Cooperative Living August 2017 - 28

EnergySense | by Pat Keegan and Christine Grant, Contributing Writers
Charging Ahead
Why more Americans are driving electric vehicles.
An e-gallon
averages a third
of the cost of
a gallon of
gasoline.
D
ear Pat: My son and his wife
just bought an electric vehicle.
I was surprised to learn that the
cost of their new electric vehicle was
comparable to a gasoline-powered car.
I need to replace my car in a few years
and would like to learn more about
electric vehicles. What are the pros and
cons of going electric?
- Jeff
Dear Jeff: Your son is not alone. The
electric vehicle (EV) market is growing
rapidly. There are good reasons why EVs
are becoming more popular, but there
are also a few potential drawbacks.
Let's start with the basics: EVs are
vehicles that plug into the electric grid
for some or all of their power. There are
two primary types of EVs. All-electric
EVs, such as the Nissan LEAF, are
powered entirely with electricity. Plug-in
hybrid EVs, such as the Chevrolet Volt,
are dual-fuel cars, meaning both the
electric motor and the internal
combustion engine can propel the car.
26 | Cooperative Living | August 2017
A key benefit of EVs is that a driver's
trips to the gas station are either vastly
reduced or eliminated altogether. However,
in lieu of gas refueling, EVs need to be
recharged. At the lowest charging level,
called Level 1, an hour of charging
typically provides two to five miles of
range per hour. Because the average lightduty
car is parked for 12 hours per day at a
residence, many EV drivers can use Level
1 charging for most of their charging
needs. The fastest charging level, called
DC Fast-Charging, can provide 60-80
miles of range in a 20-minute period.
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative's EV
Charging Station in Kearney, Missouri.
Charging with electricity is nearly
always cheaper than fueling with gasoline.
An electric gallon - or " eGallon " -
represents the cost of driving an EV the
same distance a gasoline-powered vehicle
could travel on one gallon of gasoline. On
average, an eGallon is about one-third the
cost of a gallon of gasoline. Another
benefit of charging with electricity is that,
throughout many parts of the country, it is
a cleaner fuel source than gasoline.
Although the exact environmental benefits
of driving an EV will vary, one recent study
found that two-thirds of Americans live in
regions where driving an EV is cleaner
than driving a 50 mpg gas-powered car.
Another key reason for the rise in EV
ownership is because of recent reductions
in the upfront cost of the cars. The
batteries used in EVs are the most
expensive component of the cars, but
thanks to improving production methods,
the cost of the batteries has dropped by
more than 35 percent since 2010, and
costs are expected to keep dropping.
www.co-opliving.com
EFF SPRINGER/DAIRYLAND POWER COOPERATIVE
DAVE CHRISTENSEN/
PLATTE-CLAY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living August 2017

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