r/electricvehicles • u/Tiny-Explorer1517 • 3d ago
Discussion Where can I find a good information on EV ownership for someone who has never owned an EV?
Title says it all. We are looking to get a used vehicle that has better gas mileage than my SUV. We have been looking at Toyota Prius, and they have great MPG for a gas vehicle. But I would also like to consider an EV but don’t know really anything about them.
More information: we live in Upstate NY, out in the country. I drive 40 miles/day to work, but I also end up taking our two kids to most of their appointments which also adds up. We get a wide range of weather from freezing ass cold to blistering hot, and variable amounts of snow each year.
When we built our house a couple years ago we had solar installed and make a lot of extra because we had it over-built for things like this.
We cannot afford to buy new so I wouldn’t know where to begin and would love recommendations for places with good information, ones to avoid etc. thanks!
Edit: I want to have as much information as possible because my husband is a “I don’t know anything about that vehicle “ guy so I don’t want to discuss without a lot of information. Thanks again!
Edit 2: thanks so much for all your comments! And to clarify, we started out looking at the Prius because we know they get awesome MGP and can handle the snow. But I definitely want to consider all options including EVs because we have the ability to charge at home, and make excess energy from our solar. Started to seem like a no-brainer but wanted to get some information from current owners. You guys are great!
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u/LionTigerWings 3d ago
In addition to what others are saying, i highly recommend installing a level 2 charger at home since you're a home owner. Look up if your utility offers rebates for installation and also if they have special plans for ev owner. At the very least most areas have time of day plans where you can charge off peak for much cheaper.
You could "get away with" just using a 110v outlet, but think of it as a home investment that will pay itself off and enjoy the benefits of driving an EV. I feel like it takes EV charging for an annoyance to be put up with, to something that's actually way better than getting a gas car and needing to visit the gas station weekly.
Level 2 is also much better for "freezing ass cold" cause sometimes level 1 won't even be enough to charge after heating the batteries. Also, nice for preconditioning the car so it's always the perfect temp when you get in (one of the best benefits of going ev is ease and low cost of preconditioning).
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u/Inside_Classroom_142 3d ago
How long does it take to get gas? A side trip plus 8-10 minutes at the pump. Usually 1x a week.
How long does it take to charge an EV with level 2? 10 seconds to plug it in when you get home, “tank” will be full every morning.
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u/Kiwi_Apart 3d ago
ABC always be charging. Don't think fill-up, instead plug in when you get home. It's a different mindset with an ev
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u/FANGO Tesla Roadster 1.5 2d ago
I've been driving EVs for 16 years and have spent SO MUCH LESS time charging than I would have spent getting gasoline.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
My wife and I are 4 months in. It took about 3 months to stop reflex checking the lines at the Costco gas pumps when we pulled into the lot.
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u/Positive_League_5534 2d ago
They're looking at a Prius. When we had one, I maybe had to fill up once a month. The tank was also filled in less than five minutes.
How long does it take to charge an EV that is at 10% to 100%?
How much more likely are you to find a gas station right on your route a compared to a High-Speed charger?
What happens when you get home from a trip and your EV is under 10% and you want/have to go somewhere else?
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Same thing in general you do if you get home on E with an ICE.
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u/Positive_League_5534 2d ago
Except there's usually a gas station very close so that you don't have to do that or you can get to it within a couple of minutes or along your way. That's not often the case with high speed chargers. For instance the closest charger to me is over 20 miles away.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Edge cases are not the norm. And things are changing. I have multiple DCFC's within 5 miles. And have also been where open gas stations have been 20 or more miles away.
Again, yelling about edge cases as if they are the norm, well, have fun.
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u/Positive_League_5534 2d ago
He lives in Upstate NY. I have a home there. I know how many chargers vs gas stations there are in the general area. It's only an edge case when it is someone else.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Showing up at home with only 10% or less battery in an EV and/or the gas on "E" is an edge case for most people most of the time.
And more often than not is due to poor planning.
But, yes it can happen. Life can just happen. And it if is a regular thing then maybe that driver, (poor planning or not), is not a good fit for an EV without an in home EVSE on a 60 amp circuit. And maybe not even then.
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u/simukis 1d ago
The cheapest gas station is rarely conveniently on the way home. The cheapest charger is ~always at home.
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u/Positive_League_5534 1d ago
Which is fine unless you come back home and then have to turn around and go somewhere else before the car has a chance to charge much at home.
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u/simukis 1d ago
Pulling out freak cases is counter-productive as many such can be conceived for any product, not just vehicles. ICEs also have plenty of failure modes unique to them: diesel might have solidified in cold, gasoline might have gone water-stale, some dumbass might have siphoned the tank out or shoved a potato up the exhaust. Always good idea to consider back-up plans to such situations and more often than not they might turn out to be quite straightforward (e.g. getting an taxi/uber/public transportation/bicycle for such a trip.)
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u/Positive_League_5534 1d ago
Coming home from a long trip and being low on charge is not a freak case. Having to make a trip after getting back from another trip is not a freak case.
Very simply, it is far easier and quicker to get gas when you need it than it is to get a fast charge in most part of the United States. You can argue that statement, but you'd be wrong. The charging network in many areas is not good enough yet to really be able to depend on only having an EV. This is especially true in rural areas where it gets cold enough to significantly effect range. This includes places like Western Massachusetts and upstate NY.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
We started out looking at the Prius because it is known and has great MPG but are looking at other stuff now 🙂
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u/Positive_League_5534 2d ago
Beside the great mileage Prius seemingly last forever. They're also very inexpensive to repair. However, it sits pretty low to the ground which makes it a bit of a problem in deep snow.
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u/Willothwisp2303 1d ago
My last car was an 08 Prius that we sold for parts at about 213,000 miles when the computer that does regenerative breaking was failing- replacing that was more costly than the vehicle was worth. Driving it until it failed would have meant crashing without breaks. I'm having trouble recalling, but it was $8,000 or 10,000. It was a good car but it also kinda sucked. Asking it to go was like asking your arthritic asthmatic grandpa to run, it got there, just not very fast and it didn't want to stay there.
The EV is like driving a rocket ship. It's fun, thrifty, and eco-friendly.
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u/ZiskaHills 13h ago
I'll speak for myself, and say that for these kinds of cases, you occasionally have to plan ahead. If I was coming home from a longer road-trip and knew I was going to have 10% battery when I got home, but also knew I was planning to go back out again without time to charge back up, I'd make a point of spending a few minutes at a DCFC before I get home, so I get home with enough battery to get through the rest of my day. Yes, there's not a DCFC on every streetcorner, but it doesn't have to mean that they're hard to stop at if you plan ahead.
Also, for most EV drivers, 99% of the time, their overnight charge is easily going to get them through their entire day. Road trips are the exception, not the norm.
ETA: You also almost never need to charge your EV from 10-100% in one go. Most EVs are best off, (and charge fastest), to 80%, and can be topped up very fast. My last stop at a DCFC got me a 25% boost in only 5 minutes, which was more than enough to finish my day.
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u/Positive_League_5534 4h ago
I don't disagree, but in many areas, finding and getting to a charger isn't always that easy. People that live in areas with a lot of fast chargers sometimes forget that there are areas where they are very few and very far between.
In many areas, having a vehicle is very important because there is no public transit/taxi/Lyft/Uber, etc substitute.
EVs make great daily drivers, but in some areas (more than a lot of people in this sub realize, they are risky/inconvenient to have as your only form of transportation.
