Electric Vehicles and Charging

Electric vehicles (EVs) use electricity as their primary fuel or to improve the efficiency of conventional vehicle designs.  EVs are generally more expensive to buy than gas or diesel cars, but the electricity to fuel them normally costs less than gasoline or diesel on an energy-equivalent basis.  Their electric drivetrains are more than three times as efficient.  In many cases, these factors alone offset the increased cost of buying an EV over the vehicle's lifespan.  Maintenance costs can be much less because there are far fewer moving parts, no oil to change, and the battery, motor, and associated electronics require minimal scheduled maintenance, further increasing the cost-competitiveness of EVs.

Are you confused about EVs, BEVs, PHEVs?  The basics, terminology, emissions, fueling, cost differences, and more are explained in this August 2023 US Department of Energy publication.  The field is rapidly changing as battery technology improves and EVs become more popular but this is a good place to start.