Ten Things I Love About Owning An EV

Just like everyone under the sun, I was one of those people looking into an electric vehicle once gas prices lifted sore higher than the space shuttles.

I had my dream car in possession. Making great payments and really enjoying my time with my dream vehicle. Her name was Gamora and she was a green Kia Soul. Best car I ever had. Although, her fat self couldn’t handle mountains, I still loved her.

But, gas wasn’t cheap anymore and even at a reasonable price. She costed more keeping her than before. I had to make the decision to buy an electric vehicle. So, I researched, talk to dealers, got rejected so many times because I’m a millinial with debt, and did more research for at least a month. Then, because of my credit score, my monthly income, and because I’m not lucky, I scored this vehicle.

Storm is a 2018 Hyundai Ioniq. Her previous owner really ran her into the ground with 93,700 miles and a report stating it was in a wreck.

Little did I know, Storm is the best purchase I could make at a time like this. Here’s why…

10 best things about owning this vehicle

1. Gas. Obviously, the best is the fact I no longer have to buy expensive gas. I researched a lot about this. I researched how much energy is used into digging up the oil and transporting it to the gas station. So much more energy is needed. Way more than charging so many cars all at once for hours. Sure, the electric vehicle batteries are bad for the planet, but it’s nothing compared to all the damage oil companies create. Plus, who wants to support a billion (or trillion?) dollar business that’s destroying the only planet we can live on?

2. EV Charging Stations. This is one thing that I’m really happy about. Sure this shouldn’t matter but it does for my mental state. For someone who has stress and anxiety, going to gas stations was a pain. People everywhere, cars everywhere, it stunk like oil, it’s loud and chaotic. Charging stations have a beautiful scenery (ones at parks) and it’s quiet. It’s not a fast-pace atmosphere. It’s calming and I can think better. I can walk around and not have to rush anything.

3. Stop to smell the roses. This one is really by how you view it. We live in an extremely fast-pace world. Everyone has to be somewhere fast and has to do everything so quickly. Charging your car does not take the same amount of time as filling a car with gas. Charging stations are great if they are in areas near an attraction site, a mall, a park, etc. You can do a nice 30 minute walk outside while waiting for the fast charger to charge your car, or you can dine in somewhere for an hour or two during slow charging sessions. It really is how you look at it. Do you want to be impatient or plan ahead and take some time to do something while it’s charging? For me, I park my car to charge and I go workout. I swim and by 2 hours, my car has some good miles added. No waiting.

4. Pedals. The gas pedal…no wait. The electric pedal? The main pedal you press down is a bit weird. You drive normally but then when you let go of the pedal, it starts breaking on it’s own. It’s not a problem at all. I got use to it quickly. But, when I am in my car for so long and drive a gas car, I am totally shocked it keeps going even if my foot isn’t on the pedal. It doesn’t completely put it in a stop, but you can feel a break happening. The break pedal and the break part of the electric pedal causes the battery to start charging. This is amazing for when I want to save my range, especially for longer trips. Go break, drivers! Electricity will not be wasted if you break hard.

5. The System. I feel like I’m in an elect group now that I own this vehicle. No more gas stations. I now understand the ways of charging stations. It was hard at first and I do find some flaws but there are good things about this. It’s “new” system. The whole 2030 thing about saving the planet hasnt’ really gotten serious until recently. So, the whole EV idea wasn’t ideal for most Americans. Still isn’t but the system is getting better at providing for different needs. We, as Americans, have realized we need to add a lot more charging stations around the country. We are still in pursuit of adding more in remote areas, but we are headed in a good direction. Plus, it’s all paperless. You have apps downloaded according to the company who opperates the charging station. They read cards and phones. So, it’s all very simple to get started. I can add apps for you to download at the bottom of the article.

6. Charger with the car. I was afraid I wouldn’t receive a charger with my vehicle. They do provide a charging chord for you to charge your car at home. It’s a simple three-prong plug. You can plug it into any outlet. The chord isn’t as long for cars that can’t be close to the house but you can easily add an extension. This is helpful for when you’re at home all day or when you’re at your family or friend’s house and want to charge up. I don’t know how much electricity is used because I don’t use this charger at home that often to even know. But, it is something to look into if you want to learn more.

7. Range. No, it’s not a Tesla with over 300 mile range on it but it is enough for small travels or daily commute that isn’t too far away. My car gets about 125 miles on a full charge. Traveling long distance may need great planning. Traveling in the city or busy places can be helpful for the battery percentage because of all the stops and slowing downs you’re making. Helping to charge the battery. I was able to save 5-10 miles on my range in the city. Example, It takes me 15 miles to get to work, but the reader shows I only traveled 10 miles. Which means, I saved 5 miles going to work.

8. Saving money. In the long run, I am saving a lot of money owning this vehicle. There are free charging stations available where I live at and oh boy how helpful it has been! With this free charging stations, I can save about $45-70 every time I charge it to the same amount of miles as my Kia Soul if I were to fill her up all the way. There are charging stations that require money, but if you subscribe to them, you can save even more. That’s $45-70 I can put towards my insurance or car payment. Maybe even putting it towars savings for something in the future. Not on gas.

9. Calling for help. I have not had one problem with calling for assistance. When a station is down or not working right, I call the number provided and they help me bring the station back up and running so I can charge. They are nice and are there to help you with anything you need help with. They have control over the stations and can help you start charging your car. I had to call two different companies on two different occasions. One was because the station couldn’t read my phone and another was because I couldn’t figure out how to detach the charge port from the station.

10. Less Maintenance. This one is a good one. Because it’s all battery operated, can be scary to think about, there’s no machinery to constantly look at. No oil change. No cleaning out filters or having to buy parts that stopped working. You only need to make sure there’s whipper fluid. Depending on the car you have, you do have to see a garage at least once or twice a year. My car requires twice for rotating the tires and once for checking up on the life of the battery. That’s it.

I hope this helped you in looking at the good things about owning an EV car. I don’t want everyone to purchase one if it will cause inconvenience for you. It’s a great vehicle and I know it’s a key to helping the planet and your wallets, but it is a lifestyle change. Not everyone can change their life. Not everyone can wait patiently for charging.

Here are the free apps I wanted to share with you:

• PlugShare allows you to see most charging stations but not give you a lot of info other than what people share.
• ElectrifyAmerica is a good one. $4 per month if you want to subscribe. But, if you don‘t, it’s $4 fee every time you use their station. Subscription can save you money in the long run if you have one close by.
• ChargePoint is my favorite. It’s mostly free. No subscription. You can find these at all charging stations. Depending on what is available, some are slow, some are fast.
• EVgoCharger is all right. It’s only in major cities. I wouldn’t subscribe unless you live in a large city. I only used it once and it was all right but I have the app just in case I come across one in a major city.

Let me know if you have any questions. Let me know if my information needs correcting. Hope you enjoyed!

Look out for 10 Things Not-So-Great About Owning An EV