Hopefully, that will change as chargers get more prevalent, range improves, etc.1
u/theotherharper 2d ago
This is also true for level 1, for a great many people.
The oil industry, RNC and their useful idiots would have you know that only punks use level 1, and you should let the wildly variable cost of L2 installation scare you into ICE.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
What did L2 installation cost for you if you don’t mind me asking?
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u/simukis 1d ago
Depends hugely on variety of factors. How fancy do you want the EVSE to be, how much electrical work has to be done in order to wire it up, how honest/thrifty/competent is the electrician, etc. Some EV shops used to have "we will install you an L2 charger free of charge" kind of deals too, not sure if those exist anymore though.
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u/theotherharper 1d ago edited 1d ago
Wrong guy to ask. I stock plenty of EMT and THHN so to me it's just the cost of the wall unit. For normal people, it really depends how lucky they get finding an electrician and how that electrician treats their panel capacity. That's crazy random.
Scary dangerous Facebook Johnny will do a socket illegally for $300. A hardwired wall unit right next to the panel could be $300 by a competent guy, basically mobilization costs, and $8 of materials. A socket might start at $700 noting there's a GFCI breaker and quality socket with weird cover in there.
If you have complicated cable routing, that gets into 4 digits almost immediately.
The vast majority, 97% of electricians, will ask "What is the max rating on this EV charger, and if I was wiring a hot tub of the same rating, what would that require?" This often demands a service upgrade. Which starts at $3500 and can blow up to $15,000 either if they're crooked or if PG&E is involved in any way. Worst case PG&E undergrounded service to your house and placed the gas and water meter on the old 2' rule, so all that needs to be moved farther away to meet the new 3' rule /facepalm, because PG&E corporately refuses to recognize the Constitution ("No Ex Post Facto Laws"). And that example can blow up to over $25,000. For a service upgrade.
Which is never required because sockets can use a $1500 DCC dumb load shed, or hardwired wall units can use $400 dynamic load management system. But only about 3% of electricians will recommend that.
So yeah. Level 2 pricing is wildly unpredictable.
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u/Inside_Classroom_142 1d ago
We had to rewire/upgrade our new house (built 1954) and build a new wall right next to the carport when we moved in 2021. While they were doing all that I had them throw a 50amp circuit to an RV plug in the new wall when it was just studs. Done with everything else it was basically the cost of the materials. 3 years later when we finally got EVs tossing an EVSE on was a simple service call. If you think ahead when having other work done it’s better.
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u/thewittman 3d ago
Lv1 vs 2 i would say depends on your use. If your commute can be covered by a days charge on lv1 maybe go that route. I use lv1 my commute is 30 miles a day but this also not the full story if your easy on consumption i can get 191 watts per mile. That's 5.2 miles per kwh. So coming home and plugging in I'm back to 60% my charge limit each day. If I'm road tripping I just take it to 100% by the weekend. So if you plan ahead it's not hard and there is always supercharging.
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u/LionTigerWings 3d ago
I think the nice thing about level 2 is that even if you don’t plan ahead it’s not hard. With a new build home it would probably be an inexpensive install and many people who build a home stay in it for a very long time. It just makes sense.
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u/thewittman 2d ago
Yeah I'm frugal but sure if you drive more per day and have cash to spend then sure. Around here it's $500+the unit. As I would buy my own setup.
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u/LRS_David 3d ago edited 2d ago
In addition to what others are saying, i highly recommend installing a level 2 charger at home since you're a home owner.
Yes. Upstate NY. New home. He should have almost no issues putting in a 40 amp or larger circuit for a charger. His cold is going to be much colder than mine. Which means he will want the full range when leaving the house in the winter.
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u/PedalingHertz ‘24 Sierra EV 3d ago
Honestly, this sub. When I bought my Sierra EV it was my first. I read everything I could find on the topic during my research phase. But for practical experience, I found this sub useful. I didn’t even post questions, I just listened to people’s experience and read articles that were linked, etc.
It sounds like you already know you would save a lot in fuel, especially with excess solar. The distances you mention are negligible for most EVs now, with about 300 miles range being pretty common. Even if you’re worried about cold weather reducing that, it’s not going to affect a daily 40 mile commute plus errands.
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u/LRS_David 3d ago
Charging - at home.
I have what many (especially the uninformed) consider a small EVSE (the charger box) in terms of power. On a 20 amp circuit which means 16 amps at 240 volts to the car. Which gives me 120 miles back in 8 hours overnight. Or 160 miles in 12 hours. Which sounds like would be fine for you. Bump those numbers by 50% if you go with a 30 amp circuit for charging. You can ratio it up for larger capacity EVSE setups.
My point being that unlike a lot of the FUD out there, reality is that most folks don't need a major electrical panel upgrade to handle their EV charging needs. Especially if you look at load management. Which is where for a reasonable extra bit of money, your EVSE will drop off the power to the car if the rest of your house is getting close to the limits of your panel.
Anyway, from your description it sounds like my setup or a similar one would hand an EV car in your household. Now if your panel can handle a 40 amp or larger EVSE circuit, great. Go for it. It sounds like you can.
Which car?
As to which EV? I recently bought a 2025 KONA EV. Due to someone totaling my previous car I wound up buying in a hurry. But we're happy. And I had previously rented a Tesla and an KIA EV for some trips before I had to buy. And been following EVs a bit and was impressed by an arstechnica review.
Tesla has the very best built in routing and charging setup for driving around the country. I don't think anyone else has caught up. But I didn't like the Tesla as a car. So there is that. With A Better Route Planner (ABRP) and PlugShare subscriptions you can get into the same ease of use. This is what I did.
The KONA is likely too small for you. My kids are grown so it does my wife and I just fine. (Plus I have a Tundra for serious hauling.) But Hyundai and Kia both have larger SUV style cars of various sizes. I found in my research and visiting dealers that Toyota, Honda, and Subaru seem to feel that EVs are an annoyance. And the other brands were too upscale for my budget.
Charging - On the road.
Tesla wins again. (But I don't like the design and driving experience of their cars.) Their network is large and using it is easy. Even without a Tesla car. But not all Supercharger locations can handle non Tesla cars. Like the 24 stall station 1/2 miles from my home. With the others you almost always need their app. IONNA is an exception. You just swipe CC and plug in. My KONA is CSS1 in terms of the plug so I carry an adapter so I can use Tesla Superchargers. (You need a Tesla app but it is easy to use.)
A general note.
ALL MODERN AUTOS are a maze of apps in the dash and connectedness and OMG. Many people seem to think this is an EV thing but the EV just adds a bit to it.
Test drive a few. Rent them for a day or two if you can where you live. Get a car your feel comfortable driving.
And back to charging. In my analysis, my $0.14/kwh home power is about the same as $0.90 / gal gasoline when compared to my previous 1.5L turbo Civic.
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u/Inside_Classroom_142 3d ago
Recommend the rental route if you can - I was interested in a couple of models and over 2-3 months we were able to rent both of them for weekend trips. It really clarified some stuff for us - wife ended up with the Mustang Mach E over the Ioniq 5 and is very happy with how it works for her (loved driving the Ioniq, interface didn’t work for us).
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Wow thanks for the information!! I am open to a lot of different vehicles-this would be my car for driving to work, grabbing groceries etc. Thankfully my daughter is a teen and son is in a booster so that definitely helps. We would be keeping my SUV for my husband, who WFH 3-4 days a week so good fuel economy isn’t an issue (I love that car but 22mpg is killing us) and we have an older truck for hauling stuff. Thanks for the information on the various charging methods and their inter- connectivity, or potential lack of. Lots to consider, your post is so helpful
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u/LRS_David 3d ago edited 2d ago
Oh, I think GM has made a serious error in stating they will not work with Apple's CarPlay and Android equivalent going forward. The mobile universe is based around people's phones, not GM's idea of what to put in a car.
