We’ve found most electric cars deliver instant power from a stop, and they are both smooth and quiet when underway. The driving experience is quite different from a traditional gasoline-fueled car, as EVs feel like they glide effortlessly.
Most electric vehicles we’ve tested ride comfortably. Despite their heavy batteries, they typically handle well because that battery has been placed low in the vehicle, plus they lack a heavy engine above the front axle.
Most all-electric cars can now go more than 200 miles on a full charge—much less than the typical 350-400 mile range for gasoline cars. We found that the EPA rated range is quite accurate for EVs, however, hilly terrain and running the air conditioning in hotter weather can also exact a toll. And driving in cold weather will shorten the range noticeably, due to the power required to heat the cabin.
Driving an EV requires planning. But plug-in hybrids have a combined gasoline and electric range of 400 to 550 miles, and if you plan it right, you may never have to go to a gas station, except for long trips.
Below are 10 example EVs, with their EPA-rated range. For plug-in hybrids, a total range that combines electric and gasoline power is shown in parentheses.
Charge times vary greatly, depending on the size of the battery, how fast the car is able to take the charge, and the amperage of the circuit. For most EV owners, charging overnight at home is the cheapest and most convenient option. Unless you are pushing the range limit on a daily basis, you won’t have to fill it up from empty all the way to full very often.
On a typical 240-volt, 30-amp (Level 2) charger, it takes between 9 and 13 hours to fully charge an EV that can go more than 200 miles. Plug-in hybrids, with their smaller batteries, take significantly less time to recharge. For instance, it takes about 2 hours to replenish the Toyota Prius Prime.Expect about triple those times when charging from a standard 110-volt (Level 1) household outlet. Put another way, on a standard household outlet, expect to get about four miles of driving for every hour of charging.
A wider variety of 240-volt chargers are coming on the market that charge at different speeds, with charge times that vary depending on the car and charger. Some systems, such as Tesla’s High Power Wall Connector home charger, replenish the battery much quicker with Teslas equipped for high-rate charging.
Publicly accessible DC fast chargers are spreading throughout the country. These can replenish up to 50 percent of the battery’s range in 30 to 45 minutes. Tesla’s superchargers are even quicker, with the speed varying by model. The most common V2 superchargers can restore 50 of the battery capacity in 30 minutes for the Long Range versions of the Model 3, S, and X.
Electric cars achieve the biggest benefits and cost savings when they’re charged overnight at home when electric rates may be lowest. As another benefit, most electric-car drivers say they find it much more convenient to just plug in at home than to have to stop at gas stations.
It’s possible to charge a plug-in hybrid overnight, even on a standard 110-volt household outlet.“Most PHEV owners will not need a Level 2 charger,” advises Gil Tal, director of The Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California, Davis. “The Level 1 charger that is provided with the car can charge the battery back to 100 percent overnight.” Tal adds that Level 1 may be sufficient for many electric car owners, as well, if they do not drive more than 40-50 miles per day.
It’s worth investing in a wall-mounted charger if you need juice quicker than 110-volts can provide and you don’t have convenient access to a public or workplace charger. Wall units are available online through Amazon, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sam’s Club, among others. The cost is typically $500 to $700.