I spent the past two weeks deep undercover as an electric vehicle driver.
This was largely in response to negative feedback I received to a recent column, but even more largely because my car has been in the shop for more than a month (a story for another day).
A month ago I wrote that the skyrocketing costs of electricity with utilities, especially PG&E, are quickly shrinking the major advantage EVs have over their gas-powered counterparts – the cost of recharging – and it was not well received.
I heard about all the environmental benefits of EVs, the low maintenance costs, and lower costs of recharging as compared to refueling (which I’d already written was shrinking by the day).
The point I was making in my prior column is the same point I am making now: California’s plan to ban gas-powered cars by 2035 is extremely short-sighted because, among other things, EVs don’t work for many people.I have nothing against EVs and after driving one for a few weeks I think they’re pretty cool. I’m not saying EVs are bad; I’m saying the state needs to get its act together.
Don’t blame me, the messenger. Blame the state.
EVs don’t make sense for what is probably millions of people. I know because for two weeks I rented an EV to see what it was like for someone without a home charging station, and it was a pain.
The savings on recharging instead of refueling were at times nonexistent and the inconvenience of using public charging stations was significant.
It wasn’t all bad. I rented a Subaru Solterra, which was a very pleasant driving experience. It was spacious, comfortable, extremely quick and had some fun gadgets. I have nothing against this car, it was quite nice and in an alternate universe I would be happy owning one.
But the range of 160 miles was lower than I needed (it was my only option at the rental car place) and I spent a lot of time charging around town, since I have a 20-mile commute to work each way.
During this process I learned some hard lessons. The mile range is an estimate, which I knew. But what I didn’t know was that when the climate control was on the estimated range was immediately zapped. The range would snap back into place if I turned the climate control off, but I didn’t realize that for two weeks until one fateful, cold commute, when I had to turn the heat off to save battery. The range rebounded, but it was bittersweet. I was happy to no longer fear being stranded on the side of the road, but it was also 40 degrees.
There is a significant charging-station shortage. Often the nearest charging station was far out of the way and I didn’t always have 15-30 minutes to recharge enough to get where I was going.
I also learned a term: Range anxiety. I drove around with it constantly, especially with the mysterious fluctuations in range and the lack of charging stations.
I was terrified to run out of battery and have my car towed to the nearest station, which might not be close. And how quickly does an EV’s momentum cease when the battery dies? Does it move long enough for me to get off the road or does it die almost instantly? I didn’t want to find out.
So between the low range, the relatively long commute, the battery range fluctuations and my fear of the battery dying, I was recharging constantly. And not all stations are created equal.
I spent many mornings charging at Southside Park in Sacramento. It was great for reading and making phone calls, but I would have to sit there for an hour or so to fully recharge — and this was considered fast! Another time, I tried recharging at a non-fast charging station and in a few hours I got something pathetic like 10 miles, which was a waste of a Saturday morning.
I also decided I don’t want to take a road trip with an EV, at least until ranges are longer, charging is faster and stations are more common.
And finally, the cost. One day I recharged 111 miles in one hour for $19.34. By contrast, I refueled the Jeep Compass I’m renting now for approximately 360 miles in four minutes for around $60. On a per mile basis, this is basically even.
As for maintenance costs, they are lower for EVs, in general. EVs don’t require oil changes, but eventually they need battery replacements and that is significantly more expensive than all the oil changes I’ll get in my car over its lifetime.
For example, the cost of a replacement battery for a Tesla is estimated to be between $13,000 to $20,000 total for parts and labor – that’s a lot of oil changes.
Also, it’s true that EVs don’t emit greenhouse gases while they’re being operated. But that’s not the whole story. From production to shipping to the creation of electricity, fossil fuels are everywhere. Furthermore, the mining of the metals required for EV batteries often comes at a significant cost environmentally.
Are EVs more environmentally friendly than a gas-powered car? Sure, but the difference is not as significant as you might think. However, some companies, like Tesla, are striving to be at least carbon-neutral in the process.
Again, EVs are great, but they don’t work for everyone. At least not yet. The state barreling ahead with a silly plan to ban gas-powered cars will only make many people’s lives significantly harder.
Matt Fleming is an opinion columnist for the Southern California News Group. You can find him on X, @FlemingWords