In the year and a half since modern, mass-market electric cars have been available for purchase, many a pundit has attempted to paint a picture of what driving and owning one of these vehicles is like. From ludicrous myths (exploding batteries) to questionable claims (a more relaxed morning commute), it can be hard to know exactly what a plug-in car will do in the real world.

Now EV owners are beginning to speak up on what it is like to be early adopters and how the cars behave during daily driving. It is expected that many owners at this early stage are enthusiasts, but the experiences of a small sample of drivers so far indicate they are being rewarded for their leap of faith.

Safety first
With all the attention spent in the last year on electric car batteries catching fire it would be easy to assume the large battery packs sitting underneath the cabin present a significant danger. As it turns out, EV drivers have been thinking quite a bit about this topic as well.

"I'd rather sit on batteries than a tank of gas, in terms of explosion risk," says Olivier Chalouhi, who became the world's first Nissan LEAF owner when he took delivery of one in late 2010. It is a sentiment that Patrick Wang, one of the first to own the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt, shares. "There's a ton more energy in gasoline than in the battery pack—so to me its not a concern at all," he says.

The only safety concern among a small sample of EV owners interviewed in conjunction with the May EVS26 electric vehicle symposium in Los Angeles relates to pedestrians' obliviousness to the quiet electric drivetrain. Chalouhi, whose LEAF is equipped with an automatic pedestrian-alert sounder, says he has not had any such issues. Yet Wang, whose Volt is equipped with a driver-actuated pedestrian-alert sound, says that sometimes in parking lots pedestrians have not noticed him, so he activated the chirping noise.

Peder Norby—who drove a Mini-E not equipped with pedestrian-alert noises from 2009 to 2011 and has since migrated into the BMW ActiveE all-electric 1 Series—has the most direct experience with pedestrian safety around electric cars. "People are so attuned to listening [for car sounds] that they don't notice you, especially in parking lots," he says. "Sometimes they take a step right in front of the car with their cart and then react in shock as their senses did not tell them they were about to get hit. In fact, I've even had a bicyclist turn into my car and hit it with his front tire."

Although the bicyclist and his bike were fine, Norby says he's become more cautious and alert in parking lots. He notes, however, that as soon as the car gets above about 15 kilometers per hour motor and tire noise are loud enough to avoid the issue.

Maintenance and driving range
After tens of thousands of collective driving miles, maintenance issues have been relatively minor. Wang says he had an issue with a dead taillight and a loose bolt on a brake caliper right after he took delivery of his Volt but no issues since then. In about 60,000 kilometers of driving the Mini-E, Norby says his air conditioning unit had to be repaired but that his ActiveE has been flawless so far. Of the EV owners interviewed, Chalouhi seems to have had the most carefree experience saying that after more than 27,000 kilometers of driving he has only paid $29.90 for a tire rotation.

Given that the battery pack is the single most expensive part on the vehicle—some estimates are up to 45 percent of the total cost of the vehicle—questions have been raised as to how frequently it will need to be replaced. The concern is that any savings on maintenance will be overshadowed by having to spend multiple thousands of dollars every few years to ensure you can continue to drive the advertised range on a full charge.

None of the drivers has yet noticed a drop off in electric range due to age of the battery packs, but Wang—who lives in northern California—has clearly noticed a change in range due to changing seasons. "In the winter the Volt’s range definitely drops due to external temperatures and climate-control usage," he says. "This is my second summer and second winter with the car, and it pretty much drives like the first month I owned it."

Range or fuel anxiety?
Perhaps the biggest concern has revolved around the question of range anxiety—the fear that the car will run out of juice before getting to a destination. Norby and Chalouhi, both of whom own all-electric cars, say this has not been a problem.

When he first became a Mini-E driver in 2009, Norby kept his second gas-powered car "just in case." He eventually sold that car because he was not using it. About twice a year, when he had to travel farther than the Mini-E's range of 145 kilometers he would swap cars with his wife. He does admit to once pushing the car too far and having to stop at a local convenience store for a 20-minute charge on a 120-volt outlet. Norby charged just enough to ensure he could make it home, which was a little more than a kilometer away.

Chalouhi says that "range anxiety" is the wrong term, but that he is a lot more "range aware" than he was before. "I know what I can easily do with the car, and I know when I'm pushing the range," he says. "In these cases, I'll either change my driving—meaning go slower on the highway and use the [LEAF's] 'ECO' mode—or I'll find a charging station to use midday. I've never been stuck, not even the one time I had forgotten to charge the [previous] evening."

