News

Calculating the cost of charging an electric vehicle, at home and on the road, can be complicated. For the four out of five new-car buyers who can charge at home, often overnight, the cost per mile is virtually always cheaper than the cost of gasoline for a similar vehicle. It’s tougher for apartment dwellers, who may pay a variety of rates to companies that operate charging stations in shared parking areas. For DC fast-charging, which a driver will likely want to use on road trips that are longer than an EV’s range, prices vary, but are often roughly in line with gasoline prices.Because of these factors, the price of a full charge can vary considerably. For a Tesla Model Y, currently the bestselling EV, it could cost as little as $9 or as much as $40, depending on whether you’re charging at home or at a far more expensive Level 3 fast-charger.To look at best and worst cases, we picked 3 EVs that span a range: from small to large, from relatively efficient to huge and power hungry. And we looked at the highest and lowest home-charging rates, which can vary among states by a factor of almost four. Finally, we calculated the cost of DC fast-charging for a road trip.Calculating Real Cost—It’s ComplicatedHere’s a question to ponder: Do you know what you pay at home for a kilowatt-hour of electricity? Few people can answer that question without doing some research. (The average U.S. cost is now about 16 cents per kilowatt-hour; 1 kWh can move most EVs two to three miles.) EV drivers can often benefit from reduced rates from their electric utility that encourage charging when demand is lowest, say, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. As for DC fast-charging for road trips, the pricing is complicated. It varies among networks, may be lower at night, and may or may not require a session fee for each charging connection. Most networks also have membership plans with a monthly fee but lower per-kWh rates.Let’s Start with Cost per 100 MilesTo make the calculations easier and let us compare directly to similar gasoline vehicles, we looked at the cost of driving 100 miles in each EV. For home charging, we used the EPA-rated range, determined using a mix of local and highway use. For DC fast-charging, we assumed those are all highway miles and used our own highway-range tests. Home charging was always much cheaper for 100 miles than paying for gasoline in a comparable vehicle—as little as one-quarter the price.Overall, home charging was always much cheaper for 100 miles than paying for gasoline in a comparable vehicle—as little as one-quarter the price. On the other hand, DC fast-charging used for road trips was generally pricier than gasoline. But very inefficient vehicles driven in places where gasoline is very expensive may still come out slightly ahead for highway charging.Most EVs today cover the bulk of their miles using charging at home or work, so the weighted average gives EVs a decisive advantage—though this may not apply to apartment dwellers without the ability to install their own charging equipment.(Note: We added 5 percent to the recharge energy in all our calculations to account for losses during charging.)Know Your Charging OptionsBest Case: 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe CostsIn Louisiana, for a Bolt EV, 100 miles of home charging is $2.81, and 100 miles of EVgo fast-charging is $11.82; 100 miles in a 33-mpg small SUV would cost about $10.Chevrolet Bolt EV.ChevroletSure, it’s not available for 2024, but the Chevy Bolt EV has found more than 100,000 buyers during its run—and it’s a more modern vehicle than the aged Nissan Leaf it competes with. It’s also the only one with a starting price below $30,000.This is our most optimistic case, looking at what a relatively efficient EV costs to recharge in a state with very low electricity rates. We picked Lousiana, fractions of a cent lower than Utah, both at $0.11/kWh.At HomeIn the case of the Bolt, 100 miles is 38.6 percent of its EPA-rated range of 259 miles. That percentage of its 63-kWh battery pack is 25.5 kWh. In Louisiana, the cost of that 25.5 kWh is $2.81 in electricity to drive 100 miles, when charged at home. Compare that with a 33-mpg gasoline vehicle that would require three gallons of gasoline at the Louisiana price of $3.36 per gallon. That’s about $10, meaning 100 miles in a fairly efficient comparable gasoline vehicle is almost four times as expensive as 100 miles in that Bolt EV.On the RoadDuring our 75-mph real-world highway range test, the Bolt went 220 miles, so that’s the number we’ll use. (During an unorthodox range test in California’s Death Valley, we were able to exceed the EPA’s 259-mile estimated driving range in the real world.) Doing