Silver State Times

Electric vehicles are key to President Biden's clean energy outlook, but a new report concludes that Americans have reservations when it comes to purchasing one.  

Wall Street Journal reporter Rachel Wolfe, along with a friend, decided to rent a Kia EV6 for a round trip from New Orleans to Chicago. Wolfe described the 2,013 mile adventure as a "four-day, three-night EV road trip included many charging stops, little sleep—and less junk food than you might expect." In order to make the trip, Wolfe had to charge the EV 14 times, which cost her $175, and spend 18 hours idling.

"I thought it would be fun. That’s what I told my friend Mack when I asked her to drive with me from New Orleans to Chicago and back in an electric car. I’d made long road trips before, surviving popped tires, blown headlights and shredded wheel-well liners in my 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. I figured driving the brand-new Kia EV6 I’d rented would be a piece of cake. If, that is, the public-charging infrastructure cooperated," she reported.

The current number of EV charging stations to aid drivers who need to charge up in Nevada is 1,484, according to PlugShare.

EVs can go a median of 240 miles once charged, the University of California Davis EV Research Center reports. The type of battery and charging station also can impact how far an EV can travel. For instance, a 120V charger lasts over 20 hours and a 240V charger goes for four to eight hours. Electric vehicles that can handle fast-charging can get an 80% charge in just 20 minutes.

However, a Consumer Reports survey found that six in 10 Americans are reluctant to purchase an EV due to lack of charging stations. The range of travel was also a factor with 55% saying that the charge was a major concern when considering buying an EV.

In addition, the survey, which collected 8,027 interviews, reported that two-thirds (63%) of Americans who were asked would not purchase an electric vehicle today. Of those who expressed concern about cost-related factors, 58% of respondents said the high purchase price of an EV is holding them back from buying.

This was a notion that Wolfe dealt with on her trip. The equivalent cost for gas in a Kia Forte would have been $275, according to AAA average national gas price data during the time of their trip. However, "that $100 savings cost us many hours in waiting time," Wolfe said.

In accordance with his clean energy stand and commitment to having EVs make up 50% of new car sales by 2030, President Biden extended a $7,500 tax credit for buyers of new all-electric vehicles under the new Inflation Reduction Act signed into law this month. However, Seth Goldstein, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, said the tax credit has "price and income restrictions," CNBC reported. For instance, sedans must be sold at a price below $55,000 to be eligible, while larger vehicles such as SUVs must be purchased below $80,000 for the buyer to receive a tax credit.