My EV Story
Almost three years ago I purchased my first Electric Vehicle. I have documented my experience through several articles.
What follows is that journey.
Part 1 - The Roar of the Engines, NOT! My EV Story
July, 14, 2021
As I scrolled through the channels, I stopped on what I thought was a Formula One car race. Being a fan of motor sports, it caught my attention and I started to watch the race. But as I watched these super-fast cars screaming through the New York City streets something seemed a bit off to me. The roar of the engines was not that of a high horse powered gas engine. And come to realize it wasn’t, as these were not your typical Formula Race Cars, rather these were ABB Formula E. These cars are powered by pure electricity and are helping to pave the way for the cars of tomorrow.
And that sound, well a programmed race sound. You see or rather you do not hear electric cars and to emulate a true race feel the makers of these cars have programmed the sounds emitted during the race. There is now even a debate amongst the many fans as to which cars have a better sound. You’ll have to watch a race and take a listen for yourself to decide.
But I found it absolutely fascinating to watch, and the entire event was completely carbon free. In September 2020, the ABB FIA Formula E became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint.
Some may say, “big deal it is just a car race.” But the technology and innovation that will drive these teams to build a winning car will also translate to technology and innovation for the everyday electric vehicle. From cleaner longer lasting batteries to improved materials and manufacturing. Formula E actively promotes electric mobility and renewable energy solutions to contribute to reducing air pollution and fighting against climate change around the world.
Formula E’s founding mission is racing through the streets of the most iconic cities in the world to show just what sustainable mobility is capable of, driving electric vehicles (EV) in the race for a better, cleaner future.
But how and when will EV truly become mainstream. Gas is still king in the transportation market and will continue to be until alternatives become more accessible to the mainstream. This not only means more cost effective for the budget conscious, but EV needs to be easy. Gas stations are on every corner for a reason, to provide the fuel capacity for the over 1.3 billion cars in the world. The petroleum infrastructure is a well “Oiled” machine.
Forget the EV cost of ownership for now, just operating an EV in some areas can be work. If owning an EV causes range anxiety, that is requiring you to plan trips around battery range and charging locations then people are less likely to make the leap. This coupled with the long charging times, you just can’t pull into a station, pump in a couple gallons and be on your way in a few minutes. For a full EV charge you literally can go eat lunch and come back and the charge still may not be complete. And that is on a high capacity L3 charging station. If it is anything less, you may as well take a siesta. All this requires effort and can add anxiety to trips. The charging infrastructure is not ready for general use and must get easier if we ever expect EV’s to penetrate mainstream acceptance.
Price is one area that will change EV acceptance even faster. I have struggled with committing to going electric for a vehicle. First of all, there is typically a premium cost to purchasing an EV. And when you are on a fixed budget having to watch every penny, an EV may not be cost effective when compared to the purchase of a gas vehicle. At this point you will most certainly always be able to find a gas alternative that is cheaper than going electric. I don’t care how long you can wait for a pay back.
All this makes for a difficult decision, do you make a sacrifice of spending more coupled with some potential inconvenience for the sake of going to an EV option? Do I take a financial hit to save the planet, or do I purchase a gas vehicle and save money and contribute to my financial security?
Well, I will let you know how it goes. Even after doing the math and comparing many options of vehicles I made the decision to go EV. I realize financially it is not the best option for me, but I am diving in, hoping in a little way this may help the planet. But to be clear, I have not given up entirely on gas-based vehicles. At this point, if I do any sort of cross-country trekking with the family, it will be in my trusty gas guzzler and will be such until I don’t have to plan a constant stopping, stress creating, zig zag journey to my desired destination.
But for local use and some quick out and back trips of shorter range I am really excited about plugging in and tuning out! Now if I can get Volkswagen to create some really cool roaring engine sounds for my new ID.4, it would make my road trips even better.
For the Good
Michael Nichols
Part 2 - EV Charging, Easter Eggs and Range Anxiety
November 2, 2021
Do you like a good Easter egg hunt?
