Our electric car experience – the good, the bad, and the ugly

We’ve owned a few cars in our day

Over the years, we’ve owned all kinds of cars—from rusty old VW Beetles to brand-new sedans, a couple pickup trucks, and even a temperamental MGB convertible.  Most of the time, we owned two vehicles, since we were both working – usually going in different directions every day.  As our kids grew up and started driving, we sometimes added a third car for their use.  

There was a lot of variety in our driveway over the years, but they all had one trait in common: They ran on gasoline.

Things were different when we moved to Portugal. For 3½ years, we lived car-free, relying on public transportation. It was affordable, reliable, and saved us the headaches of fuel, insurance, and parking—especially in Porto, where double-parking caused daily frustration for our neighbors (and that provided some entertainment for us).

Another home, another car

When we moved back to the U.S.last fall, we knew we’d have to buy a car again. We wanted something small, simple, and sustainable. So, after plenty of research, we bought an electric car—knowing full well it might be a challenge in our rural area.

Before buying the car, I did my homework—reading up on EVs, downloading charging apps, and scouting local stations around Lewiston and Clarkston. Unlike gas cars, which benefit from a century of infrastructure, charging options in rural areas are limited – and will continue to be that way, since the current president has suspended a $5 billion dollar program to build out EV charging infrastructure.

So we knew there might be some inconvenience.  For a few minutes we thought about buying a hybrid.  In hindsight, that might have been a smarter choice.  But we convinced ourselves that going all-in on the electric car was the right thing to do, so we did it.

A different way to buy a car

I’ve never enjoyed car shopping, so I turned to Carvana, the online retailer. Our son-in-law had a good experience with them, so we decided to give it a shot. On their site I found a number of low-mileage, late model EVs.  We settled on a  2022 Hyundai Kona EV with a $2,000 tax credit already applied. The purchase process was smooth—like buying something on Amazon—but delivery wasn’t so easy. They wouldn’t bring it to Lewiston; I had to pick it up in Boise, 300 miles away.

My son and I made a road trip of it, passing through some wild, remote country in eastern Oregon.  For the first couple of hours there were no towns, no cell service, just trees and winding roads. 

When we arrived in Boise and were walking into our hotel, I got a text from Carvana.  There was a problem with the car and it wouldn’t be ready for another week.  A customer service agent on their 800-line couldn’t tell me what was wrong, so I stewed overnight.

The next morning, I visited the Carvana location in person. The staff were sympathetic. They explained that the car’s horn didn’t work and that they could not legally release it to me.  Further, the replacement horn wouldn’t arrive for several days.  

So we agreed on a new delivery date, and this time they offered to meet me halfway so I wouldn’t have to make the long drive again.

Early days

When we first got the car, we were living in an Airbnb and didn’t have a way to charge at home. Luckily, there were several public chargers down at the Port of Clarkston. A couple of them were free to use, but very slow.  So we’d plug in the car, go for a nice hour-long walk along the river, and come back with enough charge to get us through a few more days.

We had some things to learn about charging the car.  For starters, there are three types of chargers in general use in the US:

• Level 1:  This is essentially a trickle charger.  Our car came with a Level 1 charging cord that plugs into a regular 110 volt outlet.  We’ve used it a few times, and carry it with us in case of emergencies.  But it would take about 18 hours to fully charge the car with one of these.  Some public chargers are Level 1.  The ones around where we live are generally free to use.  
  
• Level 2:  These are faster chargers that run on 220 volt AC current – like our oven or clothes dryer.  These are the fastest chargers available for installation in private homes.  We had a Level 2 charger installed in our garage.  It will charge the car fully in 6 to 8 hours.
  

• Level 3:  These are high-speed chargers that operate on 480 volt DC current.  They are big boxes, usually with two charging cords. They’re mostly found in public places and usually require payment to use.  They can fully charge an EV in less than 2 hours.  (Your mileage may vary.)

There are also different plugs on the charger cords, which means some public charging stations are incompatible.  Teslas, for instance, use a different plug than most other car brands, so most Tesla charging stations won’t work for us.  (Not that we want to give Elon any more money!)  Some of the larger Tesla stations – called “Superchargers” will offer one or two chargers with adapters.

Our car, when fully charged, has a range of about 270 miles.  That’s more than earlier EVs, and less than newer models.  A common fear about EV’s that many people have is known as “range anxiety” – the worry that your vehicle’s battery doesn’t have enough charge to get you where you want to go

We can attest that it’s a real thing!

Shivering through the winter

Winter introduced two new wrinkles.  First, cold weather reduces the capacity (and thus the range) of the batteries that power the car.  Second, running the heater or defroster further drains the battery.

Whenever we turned on the heat, the estimated range indicator would drop by about 40 miles  (Luckily, it would bounce back up when we turned off the heat after a few minutes.)  So we learned to bundle up in the car and go without heat on short trips.  This strategy worked well for a run to the grocery store or the home supply outlet, but was less pleasant on longer drives. We got used to shivering. Sort of.

Our first road trip

A few days later in Coeur d’Alene, we hit a snag. We needed more juice to get back and went to four different fast charging stations, but none of them worked!  Back at the hotel, I plugged our trickle charger into an outlet at the back of the building and let it charge overnight. I told the clerk at the front desk, “Call me if there’s a problem.” No one called. Eighteen hours later, we had enough charge to get home.

I estimated that we spent an entire day of our trip trying to locate charging stations.  Even with multiple apps to guide us, we still had difficulty.

Enjoying the spring

As the weather warmed, we got busy working on the house and didn’t make any extended trips.  With just running around town, windows down, not needing heat or air conditioning, we were able to go almost a full month between charges.

Our next big trip – Leavenworth

Leavenworth is a popular resort town in central Washington.  It is on our list to visit before next winter, but at 250 miles away it’s too far to reach on a single charge.  During our route planning, we found a Tesla charge point about two-thirds of the way there that has an adapter for other vehicles.  That will give us the boost we need to go the last 60 miles or so.  (And we’ll reluctantly pay Musk about 50 cents per kw/h for the power.)  We’ll have to find another charge point for the return trip. 

Traveling this way definitely requires a leap of faith. If a fast charger is offline or incompatible, we’re at risk until we find a slower charging station.. There’s not much room for error and plenty of opportunities for trip delays.

So what have we learned?

For everyday use, driving around town, the car is fantastic. It’s comfortable, nimble, and holds a surprising amount of stuff. It’s like having a zippy little electric golf cart with doors and heat (well, sometimes).  It’s quick off the line, too. Step on the accelerator too hard and it’ll snap you back into your seat. 

We have gone as much as a full month between charges. And when we do charge it at home, it costs almost nothing. This area has some of the lowest electricity rates in the nation – we pay just 9 cents per kilowatt hour.  (I’ll do the math to tally the cost another day.  For now, just know it’s cheap!)

But for long-distance travel—especially in rural areas—it’s a different story. You need a spirit of adventure and a flexible schedule in case you get stuck and have to trickle charge. 

The bottom line:  This is a great car for us.  We think they are a no-brainer for two car families, where one is predominantly an in-town car.  Hopefully the charging infrastructure will continue to improve, making it easier to go long distances.

The only thing we haven’t done yet, is give it a name.  

Until next time,

Mary and Mike

The Cook and The Writer

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Mary has suggested we name the car “Sparky”. Do you have an idea? Leave your suggestions in the comments below or via the Contact Us form.

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P.S. – While you’re here, be sure to check out The Rabbit Hole. There’s no telling what new nonsense Mike has posted there.