PORTLAND, Maine — A Facebook post from a woman in Nebraska on June 25 claimed it was cheaper to fill her truck with gas than to charge an electric car.
The post sparked controversy: More than 132,000 shares and more than 14,000 comments later, people have been debating whether the claims she made and the math she calculated are accurate.
She claims it will cost $153 to charge an electric vehicle at an electric car charger. The post shows a picture of a charger at a Walmart.
THE QUESTION
Does it cost $153 to charge an electric vehicle?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
This claim needs a lot of context, but it is false: It does not cost $153 to charge an electric vehicle.
WHAT WE FOUND
The charger pictured in the post is an Electrify America supercharger. Electrify America partners with Walmart to provide more than 120 superchargers at Walmart locations in 34 states.
There are many types of chargers:
- Level 1: using a simple wall outlet
- Level 2: using 240v outlet, such as a dryer
- Ultra-fast/supercharger: can deliver 350 kilowatts per hour
Superchargers can charge electric vehicles from 10 percent to 80 percent in 18 minutes to 50 minutes depending on the model of car.
According to Electrify America, the highest cost to charge your car is 43 cents per kilowatt hour.
The largest EV battery on the market is Mercedes' E-Q-S at nearly 108 kilowatts.
To charge that car from zero to 100 percent would cost just over $46, using a supercharger.
Using a supercharger is the most expensive way to charge a car.