What's an Electric Car Like for Day-to-Day Usage?

Very nice, not that different to a ICE car, you just plug it in in the evening.

you just plug it in in the evening

This part confuses me so much in the area where I live. There is a Tesla Model S in my tiny parking garage where I live that has no outlets. I see two different Model S' parked on the street during my nightly walks. Do these people just charge at work or at the mall everyday? They have no accommodation for coming home late on a "low tank" besides literally going to a mall for a few hours.

[–] xyzzy 2 points (+2|-0)

Do these people just charge at work or at the mall everyday?

There are places where you can park and charge for free. There might also be some outlets at employers and malls; But every electric car owner I know has A high-current outlet at home.

I see two different Model S' parked on the street during my nightly walks. Do these people just charge at work or at the mall everyday?

Possibly, but even with the Tesla supercharger it takes half an hour to get decent range.

[–] jobes 1 points (+1|-0)

There are places where you can park and charge for free

Please tell me where I can charge for free. I have like three different accounts for different charging station companies. Even my work charges me and if I stay in the spot more than 4 hours they jack the price to 3 dollars and hour even if charged. The only actually free charging I've had was at an Indian casino in an actual Indian reservation.

My battery is really small (~20 miles) in relative terms being a hybrid electric, but it's nice to charge. Never free though.

[–] xyzzy 0 points (+0|-0)

There is a Tesla Model S in my tiny parking garage

They have a feature to get out before parking.

see two different Model S' parked on the street during my nightly walks. Do these people just charge at work or at the mall everyday?

Maybe they are, just check if there is a thick cable connected to the car.

[–] kb3pxr 3 points (+3|-0)

If you have one that has sufficient range to handle your commute and errands, the biggest differences depending on model are recharging and braking. Let's cover braking as it is actually part of recharging. Disclaimer, I'm not an EV owner.

Braking:

Some EVs have a separate regeneration control from the brake pedal. You regenerate any time you need to slow down and in many cases most of the braking prior to stopping is also handled by regeneration. If you have a stop sign coming up, you slow down with the regeneration and stop with the brakes. If you are coming down a hill or mountain, you regenerate to aid in speed regulation. As the name implies, regeneration takes some of the energy being taken away from your forward momentum and uses it to generate electricity to recharge the battery.

Charging:

This is actually the easiest one for those that have the ability to install a high power charger at home. Recharging at home is like recharging your cell phone at the end of the day. You simply plug your car in when you park at home. While a full charge on some models easily makes the 8 to 10 hour range with the high power, you rarely will be near 0 charge when you come home (if you are than you are likely buying gas at least every other day).

There are three types of charging, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 (DC Fast Charge).

Level 1:

Level 1 is the bare bones charging, this is sufficient if you travel 20 to 30 miles a day or fewer, can charge at work, or can use level 1 to get a boost charge at work. Level 1 is usually country dependent, in the US, this is 120 volts AC with a 15 or 20 amp outlet. Charging at this level is slow and also less efficient due to the voltage conversion required.

Level 2:

This is where the bulk of your charging will be in daily operation. Level 2 charging is a moderate speed and good for overnight charging. Level 2 charging is also available at charging stations. It is also recommended that if you travel that you carry adapters to connect to a NEMA 14-50 stove type outlet as some bare bones charging setups simply have an outlet and not a full charging setup. Level 2 is also the fastest you can charge at home.

Level 3:

Level 3 or DC fast charging is the newer charge connection. There are multiple connectors at this level, mainly CHAdeMO and Tesla. The DC fast charging system moves the charging electronics to the charging station allowing for better power transfer as the charging electronics inside the car don't have to handle the high power. DC fast charging can recharge to 50% capacity in 1/2 hour. Speaking of the connectors, you can get adapters (and Tesla sells them) to connect a CHAdeMO charger to a Tesla, but not the other way. Use of Level 3 charging is rather infrequent and is mainly designed for those few cases where you are nearing the limits of your range during a single day or for Road trips.

Lastly, while your electric bill will go up from an electric car, the addition to your electric bill is far less than what you will pay for gasoline. Maintenance is significantly less too as you have no oil changes (some EVs may have a battery coolant that needs changed, but not all). Brakes will last a long time (you use them for stopping, not slowing). If you are slightly mechanically inclined, you may be able to do your own tire rotations. Combine that with silicone wiper blades and your service interval is extended to safety inspections (if applicable) or tire changes.

