path: root/content/articles/ev-crash-course.md

---
title: "EV Crash Course"
slug: ev-crash-course
date: "2021-10-17"
draft: true
toc: true
---
## Links

<https://cleantechnica.com/2021/10/20/dont-buy-another-gas-car/>
<https://www.consumerreports.org/hybrids-evs/evs-offer-big-savings-over-traditional-gas-powered-cars/>

## Reading EV Specs

{{< table "ev_crash_course" "types" >}}

**Note:** Unlike MPG, a lower Wh/mi is *more efficient* than a higher
Wh/mi, because the numerator (Wh) and denominator (mi) are reversed.  In
other words, the ratio is energy/distance instead of distance/energy.

Annoyingly, some sites will show EV efficiency using a different base
(kWh/100mi) or even inverted (mi/kWh).  So make sure to pay attention to
the units.

The EPA has a database of EV efficiency, battery capacity, and
standardized test results available at [fueleconomy.gov][epa].

Here are the efficiency, capacity, and range ratings from
[fueleconomy.gov][epa] for the vehicles used in the examples below:

**EPA Efficiency and Range Ratings**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "epa_ranges" >}}

## Chargers
EV chargers ([Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, or EVSE][evse]) are
grouped into three categories by power output, measured in kilowatts
(kW):

**Charger Types**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "charger_types" >}}

Notes:

* **Charging Speed (mi/hr):** I like to use miles per hour instead of kW because it's easier for people to visualize than kW.
* **Efficiency:** Energy from the wall minus the energy that reaches the battery, divided by the energy from the wall (`(Ew - Eb)/Ew`).
* **Time (50 Miles):** I included this column because [most Americans drive less than 40 miles per  day](https://www.bts.gov/archive/publications/passenger_travel_2015/chapter2a).
* **Time (90% SoC):** I included this column because you don't charge EVs to 100% except on long trips.

The [Alternative Fuels Data Center][afdc] has a [great summary of EV
chargers](https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_infrastructure.html#level2).

Links to related EV forum posts I wrote about this stuff:

* [Charger Energy Efficiency](https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?noseen=0&threadid=3932649&perpage=40&pagenumber=287#post518013313)
* [Lithium Ion Charging Process (aka why charging from 0-80% is fast, and charging from 80-100% is slow)](https://forums.somethingawful.com/newreply.php?action=newreply&postid=517498168)

### Level 1 Chargers
Level 1 (L1) chargers use standard wall plugs.  Level 1 charging is
very slow, but you can let your EV charge at night just like a cell
phone or laptop.

I don't drive very much, so this is how I charge my car except on long
trips.

Home Level 1 charging is billed at the residential energy rate.  In
Virginia at $0.13/kWh and 85% efficiency, I pay:

**Charging Cost, Home Level 1 Charger**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "l1_charging_cost" >}}

Here is a cost per mile comparison of [my car][epa-model3] using home Level 1
charging versus [Nadine's car][epa-ioniq], assuming $0.13/kWh for
electricity and [$3.189/gallon][gas-cpg-va] for gasoline in Virginia:

**Cost Per Mile Comparison, Home Level 1 Charger**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "l1_cost_per_mile" >}}

### Level 2 Chargers
Level 2 chargers are 240V, 30A-50A lines with a [J1772][] connector that
all EVs can use. There are:

* Commercial Level 2 Chargers: Grocery stores, banks, and hotels.  These
  chargers cost money, bill by charge time or kWh, are invariably a rip
  off, and I never use them.
* Municipal Level 2 Chargers: Free public chargers provided by the
  some cities.  Before COVID-19 I used to use a couple of these
  regularly.  Example: [Falls
  Church City Hall chargers](https://www.plugshare.com/location/248308).
* Home Level 2 Chargers: You can buy and Level 2 charger and install it
  at home (see below).

A home Level 2 charger typically costs about $400 for the hardware, and
$100-$1000 for the wiring and installation.  There are federal, state,
municipal, and power company incentives for home Level 2 chargers.  The
[Alternative Fuels Data Center][afdc] has a [searchable database of
incentives](https://afdc.energy.gov/laws).

The installation is probably something you and Steve could do
yourselves, so you would only pay for the equipment, wiring, and an
inspection (if necessary).

