Consumer_Reports_-_April_2020

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electricity rates. Consumers

can usually save even more by

charging at home overnight

because of lower off-peak rates.

Public charging prices vary

depending on location because

utilities differ in prices and

regulations. According to 2018

data, average retail prices for

home electricity were under

10 cents per kWh in Louisiana

and more than 30 cents in

Hawaii. Tesla currently offers

unlimited free Supercharger

use for the Model S and Model X

for the original owner. Model 3

owners pay the going rate of 26

cents per kWh, or about $8.84

for 100 miles of range. For your

state’s costs, go to energy.gov/

maps/egallon, and also check

for special utility rate plans.

ARE THERE ENOUGH

CHARGING STATIONS

TO GO AROUND?

Tesla, with about 80 percent of the

U.S. EV market, has an extensive

Supercharger network: 762 stations

in 47 states, and expected to grow

to 1,130 stations in every state soon.

Most stations have multiple chargers, but these

work only for Teslas. For other EVs, companies such

as ChargePoint, EVgo, and Electrify America are

continuing to build their own national networks along

highways and other high-trafficked areas. (Tesla

owners can buy adapters so that their vehicles

will also work on non-Tesla chargers.) ChargePoint

has more than 108,000 chargers. EVgo has more

than 1,200 high-speed chargers nationwide. The

Department of Energy estimates that there are

nearly 30,000 charging stations, most with multiple

chargers, across the U.S. and Canada.

To assess the charging experience and availability,

Consumer Reports drove to public charging stations

along the Interstate 91 corridor in Connecticut,

a busy stretch near our Auto Test Center that’s

filled with commuters and long-distance drivers.

Our experience using the chargers was mostly

positive. At the 55 stations we visited, representing

141 chargers (an average of more than two chargers

per station), all but four chargers were in good

working order. A majority of stations had at least

one available port, so we didn’t have to wait.

Most charging is still done at home (more than

80 percent), often overnight. “If people have a place

to plug in, that’s the cheapest and most convenient

option,” says Shannon Baker-Branstetter, manager

of cars and energy policy at Consumer Reports in

Washington, D.C. Standard 110-volt home charging,

called Level 1, can take 17 to 25 hours to add

100 miles of driving range, according to ChargePoint.

At-home 240-volt charging, called Level 2, uses

plugs that fit heavy-duty appliance outlets, such as

those for a dryer, and can add 100 miles of range in

4 to 5 hours. DC fast chargers, found at some public

charging stations, can add 100 miles in just over

30 minutes. For longer trips, we recommend that

drivers check the PlugShare and Electrify America

apps, which have trip planning tools. PlugShare also

has user reviews so that drivers can tell whether

certain public charging stations tend to be crowded.

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