Electric Vehicles
If you look around, you will probably notice that there are already electric vehicles, or EVs, all around you. In Tompkins County, our TCAT bus fleet has a number of electric buses that comfortably make the rounds, getting people to where they need to be. Tompkins County Health Department’s fleet has transitioned to EVs. And, Ithaca CarShare has a bunch of new EVs in their fleet—and that’s just to name a few examples.
And as time goes on, it will quickly get easier to spot EVs, since it’s expected that one-third of new cars sold, globally, will be electric by 2030.
You could play "I Spy" with friends and family, observing how many people in your town drive all-electric EVs. Remember, EV’s are not a specific brand, so you will see all kinds of electric vehicles including Ford, Kia, Chevy, Tesla, GM, and so many more. The term EV refers to all makes and models of plug-in electric vehicles: full battery or hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles, eBikes, etc.
If you need a hint in identifying them, just remember that all-electric EVs have no air intake grill because there’s no combustion engine, so they tend to have sleeker-looking fronts. Because they don't have to burn fuel and create air pollution, they also don’t have tail pipes. Their futuristic look comes with additional, practical benefits of not requiring maintenance for the exhaust system, muffler, or timing belt. And since there’s no gas engine, oil changes are a thing of the past for EV drivers.
Categories of Electric Vehicles
There are a couple basic categories of plug-in Electric Vehicles:
Plug-in Hybrids (PHEV) have both an electric motor and a backup gas engine. Energy is first drawn from the battery, and this means that on short trips, no gas gets used, and no emissions are produced. Plug-in hybrids save a lot on fuel, but their maintenance costs do not drop as significantly as the fully electric BEVs.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) are all-electric. They have no backup gasoline engine, use no gas, and have no exhaust pipe. BEVs run off a large, powerful, rechargeable battery pack, and can accelerate very fast! BEVs are MUCH simpler to repair. On average, it costs more to purchase a BEV. But after purchase, the savings kick in. On average, BEVs cost 60% less to fuel and 50% less to maintain than comparable gasoline vehicles.
Hybrids (HEV) run off a gas engine and are also battery powered, but are not true EVs because you cannot recharge their batteries by plugging them in. We mention them here because they get better mileage than most gas cars due to their efficient design and an additional battery pack that re-charges using generative braking (described further down).
The best way to understand the differences is to test drive an EV (either a BEV or PHEV), new or used at a dealership. No special skills are required to drive an EV. They are safe, easy to drive, smooth, quiet, and accelerate fast on demand!
Battery Range
How far can you go, and how do you find chargers for you EV?
On average, US drivers travel fewer than 40 miles a day. The battery range—or the number of miles that an EV can go before needing a charge—has increased rapidly in the past few years. Relatively-recently used EV models commonly get 250+ or more miles per charge. And when it comes to charging up, the federal government is currently enhancing a massive network of fast EV chargers alongside our nation’s gasoline pumps.
There are also user-friendly apps and sites like PlugShare that make it easier to locate charging stations near you. These apps often show real-time updates on availability at the plug. PlugShare is maintained by a vast network of active EV drivers who use their phones to comment in real time on each charging station 's condition and availability.
Additional Savings and Benefits
When the price of gas skyrockets, drivers of electric vehicles barely notice.
Compared with gasoline, having a vehicle powered by electricity (eg. directly from your home) is much cheaper. On average, EV drivers save 60% on “fuel” (charging their electric batteries), compared with the cost of fueling with gasoline or diesel.
"Electricity prices tend to be stable over time, because rates are regulated by each state’s public utilities commission," according to Yale Climate Connections. “By contrast, the price of oil fluctuates rapidly, driven by global pricing, geopolitics, refining capacity, and other market forces. As a result, drivers are subjected to largely uncontrollable swings in the cost of gasoline and diesel.”
Additionally, EV's recharge their lithium ion batteries in two ways. They can recharge by plugging into any electric grid, and and all EVs also use “regenerative braking”. This means that each time the brakes get applied, kinetic energy from the spinning wheels gets converted back into electrical energy,and stored in the battery. An additional benefit of this system is that EV brake components don’t need to be replaced nearly as often as conventional brakes.
All-electric EVs do not have an engine that burns any kind of fuel. They have an electric motor connected to a large battery, which requires a fraction of the moving parts necessary for gasoline burning engines. Fully electric EVs cost 50% less to maintain for this reason!
EVs are also great fun to drive—they actually have the fastest acceleration of any cars ever built. On safety, their heavy battery packs make them steady under slippery conditions. EV drivers are often passionate about their cars and online communities are known for helping one another troubleshoot.
Types of EV Chargers
There are three types of EV chargers, which charge vehicles at different rates and range in up-front installation costs.
Level 1 Chargers
Level 1 chargers can take all night, or longer, to fully charge an EV. These chargers come with the EV (they look like glorified extension cords) and can plug right into a regular 120V outlet. 80% of EV owners plug into their Level 1 at home, either to "trickle charge” (add a few miles of range) or to refuel overnight while they sleep.