**Charging Cost, Home Level 2 Charger**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "l2_charging_cost" >}}

Here is a cost per mile comparison of [my car][epa-model3] using home
Level 2 charging versus [Nadine's car][epa-ioniq], assuming $0.13/kWh
for electricity and [$3.189/gallon][gas-cpg-va] for gasoline:

**Cost Per Mile Comparison, Home Level 2 Charger**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "l2_cost_per_mile" >}}

### Level 3 Chargers
Level 3 chargers, also known as DC Fast Chargers (DCFC), charge EVs
quickly by skipping the vehicle's internal charging circuitry and
pumping energy directly to the battery pack.

Level 3 chargers are:

* Used for long distance travel
* Located along major thoroughfares like I-5

Level 3 chargers are more expensive than Level 2 chargers.  Some Level 3
chargers bill by time (for example, in North Carolina), but most bill by
amount of energy used, measured in kWh.

[EVgo][], the largest non-Tesla Level 3 charging network, currently has
a much higher cost per kWh than the [Tesla Supercharger][supercharger]
network.  There is an optional $4 monthly subscription which brings the
cost per kWh down to a more reasonable level, but as far as I can tell
the subscription is still not worth it unless you do a lot of long
distance travel each month.

The [Tesla Superchargers][supercharger] near me charge $0.25/kWh.  At
$0.25/kWh, it costs me:

**Charging Cost, Tesla Supercharger**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "l3_charging_cost" >}}

Here is a cost per mile comparison of [my car][epa-model3] using [Tesla
Superchargers][supercharger] versus [Nadine's car][epa-ioniq], assuming
$0.25/kWh for electricity and [$3.189/gallon][gas-cpg-va] for gasoline:

**Cost Per Mile Comparison, Tesla Superchargers**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "l3_cost_per_mile" >}}

### Finding Chargers
EV chargers do not need a large fuel tank or pumps, so they are often
tucked away in the corners of parking lots and other inconspicuous
places.

For example, Alonzo and Christine drove through the Dakotas a few years
ago, and Alonzo sent me some funny pictures of surprise chargers tucked
just out of view along the way.

Another example is one of the [Tesla Superchargers][supercharger] near
my house, which is [located the parking lot behind a convenience
store](https://www.plugshare.com/location/251943).

Here are a few good resources for finding EV chargers:

* [PlugShare](https://plugshare.com/): Web site and phone app that
  allows you to search for chargers and filter the results by plug type
  billing.  Other users regularly check in with updates and pictures if
  there are service problems (examples: a broken charger or a non-EV
  car blocking one of the spots).  I have the PlugShare app installed on
  my phone and set to only show free Level 2 chargers by default.
* [Alternative Fuels Station Locator][afdc-stations]: Searchable
  nation-wide database of chargers.  Not as useful as PlugShare.
* [Tesla Supercharger Map][supercharger]: Tesla's map of Superchargers
  in the United States.  **Hint:** Click the icons at the bottom to
  exclude the following: "Stores and Galleries", "Service", "Destination
  Charging" (Destination Charging is Tesla's name for L2 chargers), and
  "Collision Centers"

Most EVs have built-in software to route to the nearest Level 3 charger,
so you don't have to fiddle with your phone while you're driving.

## Long Distance Travel
I'm breaking this section into a "Tesla" section and a "non-Tesla"
sections because the answers differ.

Tesla has spent the last several years building their Supercharger
network, so long distance travel is fairly straightforward.  The
non-Tesla network is still being built, which means that long-distance
travel is a bit more complicated.

### Tesla Long Distance Travel
You do have to worry about charging on long distance trips, but in
practice it is not that big of a deal with Tesla vehicles unless you are
traveling more than 100 miles from a major travel route.

Tesla has been building their Supercharger network since 2012.  As of
2021, [Superchargers][supercharger] are located every 100 miles or so
along most major travel routes in the United States.

You can see that yourself by doing the following:

1. Go to the [Map of Tesla Superchargers][supercharger].
2. Click the buttons at the bottom to filter out everything except for
   "Superchargers".
3. Zoom the map out to see the entire United States.

#### Example: Falls Church, VA to Spring Lake, NC
For example, in 2019, Nadine and I drove to visit Robert and Jenn in
Spring Lake, NC, which is 320 miles from Falls Church.

We stopped at two Superchargers on the way:

* Chester, VA
* Smithfield, NC

We didn't even need the second stop to make it to Spring Lake, NC.  I made
the second stop because Spring Lake, NC is a small town with no Level 3
chargers and very few Level 2 chargers, so it was easier to charge 
before we drove in, and then forget that we had an electric car for the
weekend.

