The guide to all your electric car questions - ConsumerReports.org
But most consumers have limited exposure to electric vehicles (commonly referred to as "EVs") and may have many questions regarding whether an electric car might fit into their lives. Some bigger questions may linger, such as whether electrics are here to stay, and even whether electrics really count as cars, when most can’t fulfill the dream of driving anywhere, any time you want, no matter how far. For sure, electric cars are very different from gas-powered cars. With so many questions, we’ve set up this quick-and-easy guide to provide key answers and help you to determine whether an electric car could fit into your life. Electric cars use far less energy than gasoline-powered cars and cost about a quarter as much as a gas car to run. A typical EV costs about 3 cents per mile to run compared with 8 cents a mile for a Toyota Prius Hybrid based on the national average cost of 11 cents/kWh. Today's electric cars have three drawbacks that make them impractical as the sole source of transport for many people: a high purchase price, limited range per charge, and, usually, an hours-long recharge time. While statistics show that 78 percent of American drivers travel less than 40 miles a day, and 90 percent drive less than 50 miles a day, that doesn't mean that 40 or 50 miles is the longest trip those people ever need to make. Source: www.consumerreports.org
