My 7th year anniversary as an electric vehicle driver

7 Years as an EV Driver: A Pragmatic Review

It has been seven years since I started driving electric vehicles partially powered by solar and my local PECO grid. As an EV enthusiast, the transition has not come without minor challenges, but the long-term benefits are substantial.

One of the biggest positives is knowing I am not contributing to increased asthma rates in the U.S. Having suffered from asthma my whole life, and knowing how our dependency on oil comes at a high environmental cost, it is rewarding to be part of a community encouraging diverse energy sources.

When the Hyundai Kona EV became available in both gas and electric models, my friends and I built a cost-benefit analysis spreadsheet. We wanted to see exactly when an EV breaks even. Factoring in tax credits, fuel savings from home charging, and drastically reduced maintenance, the math makes sense. EVs require very little upkeep beyond tire rotations and software updates.

The Vehicles: A 7-Year Evolution

My experience across different makes and models highlights how quickly this market is changing. Even though I evaluated the Hyundai Kona, EV, the Chevy bolt one up having more headroom in the rear seats at the time, and the value is better based on incentives from Chevrolet.

Chevy Bolt EV During the pandemic, we took a Chevy Bolt EV to upstate New York in search of a pool. Range and charging speeds were significant hurdles back then. Older Bolt batteries took about 45 minutes to regain most of their charge, making road trips a true test of patience.

VW ID.4 1st Edition I owned a VW ID.4 1st Edition for several years. The mechanical engineering was outstanding. It had one of the best turning radii of any car I have ever owned, making U-turns during elementary school drop-offs much easier. However, the software was a nightmare and completely unreliable. Volkswagen recently partnered with Rivian to improve this area, which makes sense given their internal struggles.

The software defects led me to be disappointed and concerned with the ID.4 beyond minor issues with an early model. I won in a hearing before a three-judge panel after my vehicle sat out of service for almost 30 days. The dealership returned it just in time to avoid crossing the Pennsylvania Lemon Law threshold, only for it to fail again for the same error the next day. The continuous challenges with this issue and frequent recalls made this one of the worst car ownership experiences. This ordeal entirely undermined the core benefit of owning an EV: spending less time at the service center.

The ID.4 did safely get us to Florida on a long road trip from the Northeast. However, the charging network in southern states in 2022 was far from ideal. Most chargers were relegated to the back of Walmart parking lots. That provides bare essentials, but it is not a great road trip experience. It is easy to see why Tesla drivers preferred Elon's network. The Electrify America network, born from the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement, was a decent starting point. Brooke Crothers at Forbes reported why I saw so many challenges in their network reliably

Subaru Solterra & Kia EV9 Most recently, I am driving a Subaru Solterra, which is essentially a retrofitted, rebranded Toyota bZ4X. The all-wheel drive proved incredibly helpful during recent Northeast blizzard conditions when I had to navigate to the local train station to pick up my wife and our daughter after their day trip to NYC.

Alongside the Solterra, I am currently leasing a Kia EV9. It’s a 3-row SUV that delivers a vastly superior user experience with thoughtful features like rear-folding seats at the press of a button from the hatch area, reliable software with lane-departure assist, smart cruise control, and tons of features value for the price compared to its competitors. They’re all more functional and effective and reliable compared to similar features in the ID.4.

Charging: Home vs. Public

Ideally, you want to hire an electrician to install a Level 2 charger at your house. This is easiest for people with an attached garage or driveway. Charging at home costs a fraction of the price of gasoline.

If you live in a densely populated city with challenging parking, relying strictly on public charging might negate your fuel savings. Public charging rates are often comparable to the cost of gas, depending on peak and off-peak electricity pricing.

When you do use public fast chargers, refueling takes roughly 20 to 40 minutes. This timeline depends on your car battery's maximum recharge speed, the charger's capabilities, and current weather conditions.

Overcoming Range Anxiety

Do I get range anxiety? Sometimes. The solution is to plan ahead.

Always fully charge your car at home before a major road trip and map your route based on highly rated chargers. The network infrastructure is improving rapidly thanks to investments from the infrastructure bill. For example, the NJ Turnpike now features AppleGreen stations with high energy output maximums. These are powerful enough to supply luxury EVs, like Mercedes and Lucid motors, with their fastest charging speeds.

The UX of Public Charging Networks

My worst experiences usually revolve around public charging software. Tesla Superchargers were the most reliable option for a long time, but their network is still a mixed bag for non-Tesla drivers. Destination chargers are usually Tesla-only, while select Superchargers support other brands.

The software design and onboarding content strategy across various charging networks makes a lot of assumptions. The apps often assume a user already knows how to make their phone communicate with a specific charging station. I recently had a frustrating experience at a Jolt station (formerly Shell) at a local mall. The user experience completely failed, and I was unable to charge my car while running errands.

Pro-tip: Download PlugShare. This app is immensely helpful because it offers community ratings of charging stations and updates on when new ones will come online. It allows you to filter by charging network and plan trips effectively, ensuring you do not waste time at an inoperable station or in a sketchy area.

Dealerships and the Current Market

If you are entering the market, be highly vigilant. Dealerships vary wildly in their product knowledge and sales support.

From my own observations and reading forums like Reddit, less scrupulous dealerships often use intentionally obscured pricing schemes. They mask who is actually receiving the EV tax credit and whether they are passing that savings down to you or pocketing it themselves.

Despite Congress eliminating consumer tax credits to drive adoption, the overall quality of EVs continues to rise. The opportunity to diversify our fueling methods gives this market strong merits over strictly gasoline-powered engines.

The Best Perk

Ultimately, the best experience is the maximum convenience for commuting and local driving. You can charge at home instead of standing in extreme heat or freezing cold at a gas station. There is no more handling grimy fuel pumps or dealing with the smell of gas drippings. Many drivers note that avoiding gas stations at night is a major safety and comfort upgrade.