Electric Vehicles Charge into metro Atlanta

By Narayan Sengupta

(Photos of Tesla Model S courtesy Tesla Motors; photos of Nissan Leaf courtesy Nissan Motors.)

Maybe you’ve noticed the gorgeous Tesla Model S: fast, technologically stunning and capable of covering 300 miles solely on electrical power. Then there is the Nissan Leaf. This is not your mother’s Nissan. With its bug-eyed styling and bulbous rear end, it’s a superbly unattractive car. Its 85-mile-range prevents long road trips or even medium ones. But its spaciousness, near silent operation, cute blue accents and its fully electric operation trump its drawbacks, and it is the world’s best-selling EV (electric vehicle). Lease it and it’s practically free, but more about that later. These two are, pardon the pun, the runaway electric vehicle sales leaders.

But these two aren’t the only vehicles in Georgia’s alternative fuel consumer market. The list of EVs also includes the little BMW i3, the Chevy Spark EV and more. Rechargeable plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) like the BMW i8, Cadillac ELR, Chevy Volt and Ford Fusion Energi run purely on electric power for 15 to 40 miles (depending on the car) and then, after depleting their initial charge, operate like normal electric/gas hybrids. The ranks of regular hybrids like the Toyota Prius have been joined by the new 2015 Honda Accord, rated at a staggering (for a mid-sized sedan) 50 MPG city/45 MPG highway. And finally several diesels exceed 45 MPG.

According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Georgian’s are registering over 1,000 EVs and PHEVs per month, mostly in Atlanta. And why not? The IRS gives new car owners a $7,500 tax credit and Georgia gives them another $5,000. Furthermore, Georgia Power is spending $12 million on incentives to get people to install chargers. And companies like Coca-Cola, IBM and Newell-Rubbermaid have installed banks of free chargers in their parking decks.

Newell’s Chief Human Resources Officer Paula Larson loves her Tesla Model S. “It’s an incredibly sleek, attractive car,” Larson enthuses. “Tesla does have amazing speed, but this feature for my family and me is more about quickly getting out of dangerous situations in a very nimble way. And it has a five-star safety rating,” she says, noting that she was hit head on by a semi in the late 1980s leaving her with temporary amnesia, a broken jaw, hip and ten broken fingers. “I get HOV lane privileges as a solo driver, which in greater Atlanta is no small deal. Tesla does an incredible job releasing software improvements and sharing with those who already purchased Teslas. Tesla just came out and offered a longer warranty on Teslas – even to current owners. And I love being part of a shift in car technology that will help the US and other countries move away from dependency on fossil fuels.”

Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols, speaking to the Smyrna Rotary Club recently, made it clear that he is a huge fan of all this. His interest in alternative fueled vehicles started years back when he made a campaign promise to buy a compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle if he were elected. However, Echols, living in Athens, didn’t realize that the nearest CNG stations were in downtown Atlanta. Still, he kept his promise and bought a Honda Civic LNG and commuted to Atlanta to refill it, keeping half of its tank in reserve just to go back and forth to fill up.

Eventually, his wife leased an all-electric Nissan Leaf. He and his family discovered that the numbers are hard to beat. “We pay $276 per month [after the $7,500 IRS rebate] for a 24-month lease. Georgia’s $5,000 tax rebate works out to $208 per month. $276 minus $208 is $68 per month. We spend $20 per month to charge the car. We spend at least $88 less per month on gas than with her previous car. So the Leaf really cost us nothing,” he says. “There is also no servicing other than wear and tear. You feel like you make money owning one.” He adds that those with electric vehicles can get discounted electric rates for their entire household overnight. “And I save $10 per day by getting to use the HOT lanes for free when I’m commuting on I-85 between Athens and Atlanta.” Furthermore, there are fewer moving parts than on other cars, so maintenance should be lower.

Jennifer Hadden, a teacher at Smyrna’s Teasley Elementary School, and her boyfriend bought their Leafs (or is it Leaves?) on the same day. Hadden added a Level-2 charger at home for $1,230, which included the charger and professional installation though Echols says that after rebates, it is now possible to get them installed for under $500. Hadden’s works with any electric vehicle, recharges EVs in under four hours, and adds to her home’s resale value. She recharges about every three days. She would love to see Level-2 chargers at area schools.

This writer wants someone to invent A/B Chargers to charge two vehicles simultaneously at home or elsewhere. People could charge vehicles one after another or charge both simultaneously but more slowly. Such logic could be used to design chargers for 3- or 4-vehicle garages.

“With the $5,000 Georgia tax credit and the $7,500 Federal tax rebate,” adds Hadden, “it is an astonishing deal when you back out the cost of fuel.” As a final bonus, insurance rates are about the same as for other similarly priced vehicles.

Hadden is already excited about what is coming next. “Tesla has released the patents for its long range batteries,” she says, “and in 2016, the [new] Leaf will have a range of 186 miles.” Even then, she’s sticking with her current Leaf: “My Leaf is so very roomy, and I’m so happy with the car and its warranty that I wouldn’t consider an upgrade for many, many years. I know it doesn’t rate on the highest end of the safety scales, but I feel very safe in my Leaf due to its ample airbags and safety features.”

Enjoy the future. Narayan Sengupta

Narayan Sengupta (f20@nfiweb.com) of Smyrna is a database designer, Rotarian and the proud father of two daughters.