Level 2 Chargers
Level 2 chargers provide a full charge in 4-7 hours and can be used by all EVs (both BEVs and PHEVs). These chargers are frequently installed in private homes, but require a 240V outlet (like those used for a clothes dryer) and must be installed by a licensed electrician to determine safe electricity loads and best placement. Level 2 chargers (either networked or not) are most common for public charging. They have popped up at Tompkins County dealerships, area malls, the TC Health Department, Cayuga Medical Center, municipal town halls, police stations, Dryden High School, Cornell Cooperative Extension, etc. For home installations of Level 2 chargers, there's a federal tax rebate that offers 30% of the charger value up to $1,000
Level 3 Chargers
Level 3 Chargers or "DC Fast Chargers” can fully charge an EV in about 20 - 60 mins. They work for most BEVs (all-electric EVs), but cannot be used to charge PHEVs (plug-in hybrids).
NY STATE INCENTIVES: NYS is currently extending its EV charging network by installing hundreds of Level 3 chargers for long distance driving (at highway rest stops, convenience stores, etc. across the state). Frequent use of DC fast charging can negatively impact battery performance and durability, and manufacturers recommend using them somewhat sparingly. Tesla Level 3 "Superchargers" have a different adaptor than the rest of the all-electric brands. In 2022, the company committed to opening their Level 3 chargers to other interested companies, meaning that soon, non-Tesla EVs will be able to use the Tesla app to charge (for example, to charge outside Trader Joe’s in Ithaca). Level 3 chargers may be harder to find in less-traveled areas.
Purchasing an Electric Vehicle
The prices of all cars soared due to supply chain shortages resulting from the pandemic. By the second half of 2022, gas and electric cars alike started coming back down in price. Federal, NY State, and dealership incentives have now put EVs at about the same affordability level as comparable gas cars.
Because EVs are in demand, they can be difficult to find locally, so it's worth searching further afield (eg. Syracuse, Rochester, etc.) to locate the specific EV model that you want.
State and Federal EV Incentives Explained
In an effort to reduce gasoline and diesel emissions that disrupt our climate, NY State and the US government offer tax incentives for individuals to purchase both new and used EVs, plus incentives to purchase EV chargers for residences and businesses. 2023 federal tax credits now support used electric vehicle purchases under $25,000.
New York State residents can apply for a $2,000 Drive Clean Rebate to purchase or lease a new EV. Combine this with the Federal Tax Credit of up to $7,500 to generate substantial savings! (Note that the federal credit only reimburses the amount you paid in taxes).
If you are considering buying a used EV now, you may be eligible for the federal Used Clean Vehicle Credit, which applies to used EVs purchased in 2023 from a licensed dealer for $25,000 or less. The credit reimburses 30% percent of the sale price up to a maximum of $4,000.
A note on resale value: currently, EVs are holding their re-sale value so even the most affordable used EVs rarely sell for less than $15,000, which means that purchase price is still a consideration for those of us with low or moderate incomes.
Environmental and Equity Concerns
Although electric vehicles are a good solution to reducing carbon emissions related to transportation, the production of EVs poses some challenges. "A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car," according to a report from the International Energy Agency. Mining and processing raw materials to produce EVs must be carefully coordinated on the international stage to avoid diving back into destructive resource extraction practices.
Lithium-ion batteries—which are very different from conventional car batteries—are the most expensive part of an EV. Data now show that EV batteries commonly outlast the lifetime of the EV. The federal government is aware of this and as a result, each EV battery now holds a mandatory warranty that extends for 8 years or 100,000 miles (or in some states like California, for 10 years or 150,000 miles) illustrating its confidence in EV battery performance.
Recent research has found that "[r]ecycling spent lithium-ion batteries plays a significant role in alleviating the shortage of raw materials and environmental problems... The recycled material outperforms commercially available equivalents.
Overall, switching from fossil fuel vehicles to EVs will help us re-stabilize the climate. Our Upstate NY electric power grid happens to be the cleanest in the country! This means that whenever you plug in, your car is fueled mostly by clean renewable energy (hydroelectric power, wind, and solar, etc.) and you will leave practically no carbon trace.
Reducing Ithaca's Carbon Emissions
In 2019, the City of Ithaca unanimously voted to purchase 100% electricity for government operations from renewable sources by 2025, and to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. The City’s vehicle fleet will continue to phase out conventional cars and switch over to EVs to help achieve this broader goal.
We have come a long way, but there is still much to be done! Ithaca and surrounding towns need the full complement of EV charging stations, and to support job development (eg. training EV car mechanics and EV charging station servicers) and to improve incentives for low and middle income EV buyers. If you are inspired to combat climate change, contact us!
CCE Tompkins and transportation partners—including TCAT, Ithaca BikeShare, Ithaca City School District—periodically offer events encouraging people to learn more ways to move around Tompkins County at low cost to their wallets and to the environment. For more info on EVs and how you can participate in this movement, see ccetompkins.org/environment/electric-vehicles
Holly Payne works for Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Way2Go and Electric Vehicle programs. For more info about EVs, please contact Holly at hp67@cornell.edu