Phoenix Metro EV Owners Love ‘Passing Gas Stations’

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Sam Caputo bought his all-electric car in 2018 and says he couldn’t be happier with his decision. “It’s my Tesla Model S,” Caputo told On Your Side. “Looking back on it, it’s the best choice I’ve ever made. I’m saving money in spades. And he’s not the only one to be thrilled. “A year ago, in May, that’s when we bought it. The gas wasn’t as crazy as it is now,” Joan King told us. She loves her all-electric Ford Mustang Mach E, telling On Your Side that petrol wasn’t really the reason she bought it, but she’s now glad she did. “I was more into it because it was really cute and that’s why I really wanted it. But now, looking back, it’s definitely the gas thing for sure,” King said.

King and Caputo have seen gasoline prices nearly double since this time last year. But it’s an increase they say they don’t have to worry about. “My savings are probably $600 to $700 a month easily,” Caputo said with a laugh.

It turns out that Arizona ranks fifth in the nation for electric vehicles on the road. And the number of electric cars and trucks is expected to increase in the coming years as more electric vehicles are produced. “You always get these people looking at you like you’re driving something they’ve never seen before,” King said when motorists pulled up beside her. “I’m like, there’s a lot on the road now.”

But critics say there are downsides to owning an electric vehicle. For example, electric vehicles can travel less distance, which means they have a shorter range than gasoline-powered cars. Their batteries are extremely expensive to replace, sometimes half the value of the vehicle. And electric cars are more expensive to buy, but proponents say the vehicles are much cheaper to operate. “I never have to park at a gas station again,” Joan laughed.

Yet as more consumers expect to go electric, the state of Arizona recently announced it is spending $75 million to install fast-charging stations across the state. . Naturally, electric vehicle enthusiasts welcome the news. “If you drive a lot, having an electric vehicle makes perfect sense. I can take all of my savings and put it into the cost of the vehicle,” King said. “It actually offsets the cost of the vehicle and I save money.

But how much money? “For the whole month of May, I spent $28 on electricity costs, and for that $28 I can travel 1,890 miles,” Caputo said. If it was a gasoline car, that $28 would have been $450. Both viewers say they don’t miss going to the gas station at all.

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