I spent part of last weekend at the Electrify Expo in Alameda looking at electric cars, trucks, bikes, scooters, skateboards, and other battery-powered vehicles. There were also plenty of accessories like chargers and EV aftermarket products. I drove there in my electric vehicle, but instead of paying for parking, I parked on the street about a mile away and made the rest of the way in an even more energy-efficient vehicle—my folding bike, which fits easily in my trunk.
I wasn’t expecting a large turnout, in part because there is no shortage of electric vehicle showrooms in the Bay Area and I’ve read many articles about disappointing sales. But I was pleasantly surprised by the large turnout. It seems like a lot of people are interested in electric vehicles.
Large selection
As someone who has owned a Tesla Model 3 since 2018, I was pleased to see several other automakers displaying electric vehicles. In addition to Tesla, exhibitors included Ford, BMW, Hyundai, KIA, Lexus, Lucid, Porsche, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rivian, Toyota, and Volvo. There was even a display from a company I had never heard of. Vinfast is a Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer with four models that has a showroom in San Mateo and other cities.
I haven’t done enough research to describe the differences and relative benefits of the various models, but anyone buying an electric vehicle today has plenty of good options. Until recently, Teslas were the only electric vehicles with access to a large network of charging stations, but that’s slowly changing. Tesla has promised to open up its network of 30,000 charging stations to other automakers, but according to the New York Times, that’s not happening as quickly as expected. But even without Tesla Superchargers, there are more options from networks like Electrify America, EVgo, and Blink Charging. If you’re traveling on major highways, a road trip in an electric vehicle can be relatively stress-free. While there is some planning involved and you’ll need to stop more often than you would with a gas car, my bladder needs to be emptied much sooner than my battery needs to be charged, so I don’t mind having to stop, especially if the charging stations are near restaurants and restrooms, which is usually the case.
Hybrids save petrol
While most of the cars on display at the Electrify Expo were fully electric, several companies showed off their hybrid vehicles, which combine an electric motor with an internal combustion engine, resulting in significant fuel savings compared to pure gasoline vehicles. Plug-in hybrids can run up to 40 or more miles on electricity before needing to switch to gasoline, nearly eliminating the need for gasoline for local trips.
Even conventional hybrids can be extremely efficient. My wife drives a 2016 Prius that gets about 54 miles per gallon. At $4 per gallon, that’s less than 8 cents per mile. The Prius is more efficient than most hybrids, but even large hybrid SUVs are significantly more efficient than their gas-powered counterparts.
My Tesla Model 3 uses 226 watt-hours per mile, which is about 149 miles per gallon. At 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, I pay about 4.5 cents per mile. Of course, your consumption will vary, just like the cost of gasoline or electricity. Regardless of which fuel you use, driving at moderate speeds, avoiding rapid acceleration, and properly inflating your tires will increase your consumption per gallon or kilowatt-hour. My costs are based on charging at home. Public charging is usually (but not always) more expensive.
High school students build electric vehicles
One of the exhibitors at the EV Expo was Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, whose mascot happens to be the “Charger.”
The school runs an automotive program, led by the head of the vocational education department, Jozef Antolin. The school, which has been in existence since the 1960s, still teaches students to maintain and repair internal combustion engine vehicles, but now also teaches about electric vehicles, using a teaching platform from Switch Vehicles that includes kits for students to build “road-ready” electric vehicles. The school now has three of these vehicles, which Antolin says “have the basic systems that are in any electric vehicle.” While it would be far too ambitious to teach students to take apart and repair their parents’ electric vehicles, Antolin says they are learning about the basic components and subsystems that are in any electric vehicle.
Small EV learning curve
Although driving an electric car is similar to driving a gasoline car, there are some things you’ll need to learn, including charging habits that will extend battery life, planning road trips, and using the software that comes with the vehicles. Owners of newer Tesla models may also need to relearn how to shift gears and turn. The company has removed the familiar levers from the steering wheel, which has proven to be an unpopular improvement. I also had to learn how to restart the car’s computer and had to relearn things after major software updates.
Test drive
If you’re looking to buy a new car, now might be a good time to test drive different electric cars from dealers in your area. Prices on many models have dropped in recent months, and many of them may qualify for a $7,500 tax rebate, depending on the specific model and your adjusted gross income.
However, it is important to remember that every new car also comes with environmental costs, so if you don’t need a new car and don’t drive much, it may make more sense both financially and environmentally to keep the old car.
Larry Magid is a technology journalist and cybersecurity activist. You can reach him at [email protected].
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