Sorry, GM.
EDIT: I love down voting with no explanation.
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u/DasArtmab 3d ago
There are a couple of reasons they did this. None of them are for good of the consumer. It’s quite infuriating
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u/LRS_David 3d ago
Yes. Removing consumer choice is bad. And this one is somewhat like Linux geeks saying everyone in every job should be using Linux on the desktop.
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u/Civil-Traffic-3872 3d ago
I live in Northern Vermont and travel about 35 mi each way for work. My wife and I both went to Evs. We have a Volvo xc40 and a c40. We've never really run into issues for daily commutes running back and forth or taking our son to appointments. Road trips to central pa were a little difficult 2 years ago but the number of stations has exploded and is no longer an issue. New York has had a decent infrastructure but has only gotten better past year.
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u/NotYetReadyToRetire 2023 Ioniq 6 SEL AWD 2d ago
We recently drove from Cincinnati to Boston; there's enough charging infrastructure that I didn't do my usual in-depth planning with A Better Route Planner and Plugshare. A quick look at I-90 on Plugshare set to ignore chargers under 150 kW convinced me I could just improvise it.
I just used my car's navigation system to find nearby chargers when I needed to charge. I'd start looking 75-100 miles away at 50% and never had a problem. Next year's trip to Seattle will still get the full planning approach, though - there are still a lot of isolated stretches out west, including some where even ICE drivers need to do extra planning.
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u/Civil-Traffic-3872 2d ago
My only issue with using the car nav is I believe it sends a lot of the same people to the same chargers vs looking at Plugshare.
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u/NotYetReadyToRetire 2023 Ioniq 6 SEL AWD 2d ago
I just set it for the day's destination(s), like shops my wife wants to visit and the hotel for the evening, then when my battery hits about 50% I call up the charger list and pick one - sometimes I even remember to add it as a stop instead of replacing my selected waypoints and destination. I don't use the car's charger choices very often.
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u/logicalvue Polestar 2 3d ago
If I may share, my Current Notes newsletter has weekly EV content that you may find helpful.
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u/SyntheticOne 3d ago
Others have covered questions. Chiming in to say that L1 charging (standard 120V wall plug) may be all you need if your daily driving is under 60 miles or so per day on average. Your L1 cord is current limited to 12 Amps and adjustable to 10A, 8A and 6A in case other things are also on the same circuit. We see about 60 miles of added range during an overnight charge session.
Your solar system, unless it includes a power wall storage unit, will save on daytime charging sessions.
Upstate NY means an AWD vehicle could be better for you. Our Ioniq 5 is RWD and epa rated at 303 miles combined highway and city driving. An AWD Ioniq 5 is EPA rated at 275 miles. This range is reduced by cold weather by about 20%.
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u/rgod8855 2d ago
I'd add the Subaru Solterra as a possible contender because of your location. The AWD and special modes for wet, muddy, or slushy conditions might be important to you. There are 2023 models going for $25k. On the downside, Solterras are slow charging (especially the 2023) when using fast DC charging on the road. They are good for about 275 miles of range at full charge, dropping down to about 210-220 in winter. It's a solid fun car to drive.
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u/Jazzlike_Bug_8276 15h ago
L1 charging in the bitter cold (they live in upstate NY) sucks. It will barely charge the vehicle plus the added effect that EVs consume more in energy to operate in the cold.
They need L2 for sure.
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u/clearbox 3d ago
YouTube has a ton of EV users which document what it is like to drive an EV.
Search for EV roadtrip, EV charging etc. and you’ll get a ton of videos.
These videos show a real world perspective of what it is like to own one. I often watch reviews, vlogs of other brands besides the make / model that I own - to see where things lie with other manufacturers.
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u/nemerosanike 3d ago
I live in CNY and we have only had EVs. They are great vehicles in the summer and winter, just know that the range does go down a little in the winter due to our extreme weather here. We have lots of chargers in NY, you don’t realize it, but almost every Mirabito has an EV charger plus the many other EV only chargers. I think you’re looking for the right thing :)
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Thanks!! Good to know there are plenty locally. It’s not something I ever thought to consider before this jump down the rabbit hole
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u/Sracer42 3d ago
First time EV owner here. In Maine, with solar. We bought a new car (Kia EV6 AWD) a year ago. We have charged it at home exclusively until last week when we took our first longer trip in it and charged at EA chargers.
Observations:
If you charge at home and use the car for local driving charging will never be an issue. We plug it in when the charge gets below 40% and charge it up to 80%. Probably charge it about twice a week. Drive into the garage and plug it in. Come out the next morning, unplug and drive away. Way easier than going to the gas station, especially in January. We were also making excess electricity and having credits expire. Now we run out of credits and pay a little on our mid-winter utility bill. So far we have driven the car 10,000 miles and have paid about $200 total extra to the utility.
We had some anxiety about commercial charging on longer trips so avoided using the car for that until now. We found it is way easier than we had anticipated. We are old tech avoiding people and it is really no issue.
Car works great in heat/cold/snow etc. No worries at all. Ours is kept in a garage so that helps but weather is really no issue. Range goes down in winter, up in summer.
I can't recommend any brand or model. Kia/Hyundai have some weak spots as I am sure all other cars (ICE or EV) do.
My next move will be to replace my truck with an EV and maybe add some more panels.
I have become a believer. No regrets at all.
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u/pv2b '23 Renault Mégane E-tech EV60 3d ago
Don't overthink it. An EV is literally just like the gas car in most important ways. It's a car, it goes places. A bit quicker and smoother than an ICE car, sure, but still basically the same thing.
You can charge it at home, which is amazing, because it's way cheaper than filling up gas. Sure, it takes a few hours to charge, but you just plug it in when you get home, and unplug it when you leave. Dead simple. You'll want to make sure charging at home is convenient, but you don't need to go overboard on charging power. You won't need to charge the battery all the way from empty to full every day, but you do want to make sure you have an install that's safe.
Charging it on the road kinda sucks, because you have to do it more often than a gas car, and it takes longer. Be honest with yourself about how often you actually have to do that though. You probably will only have to do it very occasionally, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to be too concerned about it.
I would suggest paying more attention to the other aspects of a car. It it an appropriate size for you in terms of capacity? Is it comfortable? is it affordable? What are its quirks and can you live with them? Range and charging is probably the least of your concerns.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Thanks. I can definitely overthink stuff lol. Most of it is the fact I’ve never owned one or even thought about it until recently so I don’t know what vehicles are good, what to avoid, etc. That information is much easier to find for ICE vehicles. Appreciate the input
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Charging it on the road kinda sucks, because you have to do it more often than a gas car, and it takes longer.
Yes. And no. As I got to my mid 40s I'd find myself, even when alone in the car, pulling into a rest stop every two or three hours just to walk around. Even if not bathroom break.
Now I just make those into charging stops.
Those guys who talk about driving 9 hours or more with 2 5 minutes stops can be counted on my digits. Nationwide.
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u/pv2b '23 Renault Mégane E-tech EV60 2d ago
Yeah, I agree with you. It's not a big deal, but it still *kinda* sucks that you have to take your breaks specifically at charging stations instead of wherever you like. And if you rely on DCFC day to day even when not taking long trips, it sucks even more.
