How Many EV Charging Stations Are There in the U.S?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

With so many automakers producing electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid variations, it’s clear that consumers are ready to go green. However, if you’re thinking about buying an EV, you’re probably also wondering how easy it will be to keep it charged. EV infrastructure isn’t advancing as fast as EV models are rolling off the dealer lots. Furthermore, depending on your travel plans, where you can find charging stations will determine whether or not you reach your destination. So, how many EV charging stations are there right now in the U.S.?

Can EV infrastructure sustain the boost in vehicles?

A Nissan Leaf plugged into an electric charging station | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

According to Vox, there were roughly 627,000 EVs purchased across 2019 and 2020. Furthermore, projected sales numbers only show increases in those metrics. Nearly every automaker producing for the U.S. market is promising hybrid and EV variations in the coming years, some phasing out some of their gas-powered vehicles altogether. So, can the EV infrastructure of the U.S. handle all these electric rides on the road? Most critics say no. 

How many EV charging stations are there?

The current availability of charging stations nationwide pales compared to the rapid growth of EV sales. At the moment, home charging has largely been the most important way to keep those batteries juiced. It’s cheaper than installing charging stations and pretty convenient for EV owners, though not an option for all drivers depending on their parking situation.

As of 2019, there are roughly a little more than 68,800 charging units across the U.S., says the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. This data represents both DC fast chargers as well as Level 2 units. The DC fast chargers appeal more to travelers, adding another 60-80 miles of range in 20 minutes. The more prominent Level 2 chargers only add 10-20 miles of range in about an hour.

There are currently 42,490 public EV charging stations dotted around the nation, with significant voids throughout the Midwest and Mountain West. Of those, only 5,141 units are DC fast chargers. To compare, there are currently 115,000 or more gas stations offering multiple pumps for service.

How far EV charging station infrastructure has come

EV infrastructure will improve, with contributors like Electrify America committing to grow the number of available charging stations over the next few years. According to Electrify America, the EV network provider plans to deploy 150 and 350 kW chargers, another 1,800 fast-charging stations, and 10,000 individual chargers by 2025. Part of the expansion includes growing availability footprints in more remote areas, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, and West Virginia.

The federal government aims to support the EV infrastructure advancement, with President Biden’s proposal to invest $2 trillion in America’s roadways and overall infrastructure. Part of that spending, according to CNBC, includes a promise to have no fewer than 500,000 EV charging stations nationwide by 2030. That’s if the bill passes, of course.

No one disagrees with the shortcomings of the EV charging station infrastructure. Furthermore, with recent surges in electric vehicle sales and popularity, it’s becoming more of a dire need that these charging unit maps catch up to the demand. The EV industry has certainly come a long way, but not enough. Hopefully, with private sector companies and new potential infrastructure legislation in Washington, the next five years will see major improvements. In the meantime, you’ll have to plan your travel plans around available charging stations strategically.

RELATED: How Much Does It Cost to Charge an Electric Vehicle at a Charging Station?

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The 2022 Formula 1 Car’s Wing Helps Drivers Overtake Better

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Presently, one of the biggest complaints surrounding Formula 1 right now is the lack of close racing. Generally, whoever is out in front pulls out a mammoth gap and disappears into the flag-checkered horizon. Go back and watch a few of the most recent Lewis Hamilton victories to see what I’m on about (Lewis’ immense skill notwithstanding). Now the FIA wants to change that for 2022, and the new F1 car’s rear wing promises to help.

Reducing dirty air in Formula 1 is key

Rain is a great illustration of dirty air | Leonhard Foeger via Getty Images

Frankly, there’s a single culprit for the lack of overtaking in Formula 1 over the last several years. Dirty air. No, I’m not talking about physically dirty air, full of witches and little dogs. I’m talking about vortices, baby. Get that nerd had on because things are going to get a little technical. Basically, a Formula 1 car leaves air disturbed as it passes through it. Like a hand through smoke.

These vortices created by the Formula 1 car (or your hand) create turbulent air. And turbulent air is the enemy of downforce. According to the FIA and CarThrottle, a Formula 1 car experiences a massive 50+% drop in downforce when following closely due to dirty air. Just look at how much water is flung back into the air by Kimi’s car in the image above.

