Is An Electric Car Worth Buying if You Have to Rely on Public EV Charging?
Buying an EV is becoming easier, and as charging infrastructure improves, they seem a lot more attainable. But is ownership worth it if you have to rely on public EV charging?
If you’re looking into buying an EV to replace your daily driver, there are more questions to ask yourself than you’re likely thinking. Maybe it’s questions about range, whether all-wheel drive is necessary, and if your ideal EV qualifies for any incentives — there are still city, state and utility incentives in many places though the federal program ended.
These are similar to the questions you’d ask yourself if you were buying a gas-powered car. But you don’t usually think about where or how you are going to get gas. If you buy an electric car, that is a question you should consider before you finalize the deal.
If you will be charging your car at home, it is pretty easy to figure out. But if you won’t be able to charge your new car at home and have to rely on the mercy of public EV charging, there is a lot more to consider. I own two EVs, so I have some notes.
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.
Step One: Figure Out How Close (Or Far) Chargers Are From You
Step one should be determining if you can access public EV charging by looking for charging stations in your area—and I don’t mean driving around and looking for them. They can be hard to find that way since they often aren’t centered around a convenience store like gas pumps are. Instead, download an EV charging app.
One of the easiest to use is Chargeway. Once you have it installed on your phone, you can tell it what type of electric car you have or plan on buying. Then you can look at the Chargeway map to easily see what chargers are in your area that will be compatible with your car. You’ll notice that public charging stations have numbers by them (from 1 to 7).
This indicates the speed of the charger – 1 is very slow and 7 is much faster and will charge your car in minutes. If you are going to be charging your car once or week or more, you’ll want to make sure there are chargers with a 6 or 7 rating in your area. Otherwise, you will be dedicating a long time each week to charge up.
Some Workplaces May Offer Public Charging Opportunities, Too
One of the best alternatives to charging at home is charging at work. It’s typically the place we spend the most time, other than our homes, so it’s an amazing option if you’re lucky enough to have it. Check to see if your employer has chargers or plans to put in chargers. These will typically be level 2 chargers, like you’d use at home so, if you can plug in for 8 hours a day a couple times a week, that should cover all your charging needs.
I have a few friends that even have FREE chargers at work. That’s a nice perk. If your work doesn’t have chargers, consider talking with them about installing some. Tell them about how much of a benefit it would be to the employees, that it’s a great perk they could offer potential hires, and there may even be incentives to help cover the cost.
If your workplace doesn’t have public charging, be sure to use the Chargeway app, or an alternative like Plugshare, and check the area around your work. You might be surprised to find some good options within walking distance or nearby enough that you could pop out on a lunch break.
Make Sure Charging is Convienient For You
Many people who can’t charge at home end up using public EV charging once or twice per week. Each of these EV charging sessions probably takes about 35 to 45 minutes, depending upon your particular vehicle. Some EV’s like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, Kia EV6 and 9, the Porsche Taycan, and Lucid, for example, can charge even faster. But still 30-45 minutes can seem like a long time compared to filling up with gas, but there are things you can do to make it easily fit into your lifestyle.
First of all, you can just plug in your car and let it charge while you do something else. If there is a charger at your local grocery store, that could be your weekly EV charging stop. In the time it takes to pick up a few groceries, your car will be fully charged.
There may be other great locations that allow you utilize public EV charging while getting other things done – gyms, restaurants, kids activities, or shopping centers can all make EV charging easy to work in. Consider anywhere that you typically have more than 30 minutes of dwell time, then investigate the charging situation around it.
Research your Favorite Road Trips Ahead of Time
If you take road trips, you might also want to check your favorite places and make sure there is charging available. Thankfully, major interstates have well-placed charging stations located along the way. But if you take a trip to the upper part of Michigan, for example, you might want to look around on the Chargeway or Plugshare app first.
I like to take road trips in my electric car and people often ask how I deal with the 35 minute stops to charge. In reality, it is super easy. Most of the time, when we stop, I’m ready to stretch my legs and use the restroom. Maybe grab a snack. In my mind, that may take only a few minutes, but it invariably adds up to be about the same time as it takes to charge the car.
The Cost of Public Charging Varies—So You Have to Be Keen
One of the reasons that people want to switch to an electric car is to save money on gas. If you can charge at home, it can save a ton of money – it can cost as little as $5 to charge a car fully in some areas. But, those savings may vanish if you have to rely on public EV charging.
Just like how eating out is more expensive, so is EV charging outside the home. Using the Chargeway app again, you can also look at EV charging stations you’d like to use to see how much it would cost before you even go there. I can tell you that it is pretty common to pay $35 to $40 to charge up. Compared to gas cars, it means you will not be saving much if that is your only charging option. However, unlike with gas, you might be able to find some free EV charging options that are convenient to you and be able to snag some savings.
But even without the charging savings, you will save in other ways. You don’t have to worry about oil changes and other many other routine maintenance expenses. And, electric cars overall are far simpler machines, so some of the bigger maintenance problems you find with gas cars are simply not a concern.
Even if You Can’t Charge at Home, an EV is Still a Great Option
Relying on public charging will definitely be a big shift from the spontaneity of finding a gas station, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker. It will simply require some research, some planning, and a bit more intention in your fueling habits.
By using apps like Chargeway to find convenient chargers, integrating charging stops into your regular errands, and exploring options at or around your workplace, you can easily make it part of your routine. And, while you may not see the same dramatic fuel savings as home charging, the reduced maintenance costs will translate to savings in the long run.
More About:Car Buying