Given that the Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid and can travel about 50 to 65 kilometers on battery power before switching over to gas, Wang has never even thought about range issues, but he does say he had a bit of "fuel anxiety" at the beginning. "In the last year and a half 80 percent of my miles have been on electric power alone," he says. "I did have fuel anxiety—a concern about using any gas at all—for the first year, and was worried about messing up my stats, but I've gotten over it now and drive it like a normal car."

Although these early adopters represent only a small snapshot of the global EV ownership experience, the cars appear to be meeting—and in certain cases exceeding—expectations. More stories will certainly come to light as an increasing number of EVs hit the road.

39 Comments

1. 1. JamesDavis 07:52 AM 6/12/12

   I would think that the savings on gas alone, about $1,300.00 to $1,500.00 a year, should encourage everyone to get an EV as soon as they can. Your biggest expense with an EV would be tires, and that would only come around about every four or five years, and for some people...longer. I know that the Nissan Leaf guarantee their battery for the life of the car, so in ten years, batteries should cost about the same as your acid lead battery and give you even further range than the 76 miles the Leaf already gets you. The 2013 Chevy Volt just upped the range on their battery to 43 miles until the gas engine kicks on. So if you drive less than 40 miles a day and charge at night at home, you could save a small fortune on gas. I favor the Nissan Leaf because it is zero polluting and I care a lot about the environment. So if you care about the environment, then you may choose the Leaf over the Volt and the Leaf costs a lot less than the Volt. The Volt is priced at over $40,000.00 and the 2013 Leaf will be about #$27,000.00 to $30,000.00, or maybe even less.

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2. 2. dbtinc 07:59 AM 6/12/12

   Unless you drive a lot of miles a year, the current electrics do not make economic sense. They're expensive "pound for pound" compared to their gas equivalents. They do however make an ecological statement!

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3. 3. alan6302 09:24 AM 6/12/12

   I will not be surprised if the internal combustion engine is banned , due to emissions of nano-particles. I prefer the development of the "wave". Unfortunately, the wave is too cheap. Borders will become ineffective.

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4. 4. LasPaled 09:57 AM 6/12/12

   I have had my Volt for 6 weeks now and have used a total of 4 gallons of gas in about 1200 miles of driving. Most days I don't engage the gasoline at all. That being said I am looking forward to a road trip in a couple of weeks and I am glad I have an EV that allows me the flexibility to not have to have a spare gasoline car.
   
   It's going to take 20 years or more before the range and fast charging technology will be there so all drivers are comfortable ditching gasoline and then another 20+ years for the technology to be fully adopted. To me, the long term benefits of getting away from oil is pretty apparent but I think most Americans would prefer to not be troubled by the details of how our reliance on oil affects the world geo-politically. Apathy is the true enemy to EV adoption.

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5. 5. llaumann 10:30 AM 6/12/12

   JamesDavis, the LEAF has an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty on the battery. As I mentioned in another post, used Nissan LEAFs are available now for about $25,000. Check AutoTrader.com.
   
   I have been driving my 2011 Nissan LEAF for one year. Regarding road trips, we simply rent a car. We tried out a new Toyota Corolla for a quick trip to Arizona - $28 for the day. Between the convenience of Amtrak and renting a car, there is really no need to keep an extra car around for road trips.

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6. 6. Function in reply to JamesDavis 10:44 AM 6/12/12

   
   The 2013 AER will be 38 miles up from 35 miles.

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7. 7. Function 11:10 AM 6/12/12

   Besides the obvious battery cost issue, I think the fundamental blocker on BEVs is the rate of charging. If BEVs could be refueled at a rate close to that of a gasoline or diesel car it would increase viability both for the individual driver and, more importantly, for provision of public charging that could increase the financial viability of ownership by limiting required capacity.

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8. 8. Sonoma Richard 11:48 AM 6/12/12

   We have had our Volt (#324) for 17 months and have 16,000 miles on it. Lifetime gas millage is 194 mpg. We are on solar electricity and estimate that we are saving around $8,000 per year on both gasoline and electricity.(Gas averages $4.25 per gallon around here). This on a total of $80,000 initial outlay, after rebates. A 10% return is very good these days.
   The Volt drives beautifully and is a lot of fun to drive. We use it everyday and it fits my wife's and my lifestyle.

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9. 9. sparcboy in reply to llaumann 11:57 AM 6/12/12

   There is not need to keep an extra vehicle around for road trips, unless your road trips require a truck to work on a ranch or you drive off road in places a car can't go.

