Insights gained from owning an Electric Vehicle (EV)

Hi there — I bought a Kia Niro EV in March 2022.  Some top-line specs:

  • 64 KWh battery
  • EPA range of 239 miles
  • DC fast-charging capable
  • Charging ports: SAE J1772 for AC charging, and Combined Charging System (CCS), for DC fast charging
  • Automatic car following and lane keeping
  • Heat pump for heating/cooling

And here are some things that I learned — somewhat in order of learning them …

  1. The EV world has a standard way of defining three charging scenarios:
    • Level 1 – this is typically 110V AC, up to about 12 amps, about 1300 Watts charging power.  Mathematically would take battery from empty-to-full in 64 KWh/1.3 KW = 49 hours
    • Level 2 – this is typically 220V AC, up to about 30 amps, about 6.6 KWatts.  Mathematically would take battery from empty-to-full in 64 KWh/6.6 KW = 9.7 hours.  Actual time would be longer, as the top-off part of the charge will be a lower rate.
    • Level 3 – this can be up to 150 KW, delivered via direct current (DC), but my Kia can only accept up to 100 KW.  Mathematically would take battery from empty-to-full in 64 KWh/100 KW = 38 minutes.  Actual time would be longer, as the top-off part of the charge will be a much lower rate.  But can realistically add 200 miles of range in 26 minutes.
  2. Just about every EV comes with an extension cord that allows you to plug the car into any home outlet, and charge at Level 1.  This would be sufficient for any user who drives less than 45 miles/day on average (16,000 miles/year).
  3. TCNJ has ten Level 2 EV charging stations that are available to all permitted cars, for no fee.  When school is in session, all ten are full, Monday through Friday, by about 9:30 am.  Cars are permitted to charge for up to 4 hours, but that does not seem to be enforced.  Many users have pluggable hybrid cars (PHEVs), which charge up quickly, but stay plugged in for many hours.
  4. TCNJ EVs include Prius, Jeep and other PHEVs. Battery-only EVs (BEVs) include Ford Mustang EV, Hyundai Ioniq, Hyundai Kona, Jaguar, Chevy Bolts, several Teslas and my Kia Niro EV.
  5. It is easy to plug in an EV, but hard to unplug 🙂  I found out, the hard way, that EVs have an interlock that prevents hooligans from surreptitiously unplugging a car before it is fully charged.  On mine I have to use the key fob to unlock all doors, to unlatch the charging cable.  I’ve heard from other EV owners who were also challenged by this, and had to figure out how this works.
    1. Update — today (Jan. 19, 2023) just went to charge at a free Level 2 charger in a parking garage in Atlantic City, NJ (garage was $5 for 1st 2 hours, $1/hr after).  There were 2 chargers, and one was open, but that one was broken.  The other car that was plugged in was a Tesla, and the ‘Charging’ light on the charger was out, indicating that the car had been fully charged.  So I went over, and to my my surprise, the cable was not locked in, and I was able to remove it and use it to charge my car.  The Tesla was using an adapter, and I think that’s why it wasn’t actively locked in.  My wife left the Tesla owner a nice note, and an apology for unplugging their car, and gave my cell number.  The owner responded with a nice text, and they apologized for leaving his car plugged in after charging was complete (they evidently worked in the building).
  6. I can get a range of over 300 miles on my 239-mile rated car if I drive under 50 MPH, don’t use climate control, and the ambient temperature is not very cold.
    1. Update (Jan. 22, 2023) Did a round-trip of about 195miles from TCNJ to Atlantic City, driving the speed limit on the highways (either 55 MPH or 65 MPH).  Ambient temperatures were in 38-45 degrees, and we had the heat on.  We arrived with 27 miles left in the tank, according the car.  This would translate to 222 miles, a bit less than the rated 239 miles.  I imagine that range would suffer more in deep freeze temps.  Currently saying about 57 hours to fully charge at Level 1 at home.  I will get about 15 KWh additional charge before I travel to TCNJ tomorrow, so will have about 30% charge when I arrive at school.  I can then charge to 100% at Level 2 in about 7 hours.
  7. Fuel efficiency on an EV is typically measured at miles-per-KWh (FYI – KWh is an abbreviation for kilowatt-hours).  I can get up to 5 miles per KWh, which would translate to a driving range of 64 KWh x 5 = 320 miles.  It’s easy once you know what to expect.
  8. To achieve full fuel efficiency in stop-and-go driving, I use one-pedal mode, where I avoid using the brake pedal to come to a stop.  In my car letting off on the accelerator will cause the car to decelerate rapidly, and I can bring the car to a complete stop by squeezing a paddle on the left side of the steering wheel.  This method can stop the car in about 10 feet when the speed is less than about 15 MPH.  Initially, I would keep a foot prepared to hit the brake pedal if this didn’t work fast enough, but I’ve developed a good sense of how quickly the paddle can bring the car to a stop.
  9. One pedal mode is super convenient for going around turns.  Instead of alternating between brakes and accelerator, the entire turn can be controlled using the accelerator pedal.  The ride is more comfortable and you can safely round curves much faster.
  10. The car sounds like the Starship Enterprise at speeds less than 15 MPH.  I initially assumed that this was a natural sound of the motor system, but the car has a noise generator to warn pedestrians that an otherwise quiet vehicle is approaching.  Likewise a loud beep is emitted when backing up.
  11. My Kia does not allow much customization — to disable the seatbelt alarm I had to buy a buckle extender.  I can’t reduce the volume of the backup alarm, or change the boot sounds, or low-speed warning sound.
  12. EV chargers are everywhere, but fast chargers are not yet everywhere.  For my long trips to Philadelphia, or to the Jersey shore there are convenient fast charge stations in Fishtown, Philadelphia and at the Atlantic City Expressway Farley rest stop.
  13. Fast charging costs about 20 cents/KWh, which is not much of a markup over retail.  At that price travel costs about 4.4 cents/mile, and use of home charging would cost 4 cents/mile.  For comparison, at $4.50/gallon for gasoline, a car that gets 25 MPG would cost about 18 cents/mile, or 4.5 times more.
  14. Driving 12,000 miles/year would cost $480/year in electricity, vs. $2160 for a car that gets 25 MPG.  EV savings is about $1600/year.
  15. EVs require little maintenance.  There is no transmission, no engine oil, no starter motor, no radiator, and brakes will last forever.  There is a Tesla battery pack that has gone almost 1 million miles.  And EV engines can also be expected to reach 1 million miles.