Electric vehicle ownership: Tips for weighing EV options

Insights > Electric vehicle ownership: Tips for weighing EV options

Electric vehicle ownership: Tips for weighing EV options

09/27/2024

Entergy Mississippi has been celebrating its 100^th anniversary during the last year and we've had a lot of fun looking back at our history. In the early days of our company, few customers had electric appliances in their homes. Today, we take our electric appliances-from dishwashers and washer/dryers to crock pots and stand mixers-for granted.

Homes today are built with hookups for washers and dryers, but for the first part of the 20^th century, it was not common. Houses had to be retrofitted to accommodate the new appliances and some homeowners were skeptical that the appliances would be worth the cost and trouble of adding the wiring, electrical outlets and equipment. Over time, customers moved from skepticism to having a difficult time imagining life without the convenience of appliances that help us take care of our families.

Today, we are witnessing a similar evolution as more Mississippians choose to drive electric vehicles. Much like electric appliances, purchasing decisions are made over time and consumers are still in the early stages of learning how EVs can meet their transportation needs. At Entergy Mississippi, we are closely monitoring EV adoption and we'll adapt along the way to help EV drivers on the road and at home.

There are benefits to owning an electric vehicle. EV owners typically save a significant amount on fueling costs when compared to drivers of combustion-engine vehicles. Over the past 20 years, the price of gasoline has increased at twice the rate of electricity. Pricing for electricity is also more consistent than the price of gasoline.

When deciding if an electric vehicle is right for you and your family, there are several factors to consider:

• Where and how far you drive on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis:
  • If your daily driving involves a short commute, 20 to 30 miles, plugging an EV into a standard 120V household outlet may be a workable option. For longer daily commutes a 240V charger may be necessary and could require some installation cost.
  • If you travel to visit family out of the state each month, you will want to determine if there are DC Fast Charging stations located along your most common routes. These stations can provide an adequate charge in as little as 20 to 30 minutes depending on the power output. New stations continue to come online on a regular basis.
  • If you live in an apartment with out access to EV charging where you park your vehicle, you'll want to locate the nearest DC Fast Charger and determine if it will meet your charging needs.
• What kind of plug your EV will use:
  • Currently there are two charging plug standards on the market, Combined Charging System (CCS) and the North American Charging Standard (NACS). There are adapters available for each plug and some manufacturers are including them with a vehicle purchase.
  • Most EV manufacturers are moving to NACS, so the plugs will be consistent from one model to the next.
• Develop a method for keeping up with where the charging stations are located:
  • An app, like PlugShare, that can be downloaded on a smart phone and provides user-generated content on where charging stations are located, along with how many stations are available and in working order.
  • The Mississippi Department of Transportation expects to receive $50 million in federal grants to install fast charging stations and plans to use the funds to install the stations approximately every 50 miles along the interstates that crisscross the state.

There is a common misconception that the electric grid does not have the capacity to serve a large influx of electric vehicles in the state. Utility companies will expand capacity to keep pace with demand and Entergy Mississippi is working to forecast and meet that need.

As a founding member of the National Electric Highway Coalition, Entergy is helping to create a seamless network of EV charging stations along major transportation corridors in our service area.

Last year, Entergy Mississippi launched a direct current fast charging station pilot project at Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland. It is the first company-owned electric vehicle charging station of its kind in Entergy Corporation's four-state service area and will serve both residents and EV drivers passing through on I-55 and nearby I-20. In July, Entergy Mississippi expanded the pilot project to a second fast charging site in Brandon, MS.

As EV owners use the charging stations, Entergy Mississippi studies the impact of electric vehicles on the power grid. Insights on frequency, time of day and location help the company prepare for improvements that may be needed as power use from electric vehicle drivers increases.

The company is also partnering with Adopt-A-Charger, Inc., a nonprofit organization that installs electric car chargers which are "adopted" by sponsors, to place chargers in key public areas. Several locations in Mississippi have been announced.

Entergy launches EV podcast

​Recently, we launched a six-part podcast series called Your EV Power Source to educate our customers on common electric vehicle misconceptions. In each episode, Electric Mobility Portfolio Manager Scott Barrios and KeyString Labs Lead Product Manager Amy Flower sit down with industry experts and enthusiasts to offer practical tips for customers considering going electric.

How to listen

The first two installments of Your EV Power Source are now available on the Entergy eMobility website as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. You are encouraged to share them with your external and internal stakeholders as appropriate.

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