If so, then driving an electric vehicle (EV) today is right up your alley. I’ll tell you why in a minute.
I bought my first EV a little over two months ago. I did a lot of research and did not make the decision lightly. I thought I knew what I was getting into…
A quick internet search for “Problems with an Electric Vehicle” will come back with more results than you care to read. In my experience, there are still hurdles to owning an EV. But time will certainly help resolve many of them.
At this point I still consider myself EV Green and I’m learning more as I whirl down the road.
As I document my EV journey, I will share my perspective of both the good and the bad of being an EV owner. Let’s start with that Easter egg hunt. I mean that elusive search for a charging station and the relief when you find one just in the nick of charging time.
Range anxiety is real.
It’s a completely new sensation for me, coming from driving with combustion engines. I had to reprogram the way I think about refueling.
Gas stations are well established. They had over a century to get where they are today. You can find one on practically every corner around the globe. And the operations don’t change much from town to town or country to country.
Not only are they on every corner, but they are also highly visible. Driving down the interstate, you see them clearly at every exit.
Today, we rarely worry about where we’ll find our next gas stop.
It’s not the same for EV charging stations. But it is not as bad as I expected. While charging stations aren’t as common as gas stations (not even close!) they are around. And this is where thinking differently comes in.
When I bought my EV, it came with a 110-volt level 1 charging cord. That’s the first big difference. Not all EV charging stations charge at the same rate.
At first, I thought I could get away with using the level 1 as a sort of trickle charge. If I could just leave the car plugged in, then there was no need to install a 240V level 2 charger in my garage.
After all, I do mostly local driving.
Well, that was a short-lived idea. With my level 1, a full charge was taking over 80 hours – that’s half a week! A half-week of just sitting at home waiting for the batteries to fill.
Basically, the 110V level 1 charging cord was useless for me.
The next step was to install a 240V level 2 charger in the garage. Fortunately, I was able to take advantage of a $1200 rebate, so it cost me nothing to add.
Regardless, if you want an EV, I say plan on the cost of getting a level 2 charging station. I can plug in and charge in a matter of hours, now, not days. And I can schedule the charge cycle to take advantage of lower power costs during off-peak hours.
Ok, back to the Easter egg hunt… the level 2 charger in my garage is the first egg into the basket. For my typical driving habits, that’s all I need.
Longer trips, though, can trigger your range anxiety. This is where thinking differently really matters. I plan trips around battery range and charging locations. This, coupled with the long charging times, make driving with an EV completely different than a gas-powered car. You just can’t pull off the highway into a station, pump in a couple gallons, and be on your way in a few minutes.
For a full EV charge, even on a level 3 station, you can literally go eat lunch. When you come back, the charge still may not be complete. And if it is anything less than a Level 3, you may as well take a siesta.
All this requires effort and adds anxiety to trips.
To make this more challenging, EV chargers aren’t always bold and conspicuous. You never see a billboard saying: “Big bank of EV chargers at the next exit.” (At least, not yet.)
The good news is that there’s an APP for that! Yes, everything about EVs is about technology – even down to planning your trips and finding charging stations. For longer trips, I simply open an app and plan my trip. I can see charger locations along the route by provider, level, and even whether they are currently in use.
So, my Easter egg hunt is more of a high-tech guided tour. The app makes it super easy to find charging locations. I even found a free level 2 charger near my home and close to some local businesses. I can go have lunch, do some shopping, and visit the library all while getting a free charge.
One thing I found is that charging stations often hide in plain sight. Hopefully this will change with time as they become more mainstream – because we need more.
The numbers increase daily. The Build Back Better infrastructure bill currently under review by Congress sets up an EV Working Group and has $5 billion dollars slated for EV improvements.
The good news is it will not take 100 years to see change. EV infrastructure will come fast. Before you know it, the fun of a good EV charger Easter egg hunt will be gone. They will be accessible, visible, and readily available.
For the Good
Michael Nichols
Part 3 - Home on the Range
August 9, 2022
In the third installment of my life as a new electric vehicle (EV) owner, I want to bring you my personal experience with range.
