It’s finally time. You’ve decided to make the switch and join the zero-emission club. Buying your first electric car comes with a whole new experience. Once you feel the instant torque, upgraded technology, and smoother drive, you will never go back. Now the question becomes how do you choose which electric car to buy? Here are a few factors to consider.
How to choose your first electric car
Like with any major purchase, it’s good to know your options and what to look for. You wouldn’t blindly buy a house without knowing how the inside looks or feels. The same holds true when purchasing an electric car.
Americans are buying electric vehicles (EVs) at a record pace as new electric models appear in showrooms. According to Cox Automotive, electric cars accounted for 5.6% of the total auto market this past quarter, more than doubling from 2.7% in 2021.
Tesla remains the dominant brand, yet most major automakers at this point have introduced their own electric models and are beginning to scale production.
With more options than ever, where do you start? It’s not as complicated as it may seem for first-time buyers. However, there are a few things you should consider before choosing the right EV for you. Here are a few tips and considerations for selecting your first electric car.
Price and incentives
Yes, there are incentives to buy electric cars. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August, extends the up to $7,500 tax credit for new electric car purchases and provides a $4,000 credit for used ones.
For an EV to be eligible, though, it must meet strict battery sourcing and assembly requirements. You can find a list of electric cars eligible for the tax credit here.
Several popular EV models make the list, including:
Chevy Bolt EV and Bolt EUV
Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Nissan Leaf
Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model Y
The average price for an electric vehicle in September 2022 is just over $65,000. However, that doesn’t mean that all EVs cost that much. For example, here are a few of the most affordable electric cars on the market and their starting prices:
Starting price
2023 Chevy Bolt EV
$25,600
2023 Chevy Bolt EUV
$27,200
2023 Nissan Leaf
$28,040
2023 Hyundai Kona Electric
$33,550
2023 Volkswagen ID.4
$37,495
Most affordable electric cars list
Driving range
Another huge consideration when buying your first electric car is how far it will travel on a full charge. The range is one of the most critical factors for drivers. Do you mostly commute to work? How often do you travel long distances? Do you live in a house or an apartment?
These are a few questions you may want to ask before deciding which EV is right for you. Here are the electric cars with the highest range and their starting prices to make it easy for you.
Range (est.)
Starting Price
Lucid Air Dream Edition
520
$169,000
Tesla Model S
375
$109,490
Tesla Model 3 Long Range
358
$62,990
Mercedes Benz EQS
350
$102,310
Tesla Model X
333
$120,990
Tesla Model Y
330
$67,990
EVs with the longest range in 2022
Vehicle type
Why not choose a car you love driving? Electric cars offer a driving experience that’s superior to their gas-powered counterparts. With instant torque, you can feel the power behind the wheel. Furthermore, because they have no internal combustion engine and fewer moving parts, EVs are quieter and offer a smoother ride.
At the same time, you don’t have to give up your favorite type of vehicle by switching to electric cars. Automakers have introduced an EV in every category to fit all driver styles. Below are a few examples in each category.
Electric car model
Sedan
Tesla Model 3
Crossover/ compact
Kia EV6 Tesla Model Y Hyundai Kona EV Chevy Bolt EV Chevy Bolt EUV Ford Mustang Mach-E Polestar 2 Volvo C40
SUV
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Volkswagen ID.4 Rivian R1S Jaguar I-Pace Chevrolet Blazer EV Audi e-tron Kia Niro EV Mercedes EQS
Truck
Ford F-150 Lightning GMC Hummer EV Rivian R1T
Luxury
Tesla Model X Lucid Air
Types of electric cars
Charging considerations
Last and certainly not least is charging availability. If you own a home, it’s ideal to have a charging option at home. This way, every morning you wake up, you will have a fully charged electric car ready to take on the day. It’s common for about 80% of charging to be done at home.
To state the obvious, it’s best to place the charger where you typically park. However, not all EV models will have the charging point in the same location (some are near the back, while others can be in the grille).
The next thing you will want to factor in is the charging speed. Most new EVs will come with a level 1 charger, the slowest equipment using the standard 120-volt connection. Level 1 can take ten or more hours to charge your EV.
You can upgrade to a level 2 charger, but it will require a 240-volt power source. Meanwhile, Level 2 charging units can fully charge an electric car in around 3 to 8 hours.
For those who don’t own a home, it’s okay. There are charging options for you, too. You can always talk to your apartment manager to see if EV charging installation is viable (it makes a good investment)
If that’s not an option, plenty of public options are available. Automakers like Tesla are building their own Supercharging network, allowing drivers the freedom to go anywhere. Meanwhile, federal funding is contributing to the rollout of a national EV charging network.
Other companies, such as ChargePoint and EVgo, provide chargers to private businesses and for public use, expanding access further.
Most electric vehicles use the latest in connected technology, letting you know when and where to charge so you know exactly how far you can travel.
Which electric car will you choose first?
Your ideal first electric car will depend on several factors, including your budget, travel habits, and lifestyle. To get you started, here are a few of my top electric vehicle choices for first-time buyers:
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!
Got news? Let us know! Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
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