Choosing the Right PEV
There are three basic types of electric vehicles:
- Powered by gas and batteries
- Gas engine switches to the battery when the car is idling – saving a significant amount of gas
- Brakes continually recharge the battery
- Does not plug in to recharge
- Powered by batteries until they are depleted, then switches to the gas engine
- Depending on the size of the battery in your vehicle, the charge can last from 10 to 40 miles
- Brakes continually recharge the battery
- Batteries are charged by plugging the car into a standard electrical outlet or charging station
- Powered solely by batteries
- No tailpipe emissions
- Some cars can travel up to 160 miles on a single charge
- Brakes continually recharge the battery
- Batteries are charged by plugging the car into a standard electrical outlet or charging station.
Plug-in Electric Vehicles vs. Traditional Cars
The cost to charge a PEV depends on its battery size and how you drive. If you drive about 40 miles/day – at $0.11/kilowatt-hour (national average,) you could save almost $1,400 a year in "fuel costs" vs. a traditional car!
The data presented in the chart was supplied and is derived from a number of sources, including: ENERGY STAR®; the Department of Energy's Energy Savers program; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Energy End-Use Forecasting Group and Standby Power program; utility companies, including Pacific Gas & Electric and Flathead Electric Cooperative; and Consumer Reports. Additional information was provided by D&R International, independent consultants for ENERGY STAR.