Not the song “Home on the Range” – how far from home I can get.
When I was considering my leap into the EV world, one of the things people brought up as a concern was the lack of range.
When I drove off the showroom floor with my brand-new Volkswagen ID.4, I was told that my range for 80% charge would be 250 miles.
I did say 80% charge. And that’s another concern: Apparently, charging the vehicle to 100% capacity should only be done in a pinch.
So, for now, we go with 80% and 250 miles. This seemed reasonable to me, as most of my driving is local.
Sure, that won’t get me to Orlando and back without stopping. At least there are charging stations along that route.
Fast-forward to today, and after driving the vehicle for almost a year, I’ll say, yes, 250 miles is possible.
Is 250 likely? Well, that’s a no. What I’m getting out of the ID.4 on a regular basis is approximately 225 miles.
You may say, “Big deal. It’s only 25 miles.”
But when you consider the anxiety factor of getting stranded, it is a big deal.
I discussed this issue with the dealership, and I got the answer I expected: “Actual results may vary.”
I’m pretty sure they assume I have awful driving habits, a lead foot, I’m cranking the air conditioner on full penguin mode, and drag racing starts at the stop sign.
But I’m more like a grandma driving to church. So why is my experience so far off from what Volkswagen claims?
Well, I would gather that it leans way more to the high end of the range possibility when stating the performance.
Is Volkswagen misleading in its claim? Maybe not legally, as I can get 250 miles out of the car.
But that means I would have to take great care in how I operate it.
Maybe never exceed 40 mph, don’t use the air conditioner, and never turn on the radio or headlights.
On one particular trip, I really wished I had that extra 25 miles.
I had to make a quick trip to the city. And when I got in the car, I noticed the remaining range was 80 miles.
I had no time to charge, and my expected round trip was around 60 miles. I figured I would go for it.
Now, keep in mind the route to my destination and back had no chargers (another issue I write about here).
So, either I make it or not.
Well, on the way home I was in full conservation mode: no air conditioning and driving like a snail, with one eye on the range meter and one on the road.
The whole time I was thinking I should already have the answer to, “What does an EV driver do if they actually get stranded?”
I did make it. But I also quickly researched what to do if you get stranded in an EV.
Unfortunately, there’s no good answer.
You can’t hike down the road to a nearby station to fill a can full of electricity.
It really comes down to a call to roadside assistance.
They’ll most likely tow you to a charging station. But many now have portable charging capability.
My best advice is to listen to the technology in EV cars. It will ensure you don’t get stranded.
There are always ample warnings, as well as guidance to the closest charging stations.
If you obey these warnings and directions, the likelihood of getting stranded should be low.
I can’t personally account for the range of other EVs. But if you look at some independent testing, the results can vary.
So if you’re looking to get an EV and range is a big factor, then do the research, and don’t take the dealer’s word.
Additionally, here are a few tips to help maximize the range of your EV for your next trip.
You’ll find many of these recommendations are the same for gas cars, so they’ll already be familiar.
For the Good
Michael Nichols
Part 4 - A Day in the Life of an EV Driver
November, 30 2022
It has been over a year and a half since I jumped into the electric vehicle (EV) world
I’ve written about my decision to purchase an EV, my experience with range anxiety, and what I called the Easter egg hunt of finding charging stations for The Grove.
For this installment of my series on life as a new EV owner, I want to share with you the current state of long-distance charging stations.
First off, whenever I’m buzzing around my hometown, I always have the comfort of knowing my home charging station is close by.
This all changes when travel takes you beyond the reach of your home power cord.
When traveling long distances in an EV, you must think differently.
How far is it to your destination? How many times do you need to stop to charge? Where are the charging stations?
All this takes effort, and travel planning is essential.
Early on in my EV ownership, I found that most charging stations were lightly used, and often I was the only car hooking up.
But now, only a year and a half later, it’s a very different scene.
Rarely do I pull up and there isn’t some jockeying to get to the next available charger.
