Consumer_Reports_-_April_2020

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