How efficient is the EV?

The Editor Talks with You

Posted 8/23/21

I will admit I’m not a electrical vehicle enthusiast.

I’m not alone. 

Readers ask me questions I can’t answer about the costs of an EV, its lifespan compared to gas guzzlers, how …

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How efficient is the EV?

The Editor Talks with You

Posted

I will admit I’m not a electrical vehicle enthusiast.
I’m not alone. 
Readers ask me questions I can’t answer about the costs of an EV, its lifespan compared to gas guzzlers, how far you can go on a charge, how much it costs to recharge their batteries, how long it takes to recharge, are the batteries as toxic as batteries in petrol-powered cars, if so how do you dispose of the batteries and other questions.
We turned to our friend Rod Funderburk at Resource Supply Management, an adviser on controlling energy costs.
Rod said he is far from an expert on EVs but here a few replies to our questions:  
Q. How convenient are charging stations?  
A, If you go to this link, https://chargehub.com/en/charging-stations-map.html, you will see some of the EV chargers along SC highways and their types of chargers.  The link does not address the chargers on university campuses, hotel parking lots, city parking garages, etc.  
Q. How far can an EV go on a charge?  
A. The range of an EV depends on the vehicle and the type of driving. For instance, a Tesla S is advertised as having a range of 183 to 412 miles depending on the vehicle options and driving conditions.  A Nissan Leaf is advertised as a range of 226 miles.   
Q. How long does it take to recharge?  
A. The time required depends on the type of charger.  When you go to the link you will see that there are level 1, 2, and 3 charging stations plus Tesla charging stations.  Each type of charger is different.  
A Tesla S is advertised as needing 23 minutes to charge at a fast-charging station and 14.5 hours using a wall box.  A Nissan Leaf needs 40 minutes using a fast-charging station and 11.5 hours using a wall box.   
Q. What does it cost?  
A. Most charging stations along the highways are free, but some are beginning to levy a fee via credit card.  
Q. Do EV batteries have the same toxic properties of gas guzzler batteries?  
A. The toxic properties of EV batteries are primarily in manufacturing the batteries and not in the running of the vehicles.  
Q. How long do the batteries last.  
A. EV batteries last a long time.  I personally know of only one person who has replaced the batteries in his Prius and he has had that vehicle quite a while.  Like any part on a vehicle, you can accelerate the need for a replacement by abusing the EV.  
Q. How do you safely dispose of them?  
A. Batteries can be recycled through a smelting process to recover the many minerals (lithium, cobalt, nickel) contained in them.  Several other processes can be used.
Recycling batteries is a problem. It is estimated that fully recycling a lithium-ion battery costs 5 times more mining lithium.   
Rod’s partner Jim Clarkson added this:
A trend in the electric utility industry is encouraging EV use by offering to pay for some customer charger installation costs.
 China has the largest EV market. Some credit is due to innovative marketing. Some EV companies offer battery-leasing where drivers can replace their empty batteries with a fully charged one at a service station cutting long recharging times
Do you have EV questions we didn’t answer here? Please email them to JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Next:  Books of the Dead

An offer for you
Jerry Bellune’s new $9.99 digital book, “The Art of Compelling Writing,” is available now at Amazon.com. Chronicle readers can get a copy for $4.99 by emailing him at JerryBellune@yahoo.com

electric, vehicles, EVs, batteries, charging, costs

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