Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more common in South Florida roadways with each passing year. They are coming down in price, and the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act has money dedicated to building the largest charging infrastructure ever seen in this country.
Nearly every significant automobile manufacturer is offering an EV option to their consumers, and consumers are responding positively. In 2022 along, EV sales in South Florida nearly doubled. Why? Not only can you save money on fuel costs over a traditional gas-powered vehicle, but it can slash your carbon footprint as well. Purchasing an EV starts a virtuous cycle: It costs less to consumers as it helps fight the existential threat of climate change.
Most people, however, are not going to want to use public charging stations except when they’re traveling. Most EV drivers plan to charge their vehicles overnight, so they are ready to be driven during the day. The question, then, is this: What is the energy consumption of electric vehicles? Will I have to redo my entire electrical system to accommodate nightly charging? And, if so, what is the most efficient and cost-effective way to do it?
How Much Electricity Does an Electric Car Use, and How Do You Calculate It?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been hard at work determining how to measure the fuel mileage of electric vehicles. Obviously, the more traditional miles per gallon (mpg) no longer apply because there are no gallons of gasoline involved. As a result, the EPA has decided that cars should be rated on how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) it takes for a car to drive 100 miles.
In general, most electric vehicles use approximately 7,200 watts (i.e., 7.2 kilowatts) of electricity, depending on the model of car and the EV charger you choose to use. And most EV charging stations use between 32 and 40 amps and can be connected to a 240-volt outlet.
The average amount of energy consumption for electric vehicles currently in use in the United States is approximately 31 kWh/100 miles, which breaks down to 0.31 kWh/mile. What makes EVs unique is that they can typically be charged at home—but you can’t just plug your car into the outlet you currently have in your garage and call it a day.
Instead, you will have to invest in an EV charging station, which will provide you enough power to charge your car to 100% overnight. If you drive less than 50 miles a day (which the U.S. Department of Transportation suggests is the average), it will suffice. And in case your home has a solar energy system, using a solar-powered EV charging station at home also creates the least amount of carbon emissions because most grid-based electricity is still derived from fossil fuels.
However, in case your home does not have a solar energy system, once you’ve determined how much electricity you need to use, you can start calculating how big your solar system will need to be to allow you to charge your EV while still powering the rest of your home.
Can Your Solar System Charge Your Electric Car By Powering Your EV Charging Station?
The answer is “absolutely”! In fact, you will find significant savings over grid-powered charging.
Give Elite Home Energy Solutions a call today, and let us custom design a solar system for you!
1-888-354-8304
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