On the way back we stopped at three Superchargers:

* Fayetteville, NC
* Rocky Mount, NC
* Fredricksburg, VA

The third stop wasn't necessary for charging, but I needed a break from
driving and Nadine was hungry.  I remember that stop, because Nadine
decided that eating clam chowder from a convenience store was a good
idea.  It was not a good idea.

#### Example: Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA
On the phone you asked about:

1. Driving from Eugene to Port Angeles.  See the notes below.
2. Driving from Eugene to rural Idaho.  I can't answer this question
   without a more specific destination.

I said that I was sure driving to from Eugene to Port Angeles in an EV
would be fine, and listed several fast charging stations along I-5.

You can see what the route for a trip from Eugene to Port Angeles would
look like in [my car][epa-model3] via [A Better Route Planner (ABRP)][abrp]
at the following URL:

<https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=e5c6eab0-e5fc-41e5-b730-4e808d8d4777>

So fastest way to travel from Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA in [my
car][epa-model3] is:

* one 6 minute stop in Vancouver, WA, and
* one 11 minute stop in Tumwater, WA.

The total cost would be $10.48.

(Realistically If I made that trip, I would probably wait an additional
30 minutes at the Tumwater, WA charger and charge to 90%).

For comparison, [Nadine's car][epa-ioniq], could make the trip from
Eugene to Port Angeles without stopping for gas.

(I can't drive for that long in one sitting because my legs cramp up, so
realistically I would need to stop at least once to relax and stretch my
legs for 30 minutes).

Anyway, given the [average cost of gasoline in Lane County
($3.746)][gas-cpg-or], and a distance of 339 miles:

**Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "tesla_eugene_to_port_angeles" >}}

### Non-Tesla Long Distance Travel

Long distance travel is possible non-Tesla EVs, but it's a bit more
complicated:

* There are fewer non-Tesla Level 3 chargers,
* Non-Tesla Level 3 chargers are more expensive, and
* Non-Tesla Level 3 chargers have screwy billing rates (in other words,
  they are a rip off)

#### Example: Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA
Here is route for the same trip from Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA in a
[Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard RWD][epa-mach-e], according to
[ABRP][]:

<https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=44fcd81d-435f-49f8-af0c-d72d9b51af45>

So fastest way to travel from Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA in a
[Mach-E][epa-mach-e] is:

* one 22 minute stop in Vancouver, WA, and
* one 29 minute stop in Olympia, WA.

The total cost of energy would be $23.27 (more expensive than Nadine's
car).

Here is the same trip in a [2020 Hyundai Kona EV][epa-kona], according
to [ABRP][]:

<https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=733972f4-e90b-457a-9ad6-2ebf4dfe57fb>

The fastest way to travel from Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA in a
[Kona EV][epa-kona] is:

* one 14 minute stop in Portland, OR, and
* one 24 minute stop in Olympia, WA.

The total cost of energy would be $18.55 (less expensive than [Nadine's
car][epa-ioniq], but still not as good as [my car][epa-model3]).

Here is how the number of stops, total stop time, and total cost stack
up across all of the example cars:

**Eugene, OR to Port Angeles, WA, All Example Vehicles**
{{< table "ev_crash_course" "all_eugene_to_port_angeles" >}}

Tesla Model Y LR AWD:

<https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=fc1707aa-ef81-42db-a4f6-4991ff43224d>

[epa]: https://fueleconomy.gov/
  "EPA fuel economy"
[epa-model3]: https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=41190
  "2019 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD (my car)"
[epa-ioniq]: https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/38484.shtml
  "2017 Hyundia Ioniq Hybrid (Nadine's car)"
[evse]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charging_station
  "EV car charger (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment)"
[afdc]: https://afdc.energy.gov/
  "Alternative Fuels Data Center"
[j1772]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772
  "J1772 standard level 2 EV charger plug"
[afdc-stations]: https://afdc.energy.gov/stations/#/find/nearest?fuel=ELEC
  "Alternative Fuels Data Center Station Locator"
[supercharger]: https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2
  "Map of Tesla Superchargers"
[abrp]: https://abetterrouteplanner.com/
  "A Better Route Planner (ABRP)"
[epa-mach-e]: https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=43604
  "2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard RWD"
[epa-kona]: https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=44444
  "2020 Hyundai Kona EV"
[supercharger]: https://www.tesla.com/findus
  "Tesla Supercharger network"
[gas-cpg-va]: https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=VA
  "Cost of gas per gallon in Fairfax County"
[gas-cpg-or]: https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=OR
  "Average cost of gas per gallon in Lane County"
[evgo]: https://www.evgo.com/
  "EVgo DCFC charging network"