There is no doubt that electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more common. With internet connectivity changing the way we drive, and with the sales of EVs increasing by 57% in 2021, it is clear that EVs are becoming the car of choice for more people. However, there are still those who resist shifting to EVs, primarily because they believe that there is no sufficient infrastructure for charging. Here, we will explore why that is not the case, and why driving an EV is more convenient than ever.
Cost of Personal Charging Stations
One of the many advantages of EVs over conventional ICE vehicles is that they are cheaper to fuel. In fact, studies show that an EV user can save up $800 to $1000 a year on fuel costs. However, one contention is that personal charging stations can be expensive to install. On average, a personal charging station can cost between $1000 to $2500. Given that you can save as much within a year in fuel costs, the cost of a personal charging station is easily recoverable.
Charging Convenience
One of the common misconceptions about EVs is that charging can take so much time. While it is true that fully charging an EV on a Level 2 charger can take up to 10 hours, newer models can run up 200 to 300 miles on a single charge. Taking into consideration that a US driver travels only 39 miles each day, a single charge can last you five full days. The reality then is that you would need less than 10 hours daily to charge your EV as you would only need to top up the battery. This being the case, you can simply charge your car overnight and not worry about running out of battery throughout the day.
Availability of Public Charging Stations
Currently, there are only 47,000 charging stations in the US, and they are practically non-existent in more rural areas. This can be an issue if you are driving long-distance. The good news is that this is soon set to change since the US Transportation Department recently announced that all 50 states have been approved for EV charging stations covering 75,000 miles of highway. As such, we may be seeing around 500,000 EV charging stations throughout the country, making charging on the go more convenient.
Driving an EV is not much different than using a conventional vehicle. As a matter of fact, it does bring with it certain perks, such as long-term savings and cutting down on trips to gas stations. As well, as the nation is gearing up towards a more EV-friendly infrastructure, it is safe to say that using EVs will soon be more convenient.