Before I dive into the dirty details of this trip, let me caveat that my experience is solely with Electrify America charging stations. It’s not that I can’t use others. But, hey, I’ve got three years of free charging on this network through my charging plan, and I’m taking full advantage of “free”!
On the Road Again
The first charging station wasn’t bad. This station has eight charging ports.
Right away, one charger is down and out – there’s a repair technician standing next to it up to his elbows in wires.
Four others are in use – the owners are probably roaming the aisles of the nearby Walmart. That left three open – great, no waiting.
So, I back into a stall, belly up to the charger, plug her in, and… nothing.
Yep, not connecting
The way it’s supposed to work – and has every other time I’ve charged – is the charger recognizes my vehicle and charging plan, and it starts charging. In this case, nothing.
It doesn’t go much better at a different charger. The charger is connecting. But now it does not recognize my vehicle or plan and is asking for a credit card or to login.
At this point a little panic set in… But I stay calm. I can conquer this glitch.
From the Electrify America app, I can select the charger, as opposed to the charger selecting me. So, I go to the charging station in the app and select to charge on No. 5.
Charging station No. 5 lights up, and – bingo! I’m off and charging. But dang… It should work the way it’s supposed to without me having to solve a problem.
OK, as some country star sang, I’m on the road again.
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Eventually, I pull into the next station on my trip for a charge. Now, this station only has four chargers. Of the four, only two are working. And I can’t help noticing that a little old lady at one of the working chargers is on her phone and seems flustered.
I step over to see what’s going on and quickly realize this poor lady is having an awful time trying to get the charger to work.
She tells me this is the first time she has ever been at a public charging station.
Her husband had purchased the EV several months ago, and they always charged at the house.
Sadly, her husband recently passed away, and she’s trying to drive to South Florida. It isn’t going well, and she’s upset.
At this point, I try to help. She already has Electrify America support on the phone, and they’re trying to walk her through the process.
The thing is, she has the exact same car as me, and the exact same free Electrify America plan.
She should be able to pull up, plug in, and charge. The technology is failing her.
Long story short, we’re able to get this sweet little old lady on her way to South Florida.
But the damage had been done at this stop. Between the two broken chargers and having to take a lot of time getting this car on its way, cars were backed up around the corner waiting for a charge.
Three Problems Holding Back EV Adoption
It’s experiences like this that will leave the average person running to the fossil fuel hills.
What led to this day’s charging debacles? I spent years running business transformation teams, and I think it’s a culmination of several things.
1. The technology needs to be user friendly
It’s a big problem if charging is this complicated.
When designing for usability, I often told my consultants that my grandmother has to be able to use it.
Well, Electrify America failed with that when the sweet little old lady tried to drive to South Florida.
2. Chargers need to be reliable.
It’s unacceptable to pull up to these stations and see half the chargers inoperable. And I fear things may get worse before they get better.
If Electrify America (or any other EV charging company) continues to build out infrastructure but not take into consideration operation and maintenance, then there will be big problems.
(I spoke with one gentleman at the station, and he told me that the chargers had been down for days. That’s unacceptable.)
Chargers need to be able to take the beatings of commercial use. There needs to be ample field support to ensure service is restored.
3. These things just need to work.
You shouldn’t need an engineering degree to charge your car.
All that said, I still love my EV. And I realize with any new technology there will be issues.
But really, at what point do we stop calling EVs new technology and consider them mainstream? Hopefully, my experience on this trip doesn’t become the norm… or else mainstream is a long way off.
For the Good,
Mike Nichols
Part 5 - From NASCAR to E-CAR
July 5, 2023
I grew up just down the road from Daytona Florida.
That means I was raised on NASCAR. It was an annual ritual to go watch the Daytona 500.
I still remember the awestruck feeling, the first time I walked through the tunnel up to the race wall. The cars roared past at 200 miles per hour. They were so close to one another, it was door handle to door handle.
The force of wind from the cars pushed me back a step. They seemed to make endless left turns to the finish line.
The Daytona 500 is the ultimate display of fossil fuel power. With up to 750 horsepower engines that get a whopping 2 to 5 miles per gallon as they scream past the crowd. This adds up to some serious carbon impact.
