NBC 7’s Consumer Bob breaks down some of the myths surrounding electric vehicles.
Labor Day car sales are right around the corner. But is buying a gas-powered car the best choice for consumers? NBC 7 Responds looks into the benefits of going electric.
“I think one of the biggest hurdles for shoppers to make that leap into electric vehicles is range,” said Senior Reviews Editor Mark Takahashi for Edmunds.com. “They're afraid that they simply can't go far enough or they'll be stopping and charging more often and for a long time.”
But Takahashi stressed different models exist for different needs. Nissan Leafs give you between 150 and 220 miles of range, whereas a Tesla Model S can provide up to 370 miles of range.
“What you're looking at is going to depend on your budget and how you're going to use it.”
This points to another common concern for buyers: the cost.
“Well some of the myths that are probably holding some shoppers from making the leap into these are they think it's too expensive; That it's just for rich people and that's simply not the case anymore,” Takahashi told NBC 7 Responds.
He acknowledged electric vehicles, on average, cost more than your regular gas-powered car, but the prices will continue to drop as manufacturing costs decrease.
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“We now have some EVs that are selling as low as the low thirty thousand dollar range,” added Takahashi.
Another common concern for buyers, said Takahashi, is battery life: how far you can drive on one charge.
The addition of more car charging stations could alleviate some of that anxiety, said Takahashi. In fact, there are more charging stations in the country than there are Starbucks.
“They're not these slow poky little golf cart pods anymore,” said Takahashi. “They're stylish, they're luxurious and some of them are just blisteringly fast.”
To find a charging station near you, use the energy.gov map below or click here.