The new regulations promise more overtaking

The redesigned rear wing endplates of the new 2022 F1 car
Note the smooth endplates on the wing | Race Service via Getty Images

So, bearing these issues in mind, the FIA set out to help drivers follow closer without the reduction in downforce. This should help with the overtaking, no? Yes. First, Formula 1’s governing body set about reducing the vortices that cause dirty air. The FIA found the best way to do that was to smooth out the endplates, or sides, of the wing, as seen above. Those smoother endplates help reduce air coming off the sides of the car and into other cars on the overtaking line.

Now take a look at the image below. Now the small diffuser coming off the back by the exhaust, as well as the overall curvy shape of the wing. That diffuser serves to scoop up what dirty air there is behind the car and shoot it skyward. Sort of like the rain coming off the back of Kimi’s car. That way the following car isn’t sucking in all that dirty air.

Can the new changes deliver?

The curvy, slightly trapezoidal shape of the 2022 Formula 1 car
The wing’s downward curve should help the problem | Race Service via Getty Images

It’s the hope of the FIA, teams, and drivers that these changes work. The drivers want a proper go at their rivals, and we fans want to see it. Ideally, this is exactly what we get, as the cars will also be narrower. Hopefully, these changes can make the sport as a whole fantastic to watch. And hopefully, we get to see some tight racing on street circuits like Miami and Monaco.

RELATED: Do Formula 1 Drivers Brake With Their Left Foot?

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The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric Is One of the Best Electric SUVs You Can Buy – If You Can Find It

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric is an electric version of the standard Hyundai Kona, and Consumer Reports finds the electric version preferable. With its excellent ratings, lots of people will want one, but they’re not available in every state. What is the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric‘s availability?

2021 Hyundai Kona Electric | Hyundai

The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric’s availability is limited

You can only get the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric in some states. These include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. 

Perhaps the Hyundai Kona Electric’s availability will expand as sales increase. People love their Kona Electric’s, so this is a possibility. The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric has a pretty good owner satisfactions core, at a 4/5. Owners give the driving experience an 88 and comfort a 71. Styling gets a 54. Value is a 39, which isn’t bad as far as value ratings go. 80% of people would buy their Hyundai Kona Electric again, which is second highest in its class.

How is the Kona Electric’s road test score?

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric a 4/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 6.6 seconds. Its transmission scores a perfect 5/5. Routine handling gets a very good 4/5, but its emergency handling only receives a 3/5. The Hyundai Kona Electric’s max avoidance speed is 54 mph. Braking is very good in the Kona Electric. It scores a 4/5 and can brake from 60 mph on wet pavement in 135 feet and dry pavement in 145 feet. However, the X’s headlights score a pretty terrible 1/5.

As far as comfort, the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric gets a 3/5 for its ride. It’s fairly quiet: it scores a 4/5 for its noise. While the front seat comfort gets a very good 4/5, the rear seat comfort is just a 3/5.

Interior fit and finish get a mediocre 3. The trunk and cargo space scores only a 2/5, so it’s not a great vehicle for a trip to a wholesale club.

The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric comes with a lot of safety features

Consumer Reports recommends a slew of advanced safety features that car shoppers should consider. The 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric comes standard with almost all of this safety equipment. Standard in the Kona Electric is forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking for the city, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and blind spot warning. It also has rear cross traffic warning, a rear view camera, anti lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights. Pedestrian detection is optional in the Kona Electric, and emergency braking for the highway isn’t available. 

Neither the IIHS nor the NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric.

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric just a 3/5 for its predicted reliability. Although there are no reliability ratings for 2020, the 2019 has an okay reliability rating. Although most of the ratings are good, the power equipment is a major problem area in the 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric.  

The 2021 Hyundai Kona has good scores almost across the board, but if you don’t live in one of the states where it’s available, you may not have much luck getting one. If you can get one though, you’re sure to appreciate all that the Kona Electric has to offer.