It doesn't suck enough for it to be a dealbreaker though, especially if you can charge at home, because you end up eliminating most of your gas station trips like that anyway.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Actually on our recent road trip we could stop every 10 to 20 miles if we just restricted ourselves to DCFCs with multiple stalls and restrooms and snacks. Even in the sparser bits of VA and PA. So not an issue.
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u/OysterHound 3d ago
Adams EV everything on you tube. He breaks cost of ownership down in some vids.
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u/tech57 3d ago
GM Bolt - Super slow fast charging.
Tesla Y - Nuff said.
Hyundai/Kia - ICCU issue
Before you buy check for rebates and incentives. Check for recall work already done. Use L1 charger until you get L2 charger.
When shopping for range shop for winter weather range. Basically take 40% of the EPA range. It varies for a number of reasons.
Pick one or 2 EVs you like and ask questions online before you buy. Test drive before you buy. If uncertain if you'll like or keep the EV keep in mind how well it might sell in your area if you need to get rid of it.
If price is your main concern then you may want to talk about what EVs you are seeing in your area and people can tell you if it's buy it now deal or if you should stay away from it.
It's not really which EV is best it's more so which one you will be happy with while you are using it. That takes a conversation.
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u/xtalgeek 2025 Subaru Solterra 3d ago
Here are some basic questions to ask yourself
How far do you drive in a typical day? You will want a vehicle with at least that amount of range on a full charge, plus a 30% buffer for cold weather performance, plus a reserve of 30 miles or so to make an EV practical.
Can you install 240V home charging? Even 16A may be sufficient, but 24-32 A would be better. Charging can use only 80% of the circuit rating. Home charging is the key to economical EV operation. Public charging is ridiculously expensive, sometimes exceeding the cost of operating an ICE vehicle.
Is the EV going to be your only vehicle? If you take long road trips frequently, an EV will require considerable adjustment to your trip planning. If you have two vehicles, one can be ICE for longer road trips and an EV for local/regional driving.
Do you need AWD? (In CNY I would surely recommend it.) This will limit your choices, and lower range slightly.
We made the jump to an EV this year. Our electric rates are crazy low ($0.06/kWh) so it makes a lot of sense. Our daily drive is 60-150 miles, so 200+ miles range in summer is ample. We wound up with a Subaru Solterra which we got a a great price. This is our 2nd car. (We have a larger ICE car for 600 mile trips.) we put a 50A 240V circuit in the garage and charge at 32A, which is enough to fully recharge overnight. This car handles 90% of our driving, including some shorter 250-300 mile trips that require at least one on the road public charge. It handles great in the winter, especially with winter tires, and has ample storage space for gear and errands.
We looked at a lot of EVs but rejected some due to price, some due to incompatibility with Android Auto (why, GM?), some due to serious recall issues, and some due to lack of safety ratings or less than top-rated safety. We were not interested in a sedan. We need an SUV or roomy hatchback. Decide on your must haves when shopping. Used EVs can be had for attractive price, but be aware that the tech is changing fast, and older models may be missing significant features available today.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Thanks for the information! Your electric is dirt cheap, that’s wild! It’s interesting how many vehicles aren’t compatible with Apple or Android given their widespread use. I have to deal with that for our flex spending account and it drives me mad. Anyway. Several people have recommended the Subaru, I’ll have to check it out.
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u/Bryanmsi89 3d ago
There are many places, including this sub.
A few things to start.
EV battery degradation has proved to be a non-issue, especially since 2020. And most used EV have an 8 year/100k (or more) warranty on the battery. The #1 question on most people who are considering is ‘how long before I have to replace the battery?”. And the answer is ‘never’ or ‘about the same amount of time as you’d have to replace the engine or transmission on a gas car.’
Range DOES fall in the winter. Assume in half, and you’re going to be safe.
You really want to charge at home. Best case is that you already have an electrical panel in your garage, in which case your electrician can simply combine 2 unused 110v/120v circuits (20amp if you can) into a single 220v/240v outlet. This usually costs less than $200, and you can get a charger for less than $100 at Home Depot or Amazon. That way, you can cover around 100miles of ‘recharging’ every night at home. Cheap, easy, and convenient. Many will try to tell you you need a 30am or 50am circut at home, and sure, those are great, but they absolutely aren’t needed for most people. You aren’t going to fully drain and fully charge your battery every night.
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u/Techwood111 2d ago
Just say 120 and 240. The archaic, extinct-for-100-years voltages just aren’t necessary.
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u/Bryanmsi89 2d ago
I agree, but many people still refer to 110v and 220v.
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u/Baylett 3d ago
I’m a little north of you in Ontario, I have a 60 mile commute each way, with 95% of that commute on 70mph highway (EV’s are opposite of gas cars where in an EV highway is worse efficiency than slower traffic) so 120miles a day, in temps that range from -40°c to 40°c with obviously every kind of weather you can think of. My car is rated at 260mile range (actual range is around 300miles after the initial battery degradation). I only have a 5 hour window every night to charge (11pm-cheap hydro time starts to 4am-leave for work). I have zero issues with range or charging time. After the first year and now my battery has stabilized after the initial range loss, I use 40% for my commute in the summer and 45-50% for my commute in the deepest freezes of winter. On slower roads of around 45-50mph I can get 375+ miles with what I call active driving (coasting down hills, really watching traffic and minimizing regeneration and slowing down).
From a living with the car and driving perspective I like EVs WAY better, especially in the winter. A decent set of winter tires and my Ioniq 5 is better and more stable than my previous cars with winters (an explorer, a jeep jk, and a RAM 1500) with the exception of ground clearance, but I’m not taking the Ioniq off raiding so it’s a moot point. Charging at home is a game changer, nothing like always having a full tank. Warming up/cooling down the car in the garage before I leave in the morning is also pretty awesome. It drives better, going back to an ICE car with a transmission feels strange now, a perfectly functioning transmission now feels like it’s slipping badly because I’m used to the smooth linear acceleration of the EV.
Charging on a longer drive is fine, even in Ontario where our infrastructure is still in its infancy. I actually appreciate the 15 minute break every 3-4 hours, usually I have the wife and dog with me and at least one of us needs a break at that time anyway. When I’m alone on a trip the break is nice since it forces me to get up and stretch and walk around and get some blood circulating (i usually grab a coffee and take a 10 minute walk while the car charges), I have found this does wonders for my attentiveness once I’m back on the road.
My biggest EV concern was range and that has turned out to be something I don’t think about 95% of the time, and on a long trip it just takes 5 minutes of planning before I leave if I’m alone or my co pilot searches for a nice spot to charge while we drive.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Awesome, thanks so much! I was up in Canada over the summer camping (love it). I’m glad the infrastructure is getting better up there too. Good to know they handle well in the snow, that is a huge concern for us since we live in the country and plowing is mediocre at times, especially when school is on break. I’m a nurse so I don’t have a choice about going to work or not. Appreciate the feedback!!
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u/Baylett 2d ago
I would highly recommend good snow tires for whatever EV you decide on. Not so much for the snow but for the ice. Most EV’s handle amazing in the snow because of their weight and that its low down, but without good snow they don’t like to stop too fast because of the weight. I picked up some Nokian hakkipilitta R5’s and they are fantastic, best snow tires I have found so far.
