Electric Vehicle (EV) Facts & Myths

There’s a lot of information floating around about electric vehicles, but not all of it is reliable. To help make things easy, here are a few straight facts about EVs you should know.

1. There are roughly 22,600 EVs in Texas and that number continually grows. Around 100 of those are in BEC's service territory.

2. Despite what you may have heard, EVs are in it for the long haul. A typical fully charged 60-kilowatt battery can take you 230 miles before recharging.

3. Charging a vehicle takes an up-and-running power grid, but so do gas stations. No power means no gas from the pump. There are many battery storage options for charging an EV, including Tesla Powerwall.

4. Charging is easier than you think. You can typically charge your vehicle at home or work. There are around 41,000 EV charging stations in the U.S.

5. EVs save money. Compared to gas-powered vehicles, EVs offer a better price per mile, with a full charge costing about one-third the cost of a full tank of gas.

6. Maintenance is low. EVs don’t require oil changes or tuneups, and you’ll never have to worry about replacing your spark plugs, starter or catalytic converter again. EVs also have fewer moving parts that need to be replaced over time compared to gas-powered vehicles.

7. Let’s talk torque. When you press the pedal, an EV will generate all of its available torque instantly. This makes them typically quicker than gas-powered vehicles. Imagine going from zero to 60 in less than three seconds.

8. Electric vehicles are generally more expensive than gas-powered ones for now, with the average price around $30,000 to $40,000. While we wait for those prices to come down, you could be eligible for up to $7,500 in tax credits.

9. Money spent here stays here. If 30,000 people in the BEC service territory switched to EVs, $13.5 million would be saved in fuel costs and around $7.5 million in power costs would go back to your member-owned cooperative instead of to international oil companies. This means more money stays locally.

BEC also offers zero-down, interest-free financing for EV charging infrastructure through its Energy Saver Program. To learn more, visit BanderaElectric.com/EnergySaver.