RELATED: The Consumer Reports Recommended 2021 Mazda CX-30 Edges Out the 2021 Hyundai Kona

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Here’s What The Ram 1500 And Aptera Solar Electric Car Have in Common

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Buckle up, because this is going to be one weird article. Smoke-belching diesel trucks and high-tech solar cars certainly don’t have a lot in common. In fact, other than cupholders, they shouldn’t have anything in common. But to our surprise, the Ram 1500 and Aptera solar electric car do share one impressive similarity: a 1,000-mile range per charge/fill-up, making them ideal road trip vehicles.

Ram 1500 (top) and Aptera Solar Electric Car (bottom) | Scott Olson/Don Kelsen via Getty Images

What do the Ram 1500 and Aptera have in common?

It sounds like science fiction, but both the Ram 1500 and the Aptera solar electric car can go 1,000 miles per tank/battery. With just three stops, these two cars can make it across the United States (as long as they take the short route provided by the Maps of World website). That said, you do have to get specific versions of each of these cars.

In order for the Ram 1500 to achieve such a high range, you need to fit it with two things: the EcoDiesel engine and the optional 33-gallon fuel tank. If you add both of those to the base model 1500 Tradesman, you can have that range for just $33,000. And if you splurge on the high-level Limited trim, that price hikes up to $62,000. Pricey, but potentially worth it if you find yourself frequently making long trips.

The all-electric Aptera achieves the same feat for $45,000 thanks to a 100 kWh battery pack and solar panels, which charge the car throughout the day. The roof solar panel is standard and adds an extra 16 miles per day, but the optional hood and hatch panels generate a combined 24 miles per day. But if you don’t need 1,000 miles of charge fear not, the 250-mile version will cost just $22,000.

So yes, you can take a 1,000-mile road trip in either of these cars, even if their power sources are incredibly different. But if you’re going to tear up the highway, you’re likely better off with the Ram 1500.

Why the Ram 1500 is the better road trip option

A black 2021 Ram 1500 parked in front of a home
2021 Ram 1500 | Ram

There are plenty of reasons why the Ram 1500 is the best choice for highway trips, but we’ll start by stating the obvious. First of all, the Ram has five seats. The Aptera only has two. The cabin is larger, the bed is larger, everything about the Ram 1500 is larger. And on road trips, being comfortable during the ride is half the battle. The Ram 1500 is also capable of towing thanks to the 260 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque from the EcoDiesel engine.

But another, perhaps even more obvious reason you’d want to buy the Ram 1500 over the Aptera is that you can’t actually buy the Aptera yet. For $100 you can reserve one, but they won’t be available until later this year… hypothetically. You see, Aptera and their solar car have been around since 2006, but struggled to get off the ground. They’re putting up a fight, but whether the Aptera ever sees production is yet to be determined. But that doesn’t make 1,000 miles of range per charge any less cool.

Some other fun facts and features of the Ram and the Aptera

Aptera Solar Electric Car
Aptera Solar Electric Car | Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Alright, I’ll level with you: the Aptera and Ram 1500 actually have more than one thing in common. If you choose to, you can opt for all-wheel drive for the Aptera, and the Ram 1500 comes with 4×4 as standard, with available AWD. Yes, there’s a difference. And for an extra $1,000, the Aptera can be fitted with an offroad package, which strengthens the wheel wells and raises the ground clearance. In other words, both are perfectly capable of offroading. Yet another odd similarity, but a welcomed one.

And because the Aptera will be a limited production vehicle (if it enters production at all), you have the option of choosing its color. Yes, there’s white, silver, and black, but for an extra $1,500 you can have whatever color you’d like! Personally, I’d get one in forest green.

And while both vehicles feature automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist, the Aptera one-ups the Ram 1500 with adaptive cruise control and Level 2 autonomous driving. That sounds like self-driving, but it isn’t. It’s more hands-free, so long as the driver keeps their eyes on the road.

So in one corner, we have a high-tech futuristic sci-fi machine, and in the other, we have a heavy-duty rugged diesel truck. Both can handle long trips, but only one is available today. We hope to see the Aptera buzzing around the highway in the future, but in the meantime, if you really need to get somewhere 1,000 miles away, you’re better off with the truck.

RELATED: Top Road Trip Vehicles With the Longest Range, per Edmunds

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