{"id":31416,"date":"2023-09-05T17:24:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T21:24:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31416"},"modified":"2023-09-05T17:24:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T21:24:56","slug":"payne-ev-or-gas-car-the-cost-of-refueling-in-michigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/payne-ev-or-gas-car-the-cost-of-refueling-in-michigan","title":{"rendered":"Payne: EV or gas car? The cost of refueling in Michigan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Charlevoix<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Electric vehicles are flooding the market this summer just as Michigan gas prices have hit a $3.86 high for 2023. While customers see EV costs and charging infrastructure as barriers to purchase, a recent study from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Associated Press\u2013NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 74% of Americans say saving money on gas is a major reason they\u2019d consider purchasing a battery-powered vehicle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But are EVs cheaper to fuel than their gasoline-fired counterparts? The Detroit News went on the road to find out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Much of the answer depends on how you use your vehicle, so The News compared refueling costs both for road trips as well as daily commutes. EV early adopters tend to come from higher income households with multiple vehicles and a garage. Electrics are typically used for daily commutes and are refueled overnight from the utility-run, AC electric grid, while companion gas-powered cars are used for road trips. Single-vehicle households, on the other hand, use their EVs as multi-purpose mules \u2014 charging on higher-cost, DC fast-charging stations near the nation\u2019s highways as well as plugging in locally on AC outlets.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720416007-refuel-kiacharger.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Kia EV6 equaled the gas-powered Dodge Hornet as the most expensive road trip car at $80 over 500 miles.\" width=\"504\" height=\"284\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720416007-refuel-kiacharger.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720416007-refuel-kiacharger.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The Kia EV6 equaled the gas-powered Dodge Hornet as the most expensive road trip car at $80 over 500 miles.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Kia EV6 equaled the gas-powered Dodge Hornet as the most expensive road trip car at $80 over 500 miles.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I drove four different cars to north Michigan and back \u2014 a 500-mile round trip \u2014 in addition to extended driving around Metro Detroit to compare costs: an electric-powered, $57,410, 2022 Kia EV6 and $60,000, 2019 Tesla Model 3; and gas-powered, 2017, $28,000 Subaru Impreza and 2024, $44,160 Dodge Hornet. All are similarly-sized, all-wheel-drive models.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Tesla was the cheapest at $50 for the 500-mile round-trip thanks to a 30 cents per kWh charging cost at its proprietary Superchargers in Meijer parking lots along I-75. Tesla rates can be highly variable from 25-43 cents-per-kWh depending on location.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Kia EV, on the other hand, was\u2014along with the Hornet\u2014the most expensive of the four cars to refuel since it relies on third-party, fast chargers that range from 40-48 cents per kWh hour to recharge (Rivian vehicles, like Tesla, have exclusive access to a Rivian network along the route). I used Electrify America fast chargers, the nation\u2019s largest fast charger network outside of Tesla, that services all-comers with a CCS charging port. EA\u2019s charging network has followed Tesla\u2019s into similar shopping centers and this year upped its cost from 43 cents\/kWh to 48 cents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Kia cost $80 to charge on the round trip which would be similar to EVs from other brands like the Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning pickup and BMW iX.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720423007-refuel-teslagarage.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"At just $12.50 a week, the AWD Tesla Model 3 is more than twice as cheap to charge on a 50-mile work commute as a 30-mpg Subaru Impreza. On the other hand, the $28k Impreza stickers for half as much.\" width=\"490\" height=\"276\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720423007-refuel-teslagarage.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720423007-refuel-teslagarage.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"At just $12.50 a week, the AWD Tesla Model 3 is more than twice as cheap to charge on a 50-mile work commute as a 30-mpg Subaru Impreza. On the other hand, the $28k Impreza stickers for half as much.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"At just $12.50 a week, the AWD Tesla Model 3 is more than twice as cheap to charge on a 50-mile work commute as a 30-mpg Subaru Impreza. On the other hand, the $28k Impreza stickers for half as much.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The gas-powered Impreza and Hornet cost $67 and $80, respectively, filling up on $3.99 regular gas. The Impreza slurped 30 mpg and the Hornet 25 mpg.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It should be noted the EV vs. gas journeys were very different. Due to their inferior range and refueling ability, the EVs take more trip planning.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWe have built a world around driving gas vehicles. Driving an EV is a lifestyle change,\u201d said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. \u201cYou have to plug it overnight when you get to your destination, then unplug it when you leave. You have to plan road trips around chargers so that you get a bite to eat while you charge for 20 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Whereas I only refilled the gas pair once on the 500-mile round trip, I had to stop and fuel the EVs three times each. The Subaru has a range of 462 miles \u2014 nearly enough to make the entire round trip before a short, five-minute refueling stop. Depending on speed, I found the Subie\u2019s range could vary by about 12% (30 mpg instead of 34 mpg).