SUMMARY POINTS

  • EVs are great as commuter vehicles
  • EVs only make sense if it fits your lifestyle
  • If you can wait, it’s better since EV tech is changing rapidly
You’ve seen a few electric cars here and there. Maybe, you’ve even spotted a Tesla or two. And, it’s planted a seed in your head about maybe getting one as your next commuter car.

It’s not that your current vehicle is a total shitbox. It’s still okay for your commuting duties and weekend runabouts but seeing and reading about new EVs has really got you thinking more about it.

The thought of not having to pay for expensive gasoline every week is pretty damn attractive. There would be nothing more satisfying than giving the finger to every gas station as you just drive on by.

Haha suckers!

However, this isn’t the time to be making any snap decisions about buying an EV. Let’s dig into this a bit more.

Great Things About Using EVs For Commuting

There are a bunch of great things about owning an electric vehicle beyond the cool factor. Yes, you might get a bit more attention from other people and a few might even come up to you about it. This is only because EVs are still a very small fraction of all the vehicles out there in use.

Those that do own and use an EV as their daily commuter and errand runner usually have positive feedback about them.

Here are some of the bigger positives about driving a giant battery on wheels.

Spend Less Money Commuting
The thought of having to pay money to go to your job is painful, especially when gas prices are stupid expensive. When the prices at the pump are through the roof, it hits your wallet hard, like over $100 hard sometimes. And that kinda shit is not sustainable.

With an EV, you won’t be spending a penny on gas. All of that money can now go toward other more important expenses in life - like more me-time.

But, you’re not totally free of commuting expenses. You still gotta charge up an EV and electricity ain’t free. The good thing is that the cost of electricity that you need for your commute will generally be cheaper than buying gas.

Much Quieter Ride
Focusing in a noisy office can be an impossible task and it can really drain you mentally. Then, when you get home, you step into the chaos of family life.

When the fuck can you have some peace and quiet to yourself?

Well, when you’re commuting that’s how.

This is why some people actually look forward to commuting. It’s that one little sliver of time during the day where you’re by yourself with nobody bothering you. You can turn your commute into relaxing me-time and just chill in your own world.

And since EVs don’t have a noisy engine, the vehicle cabin is really quiet. So quiet that in most cases, the only sounds you’ll hear are tire and wind noise.

With that level of quietness, you can meditate in your car - for real.

More Power For Stop And Go Traffic
What most people don’t realize about EVs is that they have really great acceleration. Both from a dead stop and also when already moving.

This is because electric motors don’t have traditional power curves like normal engines. Normal engines need to rev up to reach their peak power. Electric motors don’t need to do that because the power is available immediately.

What this means is that you can instantly jump forward during stop-n-go traffic to weave through lanes and get ahead.

No Tailpipe Pollution
We all know that anything that burns fossil fuels pollutes the environment. And one of the biggest contributors is vehicle emissions.

With an EV, you don’t have any emissions at all. It’s not burning any fuel and spewing noxious fumes out the tailpipe like some of your coworkers farting at work. It’s all just electrons spinning an electric motor.

Of course, there’s also the argument of how the electricity is made to begin with. And if it’s generated using coal-fired power plants, then it’s simply moving the emissions from one place to another.

We get that. But for simplicity here, not having tailpipe emissions is a good thing.

Carpool/Express Lane Access
If you live in a major city, there’s a good chance that you have dedicated High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) or carpool lanes. Using these express lanes can really cut down on your commuting times. In some cases, it can reduce your seat time by nearly half.

Depending upon your state’s regulations, some will allow EVs to drive in those carpool lanes without the carpool requirement. So, you get the benefit without the hassle of coordinating carpool schedules or using carpooling apps.

It feels so damn good to be flying in the express lane while everyone else is stuck and not moving. This is a huge benefit because you get back more of your personal time to do other things instead of dealing with asshole drivers on your commute.

When It Makes Sense To Make The Switch To EVs For Commuting

Look, we get it. Getting a new car is exciting and awesome. And if it’s an EV, it’s even more exciting.

However, this isn’t like buying a normal car. There’s more to it. You need to think about whether or not your lifestyle can fit and work with EVs.

You can’t just return a new EV just because you don’t like it anymore. It’s not Amazon.
So, here are the major things that you need to consider before hopping on the electron bandwagon.

1) Being Able To Charge Easily

This is probably the biggest thing. You need to be able to charge the car at home. Because let’s face it, anything else won’t be as convenient.

If you have to go to a charging station every time the vehicle’s battery is low, it’s going to be annoying AF. Just imagine having to rearrange your schedule so that you can get to a charging station and sit there waiting for your car to charge up.

To make an EV work for your lifestyle, you need to have a charger in your garage. And, it can’t be just that regular electrical outlet either. It’s gotta be a “Level 2” charger which is usually 240V versus the normal 120V outlet.

These Level 2 chargers can fully charge your EV battery from empty to full charge overnight while you’re asleep - very convenient. This means that every morning you get up, it’ll be like you have a full tank of gas.

2) Roundtrip Daily Commute Is Less Than 100 Miles

According to the US Census Bureau, the average one-way commuting distance is about 28 miles or 56 miles roundtrip. But, that’s the national average. If you commute in a major city, then it could be more than that.

Most reasonably priced EVs now have at least 200 miles of range. So, chances are good that it will cover your roundtrip commuting distances pretty easily.

So, let’s say that you have a long-distance commute of 50 miles each way or 100 miles total daily. An EV with at least a 200 mile range will be fine. This will provide you with an extra 100 mile buffer daily for any side trips you need to make during your commute home. And, it’ll provide some extra margin during the winter when battery ranges decrease due cold temps.

So, if you’re total roundtrip commute is 100 miles or less, an EV can work.

3) Local Electricity Cost vs Gas Prices

As mentioned earlier, in most cases, the cost of electricity to drive the same distance as gasoline will be cheaper. The cost savings depends upon a lot of factors.

If you’ve got a gas guzzler now and you’re electricity rates are cheap, then you’ll save a lot more money. Conversely, if you have fuel efficient car now and your electricity rates are expensive, then the cost savings won’t be as large, but they’ll still be there.

One of the best ways to calculate this is with an EV calculator which factors in your local electricity rates, gas prices and the make/model EV that you’re thinking about.

Plug in and run the numbers and see how much you’ll save. If it’s a worthwhile amount to you, then, it’ll work.

EVs Are Here Now But Don’t Rush Into It

If you can say yes to each of the above items and you really want a commuter EV as a second car, then it makes sense to get one today.

Otherwise, don’t rush into buying an EV just yet. While the EV revolution has already begun, the transition will take many years for charging infrastructure to be widely available and to convert the population of gas cars to electric.

During this transition, the technologies around EV batteries and their infrastructure will change rapidly. Eventually, battery tech will settle into a handful of proven technologies and platforms. That’s when it makes more sense to get in the game.

It’s okay to be an early adopter of cheap fast fashion and tech gadgets. However, you don’t want to be an early adopter of something that costs a lot of money like an EV. Being stuck with an outdated outfit or Bluetooth accessory is one thing, but it’s entirely another thing to be stuck with an obsolete $30k EV.

If you want to save money on your commute now, optimize your driving habits to save money on gas, keep your car in tip-top shape with easy monthly maintenance and/or carpool with your coworkers. These are instant ways to reduce your commuting costs and are much better than taking out a loan to buy a new EV.

Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]

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