CUB Staffers Share Their EV Ownership Stories

At CUB we have always supported environment-friendly policies that also have the potential to bring long-term monetary benefits to utility customers. For instance, Oregon has a target to put 50,000 electric vehicles on our roads by the end of this year. As consumer advocates we want to ensure that local electric companies have a plan to manage the new EV load on their system, and to reap and share the benefits from this increased load with utility customers through lower electricity bills. But CUB has a personal connection to EVs as well – our Executive Director Bob Jenks and I are both EV owners. Today on the CUB Blog, we are sharing our stories about what this experience is like day-to-day.

I joined Oregon’s EV owner ranks fairly recently; my family got our first electric vehicle in November 2019. We are an environmentally conscious family, and my seven-year-old daughter has been a big EV advocate in our household. But it was really the car maker’s discount and a bunch of state and federal tax incentives, along with the sale of one of our older cars, that motivated this purchase.

So far it has been a good buy. We are proud that we pollute much less from our daily commute to and from work and also driving around town. The car is eerily silent. That is a good thing, but it took me some time to get used to it. We are saving quite a bit on fuel costs. Our monthly electricity bill has gone up by about $22; we spent almost twice that amount in purchasing gas for our older car. We also save on maintenance costs as this car requires only a yearly maintenance service.

There are also a few surprises that came with the car. While an overnight charge would last almost the entire work week in a warmer climate, the battery drains much faster when outside temperatures drop. Thankfully, the car is equipped with technologies designed to economize on battery usage when that happens. We like having this car. It is a good commuter car and an excellent and clean way to drive around town.

Here is what Bob Jenks had to say about his experience as an EV owner:

“A little over seven years ago, my wife and I purchased an EV. EVs cost more up front, but their cost of operation is much lower. Being the energy policy nerd that I am, I put together a spreadsheet and compared the operating costs of an EV versus an internal combustion engine and determined how much I could pay for an EV and still come out ahead over the life of the car. I did not think I was likely to find an EV for this price, but because I purchased a 2013 model after the 2014 models were out, I was able to get a discount that was consistent with my spreadsheet. (Like I said, I am an energy policy nerd.)

“Our car is a plug-in hybrid. This means that it operates fully from electricity until the battery is drained and then it switches to gasoline. The electric motor drives the car, but when the battery runs down, the car has a small gas generator that produces electricity to run the motor. While I would have liked a fully electric car, the ranges that were available seven years ago were not enough. I needed a car that could get me to Brookings where my folks lived. Of course, in the years since 2013, ranges have increased significantly, and plug-in hybrids occupy a smaller share of the market than they once did. But the battery has enough range for our daily usage. It is only when we go out of town that we need to use the gas generator and purchase gasoline.

“It is a great car. The electric motor responds quickly, smoothly, and quietly. There are few moving parts, requiring very little maintenance. Because of the generator, we must change the oil occasionally – three times in seven years, but beyond that our only expenses have been tires, windshield wipers, and electricity.

“It takes about $1 of electricity to drive 35-40 miles. This is equivalent to purchasing gas for about $.80/gallon. After seven years, the range has declined a little bit, but not much. It is a great family car. My daughter learned to drive with it. We have taken it on trips to San Francisco and Vancouver Island. When driving in British Columbia, we even got the speedometer above 100 (kilometers per hour, that is!)”

For those readers who may be thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle, we encourage you to check out the State of Oregon’s Go Electric website, which has lots of resources to help you determine your needs and start your search.

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