If you have one that has sufficient range to handle your commute and errands, the biggest differences depending on model are recharging and braking. Let's cover braking as it is actually part of recharging. Disclaimer, I'm not an EV owner. Braking: Some EVs have a separate regeneration control from the brake pedal. You regenerate any time you need to slow down and in many cases most of the braking prior to stopping is also handled by regeneration. If you have a stop sign coming up, you slow down with the regeneration and stop with the brakes. If you are coming down a hill or mountain, you regenerate to aid in speed regulation. As the name implies, regeneration takes some of the energy being taken away from your forward momentum and uses it to generate electricity to recharge the battery. Charging: This is actually the easiest one for those that have the ability to install a high power charger at home. Recharging at home is like recharging your cell phone at the end of the day. You simply plug your car in when you park at home. While a full charge on some models easily makes the 8 to 10 hour range with the high power, you rarely will be near 0 charge when you come home (if you are than you are likely buying gas at least every other day). There are three types of charging, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 (DC Fast Charge). Level 1: Level 1 is the bare bones charging, this is sufficient if you travel 20 to 30 miles a day or fewer, can charge at work, or can use level 1 to get a boost charge at work. Level 1 is usually country dependent, in the US, this is 120 volts AC with a 15 or 20 amp outlet. Charging at this level is slow and also less efficient due to the voltage conversion required. Level 2: This is where the bulk of your charging will be in daily operation. Level 2 charging is a moderate speed and good for overnight charging. Level 2 charging is also available at charging stations. It is also recommended that if you travel that you carry adapters to connect to a NEMA 14-50 stove type outlet as some bare bones charging setups simply have an outlet and not a full charging setup. Level 2 is also the fastest you can charge at home. Level 3: Level 3 or DC fast charging is the newer charge connection. There are multiple connectors at this level, mainly CHAdeMO and Tesla. The DC fast charging system moves the charging electronics to the charging station allowing for better power transfer as the charging electronics inside the car don't have to handle the high power. DC fast charging can recharge to 50% capacity in 1/2 hour. Speaking of the connectors, you can get adapters (and Tesla sells them) to connect a CHAdeMO charger to a Tesla, but not the other way. Use of Level 3 charging is rather infrequent and is mainly designed for those few cases where you are nearing the limits of your range during a single day or for Road trips. Lastly, while your electric bill will go up from an electric car, the addition to your electric bill is far less than what you will pay for gasoline. Maintenance is significantly less too as you have no oil changes (some EVs may have a battery coolant that needs changed, but not all). Brakes will last a long time (you use them for stopping, not slowing). If you are slightly mechanically inclined, you may be able to do your own tire rotations. Combine that with silicone wiper blades and your service interval is extended to safety inspections (if applicable) or tire changes.

[–] smallpond 0 points (+0|-0)

I really like the braking regeneration, or rather I hate going back to a conventional car thinking of how much energy I'm wasting by breaking at lights or downhill.

[–] [Deleted] 2 points (+2|-0)

Im considering getting one in the next few years.

Does it feel different while driving?

[–] jobes 2 points (+2|-0)

Yes, in a few ways. One thing is they are really fucking quiet, so pulling up behind someone waking in the middle of the street means they won't hear you and you have to intentionally make noise to get them to move out of the way. The other part is they generally speed up very very fast on the electric motor, so you go from 0 to whatever really quick, depending on the car.

I've driven the BWM i3, tesla model S and my plug-in prius. In the i3 and model S if you floor it, it's like light speed immediately, head slams back, groceries destroyed from where you placed them. The hybrid electric ingress just get a nice little boost that they need.

[–] [Deleted] 1 points (+1|-0)

Edited

I lol'd at the Prius part. how Walter White of you.

[–] jobes 0 points (+0|-0)

On a scale of 1 to running outside in my underpants, I'm a 10

[–] Sissypuff 0 points (+0|-0)

My father got an early Mitsu MERV (I think that's what it's called) and I've driven it quite a bit. Even with a range of only 130 kms or so it was still very functional BUT you do spend a lot more time planning your day and route. And the heater is very power hungry so travel on cold days usually meant either short trips only or bundle up. Also a couple times a month he'd have to borrow a car so that he could make a longer trip.

But the thing went like stink and was a total hoot to drive, I really liked it. I might get an electric car someday but only once the usable range is 300+ kms.

What's an Electric Car Like for Day-to-Day Usage?

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