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10. 10. JamesDavis in reply to llaumann 12:29 PM 6/12/12

    Yes, you are right about the warranty, but Nissan also said that the battery would last the life time of the car. Nissan based that on about 10 years, because most people buy a new car about every ten years. I also think, but I'm not really sure about this, that Nissan said that the battery will be exchanged on all used Leafs. So if you buy a used 10 year old Leaf, it should have a new battery in it; complements of Nissan. But in 10 years, batteries will be much more advanced with longer distances of about 150 to 350 or more miles per charge and a lot cheaper. The Tesla Model S can already get you 350 MPC, but you will pay over $70,000.00 for that electric car.

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11. 11. JamesDavis in reply to Function 12:34 PM 6/12/12

    I based the 43 MPC on GM saying that the Volt can get 40 MPC now before the engine kicks on.

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12. 12. JamesDavis in reply to LasPaled 12:48 PM 6/12/12

    No, LasPaled, it is not going to take 20 years for chargers to come up to speed. A town in Washington state are converting their transit buses over to electric trollies and they can fully charge their trollies in under 5 minutes. I think that article about the electric trolly was here on SciAm a couple of days back or last week.

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13. 13. gmperkins 01:58 PM 6/12/12

    From what I have read the cost analysis of these vehicles still favors a gas powered vehicles but it is pretty close and these are basically 'first generation'. It won't be long before costs drop in chunks and electric/hybrids are clear winners in both cost of operation and environmental impact. (from advancements and economies of scale, combined with more and more infrastructure to support them). I really look forward to far less pollution in cities and highways.

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14. 14. selrachj 02:40 PM 6/12/12

    I've owned a Leaf for over a year now and one observation not touched on here is how unbelievably pleasant driving has become. Having owned some very fancy BMWs and what not, this surprised me. The experience of getting from A to B is effortless. When stuck in traffic, the car is more akin to an island of tranquility. This seems overblown, I realize, but the fact that no engine every kicks in during stop-and-go seems to have a wonderful psychological effect. And a strange new experience has shown up -- going into a gas station and putting an explosive liquid fuel into our other car is bizarre. It seems downright primitive. Perhaps it's just my own idiosyncrasies, but my wife and I haggle over who gets to take the Leaf. That's another sign of something very good.

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15. 15. ssm1959 03:16 PM 6/12/12

    I hpoe all of the drivers o these vehicles fulfill 2 criteria. First the car they got rid of better have been in completely unserviceable condition that absolutely mandated the purchase of a new one. Since 90% of the total energy budget of anything we buy is tied up in the MANUFACTURE of those items NOT IN THEIR USE, the purchase of a major item such as a car for no other reason than to assuage a misguided environmentalist mindset is a waste.
    
    Second I trust that the owners get their power from a Nuclear or hydroelectric plant. If not they have contributed more to CO2 emissions than had they purchased the biggest, baddest SUV.

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16. 16. gotom 03:27 PM 6/12/12

    Interesting about lack of engine noise resulting in
    near misses or in one case, a bicycle tire hitting
    the electric car. This is so driver-centric as to be
    a comment on the times. Consider the pedestrian
    or cyclist whose life is at stake as these stealth cars,
    operating in a sea of traditional noise-making vehicles,
    ply their way into the path of unsuspecting and
    unprotected innocents. Heaven forbid that the
    driver may be the focus of a startled glance. Implied
    is the judgment that any injury is victim-induced.

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17. 17. Profitsup 04:37 PM 6/12/12

    
    The EV is not a environmental advantage - the electricity used is produced from gas or nuclear or coal and placed into the grid. So, all that has happened is the EV has relocated the pollution source. It takes more total energy per mile due to energy conversion from source to electricity is not 100% efficient [energy loss]and then there is additional loss in transmission.
    
    Just like closing all of our smelter and heavy industries by relocating them with the jobs to China. WE now are tracking the air pollution is returning from China without the economic activity of good jobs.

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18. 18. oldfartfox 04:54 PM 6/12/12

    Considering that a day trip to my mom's is a 150 mile round trip, to my sister's is 180, and I have been known to have to switch tanks on a dual-tank pickup truck before stopping for the night on a trip, I really can't see one in my near future.
    

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19. 19. B.Free in reply to JamesDavis 05:07 PM 6/12/12

    How much is the energy costs? What is the difference?

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20. 20. EyesWideOpen 08:06 PM 6/12/12

    The batteries use neodymium magnets and other rare earth elements that deplete the environment in proportion to the gas they're saving, kind of a "robbing Peter to pay Paul" effect on mother earth. Until battery technology makes a quantum leap, I'm going to accept that harsh reality of traditional internal combustion engine transportation.

