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Dear Reader,
For about 18 months now, Dot has been driving an EV — a cherry red Ford Mach-E (surprisingly, large enough to carry my two very large dogs). Especially lately, with gas prices so high, I am positively gleeful to zip past service stations. I bought used at a great price so I am most definitely in the black, compared to the gas-powered SUV I sold, which spent more time in the repair shop than in my driveway. But, on the whole, are EVs more expensive than a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle? It’s a persistent myth, so let’s set the record straight.
Dot has already addressed whether EVs emit electromagnetic radiation here and whether EVs cause more damage in manufacturing here. I’ve also touched on the cost issue, but let’s dig in a bit more deeply, with the assistance of a landmark study by the folks at MIT.
Reporting on the study, Anthropocene Magazine sums it up thusly: “No matter where you live in the United States or what your driving habits are, a battery electric vehicle is likely to have a smaller carbon footprint and cost less overall than a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle, according to a new analysis.”
The analysis pulls together a number of variables that can affect the costs, both upfront and over the vehicle’s lifespan. “The researchers gathered data from every U.S. zip code and systematically analyzed a host of factors that might affect emissions or costs: local climate, electricity sources, congestion, urban versus rural driving and traffic patterns, electricity and gasoline prices, and individual variations in driving habits,” the report tells us. Even better, they’ve made their analysis available free to the public, enabling you to determine what the costs will be, specifically, for you.
But, to reiterate, the persistent myth that EVs cost more is largely false.
Another myth, busted.
Electrically,
Dot
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