Smarter: Things People Wished They’d Known Before Buying an EV

By Pang-Chieh Ho
Senior Home & Appliances Writer

September 8, 2022

I asked you in a questionnaire what things you had to get used to the most after purchasing an EV, and in this issue I’m highlighting some memorable responses. Also in this week’s issue: Do bug zappers work, and why you shouldn’t call that viral TikTok drink “spa water.”

THE BIG STORY

There’s something futuristic about being inside an electric vehicle.

I don’t own an EV, but my friend Carol has a Tesla Model 3, and every time I’m in her car, the experience still feels novel. The frequent use of the touch screen continues to fascinate me. And watching her check her car’s battery like it’s a phone or a computer always makes me feel like I’m in a sci-fi movie.

According to CR’s recent nationally representative survey of 8,027 U.S. adults, only 7 percent of Americans have driven a fully electric vehicle in the past 12 months, but more than a third expressed an interest in buying one. As someone who’s likely to buy an EV herself, I wanted to know from our Smarter readers and social media followers the things EV drivers wished they had known before they bought their vehicle.

Here’s what you told me.

You need to plan for road trips.
Planning when and where to charge when driving long distance is one of the things readers brought up the most frequently about their EV driving experiences. Charging speed was another. “I wish charging would become faster, like it is to fill up gas,” said Sonal from California. Currently, Level 1 (120-volt charging) and Level 2 (240-volt charging) take hours, and even DC fast charging in public places on the go typically takes 30 to 60 minutes.

✅ Expert’s tip: If you’re going on a long trip, we recommend you use the PlugShare and Electrify America apps to help you find charging stations and plan your trips. Plugshare also has user reviews that will let you know whether certain public charging stations are crowded.

And it’s worth noting that even though EV charging is slower compared with filling up on gas, most owners charge at home overnight. And for a long trip, DC fast charging is very helpful. “I’ve stopped at DC fast charging places for 10 minutes to gain 80 miles of range, which sometimes makes all the difference in the world,” says Gabe Shenhar, associate director of CR’s auto testing program, who has tested just about every EV that’s been on the market for the last 10 years.

If you’re looking to buy an EV with a longer range, here are the models that can go more than 250 miles on a full charge.

Cold weather has an impact on EVs.
Colder temperatures affect the EV’s range as well as its charging speed, many readers pointed out. According to our recent tests, the range of an EV model can drop by 25 percent in cold weather when you’re cruising at 70 mph compared with the range in mild weather. And in the past, CR has found that short trips in the cold with frequent stops and reheating of the cabin can reduce the range by 50 percent.

✅ Expert’s tip: To conserve battery power, select a lower temperature for the cabin, for example, adjusting it to 66° F instead of 74° F, and rely on seat heaters and a heated steering wheel for warmth.

Make sure you drive slower, because long stretches of fast driving (more than 70 mph) deplete a battery faster. And when you’re parking your car, choose a garage that’s at least partly heated.

The tires of EVs wear out faster.
“I’m at 60,000 miles and just bought my third set of tires, despite driving conservatively almost all of the time,” said Garrett from Alabama.

One reason for the accelerated wear and tear on tires is that EVs tend to be heavier than gas cars, Gabe says.

There is also more wear on EV tires due to the higher torque of the cars. EVs supply their power immediately rather than building it up gradually, which means the tires have to work harder to get traction.

✅ Expert’s tip: You can buy EV-specific tires, which are designed to maximize grip and reduce rolling resistance, which is the drag created by the tires rolling down the road. And while tires wear out faster for EVs, EVs often cost less to maintain as a whole because they have fewer and simpler components.

Using the touch screen comes with a bit of a learning curve.
Navigating all the features on the touch screen was the No. 1 thing that required some time of adjustment, said Robert from New Jersey. And it can be tricky to use the touch screen, as one Facebook user pointed out, because some screens require a precise touch to access functions, which can be difficult on a bumpy ride.

✅ Expert’s tip: If you want to reduce the need to use the touch screen, you can set your preferences for various functions such as audio, mirrors, and air vents, and program that into the system’s memory so that you don’t have to adjust them while you’re driving, Gabe says.

Though driving an EV may require an adjustment of habits, a majority of you said you were satisfied with your vehicle in Smarter’s questionnaire. Many of you brought up how quiet and smooth it was to drive and how cheap it was to charge and maintain. And though people tend to worry about range, none of you reported personal experiences of running out of battery power. Thank goodness for that.

Bonus reading: Looking to purchase an EV? Here’s how you can find local and federal incentives and tax rebates for the EV model you’re interested in.

QUIZ

Yes or no: It’s okay to wash produce with soap.

(Answer’s at the end of the newsletter.)

TIPS OF THE WEEK

The bad news first: As of mid-August, more than 40 percent of the U.S. had experienced drought conditions.

The good (less pessimistic) news is that there are a few measures you can take to save water.

💧Replace your leaky or inefficient faucets. Swapping them out with WaterSense models, which meet the Environment Protection Agency’s standards for water efficiency, can save the average family 500 gallons of water per year.

🍳 Soak your pots and pans. It uses up less water than scrubbing them under running water.

👚 Pick the right soil setting when you do laundry. Unless your clothes are really soiled, choosing the heavy-duty setting will use up more water and extend your wash time.

For the full list of tips on cutting your water usage in half, read this.

MIXED MESSAGES

Question: Should I text “STOP” to suspicious text messages that are possibly from scammers?

Answer: Nope! Even if the message says you can “text STOP” to prevent future messages, you shouldn’t respond. Any response is a confirmation for the scammers that your number is in use, and you’re likely to invite more texts.

What should you do instead? Forward spam texts to 7726, your phone carrier’s spam department, and read more here about what you can do to avoid them.

Have a question you want to ask an expert? Drop me a note. I’m all ears.

FEELING FO(A)MO

This is how we test high-speed automatic emergency braking in cars.

MUST-READS OF THE WEEK

🚗 How to Keep Your Car From Getting Stolen

The key is to make your car seem more trouble than it’s worth.

📺 Best Apps for Finding Where Shows and Movies Are Streaming

It’s easier than trying to search for a particular show on a streaming service and coming up short.

🍝 Is Hearts of Palm Pasta Good for You?

They had me at “pasta.”

🥒 Let’s Not Call It Spa Water. It’s Agua Fresca.

This viral TikTok drink has been a staple in Mexican homes for a very long time.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Do bug zappers work? No. (Here are better mosquito traps to try instead.)

QUIZ ANSWER

The answer is no, please don’t, you shouldn’t wash produce with soap. Or bleach, for that matter. Because even after rinsing, there might still be soap or bleach left on the fruits and vegetables that can make you sick.

Here’s the correct way to wash your produce, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Wash all produce in cold running water for 15 to 20 seconds. You can time yourself by singing the song “Happy Birthday” twice. And for produce with tougher skin, such as potatoes, you can use a vegetable brush to wash it or rub it with your hands.

It’s important to wash produce because it could be contaminated by bacteria or have dirt and pesticide residue on it. And to avoid consuming produce with potentially harmful pesticide levels, check out our ratings of 35 fruits and vegetables based on pesticide risks.

"Make or brake."