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21. 21. Asteroid Miner 12:51 AM 6/13/12

    17 Profitsup: Nuclear power does not make CO2. It is CO2 that can make humans EXTINCT by 2060. Global Warming GW is causing desertification that will result in a collapse of agriculture and civilization in the 2050s unless we quit burning fossil fuels. [You can find fossils in coal.]
    Since nuclear fuel is recyclable, there is no such thing as nuclear waste.

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22. 22. llaumann in reply to selrachj 02:05 AM 6/13/12

    Like selrachj, we have had our LEAF (#4130) for over a year. I believe buying the LEAF was one of the best purchases I have ever made - it is a high quality product. I second the opinion that the driving experience is "pleasant". It is smooth and quiet - silent, in fact, such that I have started buying more MP3 music to enjoy from the built-in USB port. Lounge, latin jazz, classical, hip-hop - it all sounds better in the LEAF.

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23. 23. llaumann in reply to ssm1959 02:14 AM 6/13/12

    Regarding the use of resources to build the LEAF, the interior of the car is made of 60% recycled plastic, such as that from plastic water bottles. Some people think the interior looks cheap. I call it durable. Those plastic bottles are better put to use every day than lying in the bottom of a landfill. Kudos to Nissan for a win-win design.

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24. 24. llaumann in reply to gotom 02:36 AM 6/13/12

    Gotom, I would like to dispel the assertion that EVs are silent at any speed, and are somehow dangerous to pedestrians, joggers and cyclists. The LEAF features a pedestrian warning device - an electronic "noise maker" that produces an audible whirring sound when driving forward between 0 and 20 mph. When backing up, it makes a LOUD beeping noise, like a big truck does. It has an OFF SWITCH in the 2011 model, but not in the 2012 model.
    
    I cautiously sneak up on pedestrians, joggers and cyclists on the road, and I am aware when they notice me. With the noisemaker purposely turned OFF at 0 to 5 mph, the LEAF can be silent. Over 5 mph, the tire noise can usually be heard by pedestrians, joggers and cyclists.
    
    The notion that EVs are somehow dangerously silent is completely overblown. My condo unit overlooks two stop signs; I regularly watch people blow through it like it doesn't exist. In other words, we have bigger fish to fry.

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25. 25. llaumann in reply to ssm1959 02:41 AM 6/13/12

    Secondly, ssm1959, why not buy a USED EV? They are available, and they get more affordable every day.

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26. 26. llaumann in reply to ssm1959 02:55 AM 6/13/12

    ssm1959, your assertion that driving an EV produces more carbon (CO2) emissions than "the biggest, baddest SUV" is simply untrue. Please cite your source for that information.
    
    "State of Charge: Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings Across the United States", a thorough and careful study by the Union of Concerned Scientists finds otherwise.
    
    The production of electricity over time will become cleaner with the addition of nuclear, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar and wind turbine power generation to the grid. A gas-guzzling SUV will sadly, always be - a gas-guzzling SUV.

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27. 27. gotom in reply to llaumann 03:04 AM 6/13/12

    Thanks. How about a report from the saddle?
    
    The reality is that riders learn to locate
    and track cars by engine noise, which when
    accompanied by road noise creates a broad
    spectrum of sounds richer and more complex
    than a noisemaker, more readily triangulated
    and echo located. Of course you're defending
    your purchase of the LEAF and I'm just defending
    my life.
    

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28. 28. oldvic in reply to gotom 04:33 AM 6/13/12

    I'm a bicycle commuter and I can tell you that 90% of such problems can be avoided by:
    - using a rear-view mirror on the bicycle, an invaluable safety aid;
    - realizing that one isn't on one's own backyard, but on a public street, and paying due attention to what we're doing.
    After all, when did inattentiveness become a social right?

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29. 29. LarryL 03:29 PM 6/13/12

    Question for EV owners: How much have you seen your electric bills change for typical amounts of driving?

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30. 30. sofistek 06:18 PM 6/13/12

    It's sad that most commenters have total faith in technology and complete blindness about the environmental costs and resource realities of EVs. Fortunately, a few seem to understand that EVs are not a panacea.
    
    It takes a lot of oil to produce an EV, possibly even more than for a conventional car, several years worth of fuel. The electricity (or a large part of it, and it depends on which country you're in) produces a lot of pollution also. Nuclear isn't CO2 free and does produce waste (hence the multi-decade project in Norway to build a waste repository). Battery technology isn't guaranteed to produce hundreds of millions of cheap batteries, nor is charging technology guaranteed to provide affordable 5 minute full charging for all EVs. Electricity generation capacity may have to be increased by a third to cope with a changeover to EVs, at current vehicle usage, with consequent environmental damage.
    
    I think a reality check is sometimes in order when these sorts of stories come out.