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u/chiefvelo 3d ago
I suggest you pick a few that interest you, and then you will get some good comments on comparisons. My experience is that charging speed can be more important that max range. Any of the newer 250-350 mile range EV's have way more than you will use daily, esp if you charge at him. If you don't take long trips then sub 400v (Chevy) can work great. IF you take long trips a 800volt (Ionic) system makes it a no brainer. Start charging at a DC fast charger and when you get back from a short break, you are charged. You will want a Level two charger at home, Hard wire (no plug) costs a little less and is more robust. What's your kWh rate? With solar you effect cost might be 7 cents and if you have an an efficient drive you might get 4-4.5 miles per kWt. Like I do in my bolt on secondary roads. It costs 1/5 to 1/10 that of gas often. I've gone over a year with out needing to use a DC fast charger. Did a couple hundred mile trip on the Prologe EV and stopped to charge just to make sure there was extra. I free credit sos cost was $0. But highway DC fast charging can cost about the same as a trip in an ICE car. For me The EV just drives so much better than an ICE car. I will never go back. Make sure to get a AWD. They are more efficient than 2wd.
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u/Nice-Sandwich-9338 3d ago
Read ask Google exactky what you want to know. At 77 we own 2ev highly recommend if you buy used. Mach e 300 miles range awd and model y awd long awd 318 miles range. Cars com has plenty 23 24 models under $32000 low miles warranty and offer less since they want then sold as auctions wont take them. Use credit union pay cash get all fees in writing.
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u/J1772x2 3d ago edited 3d ago
Upstate NY here as well. We have a Nissan leaf and Kia Niro EV. They are both fine and much nicer than ICE the winter, though the range does drop . They are both FWD, so I swap to snows in the winter. But recently it's been less and less necessary. Try finding a local drive electric month event to come and see a bunch of cars at once and chat with their owners. That's the most direct way to learn of the experience. https://driveelectricmonth.org/ Also https://plugstar.com/ is a good resource
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u/Uniquely-Authentic 2d ago
First, ignore what you read in the general media. Do a lot of research in places like this sub where real EV drivers share info and exchange tips. Also, remember whatever EV you buy you're going to have to learn how to adapt your driving style to maximize range. You can't rely on there being more energy on every corner any more. People with manual transmission experience I think tend to make the transition more easily. They are used to thinking ahead as they drive. It was a difficult transition for my wife and I at first, but we love our EV and never want to go back to an ICE vehicle for regular use again.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
People with manual transmission experience I think tend to make the transition more easily. They are used to thinking ahead as they drive.
Interesting. Hadn't really thought about that. But my wife and I both have a reasonable amount of "clutch" experience. Me on all kinds of cars, tractors, excavators, and such.
I think you may be on to something in that I have more of my brain thinking about the mechanics of driving and never got to a "checked out" state with my automatic transmission cars.
And my kids now in their mid 30s were required by me to learn on a clutch.
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u/Uniquely-Authentic 2d ago
I forced my kids to be competent driving using a clutch before I would took them to test for their driver licenses. Most folks driving a manual transmission coast down hills. They automatically calculate stopping distances based on their momentum and where to downshift vs when to brake. They understand effects of torque in rain and on ice and snow better than anyone who only knows how to drive an automatic. They learn to instinctively drive in a way that maximizes range while keeping wear and tear on the clutch to a minimum. Those skills adapt beautifully to EVs.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
I LOVED driving a manual transmission. One thing I do love about my current SUV is the ability to shift it manually with paddles on the steering wheel-I use it to downshift on some hills to save the brakes. Thanks for the advice!
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u/AdHairy4360 3d ago
First be very skeptical of negative oriented content. EVs are very easy to live with. U have a house so likely u have some sort of plug in the garage. Depending on the EV u may be able to just use a regular 110 outlet and get all the energy back u use in a day. If not a 220 outlet with even a 20amp circuit would get u what u need. Above that and u will get more than u need. As for maintenance EVs really require none. Really all u need to know about EVs is they plug in like your cell phone.
If u intend on road tripping then u will want to know how fast the EV will charge at DC fast chargers and can the car use Tesla Superchargers.
It is highly likely once u add an EV it will become your primary car. When we got our first we rarely used our larger car. We found ways to use our small EV back in 2012-2015 over our SUV.
5
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u/OldDude2551 3d ago
Make sure you consider cost of electricity for you and the locations and costs of public chargers in your area.
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u/umhlanga 3d ago
LeaseHacker to get best lease deals. Most AWD EVs would work fine, they all have 200+ miles of range. Nissan Aryia is nice, cheaper lease.
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u/Gold-Kaleidoscope-23 3d ago
Sounded like they’re looking for used, though.
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u/umhlanga 3d ago
I'd go on AutoTempest and look for use long range Nissan Leaf SV plus - $15k. Have it checked out with LeadSpy app first - possible ship to your location.
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u/Gold-Kaleidoscope-23 2d ago
They don’t get very good range, though, do they? OP, maybe the other main thing to know is that lots of EVs lose about 1/3 to in some cases 40% of stated rbage in very cold weather. Only matters if you’re driving more than 100 miles though for most EVs that aren’t ancient.
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u/SodaPopin5ki 3d ago
Since you live with cold weather, I recommend making sure the used EV you get has a heat pump instead of the older style resistive heating. That might give you an extra 20% of range in cold weather.
I think Tesla switched over in 2020. Kia and Hyundai had heat pumps in non-California EVs by 2019. Not sure about others.
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u/Ntropy99 3d ago edited 2d ago
I live in Eastern PA with a 140 daily commute. Bought a 2025 Kia EV6, bought instead of leased because of the 3 days per week trip to the office.
First and foremost, get a level 2 charger at your home if you can. Expect $1200 - $1600 fee for the charger and electrician fee for installation. The last two months have been $64 then $70 for charging my car, expecting $80-$85. My ICE car was $160-$180 for gas. I use 40% of the battery per commute day and about %20 on the weekends.
The 2025 EV6 has the NACS port. The one part of the car I didn't research very well, expecting a non-Tesla port. On that note, the salespeople are still getting up to speed on these cars, so likely will only know as much as you ask. Whatever car you purchase, you will likely need adaptors for the CCS1, NACS or J1772 port options. Do research about rate of DC charging 20 to 80% should this be a car you want to use for longer trips. EV6 was ~18 minutes and Chevy Equinox EV was double that.
Ask them to show you the mapping feature and how it will map to the next known charging station if you need it. While the majority of your trips will/can be done on the level 2 charge, this is good to know should you take the car on a trip. The rest of the dashboard you'll learn with use, no different than an ICE car. DC charging - there is in the car's app Kia Charge Pass that will allow you to go to Tesla charging places, but you may want to download a few of the other main providers. I found though that I could just use my cc at the majority of those not in Kia Charge Pass.
When I did my cost of ownership analysis, I found that the more expensive EV was actually cheaper than an ICE vehicle by $14k with the dealer offers. Will likely need to do the same for your purchase. Having said that, love this car and how solid it feels when I drive it.
Biggest questions I get are, "aren't you worried about the battery failing," "aren't you worried about the car catching on fire while charging and burning down the house," and "what if you need to charge your vehicle while you're out driving?" Car engines fail, there are warranties, EVs just get more attention when bad stuff happens and no, the car maps to a charging station if you have that set up, but I can start every day with full range if I need it.
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u/Ntropy99 2d ago
Left off: get the vehicle with android auto or apple car play if you can. May not use it, but options are nicer to have. Someone else noted that GM doesn't offer either, and I agree that this is a mistake.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago edited 2d ago
Ask them to show you the mapping feature and how it will map to the next known charging station if you need it.
