Why Drive an EV?

plug-in-2783574_1280We wanted to get some perspective from one of our community members, John Tatreau, about what it's like to drive an electric vehicle, so we asked about his experience driving his Kia EV6 that he bought in February of 2022. 

 

Why did you pick this EV? I did a lot of research and chose a Kia because of its range, which is 310 miles on a full charge in the summer. It can get 390 miles without A/C but in the winter it drops down to 300 miles. At the fastest chargers, it can charge from 20 to 80% in 20 minutes; this would be with A DC charger at 350kw/h, which is very fast! At home with a level 2 charger, that takes 6-7 hours overnight (about $8 to charge overnight).
The car is also very stylish.


Why did you decide to purchase an EV? I'm a bit of an environmentalist and I wanted to lower my carbon footprint.


Have you experienced any challenges in owning an EV? The biggest for any new EV driver is going on a long trip, where to charge. Finding a level 3 charger that can be used with your type of car.


Have you been able to overcome those challenges? Using GPS and apps, you can find out the kind of charging station. Tesla charging stations will have adapters for non-Tesla owners. And, new infrastructure is being funded.       


When you charge your EV on the road, do you use an app? Which one? Electrify America and ChargePoint (ChargePoint charging was free initially)


What is your car battery’s range? Have you found your charge to be sufficient for the trips you take daily? Sure. It usually lasts a week or two. I charge every 10 days or so.


What has been the biggest benefit of driving an EV? Low maintenance costs, no gas, no oil. Have only paid for rotating tires in 2 years.


What would you say to someone who is currently considering making the switch to an EV? Encourage them. Do your research. There are online resources such as Plugstar.com, a website resource for comparison. There's good information on all electric, plug-in hybrids, and charging stations explained.


An EV will save money on maintenance and we need to do something about greenhouse gases. Look at our climate. More heat, more fires, more floods. Need to do something about it. One more reason: I received a $7,500 Federal tax credit, something else buyers should research as the qualifications have changed.

John is also an EV ambassador for Orange County. Ambassadors are inspiring community volunteers that come to events with their EVs to talk to people about them, answer questions and show off the different features of their EVs.
If you are interested in being an EV ambassador, reach out to let us know. 

To learn more about electric vehicles, check out Plug-In NC, a North Carolina statewide program that promotes electric vehicle driving and provides a great map of EV chargers in our state.