Electric Cars
How to Calculate EV Charging Costs
There are a number of reasons you might want to buy an electric vehicle. You might choose an EV because you care deeply about your carbon footprint, for example. You might choose an EV because you keep your vehicles for a long time, and you’re concerned about the future value of a vehicle powered by internal combustion. You might not care about any of that and may just want the quickest, stoplight to stoplight street racer you can get your hands on. Regardless of your motivations, though, the reality is that most of us have to live within some kind of budget, and understanding how much an EV will cost to buy is only one part of understanding how much your EV is really going to cost you– but the other parts? That’s not always so easy, which brings us to the handy-dandy how...
Bosch Power Max 2 – Our Review
The Bosch Power Max Level 2 charging station was revolutionary when it debuted in 2013. In addition to its sub-$500 price tag, the original Power Max was lauded for its compact size and stylish appearance. It also came standard with a 25 foot charging cord, a favorite feature of early buyers. In 2016, Bosch introduced the Power Max 2 and Power Max 2 Plus to its lineup of all-electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. In an effort to assist our readers who may be considering different level 2 home charging stations, today we bring you a Bosch Power Max 2 review. That is the Question To spring for it or not to spring for it? That is the question you have to answer for yourself. I am of course, talking about purchasing a level 2 charger for your home. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of our ...
How Much Electricity Does It Take to Charge a Tesla Model 3?
As I’ve written before, we here at enrg.io are big fans of all things Tesla. Tesla’s newest and most affordable car is of course the Model 3. Since its debut in 2017, the Model 3 has become Tesla’s most popular offering, leaving the Model S and the Model X in the dust with respect to sales. The model 3 was the number one best selling plug in car in 2018, both world wide and in the United States. With a 5-passenger seating capacity, sleek design, and a range north of 220 miles on a single charge for the base model, it isn’t hard to see why the model 3 is so popular. I like the way the folks at Kelly Blue Book put it: “The Model 3 is Tesla’s rendition of the long-prophesized electric car for the masses. This sleekly styled, compact 5-seat sedan dazzles with cool...
How Much Can a Chevy Spark EV Tow?
How much can a Chevy Spark EV tow you ask? We will try and answer that question for you today. The Chevy Spark has an interesting backstory. First launched in 1998 as the Daewoo Matiz, the car was originally only available in various Asian countries. After General Motors completed their takeover of Daewoo in 2002, the car was re-branded and sold as a few different iterations under the Pontiac and Chevy umbrellas. The all-electric version of the Chevy Spark debuted in the United States in 2013. This was GM’s first introduction of an all-electric vehicle (EV) since the controversial discontinuation of the company’s groundbreaking EV1 in 1999. End of an Era As the old adage goes: all good things must come to an end. For the Spark EV, that end came in 2016. Having sold only around ...
Renault Zoe 0-60 Times – A Performance Overview
We touched a bit on the Renault Zoe back in October when we provided an overview of service costs. Today we shift focus to performance, including Renault Zoe 0-60 times. But first, a bit of history. Renault does not directly sell any of its products in the United States. After selling its share of the American Motor Company to Chrysler in 1987, Renault decided that the American market was not the place to be. Although the company has no plans to return to the U.S. market, they haven’t abandoned us completely. You see, Renault owns around 45% of Nissan. Nissan manufactures the Leaf, which is the best selling all-electric vehicle (EV) in the United States. For the time being at least, Renault seems to be content with conquering the U.S. EV market indirectly. That being said, we here at...
How Much Can the Tesla Cybertruck Tow
One of the most anticipated questions before last night’s Tesla Cybertruck unveiling was: How Much Can the Tesla Cybertruck Tow? We now know there are three answers. The single motor RWD variant of the truck can tow 7,500 pounds. The dual motor AWD version can tow 10,000 pounds and the beast of the bunch – the tri motor AWD build – can tow 14,000 pounds. But what does all this mean? What weighs that much? How does the Tesla Cybertruck tow capacity compare to today’s best selling pickup trucks? Let’s explore. Background The Society of Automotive Engineers International, SAE International for short, is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries, according to the...