A single NASCAR race has 40 cars that run for 500 miles. Using a conservative 5 miles per gallon of gas, that’s about 6,000 gallons burnt per car per race. Each gallon burned releases around 20 pounds of CO2, so that’s about 120,000 pounds of CO2 for a race. Multiply that by roughly 35 races per year, and NASCAR’s annual carbon footprint is about 4.2 million pounds.
Enter the world’s first net-zero carbon sport.
Race fans packed the streets of Portland as they watched a Formula car race speed through its streets. This Formula event was not your typical car race. It was part of the Formula E race circuit, the world’s first net-zero carbon racing circuit.
Instead of gasoline, the cars are electric. They go just as fast but are much greener. The goal of Formula E is to accelerate change towards an electric future, one race and one city at a time.
The important part is that the race pushes the development of new technologies. As the teams compete for the top spot, they innovate, and that’s good for the industry. The technology you see in these cars today will be used in the cars sitting on the showroom floor tomorrow.
With each season, the cars are becoming more efficient and faster thanks to new advancements in materials, motor, and battery technology.
If you think this Formula E is just a gimmick look again. With companies like Nissan, McClaren, NIO, Maserati and Jaguar leading the charge in these races good things are sure to come.
James Barclay of Jaguar sees it as key,
“Motorsport has always been at the forefront of technology and at Jaguar, we use Formula E as a real- world test bed. Together the team test, develop, learn and collaborate, sharing insights across Jaguar Land Rover which will benefit future road car development. These learnings are key as Jaguar is reimagined as a pure electric luxury brand from 2025.”
Has change come fast enough to make a difference today?
I bought my first Electric Vehicle two years ago. Over that period, I watched the landscape change dramatically. The largest change came in the number of cars being offered to the market. Every carmaker has one, two, or even three electric offerings today.
And while the numbers increase, there were no dramatic improvements in the technology.
Two years back when I was on the market for an electric car the models that were available (meaning I could drive of the lot that day) was really limited. Since that time the market has exploded with electric vehicle options. Every car commercial during the last Super Bowl was advertising a new electric car.
Beyond just more car options not a lot has changed. Sure, slightly range and marginally improved charging times. But the problems I have raised in the past still exist.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my electric vehicle but still only for the reasons I bought it in the first place. It is my go-to vehicle for everything short and mid-range.
This summer, when we packed up the family to do the long drive to grandma’s house, it was still in the gas guzzling SUV.
The electric charging infrastructure isn’t available for an easy and fast family friendly trek across the country. These are the same problems I previously wrote about, and I feel the industry is still struggling to solve.
The car manufactures were so focused on getting vehicles to market that the underlying infrastructure and operation needs were not being addressed. And it goes well beyond the issues with having a robust charging infrastructure.
It’s funny because one of the selling points for an Electric Car is that they are maintenance free. It is just a computer on wheels. Just change the tires and brakes on occasion and you are good to go. Well buyer beware because sure there is not oil to change or the complexities of a combustion engine but there will be issues that need to be resolved.
For example, I had a safety recall issued for my vehicle in March of 2023. Of course, out of concern I immediately called the dealer to schedule the recall service. I was told that they are unable to do it at that time, but they would be in touch.
After a little more digging, I find out that the dealer only has one person on staff who is qualified on electric vehicles and does not have the training to perform the recall service.
Then I get a letter from the Manufacture in June 2023 that states, “Right now, your dealer does not have the recall remedy information available to perform the recall work…”
I bring this up only to let you know if you are in the Electric Vehicle Market to ask a lot of questions to the dealer.
Unlike electric vehicle first companies like Tesla, a lot of legacy car makers are jumping into the market. Sure, they can pop out an electric car, but they may not provide the after sales support.
I still have big hopes that soon I won’t think twice about loading the family in my SUV electric vehicle for our annual pilgrimage to grandma’s house.
Until then I will watch the sport of Formula E and wait for the advancements to trickle down to our everyday life on the road.