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31. 31. StaeveEV in reply to Function 07:22 PM 6/13/12

    Why is the rate of charging an issue? My EV charges while I sleep. Every morning it is ready for 100 miles. I rarely use even half of that range and no longer waste any time or money at gas stations.

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32. 32. StaeveEV in reply to JamesDavis 07:31 PM 6/13/12

    I have had to replace several vehicles after ten years because they began to fall apart. My 1999 Ford Ranger Electric is still in great shape with daily use and only requires annual wipers and tire rotation. No need to replace it after only ten years. That convention is for gas vehicles.

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33. 33. BuckSkinMan 02:25 PM 6/14/12

    Zipcar (inc) provides the Prius as one option. I used their Prius just once - and was stuck for 20 minutes in a parking lot at the airport while my in-coming daughter waited for me to show at the pick up area. I told the people at Zipcar that I'd never again use one of their ridiculous fad toys (electric cars). "Eventually" being able to start a motor vehicle just means that that vehicle is not yet ready for distribution to the unsuspecting public.

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34. 34. BuckSkinMan 02:37 PM 6/14/12

    When I see an electric (hybrid or not) vehicle which is capable of taking a pile of camping equipment on a 200+ mile ride to a remote camping site in less than 4 hours, I'll "start" thinking about buying into this idea. Few people actually stop to think about the amount of impact to their lives & lifestyles this kind of vehicle will have.
    
    Nationally: this limited ability will kill long distance vacation travel. I've yet to see recharging facilities installed in national parks. And if getting from Ohio to the Grand Canyon in one's own vehicle means multiple overnight stops at the "properly equipped" motels, that puts owning one of these things out of the question for years to come.
    
    

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35. 35. DKUVA in reply to BuckSkinMan 12:03 PM 6/15/12

    @BuckSkinMan -- I'm not sure why the development of EVs would "kill" long distance vacation travel. You make it sound as if the choice is all EV or no EV. As you are a fan of national parks, you are surely aware that many people who undertake such trips wind up renting an RV even though they own gas-powered cars. Furthermore many families have a smaller commuter car and a larger car they use for travel in any event. So why not have a commuter car that is an EV? Most miles people drive are local miles, not occasional long distance trips. If we cut the amount of gas consumed by 50% it would 1)reduce the price of gas, 2) reduce the adverse health and environmental effects of emissions, and 3) significantly reduce the amount of money the U.S. is sending to hostile nations that happen to own oil. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with a Prius, but there are over 2.6 million Priuses on the road -- I find it hard to believe that it is a "fad toy". But I will tell you that my wife's gas powered minivan failed to start the other day. Are those "fad toys"?
    
    In any event using the rare long trip as a reason to say that EVs are not ready is missing the forest for the trees. Nobody is saying throw every gas powered car away today. Maybe it's not appropriate for you if you regularly take several-hundred mile trip. But for millions and millions of people it is a very appropriate choice.

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36. 36. bucketofsquid in reply to oldvic 02:36 PM 6/15/12

    You are really going to have to stop making sense when posting on forums filled with fanatics that care nothing for facts. Someone may take you seriously and our whole culture of self centered entitlement will collapse.

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37. 37. bucketofsquid in reply to Asteroid Miner 02:38 PM 6/15/12

    If there is no nuclear waste then why do we have so much nuclear waste? Most nuclear waste isn't from the fuel. If you limit your statement to thorium reactors I might let it slide but you didn't so I'm calling you on your obviously delusional statement.

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38. 38. bucketofsquid 03:00 PM 6/15/12

    I munna lay some factoids on y'all;
    I can buy a new gas vehicle for about $20,000 to $30,000 less.
    I can buy a used gas powered vehicle in good condition for about $5,000 which is still about $20,000 less.
    For $20,000 I can buy a lot of gas.
    To charge an electric vehicle I have to pay for electricity so that mileage isn't free.
    
    More than 600 years after the development of wind energy and 4 decades after the development of solar energy, wind and solar contribute around 6% total of global electric generation with Hydro at about 16%.
    Let us be generous and say 25% total. Nuclear is about 13%. This means that 60% of electricity causes fossil fuels to be burned. I'm giving non fossil fuels a couple of percent just to be nice.
    
    Plastic comes from oil and so do many other substances. Around 80% of oil produced goes to manufacturing.
    
    EV isn't going to make a lot of impact either way. If you want to save the environment then have fewer children and consume less. Turn off the air conditioning and TV and computer. Stop buying bottled water. Most of it comes from municipal water supplies anyhow so what is the point?

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39. 39. Quinn the Eskimo 09:01 PM 6/24/12

    Wanting a thing is often better than having a thing.

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