Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan
The region's first Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Plan will comprehensively examine existing infrastructure and policies, identifying key future needs and strategies that will help our region be better prepared for electric vehicles.
EV Resources
EVs 101
EV's are new to many of us. With new ways of powering or vehicles (electricity vs gas), and multiple ways to charge
(level 1, 2, & 3), and numerous other novelties, just becoming familiar with EVs can be a challenge. Click the EV 101 image to learn more about some basics of EVs.
EV Cost Calculators
We're all familiar with the costs of gas powered vehicle: price of gas, miles p gallon, oil changes, etc. But EVs have their own new costs that aren't immediately clear. The links below provide clear and simple comparisons of costs between gas vehicles & EVs.
This interactive calculator allows you to compare the lifetime costs of ownership for comparable gas & electric vehicles, including purchase price, gas/electricity, maintenance, etc.
Trips to Kansas City from the Flint Hills Region are common for innumerous reasons. The Kansas City Trip calculator allows you to enter in information about your current gas powered vehicle, and compare those costs to a trip in an EV.
This interactive calculator allows you to compare a full year of your current gas vehicles fuel cost, versus an equivelent EV.
Maintenance & Ownership Costs
Find an EV Charger
DC Fast chargers (level 3) can be found in Manhattan (6), Kansas (460), and across the USA (>60,000).
The links below have location, cost, & hour information for nearly all chargers in the country
Myths & Facts about EVs
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Myth: There are more power plant emissions, making EVs worse for the environment.Fact: EVs have smaller carbon footprints overall! With no tailpipe emissions there is no CO2 released during driving. However, CO2 from power generation for charging does exist. Thankfully, the efficiency of EVs (roughly 87-91% of energy goes towards moving the vehicle vs 16-25% from an internal combustion engine [68-72% of energy is released as heat, noise, and engine losses, with the remainder going to function such as AC, Heating, etc.], more than makes up the difference. In fact, estimates show that if every car in the USA was powered by electricity from a coal power plant, there would still be a reduction in CO2 released (CO2 power production + C02 tailpipe emissions).
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Myth: Battery manufacturing for EVs is worse for climate than the production of gasoline cars.Fact: EVs emit lower amounts of greenhouse gases than gasoline cars over their entire lifetime, including manufacturing! Similar to tailpipe emissions, the C02 created in battery production is less than the C02 saved by driving EVs (no tailpipe emissions). Studies show that in their entire lifetime, EV's have lower total GHG emissions than gasoline cars including manufacturing, charging, and driving.
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Myth: There is nowhere to charge EVs.Fact: You can plug in EVs anywhere! Over 80% of EV charging is done at home, and most EVs can be plugged in at a normal level one 120 volt household outlet. Outlets can also be upgraded to level two if needed. Additionally, there are 457 public chargers in Kansas as of today, with millions in investment being poured into new chargers across the state. Within the USA there are over 61,000 public chargers.
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Myth: EVs do not have enough range for daily travel.Fact: EV range is actually farther than the average American drives each day! 85% of U.S. households drive under 100 miles a day; the average household only drives 50 miles a day. Most EV models have a range of over 200 miles, which is slightly effected by weather and driving conditions.
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Myth: EVs are not as safe as gasoline vehicles.Fact: EVs are held to the same safety standards as all other cars! All vehicles must meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Additionally, EV battery packs have special standards to meet, and they are designed with additional safety features that shut down the electrical system when they detect a collision or short circuit.
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Myth: Long distance road trips are awful in EVs.Fact: The United States has over 61,000 (and growing) public charging stations - Kansas alone has over 450! Billions of dollars are being invested in increasing the EV infrastructure around the nation. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 0.8% of trips are over 100 miles long, meaning home-charging covers over 99% of EV use. For long distance travel however, fast chargers (level 3 chargers) can charge the car batteries up to 80% in less than twenty minutes.