FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions, and answers, concerning electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, charging, and how CURRENT EV works.
A: Plugging in to tap renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydropower, etc. allows you to drive without contributing to the pollution that sickens and kills hundreds of thousands of Americans every year, leading to virtually pollution-free driving. Electricity is much cheaper than gas (1/2 the current cost of gas) and allows you to opt out of spending tens of thousands of dollars on gas for the rest of your life. It allows you to drive silently; you won’t add to the noise pollution of thousands of internal combustion engines driving through your neighborhood.
A: Absolutely not! Plugging your car in to charge is like plugging your phone in to charge! It takes 5 to 10 seconds of your time to plug your car into a charger. You can charge anywhere there is an electric outlet, including your house or workplace. In addition, plugging in your EV overnight and waking up to a full charge is much more convenient than spending 10-15 minutes of your day stuck at a gas station, especially if you drive a lot and fuel up frequently.
A: No! Well over 90% of daily driving is under 100 miles. According to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, the national average is 30 to 40 miles per day. The list of EVs that offer ranges of 200 to 300 miles is extensive. Edmunds test drivers obtained the following test drive ranges:
2021 Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 345 miles. Ford Mustang Mach-E Route 1: 344 miles. 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S: 323 miles. 2019 Hyundai Kona EV: 315 miles. 2021 Volkswagen ID.4: 288 miles. 2020 Chevrolet Bolt: 277 miles. 2021 Audi e-Tron Sportback: 238 miles. 2020 Nissan Leaf Plus SL: 237 miles. 2021 Polestar 2 Performance: 228 miles. 2020 Hyundai Ioniq EV: 202 miles.
To find out your daily driving range, keep a record for two weeks of how far you drive every day. If it averages between 10 and 90 miles a day, you’re a prime candidate for an EV or PHEV! Range anxiety about EVs and hybrids is misplaced. Most EV drivers are finding that they can drive to work, do their chores around town and get back home with plenty of battery capacity left over.
On road trips and long-distance drives, EV fast-charging infrastructure is rapidly growing around the country. On all major routes in California, such as between Los Angeles and San Francisco, charging stations are abundant and can quickly fill your battery in less than an hour. The PlugShare app is useful for finding charging stations near you.
A: No. On the contrary, they’re one of the most EFFICIENT technologies in existence. Gas vehicles only convert 17% to 21% of the energy stored in gasoline to power at the wheels. Electric vehicles convert 59% to 62% of the electrical energy from the grid to power at the wheels. This makes EVs environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. EVs emit no tailpipe pollutants. Some of the power plants producing the electricity for EVs may emit pollutants, but energy from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydro is emission-free and is common throughout California.
A: No. The most convenient time and place to charge is at home while you sleep. Even using the slowest 120 outlet, charging overnight, an EV will replenish 40 to 50 miles of range. Most new EVs and PHEVs are capable of 240 V charging to full in 3 to 8 hours. The 2020 NISSAN Leaf Plus (62kWh battery/226mile range), using a 240V charger, fully recharges from 0 to 100% in 11.5 hours. Public DC Fast Chargers provide an 80% charge in as little as 45 minutes.
A: YES! As battery technology improves, the ranges they provide increase. Most new EVs today go 200+ miles on one charge – that’s more than enough for a daily commute. By 2022, the average EV range is estimated to be 275 miles. By 2028, a battery range of 400 miles will be considered the norm. On top of the range they provide, electric batteries are built to last hundreds of thousands of miles.
A: A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is like any normal hybrid, but with two important differences. It has a larger battery capacity and is able to plug in to the electrical grid to charge the batteries. Instead of a battery with a capacity of about 1 kWh of power like an ordinary hybrid, these batteries will have a capacity of 9-10 kWh of power. This will enable the PHEV to drive like a fully electric vehicle for up to 40 miles before the gas engine kicks in. CURRENT EV supports any clean fuel that is not oil. However, it is clear that electricity is the cleanest, cheapest and most ubiquitous source of domestic energy for moving cars and trucks. The need for multiple sources of energy to replace the oil we use makes excellent sense, so all alternatives will have their place as we transition away from oil.