<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Tesla EV, by contrast, had much greater range variability \u2014 losing up to 30% of range, for example, if I traveled at 80 mph on I-75 instead of 70. That means its 300-mile range may not be enough to get to the destination. What\u2019s more, EVs \u2014 unlike gas cars \u2014 fill up much more slowly (think a mug of beer) once you reach over 80% of capacity. And when I got to Charlevoix, my charging options were limited. So I stopped twice on the way north for a total of 45 minutes \u2014 and then again on the way back.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720399007-refuel-subaruimprezagas.jpg?width=660&amp;height=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Subaru Impreza got 30 mpg combined and cost $67 to fuel over 500 miles.\" width=\"536\" height=\"347\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720399007-refuel-subaruimprezagas.jpg?width=660&amp;height=427&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720399007-refuel-subaruimprezagas.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=854&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The Subaru Impreza got 30 mpg combined and cost $67 to fuel over 500 miles.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Subaru Impreza got 30 mpg combined and cost $67 to fuel over 500 miles.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThe physics of a battery is that it\u2019s not going to give you 300 miles in five minutes,\u201d said Fiorani. \u201cSociety is going to have to sacrifice in order to make (the EV) transition. This is not a full step forward like other consumer product advances \u2014 people are going to notice the negatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The best way to travel is to make sure your destination (hotel, friend\u2019s home) has a 240-volt charger so you can charge at your destination. Just like home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It\u2019s local commuting where the EV really shines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The cost of fueling the Subaru (30 mpg) and Hornet (24 mpg) were nearly the same whether commuting or traveling. The EVs, on the other hand, got much more efficient when home charging on a 240-volt outlet (same voltage as a dryer).<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">If I home-charged the Tesla at DTE Energy\u2019s overnight, 15 cents-per-kWh off-peak rate, a 50-mile round trip to The Detroit News downtown office would cost just $2.50, or a total of $12.50 a week. The Impreza, on the other hand, would cost $6.66 a day for a total of $33 a week.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720412007-refuel-teslarate.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The Tesla Model 3 charges on proprietary Tesal Superchargers - but can charge on third-party, CCS chargers, too, with an adapter.\" width=\"523\" height=\"295\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720412007-refuel-teslarate.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720412007-refuel-teslarate.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The Tesla Model 3 charges on proprietary Tesal Superchargers - but can charge on third-party, CCS chargers, too, with an adapter.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The Tesla Model 3 charges on proprietary Tesal Superchargers - but can charge on third-party, CCS chargers, too, with an adapter.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">As with long-distance travel, there is a wrinkle. A typical charger-plus-installation at a home runs about $2,000. So an EV would take about two years to get the charger cost back in fuel savings. And the $10,000 premium of an all-wheel-drive Model 3 would take about 10 years to make back over a similarly-equipped Impreza Sport.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The refueling advantage of an EV lies in the assumption that owners have access to a garage at work or home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cWhile there is plenty of interest in purchasing an electric vehicle, the high upfront cost of owning one and concerns about the country\u2019s charging infrastructure are barriers to more people driving them,\u201d said Jennifer Benz, deputy director of the AP-NORC Center. \u201cPolicies that alleviate these concerns will be a key component of building support for an EV future.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720417007-refuel-hornetroad.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2024 Dodge Hornet gets 25 mpg combined fuel economy.\" width=\"527\" height=\"297\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720417007-refuel-hornetroad.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2023\/08\/30\/PDTN\/70720417007-refuel-hornetroad.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"The 2024 Dodge Hornet gets 25 mpg combined fuel economy.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2024 Dodge Hornet gets 25 mpg combined fuel economy.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Accordingly, automakers target higher-income demographics for EV sales. There are more EV options in the market, with 30% of new vehicle offerings this year being electric. According to data from Cox Automotive, the average EV transaction price was $53,469 in July compared to $48,334 for gas chariots. Apple to apples, EVs are much pricier than their segment counterparts. A 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, for example, starts at $56,715 \u2014 about $20,000 north of its gas-fired stablemate. Automakers say such premiums are mostly due to battery cost.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Governments from Washington, D.C., to California are targeting the elimination of gas-engine sales by 2035. To help EV adoption, many states are offering tax discounts in addition to the federal tax credit of $7,500 which the Tesla qualifies for since it is Made in the USA (the Korean-made Kia does not). Leading the way is Colorado with a $5,000 EV state credit that is due to expand to $19,000 later this year. Michigan does not have a state tax credit for EVs.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-6\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"5\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charlevoix\u00a0\u2014 Electric vehicles are flooding the market this summer just as Michigan gas prices have hit a $3.86 high for 2023. While customers see EV costs and charging infrastructure as barriers to purchase, a recent study from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Associated Press\u2013NORC Center for Public Affairs Research [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31416"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31416"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31417,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31416\/revisions\/31417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}