For the Good,
Michael Nichols
Part 6 - Want My Range
I bought my first electric vehicle (EV) back in July 2021
We documented my journey over the past two years in a series of grove essays. You can follow along here:
In these stories, I highlight the good, bad and the ugly of EV ownership. And though I am still happy with my electric car, it is not for everyone. Heck, I still load up the gas guzzling SUV for the long road trips.
There’s still a lot of reasons for someone not to buy an electric vehicle. Price, range, charge times, poor infrastructure, or they just don’t sound cool. I can still hear my first car, a 1971 Camaro SS 350. For certain folks of my generation, there is nothing like the roar of a 210 horsepower muscle car…but I digress.
If you are on the fence about getting an EV, there is good news. The industry recognized these problems early and there’s a lot of money going into solving them.
I had a conversation with a friend recently and asked if he would ever consider getting one. His response was straight forward,
“Sure, if it’s a pickup truck with a range of 500 miles.”
As it turns out, that may not be too far off. Enter the solid-state battery. Toyota claims to have cracked the code on EV battery range with a solid-state battery.
A solid-state battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses solid materials for all its parts. That’s unlike traditional EV batteries which use liquid electrolytes. In solid-state batteries, both the electrolyte and electrodes are made of solid materials.
All that seems minor but the advantage in terms of EV batteries can be huge.
Safety is the first priority in the new battery technology. No more exploding Tesla memes. No more raging infernos on the side of the road. Solid-state batteries are inherently safer compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries, which use flammable liquid electrolytes.
Solid-state batteries have the potential to offer higher energy densities. That means they can store more energy in the same physical volume. That leads to longer lasting and more powerful batteries.
They also charge much faster. A solid-state electrolyte allows for faster ion transport, which will cut charging times for electric vehicles. Solid-state batteries may also have a longer life, as they are less prone to degradation over time.
All this adds up to a much better EV experience. Forget 500-mile range, Toyota claims these batteries will go 700 or 800 miles between charges. Also gone are the days of having time to enjoy a long lunch break while charging. With these new solid-state batteries, you will barely have time to grab a cup of coffee.
Despite the promising advantage of solid-state batteries there are still challenges. They still have to address the manufacturing hurdles and cost. But now we know that it’s possible, expect to see it dominate the EV market.
Still Toyota says they will have solid-state battery EV’s available by 2028. They are not the only car manufacture heading down the solid-state path. For example, Mercedes-Benz works with ProLogium, an energy company focused on solid-state batteries. Volkswagen partnered with QuantumScape, and BMWteamed up with Solid Power.
So, the race is on to be the first to drive eight hundred miles on a single charge.
For the Good
Michael Nichols
Part 7 - Dead Batteries
April 17, 2024
EV – It’s Evolution not Instantaneous
The Electric Vehicle (EV) market continuously evolved for decades, mostly with experimental and concept cars. The modern EV market began to take shape in the early 2000s with the introduction of the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Tesla Roadster. These vehicles demonstrated the potential of EV’s and helped pave the way for the future.
Since these early EV models there has been a significant increase in the popularity of EV’s, driven by advancements in battery technology, government incentives, and growing environmental awareness. Major automakers have invested heavily in electric vehicle development, and every other super bowl ad is now for a new EV Model.
The EV market will continue to evolve for the good. That’s the way of progress.
It’s not like the rotary phone became the iPhone overnight. We all had to endure the endless iterations, from the car phone, bag phone, flip phone, and the blackberry before we got our hands on an iPhone.
A lot of waiting
For me, it has now been almost three years since I purchased my first EV, a Volkswagen (VW) ID4. I documented my experience in a series of articles about the life of a new EV owner. From range anxiety to the elusive search for a charger to waiting for the car to charge, there are many things to consider if an EV is for you. And even with all the advancements in EV technology, for many people the answer will be “No.”
Over the past three years I have gotten familiar with the VW dealership waiting room.
Even as I write this installment, I am sitting in the waiting room of my VW dealership. Yep, another recall to the vehicle but maybe to be expected for early adoption.
