Helpful Resources on Electric Vehicles
How will you meet the needs of people who drive electric vehicles?
Watch this video to learn about how Pierce County, WA is working to make it easier for citizens to drive electric cars.
Explore this resource to learn about how the climate affects electric car charging: Maximizing Electric Cars’ Range in Extreme Temperatures
Here are some additional issues you might want to consider and research:
What are the options for electric vehicle chargers?
There are 3 ways – or “levels” – to charge an electric vehicle. Each level has advantages and disadvantages:
- Level 1 uses a traditional household plug (120V). Charging is slow, but this level uses widely available and relatively cheap equipment.
- Level 2 uses 240V (like a dryer or oven). Charging is faster, but this level requires some specialized equipment.
- Level 3 or DC Fast Charging is the fastest, but it requires a lot of power and specialized equipment.
Visit this site for more details: Understanding Electric Vehicle Charging; or read this article: Nice Car, But How Do You Charge That Thing?
Watch this video to learn more about different ways to charge an electric vehicle and how to choose which one your company will use.
What should you consider when choosing where to place your charging stations?
For electric charging stations to be useful, they need to be everywhere that electric car drivers need them. But figuring out where they should go is not always easy. Watch this video to learn why some people don’t want charging stations near their homes.
Where does the electricity come from?
One of the dirty secrets of electric cars is that the electricity often comes from coal or gas, which contributes to global warming. What are some other ways to generate electricity? Watch the video below to learn about some of the established and emerging ways to generate clean, renewable electricity.
How much will it cost to run your company?
Explore this resource to learn about how charging companies can make money: How Do Electric Car Charging Station Networks Make Money?
A key consideration is the cost difference between fueling with gasoline versus electricity. This resource will help you understand these comparisons: Comparing Electric and Gas Vehicles: Cost to Fill Up and Drive
Use this resource to research different electric and gas-powered vehicles: FuelEconomy.gov
Tech Tools
Technology can be a useful tool in many challenges. To make the map for your Power Me Up solution, you can use Google Maps and GeoGebra. Read and complete our How-To Guide for GeoGebra to learn how to use these tools.
