CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY. >> ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE THE FUTURE. ASHLEY: RICHARD BAZZY IS THE OWNER OF SHULTS FORD. HE’S SEEN THE E.V. BOOM FIRSTHAND THE DEMAND IS GREAT AND PATIENCE IS REALLY YOUR ONLY CHOICE. >> WE HAVE RESERVATIONS THAT ARE UNBELIEVABLE. THOUSANDS OF RESERVATIONS. ASHLEY: ACCORDING TO THE GREATER PITTSBURGH AUTOMOBILE DEALER’S ASSOCIATION THE NUMBER OF ELECTRIC AND HYBRID CARS ON THE ROAD IN OUR AREA IS GROWING. NEARLY 2% OF THE CARS HERE ARE FULLY ELECTRIC OR PLUG-IN HYBRID. BUT SINCE THE START OF 2019 THERE ARE NEARLY FOUR TIMES AS MANY HYBRID CARS ON THE ROAD IN AND AROUND PITTSBURGH WITH THE BIGGEST SPIKE, COMING SINCE THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE ATTRACTION IS THERE EVEN I TOOK A RIDE IN ONE OF THEM. >> THE PUBLIC IS REALLY WAITING FOR THIS. THEY REALLY WANT IT. ASHLEY: BUT HOW EXACTLY DO YOU CHARGE THAT BATTERY? ONCE YOU GET YOUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE YOU WANT TO GET A CHARGER IT IS ABOUT $800 AND THEN YOU WANT TO CALL YOUR ELECTRICIAN. >> -- THAT IS A LEVEL 1 DRIVING SYSTEM WHICH IS 120 VOLTS WHICH IS MUCH SLOWER. ASHLEY: JASON HUFNAGEL AND HIS FATHER OWN HUFNAGEL ELECTRIC THEY SAY WHILE A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL TRY TO CHARGE THEIR CARS THEMSELVES. THEY SOON REALIZE IT’S NOT REALISTIC. >> WHAT THEY -- ONCE THEY GET THE VEHICLE HOME AND PLUG IT INTO THE 120 WILL AND IT MOVED ON THE SCALE MAYBE ONE THIRD IF THAT MUCH THEY SAY IT WILL TAKE TOO LONG FOR IT TO CHARGE AND THAT IS WHERE THEY DECIDE TO GO WITH 240 VOTES. ASHLEY: AND FOR 240 VOLTS YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL. ON TOP OF THE PRICE OF THE CHARGER ITSELF THE HUGNAGEL’S SAY INSTALLATION STARTS AROUND $725. >> THE HARD PART IS THAT WE ARE SCHEDULING SO FAR OUT IS THE WORST MISTAKE YOU CAN MAKE IS -- IN BUYING A EV IS TO MAKE THE CALL AND GET THE CHARGER PUT IN BEFORE THE VEHICLE ARRIVES. ASHLEY: WE ALSO STOPPED BY CW ELECTRICAL SERVICES A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES THE SAME SERVICE. >> WE DO A LOT OF THEM WE DO FOR OUR FIVE A WEEK. IT CAN BE BETWEEN $700 AND $1500 BETWEEN -- FOR A SET UP LIKE THIS. AND THAT IS JUST HOW FAR WE RUN THE WIRE FROM YOUR PANEL TO THE LOCATION YOU WANT IT INSTALLED. ASHLEY: OWNER CHISTOPHER WALTON SAYS THEY GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM THE CONSUMER AND HE DOESN’T EXPECT THAT TO GO AWAY ANYTIME SOON. >> THE AWARENESS OF EV VEHICLES ARE TOP OF MIND PEOPLE ARE PURCHASING THEM AND WE DO A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND ESTIMATES AND INSTALLS. >> IT’S NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON. THE BIGGEST RATION WILL NOT ALLOW IT WHETHER IT IS RED OR BLUE IT IS THE FUTURE. WE WANT T
The hidden costs behind charging an electric vehicle
While many consumers try to charge the cars at home with standard wall outlets, professionals say they need to tweak those expectations.
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Updated: 1:09 PM CST Nov 15, 2022
While gas prices are easing as we head into the winter months, the United States continues to see a boom in electric vehicle sales.What you may not realize while shopping is the start-up cost to make sure you can charge your electric car quickly at home.Richard Bazzy, the owner of Shults Ford, says he's seen the EV boom firsthand. The demand is great — and patience is really your only choice.“We have reservations that are unbelievable. Hundreds, thousands of reservations for the F-150 Lightning and Mach-E,” Bazzy said. “The public is really waiting for this. They really want it.”But how exactly do you charge that battery?Bazzy explained that consumers would need to buy a charge station, which costs about $800. The next step is to call an electrician.Jason Hufnagel and his father, David Hufnagel, own Hufnagel Electric. Jason described the standard charging system in a house and how an adapter from the vehicle's cord could plug into a normal wall outlet. "That's a level-one charging system," he said, "which is 120 volts, which charges much slower.”They say while a lot of people will try to charge their cars themselves, they soon realize it's not realistic.“Once they get the vehicle home and plug it into a 120-volt receptacle, and they go back down the next morning, and it's moved on the scale maybe a third of the way, if that much, they realize this is going to take forever to charge," David Hufnagel said. "And that's when they decide to go with the 240 volts.”And for 240 volts, you need a professional.On top of the price of the charger itself, the Hugnagels say installation starts around $725.“The hard part is that we are scheduling so far out," David Hufnagel said. "The worst mistake that you can make is if you are going to buy an EV, please call and get the charger put in before the vehicle arrives.”Bazzy says that EV sales are "not going to slow down anytime soon. The administration won't allow it. No matter whether it's red, blue, doesn't matter. It is the future. We want to be zero carbon. That's the goal.”
PITTSBURGH — While gas prices are easing as we head into the winter months, the United States continues to see a boom in electric vehicle sales.
What you may not realize while shopping is the start-up cost to make sure you can charge your electric car quickly at home.
Richard Bazzy, the owner of Shults Ford, says he's seen the EV boom firsthand. The demand is great — and patience is really your only choice.
“We have reservations that are unbelievable. Hundreds, thousands of reservations for the F-150 Lightning and Mach-E,” Bazzy said. “The public is really waiting for this. They really want it.”
But how exactly do you charge that battery?
Bazzy explained that consumers would need to buy a charge station, which costs about $800. The next step is to call an electrician.
Jason Hufnagel and his father, David Hufnagel, own Hufnagel Electric. Jason described the standard charging system in a house and how an adapter from the vehicle's cord could plug into a normal wall outlet. "That's a level-one charging system," he said, "which is 120 volts, which charges much slower.”
They say while a lot of people will try to charge their cars themselves, they soon realize it's not realistic.
“Once they get the vehicle home and plug it into a 120-volt receptacle, and they go back down the next morning, and it's moved on the scale maybe a third of the way, if that much, they realize this is going to take forever to charge," David Hufnagel said. "And that's when they decide to go with the 240 volts.”
And for 240 volts, you need a professional.
On top of the price of the charger itself, the Hugnagels say installation starts around $725.
“The hard part is that we are scheduling so far out," David Hufnagel said. "The worst mistake that you can make is if you are going to buy an EV, please call and get the charger put in before the vehicle arrives.”
Bazzy says that EV sales are "not going to slow down anytime soon. The administration won't allow it. No matter whether it's red, blue, doesn't matter. It is the future. We want to be zero carbon. That's the goal.”
