In response to the last ECAM newsletter, following are some comments on experience gathered over more than a decade in running an electric vehicle.
Libby and I first experienced driving an electric vehicle (EV) a long time ago, back in 2012 when the Victorian government set up an EV trial. We started by driving a Mitsubishi iMIEV and then, when a participant dropped out, were assigned a Nissan LEAF. In 2014, we were lucky enough to purchase a second hand LEAF from the trial vehicles. In 2020, with more EV makes and models coming onto the Australian market, we sold the LEAF and purchased an MG ZS EV.
Driving an EV is quiet and comfortable. There’s no engine noise rumbling away in the background. Electric motors produce smooth acceleration. Regenerative braking ensures smooth deceleration as the foot comes off the accelerator pedal.
An EV doesn’t produce a cloud of carbon dioxide (and other pollutants) wherever it goes so it’s better for the planet. Because our EV is driven mostly around Melbourne, the “fuel” is almost entirely renewable energy produced from our rooftop solar panels. For road trips outside the city, we use the many rapid chargers that are popping up in towns and cities all over Australia. With the electricity grid passing 40% renewables (and steadily increasing), less and less of the electricity from those chargers is being produced by fossil fuel power stations.
Range anxiety is an issue that often pops up in conversations about driving an EV. In our experience, this isn’t a problem. We’ve driven from Melbourne to Brisbane and back. Twice!. Overcoming any anxiety just takes a bit of planning for where to stop for recharging. Phone apps such as Plugshare, EVIE and Chargefox make it easy to find suitable places to stop every couple of hours. The time taken to recharge is usually spent getting a cuppa, a meal or looking around the local attractions. In fact, convenience stores, fast food outlets, petrol stations and others have recognised that EV drivers prefer to stop at places like these who have installed chargers, so they are getting on board with expanding the rapid charger network.
The “fuel” cost savings are significant compared to a similar internal combustion engine (ICE) car. Charging at home using excess solar power means the electricity is essentially free. Yes, we are missing out on the feed-in tariff, but that’s only a few cents per kilowatt-hour. Driving 100km costs 75c. During the short, cloudy days of winter, our solar panels aren’t usually able to produce enough excess to recharge the car. As an EV household, our electricity retailer offers a special low off-peak rate during the middle of the night. Buying GreenPower at this time means it costs about $2.50 to travel 100km. Using rapid chargers on a road trip increases the cost to roughly $11 per 100km. In 2024, we drove slightly more than 10,000km and only paid $207 for GreenPower and rapid charging.
Given the comfort, environmental and cost benefits, we recommend everyone consider an EV for their next car.