01/09/2024
There is a lot of misinformation and irrational talk about Electric Vehicles (EVs). Here is my real world experience, and the comparison values between my former Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and my current 2023 Kia EV-6 GT Line.
My 2007 Chevy Equinox had a 20 gallon gas tank, and gave me a consistent 18 mpg with a 3.4 liter V6. I got about a 290 mile range on a 16 gallon fill up of 87 octane gasoline that typically cost me over $49 (when gas was $3.10 per gallon) and took 15 to 20 minutes to fill. Energy cost per mile is about $0.169.
My 2015 RAM Promaster City had a 16 gallon gas tank, and gave me a consistent 21 mpg with a 2.4 liter Inline 4. I got about a 300 mile range on a 14 gallon fill up of 87 octane gasoline that typically cost me over $43 and took 15 to 20 minutes to fill. Energy cost per mile is about $0.143.
My 2023 Kia EV-6 GT Line AWD has a 77.4 kWh battery (think of a battery as a gas tank, that stores energy). During the summer months with AC on, I typically got 3.6 miles per kWh of electricity. During the winter months with both AC and heaters on, I am getting about 2.8 miles per kWh of electricity. Filling the battery from 10% to 80% requires about 54 kWh of energy to get a range of about 195 miles in summer and 150 miles in winter. Filling the battery from 10% to 100% requires about 68 kWh of energy to get a range of about 245 miles in summer and 190 miles in winter. Note that the mileage range given for both the ICE vehicles and the EV are real ranges based on the energy consumed and not on the possible range from the size of the gas tank or the battery.
My cost for electricity at a public L3 charging station in Chicago is about $18 for 54 kWh of electricity, and about $23 for the 68 kWh of electricity. The energy cost per mile comes out to $0.094 in summer, and $0.121 in winter. The energy cost per mile is significantly lower for my Kia EV-6 compared to my older ICE vehicles.
The actual time to charge the battery depends on 3 factors, but to make a long story short the Kia EV6 can take 54 kWh of energy (80% of battery) within 10 to 30 minutes, and it can take 68 kWh of energy (100% of battery) within 50 to 65 minutes. The rate of the charge is not linear because it is the car that tells the charger how much energy it can take at any moment in time (see attached photos). Therefore, the maximum amount of energy that the charger can output, and the maximum amount of energy that the car can take in, and the sophistication of the electronics within the car that regulates this process, all contribute to the length of the charging time. For example, the Kia EV-6 can take in a maximum of 230 kW of power, but if it is connected to a charger that only outputs a maximum of 50 kW then the charge will happen at 50 kW. I have also watched many Chevy Bolts, which can only charge at a maximum of about 40 kW, tie up a 350 kW L3 charger that is being throttled to 40 kW by the car. So, if you are going to get an EV then look for the larger battery capacity to get a longer range, and look for the smarter electronics that can charge at power levels over 150 kW. Surprisingly, Tesla and most of the American made EVs currently charge at power levels less than 150 kW.
As with any other technology, there are always trade offs. For those who understand how the technology works, and can adapt and accept the trade offs, then you can reap the benefits of the new technology, such as super fast acceleration, almost no noise and much lower operating costs. I have not found it onerous to wait a little longer for my Kia EV6 to charge, since I usually do my shopping while it is charging and most of the charging stations are located in shopping centers, parking garages and hotels.
There are currently about 6 different companies making EV charging stations and setting up networks of these stations. The older L1 (120 VAC) chargers that output about 2 kW of electricity are being phased out. The L2 (240 VAC) chargers that output about 6 kW of electricity should be relegated to home use only because it takes them about 10 hours to charge a 70 kWh battery. Unfortunately, many of the published public charging stations (such as Chargepoint and Volta) are L2, which makes them quite useless for rapid charging. The newer L3 (400 to 800 VDC) chargers come in 3 varieties that output a maximum of 50, 100 and 350 kW respectively. Tesla, Electrify America and EVgo are the most well known L3 charging networks. All require a subscription, so pick one based on where you are going.
Hoping that this clears up some of the misinformation.
