Ever since we installed solar panels and a home battery backup system at our previous home in Florida, we'd been thinking about buying an electric car. We held off at first. Our Subaru Outback was still relatively new, and back in 2018 both EV range and charging infrastructure were too underdeveloped to make the switch worthwhile.
After COVID, we moved to Evanston, Illinois, to be closer to family. By 2025 our Subaru's repair bills were climbing, and EV deals were excellent. After a lot of research, we took the plunge: a Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL AWD with a large battery. It offered 270 miles of range without recharging on the highway and over 350 in the city, plus fast charging that takes the battery from 20% to 80% in under 20 minutes. I was sold. My wife was more cautious, worried about charging time and charger availability on our cross-country trips. We've since learned the answers to both concerns firsthand.
City Driving and Home Charging: Where the Real Savings Are
As renters, we have a garage, so charging at home was possible if our landlord approved a Level 2 charger. She did, but installation would take a while — so for the first six months, we simply charged using a standard household outlet. That worked fine, since we drive fewer than 10 miles a day around town, well within what household current can handle overnight.
This is where EVs shine. Unlike gas engines, an EV is most efficient in stop-and-go city traffic— the opposite of a gas car. We consistently got over 350 miles per charge driving around town. Filling the battery from empty takes about 84 kilowatt-hours (kWh), and ComEd charges between 7 and 10 cents per kWh depending on the plan. That puts a full charge at $5.88 to $8.40.
Compare that to our old six-cylinder Subaru, which averaged about 14 miles per gallon in the city. Covering that same 350 miles would take 25 gallons of gas. At $4.50 a gallon, that's $112.50.
That means a savings of over $100 a month on local driving alone, without even counting oil changes and other routine gas-engine maintenance. And there's no trip to the gas station; you just plug in at home at night.
Cross-Country Trips: More Planning, Still Manageable
Road trips are a different story. On the highway, you need to stop roughly every 2.5 to 3 hours to charge for 10 to 20 minutes. We drive to St. Louis to see family a few times a year, which means at least one charging stop each way. Our annual winter drive to Florida is bigger, requiring at least six stops over two days.
A typical day along the way to Florida looks like this: Drive about 2.5 hours, charge for 15 minutes, drive another 2 hours, stop for lunch while charging for closer to an hour, then one more short charge before reaching the hotel, where we charge overnight. We've never had trouble finding a charger along the way; we stick to major highways, which are well covered by DC fast chargers. Charging on the road costs between 38 and 55 cents per kWh, which still comes in a bit below the cost of gasoline.
So, Are We Happy With Our Purchase?
Yes— especially for everyday city driving. We'd like more range, but it hasn't stopped us from doing the trips we want to do. And the EV market is only getting better. When our lease is up, we're eyeing a used BMW being released this quarter with 450 miles of highway range and fast-charging support.
Going electric is the future. Before the end of this decade, we should expect EVs with batteries that last 20 years, ranges of 600 miles, and prices cheaper than any gas car available today.
For us, though, the most important thing isn't the money we save. It's that we're no longer putting carbon into the atmosphere. Reducing our carbon footprint is something we all need to do, for ourselves and for our children, grandchildren, and the generations after them.