the same calculations, we need 30.1 kWh to cover 100 miles. GM partners with charging network EVgo, which charges a $1 session fee plus $0.36/kWh on its Pay as You Go plan. That amount of electricity will cost the driver $11.82—or nearly 20 percent more than gasoline. ConclusionHome charging is much cheaper; highway travel costs more per mile.Full Details and Specs2023 Tesla Model Y Long RangeThe CostsFor a Tesla Model Y at U.S. average costs, 100 miles of home charging is $3.82, 100 miles of Supercharging fast-charging is $10 to $19; 100 miles in a 28-mpg compact SUV would cost about $13.70.Tesla Model Y Long Range.Marc Urbano|Car and DriverWe picked the Model Y because it’s currently the bestselling electric vehicle in North America. About half the EVs on roads in the U.S. are Teslas, and the company’s compact SUV hits the sweet spot in the light-truck utility segment families have shifted to in great numbers.This is our average case, looking at what the most popular EV in the U.S. costs to recharge at the average U.S. electricity rate of $0.16/kWh. The Model Y Long Range is EPA rated at 330 miles of range in mixed local and highway use, though EV advocates and our range tests suggest Tesla’s range estimates are optimistic. At HomeSticking with our methodology, that’s 30.3 percent of the 75-kWh battery, or 23.9 kWh needed. At a home electric rate of $0.16, that’s $3.82. Compare that to, say, a 28-mpg compact crossover, traveling 100 miles at the average U.S. gasoline price of $3.80. It requires 3.6 gallons, costing $13.70. Again, the EV wins by a factor of almost 4 to 1 when charged at home.On the Road Highway travel is a different story. The Tesla Model Y Long Range model we tested on our highway test route delivered just 220 miles. So we need 35.8 kWh to cover 100 miles. The Tesla Supercharger network has variable costs for charging, from $0.25 to $0.50 per kilowatt-hour depending on how much power the station can deliver, time of day (nights are cheaper), and where you’re located (California is often pricier). In the best-case Supercharging scenario, the Model Y costs $9.95 at a Supercharger to travel 100 miles; in the worst case, it’s double that. Those are respectively lower and higher than the gasoline you’d use, so . . . it depends.Conclusion Home charging is much cheaper; for highway travel, it depends.Full Details and Specs2024 GMC Hummer EV PickupThe CostsFor a GMC Hummer EV in Hawaii, 100 miles of home charging is $27.48, and 100 miles of highway fast charging is $37.11 or more; 100 miles in a Hummer gasoline vehicle at 10 mpg would cost $47.90.GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 pickup.Bring a TrailerThe electric Hummer has already fulfilled its mission: to make EVs badass. Its off-road capabilities, four-wheel steering, and stupefying acceleration (to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds) make it the pinnacle of . . . something. Its gigantic battery pack is needed not only to provide that acceleration, but to overcome the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle the size of a small municipal building.This is our most pessimistic case: a huge, inefficient EV recharged in a state with the highest electricity rates in the nation. That would be Hawaii, at $0.42/kWh—since only one-third of that electricity comes from the state’s abundant sun and wind. The other two-thirds comes from burning fossil fuels shipped to the islands. (Gasoline is pricey in Hawaii too, averaging almost $5 per gallon lately—though not as high as California’s $5.35.) The Hummer EV has a truly massive battery pack, with a total usable capacity of 205.0 kWh. At HomeCovering 100 miles would use 30.4 percent of the battery capacity, or 65.4 kWh. In Hawaii, that’d run you $27.48. But what kind of gas mileage would a 4.5-ton truck shaped like a Hummer get? Let’s be generous and say 10 mpg. (Its gasoline predecessor, the Hummer H1, got 7 to 9 mpg at a relatively svelte 3.75 tons.) At Hawaii’s gas price, that would be $47.90—close to double the cost of home charging.On the RoadThe Hummer EV impressed with a 290-mile result on our 75-mph highway loop, much better than expected. To cover 100 highway miles would require about 34 percent of the 205.0-kWh battery, or 74.2 kWh.Hawaii does have some DC fast-charging stations (although its highway speed limit statewide is also 60 mph). Rates vary from $0.49 to $0.66 per kWh, depending on time of day and location. To make the math easy, let’s call it 50 cents per kWh—so 100 highway miles would cost $37.11. And, yes, that means it’s possible to spend more than $100 filling a Hummer EV.On gasoline, even using the same 10-mpg fuel efficiency, 100 highway miles would again cost $47.90. In this