost to 100% once I can go away the automotive in a single day; in any other case, 80% is sufficient to get me to the subsequent quick charger.
Belief the vary (largely)
(Picture credit score: TechRadar / John McCann)
If my automotive says I’ve 250 miles of vary, I belief it – supplied I’m driving usually. Not like fuel automobiles, that are extra environment friendly on highways, EVs are extremely environment friendly in stop-and-go site visitors as a result of regenerative braking captures vitality while you decelerate.
Nevertheless, components like excessive speeds (70+ MPH) and blasting the A/C will eat into that quantity. Whereas I used to push my fuel automobiles previous ‘Empty,’ I haven’t risked it with the EV but.
Chilly climate causes issues
My automotive carried out optimally all through the summer season, delivering 300 miles of vary. Within the winter, issues turned frigid. Batteries hate the chilly. Immediately, my battery solely promised 250 miles or much less. If you happen to stay in a chilly local weather, count on your vary to drop in winter.
Don’t search for a spare within the… frunk?
(Picture credit score: Kia)
With an enormous battery beneath, my EV flips expectations. I’ve a “frunk” (entrance trunk) for storage, however I should not have a spare tire.
Each EV I’ve seen skips the spare to avoid wasting weight and house for motors and batteries. If I get a flat, I’ve to name for a tow. As somebody who is aware of change a tire, this makes me cautious, nevertheless it’s the brand new regular.
There are literally two batteries in an EV
After I purchased my Kia EV6, I threw away my jumper cables – huge mistake! Like combustion engine automobiles, my EV6 has a 12V battery up entrance along with the massive high-voltage battery that powers the motor. The smaller 12V battery powers the electronics, together with very important techniques such because the starter and the charging system.
Which means if my 12V battery dies, I can’t begin my automotive. I can’t even cost my automotive. This isn’t often an issue, however I want I’d recognized about it beforehand. Additionally, checking my automotive’s options remotely utilizing the Kia app drains that battery. It additionally has bother in very chilly climate, like most 12V automotive batteries. I’ve already wanted a bounce begin – a chore I swore I’d left behind once I went electrical.
The pace is actual (and it eats tires)
(Picture credit score: Kia)
My Kia EV6 isn’t the quickest GT trim, however in Sport mode, the acceleration throws me into my seat. Electrical motors present instantaneous torque, making them really feel sooner than fuel automobiles off the road. Even my Dad, who owned little BMW and MGB roadsters in his day, was suitably impressed by the pickup.
The upside is low upkeep – no oil modifications, ever. The draw back? That instantaneous torque shreds tires. As a result of EVs are heavy and speed up quick, you’ll undergo tires sooner than you count on. Rotate them religiously.
