Electric vehicles use batteries, either fully or in part, to supply electric fuel to the vehicle. Batteries power one or more electric motors, which provide the force that propels the car. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) exclusively use batteries to provide electricity as a fuel source. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) use a battery to power the vehicle for some distance before switching to either a standard gasoline-powered car or use a petroleum-fueled generator to power the battery. Unlike standard hybrid vehicles, both BEVs and PHEVs need to be plugged in to recharge the batteries. Learn more in the Oregon Department of Energy’s 2020 Biennial Energy Report.

Currently, there is no single standard for charging an EV. That means if you’re on the road, you’ll need to find a charger that is compatible with your vehicle (or use a converter). A lot of helpful information about finding charging on the go is available on this Go Electric Oregon page.

Believe it or not, charging at home can be as simple as plugging your car into a regular electrical outlet. The charging will take some time, but should be able to fully charge your battery. Upgrading to a 240-volt “dryer” outlet will increase speed, as will installing a home EV charger. Learn more.

Battery range depends on the vehicle. EVs are evolving with more makes and models available, and improved performance with longer battery ranges of 300 miles or more.

There are nearly 3,000 publicly accessible chargers in Oregon, with more coming online in the coming years. Some rural areas of Oregon still lack robust public charging, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead for any road trips – you can download apps that help locate chargers, such as Oregon-based Chargeway.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is investing over $100 million in public charging infrastructure over the next several years.

While most electric vehicle models cost more than their gasoline-powered equivalents, prices are becoming closer and experts believe EVs will reach cost parity soon. Local, state, and federal incentives can drop the price down – including on used EVs for qualifying low- or moderate-income buyers. And many manufacturers have plans for most, if not all, models to be electric in the coming decades.

Maintenance costs for EVs are also much lower than internal combustion engine maintenance since EVs have fewer parts (no motor oil, spark plugs, or engine belts to change). The most common EV maintenance needs include tires, brakes, and windshield wipers!

When it comes to brakes, the more you use regenerative brakes, the less you need to use traditional friction brakes. Further reading:

• With regenerative braking, some hybrids and EVs can go around 100,000 miles between brake services. How Regenerative Brakes Work | Department of Energy

• Because the regenerative braking system reduces this kinetic motion, the vehicles brake pads experience less friction and therefore less wear and tear. Owners do not have to replace brake pads as often, also reducing overall maintenance costs for EVs. What Is Regenerative Braking? | U.S. News (usnews.com)

The Oregon Department of Energy has a cost calculator in its Electric Vehicle Dashboard to show how much you could be saving on gas each year.

Electric vehicles are often referred to as the industry term “zero emission vehicles.” All-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids running on electricity have zero tailpipe emissions – that’s what earns them the label of zero emissions.

However, EVs may produce emissions in other ways, such as during the manufacturing process. Depending on the energy resources used to make the cars, there may be some emissions involved. Emissions may also accumulate depending on the resources made to produce the electricity that powers the vehicle. When taking into account all emissions from production of the battery and vehicle and driving the vehicle, electric vehicles have fewer emissions than a comparable gas vehicle.

In many parts of Oregon, emissions will be zero or near zero for consumer-owned utilities like Peoples Utility Districts, Cooperatives, and municipalities that provide nearly 100% hydropower-generated electricity from Bonneville Power Administration. Larger utilities have more diversity in resources – check out the statewide electricity mix and your specific utility’s mix on ODOE’s website.

Over the next few years, the overall effect of electric vehicles on the grid is expected to be fairly minimal. But as more Oregonians make the switch to EVs, utilities are already working on potential solutions to meet the increased demand. And the good news is that utilities have experience planning to meet rapidly-growing demand, much like adoption of refrigerators back in the 1930s and more smart appliances and devices in recent years. To handle peak demands, the electricity sector has long engaged in multi-year capacity planning to forecast future peak demands on the grid and to identify whether new resources (like new energy-generating facilities) are required to meet those demands. Utilities will consider the potential arrival of new EV charging demand and incorporate it into their resource planning.

Further reading: Electric Vehicles: Is Oregon’s Grid Ready?

The production of EVs includes mining resources and minerals needed to produce lithium-ion batteries – primarily cobalt, lithium, and nickel. The mining process consumes large amounts of water and generates toxic waste, which can harm local communities. Some of this mineral production comes from mining in developing countries, many of whom have less stringent environmental and labor policies than the United States.

Instances of human rights abuses have been associated with mining activities in some countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, which currently produces about 70 percent of the world’s cobalt. The U.S. and other countries, as well as battery and vehicle manufacturers, are establishing policies that protect the health, environment, local economy, and well-being of the people living and working near mining and production operations. For example, Australia and the U.S. signed on with the Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Alliance to support the responsible expansion of clean energy and critical minerals supply chains to meet the growing demands of both countries.

Some automakers and component suppliers are forming agreements to provide more transparency around the source of these materials, and some battery manufacturers are investing in mining communities to clean up existing environmental waste, while supporting more effective mining policies going forward. Learn more in the Oregon Department of Energy’s Biennial Zero Emission Vehicle Report.

Electric vehicles are evolving with more makes and models available, and improved performance with longer battery ranges. Battery costs are declining, and EV manufacturers are finding the production of new electric vehicle models to be more efficient and cheaper than conventional ICE vehicles as they have a more modular design and fewer components. From 2010-2021 levels, battery pack costs have dropped nearly 90 percent. The price reduction in battery packs is projected to continue in the long-term with more resources dedicated to battery research, innovation, and development despite recent supply chain issues.

Many vehicle batteries can be recycled or reused for other purposes. For example, a battery may no longer be able to power a car, but it could serve as battery storage paired with rooftop solar on a home or other building.

Further reading:

• All EVs sold today include a battery warranty of at least eight years and 100,000 miles. How Long Do Electric Car Batteries Last? - Car and Driver

• Nic Thomas, Nissan’s marketing director for the UK, told Forbes recently, “Almost all of the [EV] batteries we’ve ever made are still in cars, and we’ve been selling electric cars for 12 years. Surprise! Nissan LEAF Batteries Last Much Longer Than Expected - CleanTechnica

• Tesla Shares Battery Life Span Data: Just 12% Degradation After 200,000 Miles. Tesla Shares Battery Life Span Data: Just 12% Degradation After 200,000 Miles (notateslaapp.com)