A: Your gas mileage could improve to several hundred miles per gallon, plus electricity. If you had a PHEV with a 40-mile range in EV mode, and you rarely drove over 40 miles without charging, then you would almost never need gas. Most people will find that if they have an EV with 150 miles of range, they would not need another vehicle for any of their daily driving. For longer trips, you could rent or borrow a PHEV. For families that use two vehicles, the optimum fuel efficiency situation would be to drive an EV and a PHEV. The EV for short trips, the PHEV for trips longer than 200 miles, although, with DC Fast Charge available, even long trips can be achieved in an EV, if properly planned.
A: Absolutely not. In fact, the reverse is true. Your overall energy bill will be less by driving with electricity. EVs are so efficient that the cost, per mile driven, is significantly less. For instance, a 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid will travel 100 miles on 2.6 gallons of gasoline. 42 of those miles, using the gas engine and the electric motor together, will provide 94 MPGe. The 558 additional miles of range, using gas, will provide 38 MPG. The cost to drive 25 miles on a single charge is $1.17. The cost to drive 25 miles using gas only is $2.01. So driving the PHEV using the electric battery cost almost 50% less. The EPA estimates you’ll save $4,250 over 5 years driving a RAV4 Prime, compared to driving a comparable car. If you drive a pure-electric Chevrolet Bolt, your fuel cost savings will increase even more. The Bolt has a total range of 247 miles, and provides a combined MPGe of 115. The EPA estimates you’ll save $5,750 in fuel costs over 5 years. EV owners spend around $40 a month on electricity to charge their vehicles. That’s $480 per year. Nearly 90% of U.S. households report spending an average of $3,000 per year on gas. The average gas cost per month in the US is around $250. The electricity costs for driving an EV are more than 6x less than for driving a gas-powered car.
A: Yes, easily. EVs typically can travel 3-4 miles (or more) per kWh. If you drive 12,000 miles per year, you will need 3,000-4,000 kWh. Depending on where you live, you will need a 1.5kW-3kW PV system to generate that much power using about 150-300 sq. ft. of space on your roof. In fact, many EV drivers recharge their cars from rooftop solar panels today, generating virtually no pollution for their local driving.
A: Yes! CURRENT EV has partnered with Pick My Solar (pickmysolar.com), which installs solar power systems to make the process of charging your EV and powering your home with solar power possible.
A: No. In fact, according to Farmer’s Insurance, most EV’s are very safe vehicles that tend to be driven by mature, careful drivers and actually cost less to insure than comparable gas-powered cars.
A: Your gas mileage could improve to several hundred miles per gallon, plus electricity. If you had a PHEV with a 40-mile range in EV mode, and you rarely drove over 40 miles without charging, then you would almost never need gas. Most people will find that if they have an EV with 150 – 200 miles of range, they don't need another vehicle for any of their daily driving. For longer trips, you could rent or borrow a PHEV. For families with two vehicles, the best fuel economy scenario would be to own an EV and a PHEV. Driving up to 40 miles a day, they’ll use the EV. Driving further than that, they’ll use the PHEV. Plug-In Hybrids with the biggest ranges include: BMW 530e PHEV: 30 miles. BMW X5 xDrive 40e PHEV: 31 miles. Honda Clarity PHEV: 47 miles. Kia Optima PHEV: 29. Polestar 1 PHEV: 65. Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV: 42.
A: It depends on how big the battery is, and whether you charge using a regular 120V outlet or a 240V charging station. Plug-in hybrids with smaller batteries can recharge in about 8 to 10 hours at 120V and 3 to 6 hours at 240V. How long does it take to charge your cell phone? Think about charging your car just like you think about charging your cell phone. Most people charge their cars at home or work, just like a cell phone. Plug it in when you arrive and it will be ready for you in the morning, or the end of the work day. The actual charging time depends on the size of your battery, how far you have driven, and the amperage of the charging system. Keep in mind that most of the time, the battery will not be empty when you plug in, just like your cell phone.
A: Most people recharge overnight in their garage, carport or driveway. They can also recharge at work. There are many public chargers for electric cars as well. An estimated 99% of all charging currently happens at home or work. Per 2020 CEC data, California has an estimated 57,000 Level 2 chargers and 4,900 Fast Chargers, more than any other state. Electricity rates are subject to many factors, including the region where you live, the time of year, and even the time of day when peak charges apply. For the most part, electricity usage and costs are at their lowest late at night.