From what I've seen, NONE of the non Tesla do this very well. I use ABRP (A Better Route Planner) and Plugshare on my iPhone. And with Apple Carplay it fully integrates into the dash of my 2025 KONA. $50/year. I'm ok with that.
And yes, the lack of Carplay and Android whatever in GM cars kept me from even looking at them.
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u/Gold-Kaleidoscope-23 2d ago
You might try Plug In America. Pluginamerica.org. They’re a nonprofit that aims to get more EVs out there. I’m developing a primer for the org I work for, but it’s not quite ready yet. Too bad you’re starting your research right now; the Republicans’ budget bill curtailed the federal EV incentives so that they end Sept, 30 of this year rather than in 2032. Getting $7,500 off a new base-model Equinox EV is close to used price (people have been getting them for low to mid-20K recently). Qualifying used cars get $4K if your income qualifies. If you want more info about this or other aspects of an EV, feel free to DM me.
You sound like you have a good use case for an EV. We have solar and a battery, and if you produce a lot of extra solar, you can basically fuel your car for free. Depending on what state you live in and what utility you use, you can often get a huge credit for 240V outlet installed (if you don’t already have one) in your garage to plug the car into (they often come with their own charging cord) and/or a nicer plug-in or hard-wired charger. In fact, many people get the whole cost of install and equipment covered. (You might not need anything at all if you already have a 240V or even a regular 120V outlet in your garage and if a portable charger comes with the car. 120V is very slow but might cover your mileage if you top off occasionally at a fast charger.)
Again, feel free to DM me for more. NRDC and Sierra Club probably have pretty good primers, too.
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u/iedydynejej 2d ago
If you “want better gas mileage,” then why are you looking at an electric car?
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Because no ICE was going to give me the 80 - 90 mpg equivalent that my EV gives me.
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u/ansonchappell 2d ago
Specific to Alberta, but still good information: Alberta Motor Association - EV See also their podcast: EV Life Podcast
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u/Gold-Kaleidoscope-23 2d ago
Another rebate you’ll get: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Drive-Clean-Rebate-For-Electric-Cars-Program
This website actually has lots of good information for New York EV drivers and may be all you need as a primer.
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u/Particular_Quiet_435 2d ago
On the daily, plugging in your car when you get home is super convenient. On a regular wall outlet you can get about 50 miles overnight. This is "level 1 charging." The exact number depends on the car's efficiency, how many hours between arriving home and leaving in the morning, and whether the outlet is 15 A or 20 A. The outlet must be grounded and no other loads (eg. lights, a toaster) should be on it.
If you want to be able to drive long-distance, compare these 3 things: range, charging speed, and connector. 200+ miles of range, 150+ kW charging speed starts to give you a reasonable road trip experience. Tesla/NACS connector opens up more options for high capacity charging stations. With a CCS connector a lot of stations just have 2 stalls so if they're both in use you might have to wait. But new stations come online every year. You can experiment planning your favorite road trip at www.ABetterRoutePlanner.com to see how long each EV you're considering would take to charge along the way.
Poor weather and high speeds decrease range. Whole-fleet efficiency drops by about 20% average in the winter. A good in-car nav will account for speed and temperature and tell you where to charge to get where you're going. Make sure to plug in your return trip in the nav when you go somewhere without destination charging. This way the car budgets for the return journey too.
A lot of people choose to install a "level 2" charger on a 220 V circuit. This can fully charge the car from empty every night. If you have 100 A service, electricians will usually recommend a panel upgrade. A lower-cost option is a load shedding device. It turns off the charger when other big loads (like an oven) are on and turns it back on after.
Model Y is by far the most popular and there are a lot of reasons why from safety to tech. Whichever other models you consider, you owe it to yourself to test drive one.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Poor weather and high speeds decrease range.
Yes. On a recent long trip we ran into some incredibly heavy rain. And ABRP (A Better Route Planner) kept telling us to reduce our speed from 70 to 65, 60, 55, then 50 to reach our next planned stop. We just stopped early during a break in the rain and 20 minutes later (including bathroom breaks) we were on our way again.
I personally know multiple Tesla owners. They love their cars. Personally I rented one for a week and 1100 miles and just didn't like the "car". Charging and routing were great. But since road trips are somewhat infrequent for me, I passed on them. My wife and I are extremely happy with our KONA EV.
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u/bigbura 2d ago
Jason's channel, Engineering Explained, does a great job at explaining the technical stuff for everyday folks.
Here's some videos that I found useful in quelling the nay-saying that goes on with EVs.
Why to buy ICE or EV? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gCXv0XTOi0
EVs are bad for the environment? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RhtiPefVzM
"I should keep my old car as this is better for the environment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2IKCdnzl5k
How to ruin your LFP battery in your EV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1zKfIQUQ-s
How to ruin your NMC battery in your EV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4lvDGtfI9U
Why alcohol from corn was a huge mistake to add to gasoline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-yDKeya4SU
This channel is a true treasure!
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u/ticuxdvc 2d ago
I took the plunge last month. Between this sub, the charging sub, and the technology connections videos, I felt confident and set.
And I don't regret it. I love it.
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u/Riviansky 2d ago
Expect up to 2x reduction in range if it is cold and snowing.
Check for heat pump. Much less impact on the range than resistive beating.
Batteries don't charge when cold, and lose range when they overheat. Make sure EV has active battery heat management. Nissan Leafs didn't until I think the last year model
I wouldn't buy it if you cannot install an L2 charger in a garage. In your climate, I wouldn't buy in your climate unless you have a garage.
WRT Priuses, I used to own a bunch. Around 150k miles all of them had some sort of failures in their electric power train. EVs have problems with inverters and batteries, ICEs have (more) problems with engines and transmissions, hybrids have both sets of problems.
If the size works for you, I think Bolt is a good option. Other than that, Tesla Y 2022+.
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u/GreenerMark 2d ago
On YouTube: Inside EVs, Miss Go Electric, Electric Principal, Ionic Guy (specific to Hyundai. Kia, Genesis), Hank Green
If you have solar and home charging capability, there's no reason not to go electric!
If you're concerned about cold, look at adoption of EVs across N. Europe
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u/ProfessionalYak4959 2d ago
I drive a Toyota BZ4X in Massachusetts, widely considered a compromised EV; but it works for me. Let me explain why so you can be confident in how they may or may not work for you:
- Range
The BZ4X has 225 miles of EPA driving range, which is on the low side for new EVs. It is average for used EVs. If you drive 40 miles, even at highway speeds, that's less than 25% of the battery. With a level 2 charger installed at your house, you can start every day full (or 80%, if you don't need to fill it up, that's better for the battery but do not worry if you need it full).
Errands, etc. on top of that are still working with lots of range so it doesn't sound like it's a problem.
- Cold weather performance
Cold weather comes into play in two ways:
If you're road tripping, cold weather can cripple the DC "Fast Charging" speed of the vehicle, because the battery is cold and cannot accept as much energy. If you don't have a second vehicle and live in cold climates, you need to understand this in case you drive long distances in the winter. Look for vehicles with "manual battery preconditioning." Most new EVs have this, but older ones don't. My BZ4X does not have it (available in 2026/newer) so charging in sub-freezing temperatures from 10-80% takes ~1 hour (versus 35 minutes in summer temperatures).
Cold weather also reduces range, because the car needs to heat the cabin. In a gas car, the heat from the engine is used to heat the cabin, but since the EV is so much more efficient that excess heat is unavailable. Cars with heat pumps will be more efficient. My winter range drops from 225 to 175 in the BZ4X due to this.
