Seven Key Questions & Answers For EV Drivers

The electrical vehicle (EV) revolution is here, bringing many questions for the driving masses as they switch from their gas-fueled ICE vehicles to plug-in cars, trucks, and buses. For some, range anxiety is at the forefront of their minds, while others worry about charging facilities. Everyone driving an EV for the first time will have to go through a learning curve to some degree. Charging station developers and owners too will need to get a firm understanding of the most efficient, cost-effective and profitable charging options available. Here we’ll answer 7 of the most common questions concerning EVs and EV Charging.

Table of Content

1. How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
2. What are the costs of charging your car at a public charging station?
3. What are the electric car charging tariff prices in 2022?
4. How many solar panels do you need to charge an electric passenger car?
5. How do you calculate the power consumption of an electric car?
6. How much CO2 do you save by driving an EV?
7. What are the differences between EVs, HEVs, PEVs, BEVs, and EREVs?

 

1. How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

According to the US car consumer resource guide, Kelly Blue Book, an electric car gets 3 to 4 miles per kWh. Using the U.S. household average from June 2022 of about 15 cents per kWh, it would cost about $59 per month to charge an electric car (calculation based on an average monthly distance of some 1250 miles). Rebates and incentives for electric car owners to install home chargers might further reduce that cost. That number changes if you are using a public charger with different apps charging different amounts per state or per country for Level 2 charging.

2. What are the costs of charging your car at a public charging station?

The average cost to charge your car at a public charging station using a DC fast charger is $0.40 to $0.70 per kWh hour. So expect to pay $30 to $40 to be fully charged. Battery size is a factor in charging time. Also, your car needs to be below 80% charged to use a superfast/ rapid charger. Expect an 80% depleted EV battery to reach full charge in about 30-60 minutes. The size of the charger is also a factor. A 150kW charger will take 20 minutes, and a 50kW charger 60 minutes to charge a 60 kWh battery to 80%. Other factors impacting charge duration include the car’s ability to take a higher power charge, outside temperature and the battery’s lifecycle.

Tesla’s Superchargers cost around $0.25 per kWh, so a full recharge to 250 miles of range is approximately $22. DC Fast Charging depends largely on your app and your state or country. In the U.S., for example, the EVgo network charges $0.29 a minute for DC Fast Charging in the Chicago area. Given this metric, to charge an EV for 80 miles would cost $8.70.

3.What are the electric car charging tariff prices in 2023?

There are many different tariffs for charging electric vehicles (EVs) at home, and the specific tariff you pay will depend on your location and electricity provider. Here is an example of a home charging EV tariff:

A flat rate of $0.12 per kWh
• A monthly service fee of $10
• A one-time installation fee of $250
With this tariff, if you charge your EV at home and use 100 kWh of electricity in a month, your total cost would be calculated as follows:
Total cost = (flat rate per kWh x kWh used) + monthly service fee + one-time installation fee
= ($0.12/kWh x 100 kWh) + $10 + $250
= $12 + $10 + $250
= $272

It’s important to note that this is just one example of a home charging EV tariff, and the rates and fees you pay may be different depending on your specific circumstances; different tariffs at different times of use are a way for utilities to incentivize EV drivers to charge EVs at times when the average power load on the utility is lower.

With the current energy crisis in Europe, tariffs on most EVs have been temporarily canceled in the UK as the government has introduced the energy price guarantee. This caps bills at £2,500/year for a typical household in the UK, while in the EU incentives and tariffs vary from country to country.

4. How many solar panels do you need to charge an electric passenger car?

In a residential setting, you will generally need between 12-16 solar panels to charge most EVs on the market. The specific number of solar panels used to charge your EV depends on the type of panel, EV battery size, and the amount of sun exposure. For example, smaller cars such as the Nissan Leaf may need as few as 5 solar panels and larger cars with bigger batteries may need over twice that number. As figures vary in every circumstance, this is a somewhat oversimplified explanation.

5.How do you calculate the power consumption of an electric car?

The most common way to calculate your EV’s energy consumption is using kilowatt-hours/100km (62.5 m), ie. how much kilowatt-hours of electricity your vehicle uses for every hundred kilometers/ 62.5 miles that you drive. Current ballpark numbers are 1kWh per 5km/3.1 m. The average Tesla will use about 34kWh of electricity for every 160 km/100 miles driven.
To calculate the power consumption, you divide the kilometers/miles driven by kWh consumed. For example, 100km/25kWh = 4km per kWh.

So for example if you drive 50km per day and you have a 40 kilowatt-hour battery, your power consumption is 20 kWh per 100km.

6. How much CO2 do you save by driving an EV?

According to TransportandEnvironment.org, a medium-sized EV emits about 70% less CO2 than a petrol-powered equivalent. At a best case scenario it is around 80% less CO2 than diesel and petrol. This is especially true in countries such as Sweden, which gets most of its energy from renewable sources, and France which derives its energy mainly from nuclear.

It’s important to note that the calculation of CO2 savings from the vehicle depends on the level of CO2 emitted in the generation and transport of the electricity the vehicle uses. Therefore, using an EV charged with fossil fuel-sourced electricity is less effective for reducing CO2 emissions.

In the UK, the number is closer to 30% savings, according to a study in Nature Sustainability published in the Guardian. These numbers will improve as green charging (solar and wind) takes hold and EV technology improves.

7. What are the differences between EVs, HEVs, PEVs, BEVs, and EREVs?

Electric cars come in many different formats. Some are completely electric using batteries (EVs/BEVs), others combine gas in hybrids, and there are plug-in hybrids too. Here’s a list of the most common types:

EVs and BEVs have no internal combustion engines and rely solely on battery power (the ‘B’ in ‘BEV’). They can be charged at home using Level 1 or 2 chargers or out of the home, commercially with a Level 3 (DC) fast charger.

HEV: Hybrid electric vehicles. These run on both gas and an electric motor using energy stored in a battery. Unlike most new EVs that need to be recharged, HEV recharge their batteries via regenerative braking.

PHEV: Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. These expand the possibilities of hybrids. There are two types of PHEVs:

Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) use an electric motor to propel the car while the ICE generates electricity. The engine’s stored electricity takes over when the battery expends its energy.

Parallel (or blended) PHEVs use the ICE and electric motors to move the car.