Types of Electric Vehicles
Manufactures continue to expand their Electric Vehicle (EV) model lineup year over year as the industry moves towards offering primarily EVs in the next few years. Currently, there are two types of EVs available in the market.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) contain both an electric motor with battery storage and a traditional gasoline, internal combustion engine (ICE). The battery is charged by plugging in the vehicle to an EV charger. This option gives drivers with shorter range requirements, typically less than 40 miles, the ability to leverage the efficiency of an electric motor and still provide extended range by utilizing the backup gasoline engine.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) utilize a combination of an electric motor and battery to power the vehicle. These vehicles are charged with electric power from charging stations installed in homes or at businesses and depend solely on the energy in the battery. BEVs distance range varies by make and model but some models can travel over 300 miles on a single, full charge!
For more information on EV model availability you can click here.
Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Electric Vehicles offer several benefits over traditional gasoline vehicles including the following:
- Increased Fuel Economy. The cost to charge an EV is equivalent to paying about $1.00/gallon of gasoline and in some cases even less depending on the cost of electricity! A complete charge typically costs less than $5.00.
- EVs are extremely quiet during operation and practically silent at a complete stop.
- EVs emit zero emissions in all electric operation and are much better for the environment.
- Reduced maintenance cost. There is no need for routine oil changes and because of the regenerative braking feature of EVs, the brakes experience less wear and last much longer. This also contributes to increased fuel economy as energy is recaptured during braking and stored back in the battery.
- Find out more information regarding EVs here.
There are currently three types of charging equipment available in the market today: Level 1, Level 2 and Direct Current (DC) Fast Charging. Most EVs on the market accept Level 1 and Level 2 charging. DC Fast Charging is only available on certain models.
- A Level 1 charger uses 120V AC and provides power between 1.9- 3.6 kilo-Watts (kW). This application is common in residential homes and is the kind of power available in everyday household plug-in sockets. This level of charging is the slowest and typically takes 9-20 hours to fully charge depending on the battery size.
- A Level 2 charger uses 240V AC and provides power between 3.8-7.2 kW. This charger is more efficient than a Level 1 charger and is the most common application in both residential homes and commercial charging places. This level of charging typically takes 4-10 hours for a complete charge.
- A DC Fast Charger uses 3-phase 480V AC and provides 50-100 kW power. These are typically found in commercial applications and can fully charge a battery in 30 minutes to 2 hours.
To find a public charging station you can view and get information from Plugshare.
City of Westerville Efforts
The City of Westerville continues to support transportation electrification through various efforts. Please check back regularly for updates on progress and future improvements.