Reasons to consider an EV - By Mitch Ross

Like a growing number of Americans, I am planning on my next vehicle purchase being an electric vehicle (EV). Among the many attractive attributes are high-tech features, lower maintenance hassle and cost, lower energy cost and more.

High-Tech Features

Admittedly, this is what sold me on the idea of moving toward an EV in the first place! At a work event, I got to drive a Tesla Model 3 with full self-driving capability. It was an eye-opening moment. It’s not often that you experience something that feels like magic, but that is what great engineering and technology can do. I lightly kept my hands on the wheel and felt as the car made turns all on its own. When a car made a turn in front of me, the Tesla slowed on its own, showing even more caution in its slowing and distance from the car than I would have. I won’t detail all high-tech features of EVs, and they vary a lot, but most that I have seen and read about definitely put a premium on user experience and have found novel ways to improve conditions for drivers and passengers.

Lower Maintenance

If you’ve owned a car for long, you realize how the maintenance and repair costs can really add up. Oil changes, transmission checkups, spark plugs swaps, coolant

levels checks, and on and on the list goes. One of the big benefits of EVs is that they have anywhere from one-third to one-fifth the number of moving parts of a traditional vehicle. Fewer moving parts means less of a system to maintain, as well as fewer parts to accumulate wear and tear and potentially break.

Low-Energy Cost

One of the big reasons to consider going electric is ditching the gas pump. Depending on the vehicle, of course, you can expect to pay about one-third of the cost to “fuel” your electric vehicle versus a comparable gasolinepowered vehicle. For most driving, you will be able to plug in your vehicle at home in the evening and leave home with a “full tank” every morning. For longer trips, you will end up saving less, but due to the growing network of EV chargers across the country, you can make it from coast-tocoast in an EV!

Over the life of the vehicle, savings in maintenance, fuel, plus available tax credits make EVs an affordable alternative to comparable gas-powered vehicles. These vehicles are packed with features and allow you to go most weeks without having to stop at a gas station.

For more information on EVs, visit afdc.energy.gov. Mitch Ross is the energy efficiency manager for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

Ford introduced it's F-150 Lightning electric vehicle in 2023.	Compared with gasoline-powered vehicles, electric vehicle owners will pay approximately one-third of the fuel cost to charge an EV.

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