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Our latest blog series "Driving on Sunshine," features the real-world experiences from our co-owners and customers as they navigate New England in electric vehicles (EVs). From Smart Cars to Ford Lightnings, from Chevy Bolts to Ioniq 5s, these stories will highlight the variety of ways to drive electric, and explore how pairing EV with solar can turn everyday driving into a cleaner, quieter, more enjoyable and more cost-effective experience.
For me, driving an EV is far more convenient and comfortable than a gas car. Being able to charge at home means I basically never have to charge anywhere else. I can start any trip with a full charge and 250 miles of range takes me just about anywhere I want to go. On average, I use a fast charger on the road about once every 3 months.
The extension cord providing power from my EV's battery has been a lifesaver to keep the fridge running, the wood stove blower circulating heat, and hot coffee brewing during power outages.I do everything with my EV that I could do with a comparable gas car: I carry kayaks on the roof, bikes on a hitch rack, or I can tow a small utility trailer to take brush to the dump. We still have a gas truck but in 2.5 years of having the EV, we’ve never taken the gas truck instead of the EV. We did a February road trip up to Quebec City during a snow storm through charging deserts or rural Maine. It’s exactly the kind of trip that people tell you will be a nightmare in an EV. But we took the EV anyway and had no trouble.
My favorite part is the thing my EV can do that gas cars can’t: provide electricity! I got a Hyundai Ioniq 5 which has a V2L (vehicle to load) output. This allows me to use the car in the same way you’d use a small generator during power outages or when camping. I’ve used it to power a coffee maker and an electric grill for camping. During power outages, I’ve powered the essentials like my fridge, my wood stove blower, and the coffee maker for up to 5 days. When we lose power from a snowstorm, it’s so much more convenient not to have to worry about going out in the snow to refill the gas. It’s safer since there is no toxic carbon monoxide to worry about. It’s more comfortable since we can enjoy the silence of fresh snow instead of the chugging of a generator. And best of all, it only cost about $100 for the V2L adapter. Cheaper than a generator and cheaper than the whole-house backup systems the big electric trucks are always advertising. The V2L output isn’t nearly as powerful as the truck’s systems, but it’s so much cheaper and it’s perfect for most people’s needs while camping or during a power outage.
I drive a 2014 Smart Fortwo electric car. The maximum range is only 70 miles, so we need to use a gas car for longer trips, but it’s a perfect city car, living in Manchester. The smart car has just enough range to commute to the ReVison shop in Brentwood in the middle of winter. It's a great exercise in combatting range anxiety! We only drive our gas car once or twice on the weekends, which is proof that most driving is within 25 miles of home.
We have a 2023 Volkswagen ID4 that we have charged exclusively with our ReVision solar array. 20,000 free miles! We use no propane or any fossil fuels, and are completely comfortable year-round with heat pumps.