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Electric Vehicle Adoption Potential in the United States [video]- Carnegie Mellon Department of Engineering and Public Policy

Costs and Benefits of Electric Vehicles in the United States [video]- Carnegie Mellon Department of Engineering and Public Policy

Transcript

HOST: Have you ever thought of purchasing a plug-in electric vehicle? Are these vehicles the right choice for you? On this week’s Energy Bite, Jeremy Michalek, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, has some answers.

MICHALEK: Plug-in electric vehicles are quiet and cheaper to refuel with no tailpipe emissions, and they can be fun to drive.

But electric vehicles may not be the right choice for everyone. They tend to be more expensive to purchase, have shorter driving range, and take longer to refuel than traditional vehicles. And you’ll need the space and the right to install a home charger if you want to charge the vehicle every night.

HOST: There’s more to that than I would have thought. When are electric vehicles a good choice?

MICHALEK: Plug-in electric vehicles offer the biggest benefits in stop-and-go driving conditions, but they lose range in extreme weather, and their environmental benefits depend on how clean the electricity grid is. So city drivers in mild-climate regions with a clean electricity grid, like San Francisco or Los Angeles can see the biggest benefits.