I Love Driving An EV. This Is Why You Will, Too
EVs have come a long way, but how they've changed my life is why I'm so smitten.
I was as skeptical as the next person: would making the transition to an EV result in driving a in a car I hate? Would driving an EV be a compromise?
Back in the day, EVs were small, often odd-looking and didn’t fit my need for kids, car seats and winter driving. They were fair-weather rides that sounded good but in practice, could be lacking.
Then came the EV revolution, with cars like the Kia EV9, the Mustang Mach-E and the Volvo EX90 as options for drivers and families who want to bypass the gas station and go electric. Those cars changed everything.
And now, I find myself among EV drivers, too. As a car reviewer, I drive a lot of every type of c ar, but my go-to every day, and the subject of a lot of my experience and stories, is the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Additionally, we partnered with Electric For All on this story and associated social media posts, but all opinions are my own.
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Why I Love My EV: It’s Just So Good
After driving many of the EVs on the road I began to appreciate the finesse of the EV experience: one-pedal driving which basically allows you to use only the accelerator to speed up or slow down, using the brake rarely if at all. The feel and experience of this is simply superior to driving a gas-powered car.
Add to that brake hold, which allows you to take your foot off the brake when you’ve stopped, is just incredible. It’s one of those things that once you get used to it, going back to regular driving just feels wrong.
Watch: Why I love my EV: It’s so easy to charge
Driving an EV Couldn’t Be Easier
I also love the quiet start of the car, the easy drive and the instant torque: taking off when the traffic light turns green is so quick, and merging onto the highway is a new delight.
But plugging in your car in your own garage and never having to think about stopping to fuel up is simply the best. I can think about charging the car when it’s convenient for me, not when it’s necessary or I happen to drive by a gas station.
And, charging at home is cheaper, even when you consider the cost of adding a charger to your garage or exterior of the house.
Read: How the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq Defines Cadillac’s Future — And What Makes This SUV So Luxe
Charging an EV at home Saves Time and Money
For years, getting gas was the biggest pain of the week. The gas station was out of the way, the opposite direction of school, dance class, my work spot and the grocery store. And, there was always a line; it was cold/hot/rainy/sweaty. And expensive. Sometimes it would cost me $50 to fill the car, other times that same fill-up was $75. Never predictable.
Charging a car at home is the opposite. I can plug the car in at night, let it charge to my preferred 80% and it turns off when it’s done. I get into the car in the morning with a full charge (or, really, 80%) and I’m on my way.
EVs can charge using a standard household outlet, or they can charge faster with a level 2 charger. The difference is about 3-5 miles per hour added to the range with a 110V household outlet vs about 25 miles charged per hour at a 240V outlet.
Read: I Avoided EV Ownership Heartache With This Portable Charger For Cheap and Easy Home Charging
How I Updated My Garage to Charge At Home
To facilitate a level 2 charger at home, I added a home charge outlet to my garage. Because I’m, uh, thrifty, I looked at how to do this safely but at the lowest cost: add a 240V outlet and a smart charge cord. Here’s what it cost:
- $150 for the electrician to install the outlet
- $230 for the smart charger
- $20 for the cord hook to hold the charge cord
I didn’t need to do any work on my electrical panel or update any of the electrical systems in my house. Essentially, if you have an electric clothes dryer, you can add an EV charger. The smart cord, which is wifi-enabled, lets me turn on and off charging from my app and set the amperage level. The most powerful circuit breaker in my electrical panel is a 30 amp breaker, so I set the charge level to 24 and voila, no additional work needed to charge my EV. Even at 24 amps, it fully charges overnight.
Watch: We took the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Off Road!
Incentives Are Still a Thing—You Can Find Them Here
We all heard the sad news a couple of months ago when the federal government phased out EV incentives for new and used car purchases. But that does’t mean that incentives are gone; in fact, the local power company covered half the cost of my EV charger installation. It’s in their best interest, after all, to power my car, right?
And many states, utilities and others provide incentives, and some of them are quite generous. Electric For All provides an incentive locator by zip code so you can see what is available and how to qualify.
Related: 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Long Term Test Drive: What It’s Like to Own and Drive This Popular EV
Ready to Take the Plunge? Where to Test Drive an EV
One of my favorite events each year is Electrify Expo, the all-electric auto show that tours the US each year; you can find the rest of this year’s schedule here. If you missed your local EE event don’t fret; almost all auto shows, from the LA Auto Show taking place later this month to the New York Auto Show in April, 2026 and many in between will have EV test drives. You can check the web site of your local auto show and find out if EV drives are available.
Or, head to the dealership of the model you’d like to test out. They keep a test model on hand just for that purpose—and even if you really love it, they won’t let you buy it, but they’ll help you place an order.
And get ready to fall in love, with the cars, the drive experience and the lifestyle. Because it’s just so good.
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