Frequently asked questions.

There are over 1.5 million electric vehicles (EVs) that have hit the U.S. roads with nearly 22 million anticipated to be on the road by 2030. They are the future of the everyday vehicle.

One of the key barriers to EV adoption is range anxiety. To bring more DC fast chargers to the road, Bluedot is partnering with businesses across the US, to bring about the electric mobility revolution.

Electric Vehicle FAQs

  • Electric Vehicles (EVs) use only electricity to power the vehicle. All the electricity comes from an electric charging source and regenerative braking (using the vehicle’s kinetic energy to recharge the battery). Examples of EVs include the Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mach-e, Ford F-150 Lightning, and all Tesla and Rivian models. There continue to be many different EV choices coming to market over the next few years.

    Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) use both gasoline and electricity. These vehicles have two power systems, an internal combustion engine and a battery. The battery can be recharged by plugging the vehicle into an external source. It also gains some charge through regenerative braking. Although vehicle technologies vary, PHEVs are charged by plugging in and through regenerative braking. Examples of PHEVs include the Chevrolet Volt, Ford Fusion and Toyota Prius.

    Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) combine conventional internal combustion engine systems with electric propulsion systems. They use regenerative braking to convert energy that is normally wasted during braking/coasting into electricity. This electricity is stored in a battery until it’s needed by the electric motor. Examples of HEVs on the market today include the Toyota Prius and others.

  • Electric vehicles produce 54% less carbon pollution than gasoline-powered vehicles. According to energy.gov, the emission reduction from an electric vehicle can help improve public health and reduce ecological damage.

    Every 500 miles of gasoline-free driving is the equivalent of planting 119 trees in terms of emissions reductions.

    Progressively cleaner fuel mixes for electricity mean emission profiles for electric vehicles actually improve as they age.

    When a car runs on electricity, there are no tailpipe emissions, which helps with air quality.

  • Electric vehicles are on the path to take over the light-duty vehicle market. Here are just a few reasons why:

    Travel further. You can travel more than 500 miles in a PHEV (plug in hybrid electric vehicle) without refueling or charging the vehicle. BEVs (battery electric vehicle) are achieving more than 300 miles on one charge. And that number continues to grow as technology advances.

    Lower cost to operate. On average, it costs half as much to drive an electric vehicle than it does a traditional gas-powered vehicle.

    Personal charging station. Not only can an electric vehicle cost less to operate, it can be charged in the convenience of your home with an EV charging station.

    Money savings. With less equipment under the hood, a more efficient motor and new technology, EVs require less maintenance, which saves money.

    Environmental impact. When a car runs on electricity, there are no tailpipe emissions. Reducing or eliminating tailpipe emissions allows us to live a cleaner and healthier life.

  • Horsepower vs. kilowatts. Car engines in the U.S. are rated in horsepower, more or less the work one horse can do. Electric motors in EVs, as well as combustion engines in much of the world, are rated in kilowatts, or thousands of watts. One kilowatt is one third more powerful than one horsepower. A 100-kilowatt motor is about the same as a 134-horsepower gasoline engine. More exactly, multiply horsepower by 1.3410 to get kilowatts. Multiply kilowatts by 0.7355 to get mechanical horsepower.

    Kilowatt-hours. Batteries are rated in kilowatt-hours, or kWh, that is power over a period of time. A kilowatt is roughly how much a running hair dryer or toaster oven uses. Run either for an hour and you’ve used one kilowatt-hour of electricity, worth about 14 cents at summer 2021 rates in the U.S., making a fill-up of a large EV battery about $10 (done at home) versus $30 to $50 to fill up a gas tank. EV batteries today are typically 40 to 100 kilowatt-hours capacity.

    MPG vs. MPGe. Driving efficiency of gasoline engines is rated in miles per gallon in the U.S., or liters per 100 kilometers traveled elsewhere. Driving range for gas engine cars and electric cars is measured the same way: miles (or kilometers). The EV efficiency part is measured in MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent. Burning one gallon of gasoline produces 115,000 BTUs. To generate that much heat from electricity, it would take 33.7 kWh of electricity. If an EV used 33.7 kWh to drive 100 miles–$4.72 at current home charging costs–it would be rated at 100 MPGe. And that is an attainable figure. The Tesla Model 3 is rated at 142 MPGe overall. Note that MPGe does not tell you about the cost to drive, just efficiency.

    Forbes

 DC Fast Charging FAQs

  • There are two different types of EV charging stations: AC and DC. It's important to keep in mind that power from the grid is always AC and EV batteries only accept DC power. That means that at some stage, the current must be converted. The difference between AC and DC charging stations is whether that power converter is located onboard or off-board the vehicle.

    AC delivers alternating current (AC) to an AC/DC converter onboard the vehicle.

    DC charging stations convert AC before it reaches the vehicle, instead delivering direct current (DC) directly to the battery of an electric vehicle.

    With DC charging, the converter can be significantly larger due to the fact that it is located off-board the vehicle. Because the current is already converted to DC by the time it reaches the vehicle, it is possible to deliver more power, faster.

    As a result of this different charging technique, DC stations can provide up to 350 kW of power and fully charge an EV in as little as 15 minutes.

  • There are a number of factors which affect an EV’s charging speed with DC charging. However, because the AC/DC converter is located in the charging station itself, charging an electric vehicle with DC charging can be significantly faster than with AC charging.

    Different factors which affect a vehicle’s charging speed with DC charging include the battery’s current charge, the weather conditions (batteries charge slower in the cold), the battery’s charging capabilities, and, of course, the power output.

    Battery’s current charge: Due to measures to increase battery life and ensure safe charging, charging slows down significantly for the final 20 %. As DC fast charging takes an EV's battery to 80 % capacity in a comparatively short amount of time versus AC charging and then slows down for the remaining 20 %, the time it takes for your battery to reach 100 percent full may be the same for the initial 80 % charge.

    Weather conditions: Depending on where you are charging your EV, the temperature may affect the charging speed. Cold temperatures can negatively impact charging speeds due to the fact that lithium-ion batteries—those used to power EVs—are very sensitive in low temperatures.

    Power output: Obviously, the power output of the charger will influence charging times. For example, 15 minutes of charging time can give you between 80 - 280 miles in additional range at 100 kW and 350 kW output respectively. At 50 kW, one hour of charging a passenger vehicle will add an additional 170 miles of range.

    Some vehicles can accept more power than others. For example, while a Tesla Model 3 can accept 250 kW, a Nissan Leaf can only accept about 50 kW.

  • DC charging works with the vast majority of passenger vehicles. By default, EVs charge their batteries with direct current, and this means that almost all accept DC fast charging. How much power each battery can handle, however, is another story. Some batteries can accept 350 kW whilst others can only accept 50 kW. Additionally, a very small portion of electric vehicles with smaller batteries do not have the capacity to charge with DC charging—for example, the Fiat 500 does not offer a fast-charging capability. To get the most out of DC fast charging, it’s important to consider whether the EV supports DC charging, and if so, what is the maximum output that it accepts?

  • DC fast charging stations are growing in popularity as more and more EV drivers want to charge their cars quickly when out and about. There are an increasing number of DC fast chargers being installed in public locations such as retail and hospitality locations, in commercial parking stations, fuel retailers, and highway rest stops.

    To find a DC fast charging station, Google Maps is a great option or you can always open on of the many EV charging apps available.