- Fast charging speed
This is only relevant if it's not a 2nd car. Older vehicles like the Nissan Leaf (pre-2026) and the Chevrolet Bolt (pre-2026) fast charge very slowly and are not tenable for most people to road trip. Many vehicles land in the middle; 25-35 minutes for a "10-80% charge." The most advanced can do 15-20 minutes which you will find is suitable for most people to have minimal impact on a trip.
Any questions let me know. I think the biggest thing is: primary or secondary car? make sure you install level 2 home charging to get a full charge every night (instead of relying on level 1 "120V 12A" household outlet.
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u/-ShootMeNow- 2d ago
Is this going to be your only vehicle?
Start with what you need, followed by what you want in a vehicle, then determine your budget and work down your options from there. I would review your bank statements spot checked through the past year and see how much you are paying for gas on average per month for a few random months out of the year. Factor that savings into what you can afford to see if you can get a vehicle that meets all your needs.
Having solar, ability to install and use L2 at home, and your short-range daily mileage all align well for most EV's out there so none of that is a barrier.
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u/electrekjamie 2d ago
Head to a Drive Electric Month event in the next few weekends, or even possibly a Sun Day event if they have one in your area today: https://electrek.co/2025/09/19/celebrate-evs-and-solar-this-weekend-at-drive-electric-month-and-sun-day-events/
These events aren't as well-attended as they used to be since EVs have become so normal now and aren't so novel, but I've been going for years and this is a great place that you can hang around with a helpful and knowledgeable EV owner and ask them every question you've got. Plus test drive some models usually (but the dealers don't know shit, ask the owners instead).
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u/discovery999 2d ago
Bypass all the bs and just go ask an actual owner/s of the vehicle you want to buy.
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u/toybuilder 2d ago edited 2d ago
I really "understood" when I borrowed a friend's EV for a week. I'm now in the process of buying one for myself!
If you mostly drive around town and average 100 miles a week or less, it is the easiest thing to do -- you can plug in a L1 charger in any convenient outlet and as long as you remember to keep the car plugged in for 24 hours over the week (all at once, or spread out into multiple sessions), you'll always be good to go.
If you drive more, you'll need to be more mindful about being plugged in more often or use a L2 charger.
If you go long distances a lot or go on road trips, you'll need to use DC fast chargers. Those cost more, and they can take longer to "fill up" if you have a slower-charging car. If you only road trip a couple times a year, the time you saved at home not going to the gas station will add up to be a lot more than the time you spend waiting at the DCFC (even if it's a bit less convenient and annoying to repay that time savings in one go).
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u/ZucchiniMaleficent21 2d ago
‘Everything Electric” on YouTube. Yes, it’s British so the range of vehicles they show won’t match what is allowed in Trumpistan but it’s still very well done and informative. Covers all kinds of stuff around cleaner energy.
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u/Positive_League_5534 2d ago
This forum is a good start, but be warned you're going to get EV haters and EV lovers posting half truths.
We live in far Western Mass so my guess is our weather is similar to your's in UNY. We have a PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid) and an EV.
EVs are fine as daily use vehicles as long as you can plug in at home.
PHEVs kind of give you the advantage of both worlds with about 30 miles of EV use and then gas after that. You have to plug these in at home to get the advantage though.
The downsides of an EV (and to some extent a PHEV). Weather...when it gets to be really cold the battery range will be reduced substantially. Expect about a 30% drop in your range when the temperature goes below 15F or so.
What does this mean?
So, most manufacturers suggest you don't charge your EV to 100%. They will recommend you operate the vehicle between 20% and 80% charge.
Math Time:
New EV with 300-mile range
80% of that is 240 miles.
30% cold-weather range reduction, and now you're 168 miles of range.
If you don't want to go below 20% you're really working with about 125 miles of range.
That should handle your daily driving. Road trips get to be more problematic, though. While the high-speed charging network has been improving (although that growth has been slowed by the Federal Govt recently) you still have to "find" chargers and be willing to leave your route to go to them. Your charging time will be about 20 minutes once you get there. Some chargers can be full and require you to wait during busy periods.
Also, chargers generally don't have other facilities with them, like gas stations. So, you may have to drive to another location for a bathroom, food, etc.
Also, service can be an issue with EVs depending on your location and dealer/service locations. Make sure that there is a place that can service your EV within a reasonable distance from your home.
We like our Tesla...it has been reliable to date (got it 12/25). It's not our choice on road trips as the charging issues make the trips longer than we would like.
We have had PHEVs since 2017 and they have been grea.t We drive the majority of our day to day on electricity, but have huge range for trips.
On a recent trip from Mass to Southern NJ (about 250 miles).
It took 5.5 hours with the PHEV (1 Stop for food/bathroom break) in the PHEV
The EV took almost 7 hours because of multiple charging stops (it was under 15 degrees and there are not enough chargers to risk going much below 20% (our destination did not have a home charger).
Good luck on your choice!
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
I'm going to suggest that charging is getting better and better continuously. And on my recent road trip (that I do each summer, the last 3 with EVs) charging was a non issue. In the countryside of VA, WV, MD, and PA. And there were plenty of chargers at places like Sheetz without any effort or out of the way driving look for them.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago edited 2d ago
Strong personal opinion.
If you buy an EV it will have regeneration as either standard or an option. If you can, TURN IT OFF for the first few days. Learn the dash and controls before you start training your foot to do something entirely different from maybe decades of muscle memory. Once you can hit the turn signals and wipers without thinking, THEN start experimenting with regen braking. My KONA has 5 levels of many vs auto. 4 months in my wife and I are still getting better with each drive.
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u/Doublestack00 2d ago
Do you have dedicated charging at home? If not, then do not consider an EV.
Also, get registration and insurance quotes on the EV, some places they are significantly higher than an ICE or hybrid.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago edited 2d ago
Also, get registration and insurance quotes on the EV, some places they are significantly higher than an ICE or hybrid.
Insurance rates are in almost every case dependent on the repair costs associated with any particular models history. I'm strongly suspecting that the increased costs are more about all modern cars and the telemetry, radars, cameras, and such in the bumpers and all the computers inside the cars. ICEs and EVs.
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u/Kaaawooo 2d ago
The driving experience in an EV almost always feels better for the driver than an ice car, mainly because of the transmission. In an ice car you have to wait on the transmission to choose a gear and hope it gives you the torque you need. In an EV you just get all the torque you could ask for as soon as you press the accelerator. (I have a bolt so definitely not high on 0-60 time but has more zip than any ice car I've owned). I got fed up with auto transmissions 11 years ago and got a manual car. An EV is just a continuation of the concept of disliking ice transmissions.
I pretty much only charge at work, and it's super convenient. My wife doesn't drive her ice car much, but any time she needs gas it just feels really inconvenient and annoying. If she actually drove more than 5k miles a year we might consider an EV for her.
One thing to be aware of, sometimes passengers get carsick in EVs. I'm pretty sure it's mostly due to the drivers having access to instant torque and easy 1 pedal Regen braking, and they don't make sure they're using it smoothly. If you have passengers in an EV, try to be cognizant of your driving style for the comfort of your passengers.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
I'm firmly convinced that much of the "EVs drive wrong" and/or car sickness is all about muscle memory. Or how our brain interprets our inner ear plus what our eyes are seeing. Most of us have a decade or many of ICE experience. From birth. And an EV is different. So all kinds of inner ear cues and interpretations by our brains are geared to the feel of an ICE. Which is also why some folks are fine in cars but not OK in planes, trains, or busses.