This recall only took 6 hours of my life while sitting around waiting for VW to correct the issue. That’s good news because the first recall took the dealership a couple months to get a technician trained on ID4 and enough practice to get to the point where they could apply the fix.
Reboot should fix the problem!
I think all this service waiting has a lot to do with VW pushing to get EV’s out the door before they were ready to operationally support them. I don’t have insight into VW’s post-EV sales support plan, but a key indicator for me was when I first brought the car back to the dealer for a small issue.
The service manager simply said we do not have anybody on staff trained on these new electric vehicles. Their resolution reminded me of a few computer technicians in my past. Reboot and hope it fixes the problem. It is just a computer on wheels, right!
The Next Wait
Over twenty thousand dollars! That is what I have been told a battery replacement could cost for the VW ID4. The batter pack alone costs $13,000, And then it takes a lot of labor. Regardless, that is a lot of money I would need to pay for a battery replacement. Fingers crossed that doesn’t come soon.
For now, I drive and wait to see what happens to my EV’s battery.
Now for some battery math
After three years my estimate for battery degradation is roughly 7.5%. I don’t want to bore you by going into the specifics around how many Kwh’s are stored and used within the battery pack. Here’s the math that I use to gauge battery health…
On day one when I charged to 80% capacity the gauge would indicate that I had about 255 miles of range. Today I regularly get a range rating of 235 for that same 80% capacity. That is roughly a 7.5% capacity loss over that 36-month period (or about 2.5% per year)
If I extrapolate that 2.5% per year loss out to year eight, then my 80% battery range would be around 208 miles or roughly 19% degradation. That is 47 more range anxiety miles I will need to suffer. (This assumes a linear degradation)
But there is a warranty!
When you go to buy an EV go ahead and ask about battery life and degradation. Pretty sure the response is universal across all car makers sales staff… “Ah, you don’t have to worry the battery is fully covered under our warranty.”
But you better read the fine print. The manufacture will not be replacing your batter pack under the warranty for degradation.
VW’s warranty is as follows, “The high-voltage battery is warranted for 8 years or 100,000 miles”. But what is important is the fine print which states that the warranty only applies if the net capacity goes below 70%. And they are only responsible for returning the battery capacity to that 70% level.
All these companies did their research. The EV companies are not in the business of replacing battery packs, they are in the business of selling new EV’s. Come end of battery life you must decide whether to shell out $20k for new batteries or just get another new car.
Timed technical obsolescence is why we continue to buy new iPhones.
When’s the next phone?
On the plus side, the technology is changing fast. The battery concerns for the next generation of EV’s may not exist. New EV battery technology is expected to offer several advancements that can help mitigate battery degradation and improve overall performance.
For example, the use of sodium-ion batteries or solid-state batteries are both promising technologies for powering EV’s. We recently wrote about them both in The Grove, “Look Out Lithium” and “Want My Range.” The emergence of these new technologies should be good for the EV market. It offers competition to the existing lithium battery.
And the verdict is?
If you read through all the articles about my EV journey you first impression would probably be to never buy an EV. Truth be told there are still a lot of things that need to be fixed.
For me, and even with all the time waiting, I am happy with my decision to go with an EV. I do like the car and the technology but more importantly it fits into my lifestyle. I drive it primarily for local and short haul trips. The car is quiet and clean. And if I am charging on my home charger it is cheaper to power than my gas counterpart.
You read that right, my gas counterpart. My caveat on my EV is that I will not put the family through a long-haul trip to grandma’s house. I would not have a problem doing a long trip alone, I have the time and patients to zig zag from charger to charger across the country. But to put the family and kids through this would be unbearable. So, I still use my trusty old gas guzzler for these trips.
Ultimately, the decision to buy an electric vehicle depends on your individual priorities, lifestyle, and budget. It’s essential to research thoroughly and consider your specific needs to determine if an EV is the right choice for you.
For the Good
Michael Nichols
Sr. Software Engineer | 5yrs exp. | Blockchain | web3 | PHP
5moThanks for sharing your experience Michael Nichols