A: Much less than it costs to buy gasoline. The fuel efficiency of an EV may be measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per 100 miles. If electricity costs $0.13 per kWh and the vehicle consumes 33 kWh to travel 100 miles, the cost per mile is about $0.04. If electricity costs $0.13 per kilowatt-hour, charging an EV with a 200-mile range (assuming a fully depleted 66 kWh battery) will cost about $9 to reach a full charge. You can figure on a cost of $1.00 to $2.00 to charge a PHEV with a 40-mile battery range.
A: No. The existing electric grid’s off-peak capacity for power generation is sufficient to power 73% of commutes to and from work by cars, light trucks, SUVs and vans without building a single new power plant, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The existing nighttime electricity could also be stored in plug-in vehicles and retrieved during peak-demand hours through vehicle-to-grid technology for use by the grid, helping to meet society’s daytime power needs. Especially in California, which has a cleaner power grid than the rest of the U.S. and is most reliant on solar and natural gas power, plug-in cars will not lead to more coal and nuclear power plants. The U.S. power grid is also getting cleaner every year as affordable renewable energy continues to replace coal plants.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING WITH CURRENT EV:
A: Your brand new EV will come from an authorized new car dealer. All purchase, financing and leasing documents will be in your name and you will be the first owner or lessee of your new vehicle.
A: Yes. You get the exact same warranty coverage as if you purchased or leased your car from your local dealer.
A: You can get your car serviced at any authorized dealer for your make of vehicle. This includes all warranty service as well.
A: Yes, CURRENT EV will not only make sure you get every incentive and benefit you are entitled to, but we will also provide you with ALL of the appropriate forms and guide you through each process so that you get every EV benefit that is available to you. Most dealers don’t do this. Many of them don’t know about ALL the benefits available for EV drivers – like we do!
A: Not at all. In most cases, your car can be picked up at a local dealer, at our office or we can arrange to actually deliver your new EV to your home or office.
A: In most cases, CURRENT EV works with the fleet managers at the dealerships. This results in a fleet deal for a single vehicle, something the average buyer cannot do on their own, unless their uncle owns the dealership!
CURRENT EV has deals in place with many local dealers who sell and lease EV’s. Since we are EV experts, and know which dealers are the most competitive and willing to give us the best prices, you can be assured that we can beat just about any deal you can get. We get dealers to compete. And because we bring them many customers, we get better deals than any individual customer can get.
A: We don’t charge our clients a fee for our services. We are paid a nominal broker fee by the selling or leasing dealership – and you still get a better deal than if you did it yourself.
A: Most of our clients know which EVs they’re looking to buy. They have already researched prices and have a few quotes. We improve the price for them. When we find the car that you want and agree on a price, we get the dealer to send you a credit application, which you fill out and return, with your driver’s license and proof of insurance. The paperwork is then prepared and ready for you at the dealership to complete the transaction. In some cases, we arrange for the dealer to deliver the car and paperwork to your home.
If you’re starting fresh and don’t know which car is right for you, that’s fine. We’ll ask you some questions about your budget, driving habits, needs and where you live, to help determine which car will work best for you. Once we’ve established basic price parameters, we can set up test drives for you. Then, when you choose a vehicle, we handle all the negotiations for you. It's hassle free!
A: Yes. We schedule test drives at dealerships. When you’re ready to purchase, we can answer all your questions about the transaction process, and guide you through it with the dealer. In effect, we act as an advocate for the buyer. After your test drive, if you want to go home and think about it some more, that’s fine. You can call us to ask questions until you’re ready to make a decision. CURRENT EV won’t ever “push” you into buying an EV. You establish the time process; we’re there to help along the way and offer you the knowledge you need to make the right decision. Then, when you are ready to buy or lease, we'll handle all the negotiations for you.
A: CURRENT EV’s sales force is highly experienced with EVs, chargers and solar power. They own, drive and use them all the time. Having this wealth of experience makes it easy for us to “walk the walk and talk the talk.” The best way to learn about EVs, chargers and solar power is to talk to someone who has “been there and done that.” When you deal with CURRENT EV, it’s like going to EV SCHOOL. You come away much smarter about the process of buying and leasing an EV, a charger, and/or solar power.
A: Yes! We encourage you to do so. Driving an electric car is easy, but you’ll have occasional questions we can help with. Feel free to call us.
A: CURRENT EV will help you with that. We’ll assist you with completing the paperwork and answer any questions you have about the process.