Electric Truck Manufacturers – Complete List
In 2018 the top 3 pickup truck manufacturers sold a combined 2 million trucks in the US according to this report on vehicles sales. With such a large slice of the new vehicle sale pie, it’s no wonder electric truck manufacturers are popping up and hoping to join the party. Ford’s F-series of trucks, American’s perennial best selling vehicle, sold over 230,000 vehicles in the second quarter of 2019 alone; and they carried an average price of $47,500. Those numbers don’t include heavy duty trucks. By some accounts, nearly 1 million heavy trucks were sold in 2018 alone. The What Battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, are fully electric vehicles powered by batteries, usually lithium-ion. Fans of EVs love their quiet power and lack of gasoline. When done right, a BEV can al...
Maryland EV Tax Credit – Everything You Need to Know
What thoughts come to mind when you think of Maryland? For me it’s good times at the Baltimore Aquarium and eating at awesome seafood restaurants on the Chesapeake Bay. Being a resident of Virginia, I find myself venturing into The Old Line State from time to time. My beloved commonwealth doesn’t currently offer any incentives, although legislation has been introduced to do so in the past. If you’re one of the 6 million residents of the State of Maryland, you may be in luck if you’re in the market for an all-electric vehicle (EV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). This is everything you need to know about the Maryland EV tax credit. A Bit of History In October of 2013, eight U.S. states entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with each other committ...
How Long Does It Take to Charge a Tesla Roadster?
Ah, the Tesla Roadster. I’ve yet to see one in person but I’ve spent more time than I care to admit ogling it on the Internet. I hope my wife isn’t too jealous. At any rate, the car that I often joke about selling kidneys to buy will be here in 2020. This absolute beauty (pictured above) will go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 2 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 miles per hour. This means that it will be the fastest street legal car to date! In addition, it will be able to travel around 600 miles on a single charge. This car is a game changer. The base model will sell for roughly $200,000 which means I won’t be owning one anytime soon. For those of you out there who will I have two things to say: 1. Please be my friend and let me ride in your car. 2. Here...
BMW i3 Charging Time on 110v
We here at enrg.io love the BMW i3. While there have been a few complaints, most notably about the car’s air conditioning system and tires, most reviews for the i3 have been overwhelmingly positive. I especially like the body design of the i3. It’s well…different and that’s a good thing in my opinion. Call me crazy but I think the suicide doors are actually really cool. They remind me of the doors on a 1960’s Lincoln Continental. Unlike the Lincoln of centuries past, the BMW i3 comes standard as an all-electric vehicle (EV). BMW does offer their customers the option of adding an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to the finished vehicle for added range. We discussed the various methods for charging your i3 yesterday. Tod...
Renault Zoe Service Cost: Everything You Need to Know
French automaker Renault is not on par with Ford or Toyota as a household name in the U.S. The company suspended sales of their cars in 1987 after selling its share of the American Motor Company to Chrysler. While we yanks may not have the privilege of driving one, Renault’s cars are EXTREMELY popular in Europe. Renault released the third generation of its all-electric Zoe line earlier this year. Among the upgrades from the second generation line are a 25% increase in power and a dramatic improvement in range. If you’re lucky enough to be an owner, here is everything you need to know about Renault Zoe service cost. What’s Included Renault recommends that you service your Zoe at least once every year. Considering that I take my Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle i...
Best BMW i3 Forums: The Top 5
Earlier in the year, we brought you lists of both the top 5 Tesla blogs and the top 5 Chevy Bolt blogs. Today we shift gears a bit and bring you the top 5 best BMW i3 forums. Since its original release in 2014, sales of BMW’s first all-electric vehicle (EV) have been growing at a nice pace. The company has improved battery range dramatically and cool new features like wireless mobile device charging and mobile wi-fi hotspot capabilities will soon be available for new owners. If you’re as interested in the i3 as we are, here are the top 5 best BMW i3 forums. 1. Inside EVs Forum We here at enrg.io do love Inside EVs. They have great articles and heavily trafficked forum where users can discuss all things EV. Each EV (including the BMW i3) has its own section of the forum, making ...