After more than a full year of plug-in electric vehicle ownership, through multiple seasons and scenarios, now seems like a great time for some reflection and sharing. It’s been an interesting and illuminating experience, filled with learnings (yes, even experts learn new things!) and fresh perspectives on the day-to-day intricacies of driving electric.
Since my family made the leap from an internal combustion engine vehicle to an EV, the federal government has continued to fund incentives in an effort to increase adoption. Today, more individuals and companies can take advantage of these opportunities than ever before by stacking state incentives on top of each other. We’re also seeing the pre-owned EV market grow, further lowering the cost of entry. These developments, plus increased awareness, targeted education, and more EV options, are helping a greater number of Americans make that leap.
But there’s arguably nothing more compelling than a first-hand account of EV ownership. This is mine, which is informed by 20 years of clean transportation industry experience.
Learnings From the Past Year
Our family’s Tesla Model 3 is our go-to commuter car. Its performance has been remarkable—amazing pick-up, quiet, and intuitive touchscreen controls make it fun to drive. Between myself and my husband, the person driving the most miles takes the EV that day.
Of course, we factor in things like carpooling to the kids’ sports or transporting visitors, which usually requires more passenger spots. That’s when we’ll use our family’s minivan. However, it doesn’t get nearly the amount of use it once did—the EV has become our default vehicle in just about every situation.
What’s more, when we need to fill the minivan’s gas tank, it quickly starts to feel like a burden. The time and effort involved, the cost, and the gas station smell have made our EV the preferred option.
Charging Experience: Cost Savings + Incentives
Speaking of filling the gas tank, let’s dive into our experience with charging. Nearly all our charging—98% of it, according to the Tesla app—has been done at home using our Level 2 EV charger. We’ve set the charger, which is located in our garage, to begin sessions at 11 p.m. Most weeks, we only need to charge up once or twice.
We enrolled in our utility’s EV charging rewards program, which calls demand response events that target the EV charger, either ratcheting down power or turning it off temporarily depending on demand. Since July 2023, our utility has notified us of about 25-30 events that last 2-3 hours each. There was only one time we opted out of the event, as it occurred right before a big thunderstorm rolled through, and we were charging up in case the power went out. For all other events, we’ve happily handed over control of the charger without any impact to our ability to drive.
Tesla estimates that we’ve spent about $300 to charge the car over the last 12 months, which is a $750 savings compared to a gasoline-equivalent. Otherwise, we haven’t had any maintenance costs, unless you count car washes! And Tesla deploys all software updates over the air, so upgrades and fixes happen while we sleep.
Observations and Looking Ahead
Our family is thrilled with our EV ownership experience. I’m confident in saying we expect to own at least one fully battery electric vehicle moving forward.
We’ve used the EV for several long-distance trips—two from Northern Virginia to North Carolina (Asheville then Raleigh), and one from Northern Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. All legs required DC fast charging stops at Tesla Superchargers, which were easy and smooth experiences. We’ve also used a few public Level 2 chargers, enabled with the aftermarket J1772 adapter we purchased for about $50 and keep in the car.
It’s worth mentioning that my home happens to be in a part of the country with ample charger availability, and others may not have the same experience. Tools and apps such as PlugShare, the Alternative Fuels Data Center’s Station Locator, and in-vehicle navigation systems can help EV owners locate nearby charging stations.
One somewhat unexpected observation is the power we have as “influencers.” While I’ve long understood that EV drivers are the best advocates for increased adoption, it’s been exciting to see this play out in real life. Since getting our EV, we’ve had a hand in convincing at least one neighbor to go all-electric (from two ICE vehicles to two EVs) and helped nudge other friends toward their two plug-in household status (from one ICE and one plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a very small electric range, to one BEV and one longer range PHEV). A very recent development is the new PHEV purchase by my in-laws in Michigan, primarily inspired by driving our EV and hearing about transportation electrification whenever I’m around.
Needless to say, everyone has their own unique journey when it comes to purchasing or leasing an EV, and some may be more complex than others. Continued consumer education and engagement, as well as greater visibility of charging options, will support widespread EV adoption and increase consumer confidence.
