Is an electric vehicle right for you?
Many people will ask themselves that question for the first time this year. Prices are falling, battery range is rising and mainstream brands are adding new EVs at a breakneck pace.
Here are three things anybody seriously considering buying an EV should know:
1. The price to install a 240v charger
Anybody who owns an electric vehicle needs a 240-volt charger at home. With one, you can recharge overnight, so you start every day with the equivalent of a full tank.
Just a few years ago, home 240v EV chargers cost $2,500-$3,000, including installation, but prices have declined as competition grows with the number of EVs on the road.
2. The time it takes to charge
About 80% of miles driven in EVs are powered by electricity charged at home, but you’ll need to charge elsewhere occasionally. That’s when charging time becomes a big deal, but how long it takes depends on a couple of factors.
First, voltage from the charger. Getting 250 miles of range in seven hours from a 240v charger is fine when you’re charging overnight at home, but it’s a deal breaker if you’re going 300 miles for a weekend getaway. In that case, you’ll want to look for a 400v DC fast charger. They’re not as common as 240v public chargers yet, but they’re becoming more widespread.
There’s another factor: the on-board charger. It regulates how fast the battery can accept electricity. A vehicle with a higher-capacity on-board charger accepts electricity faster.
3. Where to charge
Good route-planning apps will help you find chargers on a road trip.
“Most people have no idea how many public charging stations are within, say, a 10-or 15-mile radius(半径) because they’re small, people don’t look for them or even don’t know what to look for, and they’re rarely signposted,” said journalist John Voelcker, who has studied EVs and charging exhaustively.
4. On the horizon
If an EV doesn’t meet your needs now, watch this space. They’re coming closer, but large numbers of gasoline vehicles will remain in production for years. Beyond that, companies will keep making spare parts for oil-burners for decades.
40. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The price of installing a home EV charger has remained stable in the past few years. |
B.It’s quite easy to identify the public charging stations with the help of striking signposts. |
C.Popular brands are introducing new EVs at an incredibly fast rate. |
D.An electric vehicle can’t provide the same amount of energy as a completely filled fuel tank. |
41. The underlined phrase
“watch this space
” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
A.give up the plan to purchase an EV |
B.make space for an EV |
C.find an alternative to EV |
D.keep an eye out for future developments |
42. This passage is mainly intended to ________.
A.illustrate the factors charging time depends on |
B.offer advice on purchasing an electric vehicle |
C.look forward to the future of electric vehicles |
D.explain the reason for the falling prices of electric vehicles |