gas prices continue to reach record highs, many drivers have been feeling the pinch at the pump, while electric car owners have been reveling in their purchases.
The national average for a gallon of gas hit $4.35 Friday, up from $3.92 a week ago, and it is expected to continue to rise amid Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine.This has led many car owners to question whether buying an electric vehicle is a smart move or a better option in the long run.U.S.
electricity prices, which are heavily regulated in most states, have remained stable. In most cases, the cost to charge an electric car is still lower than filling up one with an internal combustion engine.According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the national average for a kilowatt-hour of electricity is 13 cents, including at homes where most electric car owners charge their vehicles with 240-volt Level 2 chargers that typically take eight hours or more to fill them up.
Many of these are also available in public settings like office and shopping center parking lots, where they are known as destination chargers.On the Electrify America network that's compatible with all electric vehicles, fast-charge rates are as high as 43 cents per kilowatt-hour in some states, including California, New York, Florida and Washington.