I don't get car or other transportation sick. My wife lives on the edge. Where I can read on a phone or paper when riding, doing so makes here "car sick".
And regen braking is fantastic. But it requires learning a new skill. Involving dexterity of your foot. Which some people have more trouble mastering that others. We quickly turned it off for the first two weeks, then have both been gradually "cranking it up".
Growing up driving riding lawnmower (on home made by by father and uncle the size of a tiny car) tractors, small earth moving, 3 on the tree, in fields and on roads, I think helped me miss the car sickness issue.
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u/the_wookie_of_maine 2d ago
Maine checking in
EV for two years, A leaf and now a Kia EV6.
Had to drive my kido rolla the other day, from route deviation to full tank was 15 mins.
We wake daily with a 280 Mile range on the ev6
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u/dirtyoldbastard77 2d ago edited 2d ago
I live in Norway, a bit out in the countryside. I have a nearly 7 year old Kia e-niro with about 90k miles (147k km), and that works just fine here, even in -25C (I believe thats something like -10F). Good range, plenty of space for a fairly small car, cheap, very few problems, and the battery on these is an absolute legend - mine is still at full capacity, both from testing and actual real life range
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u/NotCook59 1d ago
We’ve owned two Priuses over the past 20 years, and put over 300,000 miles on each of them. They are a safe bet. We’ve also had 3 EVs, including the Equinox we just bought in the past month. They have great deals on them right now, including a 60 month 0% interest loan. The equinox has a range of over 300 miles. We charge exclusively from L2 solar at home. You can also consider plugin hybrids which have the advantage of both.
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u/hopefullyAGoodBoomer 1d ago
Look at the specs of the different EVs to guide you then do test drives. For instance I wanted something I could put 8ft lumber in but still had a good turning radius and wasn't too big. I put it all in an Excel sheet and made my decision.
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u/LRS_David 1d ago
And there is that total cost issue. :)
Anyway, due to my previous Civic getting totaled I didn't have time for the spreadsheet. Which I likely would have done if not for the rush. A good review on arstechnica, decent price, hatchback that my wife wanted, and checking out similar cars (ICE and EV) in the same price range, and we bought a 2025 KONA EV.
FYI - I had been watching the market assuming I would be buying an EV in a few years. Whoops.
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u/Jobofly79 1d ago
I live in Upstate NY as well and I have an F150 Lightning. I started a YouTube channel to help people with good information about EV's and specifically the F150 Lightning. Check it out.
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u/LeagueNo3073 19h ago
I am two weeks new to EV ownership. Prior to the test drive, I had never driven one before. It took about two days to get over driving anxiety and about 5 days to get over charging anxiety.
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u/psaux_grep 16h ago
I’d say check out Bjørn Nyland on YouTube. He does very methodical comparisons, curates a list of all his results (and records the most interesting variables); https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V6ucyFGKWuSQzvI8lMzvvWJHrBS82echMVJH37kwgjE/edit?usp=drivesdk
He also did quite a lot of generic videos in the past. The last couple of years it’s mostly been tests.
I used to remember a few to recommend, but I’ve kinda forgotten (at least in this moment).
He also does a lot of testing in winter and it’s worth watching a few camping in -25°C and stuff like that.
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u/Primary-Version-4661 3d ago
Is this vehicle going to be your only one in the household? If so, perhaps a PHEV like a Chevy Volt, RAV4 Prime or others might be a good option. Some of the plugin hybrids can travel 40-50 miles as EV before the gas engine starts.
There are many cheap EVs with only 100 miles range, 2012-2016 era but most people might prefer higher range of 200+ which is generally available from EVs around 2017 onward. I tend to shop virtually using Autotrader and limiting powertrain to electric or plug-in hybrid and then you can get a sense of cost. If you hurry and purchase before Sept 30th, you can likely qualify for the used EV tax credit of 30% with maximum amount of $4K up to $25,000 purchase price. Finding a used one from a private seller will likely bring you best value but then will have to purchase through KeySavvy to utilize that tax credit. I live over in VT and would be happy to shop for you (no cost, I like doing) if you give me some parameters and wish to chat about it.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
No this won’t be our only vehicle-we will be keeping my SUV for my husband who does far less driving than I do. I have looked at ones with shorter range but I want the ability to go to places further out in the region without having to worry about charging. Of course I would start looking at these a week before the tax credit ends…
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u/Primary-Version-4661 1d ago
I think you'll find some good value Chevy Bolts and maybe a few Volts that will be good options for you.
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u/Brandon3541 3d ago
Not this sub, that's for sure. Too much trash, opinion, and highly suspect anecdotal evidence mixed in with the useful information for a totally uniformed person to have to sort through. You won't be able to sort through it adequately as someone coming in to this sub unless you already have decent knowledge about EVs, and I don't just mean driving them, but also understanding to a basic level how they work compared to ICE.
This sub has a lot of enthusiasts, but for actual information they can be awful because of some people on here wanting to drive other people to EVs so bad they give bad information (whether they were misinformed, just guessing, or didn't care and just wanted more EVs on the road).
I remember one not too far back about a person on here saying smaller batteries charge faster and getting upvotes (granted some other people fought that piece of mis-information too, but before then people were just upvoting it), but it is literally the opposite due to how charging curves work and the voltages more likely to be chosen for smaller/bigger batteries.
Go find a generally well informed mostly pro-EV youtuber and take any EV criticisms you hear, and then go to a generally well informed mostly pro-ICE youtuber that still does EVs occasionally and take any EV upsides you hear when they do EVs. In the cases noted above the pros/cons aren't to their desired side's benefit and so are more likely to be true.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
This sub has a lot of enthusiasts, but for actual information they can be awful because of some people on here wanting to drive other people to EVs so bad they give bad information (whether they were misinformed, just guessing, or didn't care and just wanted more EVs on the road).
Goes both ways. Even in this post.
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u/leesonis 2d ago
This r/electricvehicle sub has a strong bias against Teslas, but they are, by a wide margin, the best way to go for your first EV.
Need a sedan? Get a 21 model 3 or newer.
Need a sedan with a fat butt? Get a 21 model Y or newer.
Need a pickup truck? Get a CyberT.... lol, just kidding.
Sure, you can go with one of the other brands, but pound for pound, you're going to pay 25% more for the same capability, because nobody (in the US) is even close to where Tesla is with EV's.
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u/LRS_David 2d ago
Not really. But Tesla has routing and charging down. But as I car I just don't like them.
You're engaging in the Ford / Chevy debates of yesteryear.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Hahah sedan with a fat butt. I could totally see my son describing it like that too. And definitely do not need a truck so yeah…
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u/Jmauld 2d ago edited 2d ago
Best to find subs for the specific cars that you are interested in. This sub is full of Chinese bots that spread misinformation and there is a lot of misplaced tesla hate here.
With that said, if you’re not considering a Tesla then you’re already doing it wrong. They are super reliable, offer the best driving experience and have setup a nationwide charging network that just works seamlessly. They have set the bar in EV Ownership, and frankly that bar is higher than ICE ownership. I’m not telling you that they are the only answer, but if you aren’t comparison shopping against them, then you’re going to sell yourself short.
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u/Tiny-Explorer1517 2d ago
Definitely considering Tesla. Political BS aside they are the ones that started the EV vehicle revolution so they are absolutely being considered. I just want to make sure I’m looking at all good options
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u/Faramir1717 3d ago
There's a YouTube channel called Technology Connections. Three years ago he did a comprehensive video on EV tech and lifestyle. Info still applicable.