HOW MUCH
DOES IT COST TO
CHARGE AN EV?
GENERALLY
SPEAKING, EV
drivers tend
to save about
50 percent on fuel
costs compared
with gasoline models. Based
on national averages, they
can expect to pay about 3 to
4 cents per mile compared
with 5 to 30 cents for gasoline,
says Ronald Kaltenbaugh,
president of the Electric
Vehicle Association of Greater
Washington, D.C. A typical
gas-powered vehicle, such as
the Toyota RAV4, would use
about 3⅓ gallons of gas to go
100 miles. If gas costs $2.54 per
gallon (the average price in the
U.S. during one week in January,
according to AAA), the Toyota
owner would spend $8.47 to go
100 miles. Assuming that EV
energy costs are 11 cents per
kilowatt hour, and that it takes
34 kWh to generate 100 miles of
driving range, the cost of home
charging is less than half the
price of gasoline, according to
the Department of Energy.
Of course, prices depend on
where you plug in and local
Your EV
Questions,
Answered
As battery range goes up and
prices go down, more consumers
are considering an electric vehicle.
And a lot more choices are coming
from carmakers. But a switch from
gasoline power is an adjustment.
Here’s what you need to know.
BY JEFF PLUNGIS
A:
28 CR.ORG APRIL 2020