Learn More About EV

An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle propelled by electric motors with energy coming from rechargeable batteries. EV’s have multiple forms ranging from fully electric to combinations of electricity and traditional internal combustion engines (ICE). West Herr is here to help you find out if owning an EV is right for you.

General Maintenance

EVs have significantly fewer moving parts meaning there is less general maintenance that has to be performed regularly. Regenerative braking also reduces the amount of wear on brakes significantly. Tires are the largest wear component on EVs due to their increased weight over ICE cars. Electric motors also produce max torque at 0 RPM putting more stress on the tires and increasing wear.

Charging

Level 1
These chargers use a standard household outlet and charge about 2-5 miles of range per hour, making Level 1 a viable option for plugin hybrid vehicles to charge overnight.

Level 2
These chargers can be installed at your home by a professional electrician and charge about 10-20 miles of range per hour. A good choice for any EV when charging overnight or all day is possible.

Level 3
Known as fast chargers, these are the most time-efficient and can be found at commercial locations. They utilize both AC and DC electric currents to charge batteries quicker. Level 3 chargers have a wide range of capabilities in terms of charging speed, but the average one will add 100 miles an hour.

Home Charging Installation

While electric cars come with Level 1 chargers, they should only be used in emergency situations as the rate of charge is so slow. EV owners should seriously consider installing a level 2 wall box in their garage or near their driveway. These are still relatively simple to install as it’s the same connection a household dryer runs off. Wall boxes range from $300-$1000, excluding installation. Installation costs vary based on each scenario. Customers should consult with their electricians to understand the work required (and cost) to have a level 2 charger installed. Customers can also contact their dealership parts department for OEM-supplied options.

Range

While electric motors are more efficient than internal combustion engines, batteries do not have anywhere near the energy density of gasoline. One gallon of gasoline is equivalent to 33.7kWh. Despite the energy efficiency of an electric motor, the auxiliary systems our cars use (A/C, lights, infotainment) all run off the same battery powering the motors. Since batteries cannot hold anywhere near the amount of energy as gasoline, the draw from these auxiliary systems is a larger share of energy stored in an EV than in an ICE.

Brake energy Regeneration

Regenerative braking uses the electric motors in reverse to slow the vehicle and put energy back into the battery versus using the friction brakes which just translate energy to heat.

EV Efficiency

MPG-e is the EPA’s standardized metric for energy consumption found on alternative fuel vehicles. It represents the number of miles the vehicle can go using a quantity of fuel with the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline. One gallon of gas is equal to 33.7 kWh, so a vehicle getting 100 MPG-e would use 33.7 kWh (effectively one gallon of gas) to travel 100 miles. kWh Per 100 Miles is the EPA’s metric for the consumption of electric cars. The most efficient electric vehicle for sale achieves 25 kWh per 100 miles, meaning if it had a 100-kWh battery, it would travel 400 miles on a charge.