New Option for EV’s: Steer

An exciting new option has arrived for driving electric.  Steer is a new subscription service in the DMV area that lets you have access to an electrified transportation option, which consists not a particular car, but a collection of cars you can swap into or out of, delivered to your door, and with everything included.  It’s a no-fuss no-muss way to experience electrified transportation with minimal risk or disruption.  It’s also a great way to try-before-you-buy, to make sure an EV can do what you need it to do, and discover what you never realized it could.  Explore it at www.steerev.com

Nice real-world EV owner review

Here is a review of the Chevy Bolt from a long-term (one year, 15k miles) owner of two.  This is not a product endorsement, merely an example of the savings an EV owner can expect and the factors that arise, like home and public charging, that are part of this exciting new way of driving.

The current state of the Electrify America installations can be found here and the broader Plugshare picture of DC fast charging can be found here (select CCS or Chademo as appropriate).  The Bolts in the article use CCS.

EVADC Outpost in Phoenix by Mindy Kimball

Mindy’s electrified Smart in the Phoenix electric light parade.

Hi EVADC! Hope things are well out there! It’s been a little more than a year since I left the energetic orbit of the beltway, and I thought I’d send a short update from my new home in the desert Southwest. Here in Phoenix, we have an abundance of incoming solar radiation, and are just starting to see residents and businesses taking advantage of the energy source. There are over 300 public chargers installed and online in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and a few Level III fast-chargers too! Not all of the public chargers are solar-powered, but many are. Phoenix generally has two power companies, and there is not a “choice” program like we have in most DC locations. You must get power through a single provider, and the only choice you have is to pay extra for a “renewables mix” through that power company. I have chosen to pay for this renewables mix (about 59% solar, 34% wind, 5% biomass/biogas, and 2% geothermal), which ensures that my energy consumption is bought from these renewables (it adds $.004 to my per-kWh electricity price). I also get a special rate from the power company because I own an electric vehicle. Between the hours of 11pm and 5am, I pay only $.06/kWh for the whole house! So, now I set timers to do a lot of stuff at night (laundry, dishwasher, charging my phone, and of course charging my car!).
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