We had a local resident email us with some AMAZING questions about electric vehicles. They were so good, we decided to share them with you on our web page. So here goes:
Q: What does it cost to charge an EV at home?
The two main factors for charging cost are the rate for electricity, and the size of the battery. According to their website, NV Energy charges $0.16 per kwh. Now let’s say your car’s battery holds 60 kwh. The cost of charging from 0-100 percent should be about $9.60. However, most of the time, you wouldn’t let the battery get down to zero – not a good idea for several reasons. So your average charge will be much less.
Q: Is it safe to charge an electric car in a closed garage?
The answer is definitely yes! In fact, most drivers charge at home something like 90 percent of the time. EV charging causes no fumes to be emitted – unlike fueling up with gas or diesel – so there’s no danger of vapor catching fire in your garage.
But I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about electric vehicles catching fire. That sells a lot of newspapers! However, the facts are much different. A recent insurance liability study showed that regular gas and diesel vehicles catch fire at a rate 60 to 100 times more often than EVs! So in a way, EVs are actually safer to keep in your garage!
Q: What does it cost to charge an EV at a charging station?
Before we go there, let’s do a very brief explanation about EV charging. Basically there’s three levels. Level 1 is plugging into a normal outlet at your home, at 120 volts. Level 2 is the equivalent of plugging into an electric dryer outlet, at 240 volts. Level 3 charging (also called DC Fast Charging) is what you find at gas stations and EV fueling stations like a Tesla Supercharger. They are MUCH more power – 440 volts and above.
Level 1 is the slowest, and can take many hours to charge fully. Level 2 is 4-10 times as fast, and can charge the car in a few hours. Level 3 will typically charge a car within a few minutes.
If you do need to use a charging station outside your home, the price may vary widely, especially depending on if it’s Level 2 or 3. First off, many shopping malls and stores don’t charge at all. It’s often a free service for their customers – but not everywhere, and that could change at any time. Chargers at gas stations and EV stations are typically Level 3, and these will always be a paid service. Rates can vary widely, but are still significantly cheaper than buying gasoline or diesel.
Some brands like Tesla have software to show you where charging stations are located, and how much they cost. Others use software like PlugShare to locate stations when needed. Your experience will vary, depending on how much you drive, where you drive, and what brand of vehicle you purchase.