case, even pricey DC fast-charging was slightly cheaper in a hugely inefficient vehicle driven in a state where gasoline is extremely expensive.Conclusion The Hummer EV is an anomaly among EVs, though GM’s full-size EV pickups and SUVs use the same underpinnings—so it may be the extreme among huge, heavy EVs with giant batteries. On the other hand, Hawaii is an anomaly too, with very expensive gasoline. We hadn’t expected DC fast-charging to be cheaper than the Hummer’s gasoline equivalent, but it was. Full Details and SpecsContributing EditorJohn Voelcker edited Green Car Reports for nine years, publishing more than 12,000 articles on hybrids, electric cars, and other low- and zero-emission vehicles and the energy ecosystem around them. He now covers advanced auto technologies and energy policy as a reporter and analyst. His work has appeared in print, online, and radio outlets that include Wired, Popular Science, Tech Review, IEEE Spectrum, and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He splits his time between the Catskill Mountains and New York City and still has hopes of one day becoming an international man of mystery. More

Do you think modern RVs provide too much Vehicle and not enough Recreation? Here’s a tiny JDM camper for big adventures.With a thrifty diesel engine, this little camper will go the distance on a budget, albeit very, very slowly.This 1996 Isuzu Elf was imported to the United States in July. Car and DriverThe RV lifestyle experienced a huge boom in the past few years, but the industry arguably has a bloat problem. These massive homes on wheels rumble up to the campsite, expand their sides hydraulically, and sprawl out like the mobile headquarters from Universal Soldier. This is back to nature? Hardly. But here’s a pint-sized solution straight from Japan.Bring a TrailerFor wanderers who don’t feel the need to bring every dang thing along with them, there’s this 1996 Isuzu Elf camper. It’s absolutely adorable, sized like a Tokyo apartment but carefully packaged and ready for adventure. It’s up for auction on Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. Bring a TrailerThis wee RV is right-hand-drive, but that shouldn’t be too much of a drawback. Toll booths and drive-thrus may require the help of your passenger, but small JDM trucks and vans are very narrow, so reaching out the passenger-side window isn’t out of the question. The other problem with right-hand drive in a left-hand-drive country is seeing around the car in front of you to safely make a pass on a two-lane road. Rest assured that you will not be passing anything in this RV, given its 133-hp 3.1-liter four-cylinder diesel.Bring a TrailerWant to get there quickly? Pack a tent in the trunk of your Nissan Skyline GT-R. This Elf is all about wandering the backroads like a company of Hobbits, taking the time to actually enjoy the scenery. With such a small, it should be no harder to find an overnight spot than it would be in something like a Honda CR-V, except here you have a nicely outfitted sleeping area and a small kitchen. Bring a TrailerOf course, buying a vehicle that was never officially sold in the U.S. comes with some concerns about parts availability and servicing. Depending on where you’re located, finding a JDM specialist may not actually be that tricky, especially on the West Coast. If you live in Seattle, Portland, or Northern California, you will not be the only peripatetic soul with a JDM camper. You might even be able to find a local club. Bring a TrailerWith just 67,000 miles (in kilometer equivalent, naturally) on its durable diesel engine, this bento box of an RV has just barely started its adventure. Apply the Marie Kondo method to your camping gear, and get packing for a less-is-more RV lifestyle.Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

The Nigel Mansell Legacy Collection auction at Sotheby’s features more than 300 memorabilia items up for sale.Along with the racing trophies and helmets are some really unusual pieces: crocheted Nigel doll, anyone?Have a hunt through and see if there are any little treasures that you absolutely have to add to your mantelpiece. You’ve got until October 4, the starting date of the auction, to decide.For us mere mortals, cleaning out the attic rarely involves uncovering treasure. If, however, you happen to be England’s most famous mustachioed racing hero (with apologies to the late Graham Hill), then dispensing with clutter means putting an Aladdin’s cave worth of rarities up for sale. It’s clear 1992 F1 champion Nigel Mansell has read one of Marie Kondo’s books recently, as he is currently auctioning off hundreds of items of racing memorabilia at Sotheby’s.With 329 lots up for grabs, it’s a