We purchased a plug in hybrid car. Substantial discounts from the manufacturer combined with Federal and State tax incentives made this a 'no brainer'.
The car travels about 21 miles on pure electricity and then another 600 or so using gasoline at 43 mpg or so. At least that is what the EPA says - we are getting much higher than that, partially due to the fact the car creates electricity when it decelerates and then uses that to run the electric motor thereby reducing gasoline usage. Our fuel average is about 62 MPG running around town.
When it comes time to charge the car you can choose the charger that comes with the car. This plugs into a standard wall outlet and charges the car in about 6 hours - we charge overnight. This is a Level 1 charger and operates off 110 volts.
You can also charge using 240 volts and these are Level 2 chargers. They are much faster and will charge the car in a little over two hours. Level 2 chargers are found all over the place and are available to the public, often at no charge.
Electric utility companies most often have free chargers for obvious reasons.
You can obtain an APP called "Plug Share' that lists the location of the Level 2 chargers. It allows you to read about what is nearby and see images of the charger and location. Also tells you if they are available or in use.
We use this to find places to park the car and grab some juice while we are running our errands or grabbing a bite to eat.
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| Charging at the Utility Company |
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| Available wall plug at a hotel |
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| At the hospital while eating in their cafeteria |
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| On a downtown street corner |
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| Next to a Tesla at the swimming pool |
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| In a parking lot next to a River Walk |
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By a park
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