That is still enough for most people. If your daily drive is under 80 miles, an electric SUV charges once a week or less. If you drive 150 miles a day, an electric SUV becomes a poor match without workplace charging. Work out your longest regular trip, subtract 20 percent for weather and speed, and you have the range you need to buy.
How fast do these electric SUVs charge?
Charging speed is where the manufacturers compete hardest. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 can pick up about 178 miles of range in 15 minutes when it is plugged into a 350 kilowatt DC fast charger with the right adapter. That is the kind of number that turns a lunch stop into a usable break.
For everyday charging, a home charger beats public charging on price and on effort. The level of effort depends on your electrical panel and where the charger can go, and our guide to EV charger installation cost breaks down what a Level 2 home charger costs to install. Public fast charging works fine, but it costs more per mile than the electricity in your garage.
Which electric SUV fits a family best?
Look past range and check three things. Cargo space behind the second row matters more than the official towing number. Seating comfort on long drives matters more than acceleration. And the size of the charging port area and the layout of the back seat decide whether car seats and dog crates fit without rearranging everything every time.
The Equinox EV and the Volkswagen ID.4 both give you a squared off rear area with a flat floor. The Ioniq 5 has a lower, sleeker shape that reduces rear headroom. If your family carries tall items often, test them before you buy.
Is an electric SUV worth it compared with a hybrid?
An electric SUV wins on running cost and daily driving pleasure. A hybrid wins on long trips and on convenience, because it never needs a charger and there is no range number to think about. Our guide to the best hybrid cars and SUVs covers the other side of that decision.
The money argument depends on how much you drive and what you charge with. If most of your charging happens at home on a normal household rate, an electric SUV often costs less per mile to run than a gas vehicle. Add up your own mileage and your own electricity rate before you commit. If you need a public fast charger for most of your driving, a hybrid may be the cheaper option over five years.
What costs should you budget beyond the purchase price?
An electric SUV has running costs that a gas vehicle does not. You need a home charger, and the install depends on how far your panel is from your parking space. You need a set of tires, because the heavy battery and the instant torque of an electric motor wear them faster than a typical sedan tire. And you need to check your insurance, because some insurers price electric vehicles differently now that fewer repair shops handle them.
Add those three items to the purchase price before you compare an electric SUV with a gas one. It is common for a family to fall in love with an electric SUV and then discover the charger install runs more than the price difference between the vehicles. Our guide to EV charger installation cost gives you the real number to plan around.
What should you check before you buy an electric SUV?
Check four things in this order. First, confirm the range for the exact trim you want, because the base battery is often smaller. Second, price the home charger, including installation, before you sign. Third, ask about battery warranty and what it covers, since most manufacturers offer 8 years or 100,000 miles. Fourth, test the real charging network for your usual routes rather than assuming coverage is good where you live.
Buying a car is also a financial commitment, and our guide to what charging an electric car costs per mile shows how to turn the purchase into a per mile number you can compare against a gas vehicle.
Photo: distelAPPArath, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/electric-mobility-electric-car-4158594/)
Fazlur Rahman