veritable cornucopia, some of it quite strange. Mansell sold two of his personally owned Formula 1 racing cars last year at Monaco, netting some $8.2 million, but the suggested prices here are much more reasonable. Further, all of the lots are offered without reserve. You might well score the kind of deal that would put a smile on the face of a thrifty son of Birmingham, U.K.And also, some of the stuff ol’ Nige is de-cluttering is delightfully weird. There are plenty of old racing suits and signature crash helmets, but also some really fun souvenirs.Simon Clay Courtesy of RM Sotheby’sTake, for instance, this 1988 Honda ST-70 bike. Known as the Dax in Europe/Japan, and the Trail 70 over here, this little Honda was used as a pit bike by Mansell during his time at Scuderia Ferrari. It wears its Ferrari shields legitimately, and there are photos of Mansell giving fellow world champion Alain Prost a ride around the paddock at the British Grand Prix. Not odd enough? Would sir or madam be interested in a Magic Mansell fuel pump for the living room, complete with Nigel’s signature bushy-eyebrowed visage beaming out at you? Just think of what a hit it would be at dinner parties. Speaking of dinner parties, what better place for your guests to set down their drinks than on a collection of wheels of a William F1 car, one of which is signed, “Happy birthday Nigel, lollipops for ever.” Lollipops forever? No explanation is given in the listing.Simon Clay Courtesy of RM Sotheby’sSimon Clay Courtesy of RM Sotheby’sYou yourself can relax in a molded seat from a 1989 Ferrari F1 640 racing car, contoured to those famous Brummie buttocks. Might need to dig up a stand for it, but it’d make an ideal chair, and go well with a 640 model of unspecified scale that is also up for auction.1985 Canon Williams Honda European Grand Prix helmet ’First Win.’ ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’sBesides the F1 memorabilia, don’t forget that Mansell was also a champion in CART/Indy racing. If so inclined, you can add an unopened bottle of champagne from his 1993 rookie attempt at the Indy 500, where he placed third. It’s not the only unopened champagne bottle up for auction—you could very nearly put a cellar together.But perhaps what you’re after isn’t the third-place trophy from the 1989 Belgian Grand Prix, nor a Ferrari-branded leather briefcase, nor an IndyCar Fastest Qualifier award which is also, for some bizarre reason, a knife. Maybe you want some of that Nigel Mansell swagger, what the kids call drip.Hurry, then, to the multiple lots of wonderfully throwback vintage clothing, including Canon-Williams livered ski jackets. Top it off with one of Mansell’s signature blue-and-gold Goodyear caps, and all you need is to grow a moustache and and a pair of eyebrows like two small bears.Have a browse through the Sotheby’s auction here, and see what other Mansell-ian treasures await. Nigel might not need these strange delights cluttering up his life anymore, but very possibly you do. Recent AuctionsContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

Mini-pickups were often used as motorcycle haulers, and that’s the two-piece setup we have here.This Datsun 620 pickup is paired with a Yamaha CT3 Enduro, both 1973 models.The Datsun has some custom touches outside and even more inside.Car and DriverIn 1973, the Arab oil embargo resulted in a spike in gas prices and even gas shortages. For car enthusiasts, there was the sense that a golden age was coming to an end (American Graffiti’s nostalgic pining for early-‘60s California was released that summer). But you could still have plenty of fun with a few gallons of fuel in the early 1970s, and here’s just the pairing to prove it. Bring a TrailerThis 1973 Datsun 620 pickup plus Yamaha motorcycle combo is up for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. The pair are both painted the colors of a California summer sunset, and together they make you want to head out into the desert for some fun ripping around in the dirt, and then listening to The Doobie Brothers as the stars come out.Bring a TrailerThe Datsun is the star of the show, fitted as it is with some seriously groovy exterior artwork, yet a modern interior upgrade that looks straight out of Minecraft. It wears a BRE front lip spoiler with “the Night Stalker” emblazoned on it, but with a three-speed automatic transmission and a four-cylinder engine, it’s more of an Evening Cruiser.Mind you, that four-cylinder is a blend of Datsun L16 and L18 parts, with a displacement of 1.7 liters and twin Hitachi carburetors. The claimed output is 133 horsepower at 8000 rpm, which is plenty feisty for a little 1970s pickup truck. Hopped-up Datsuns were all the rage at the time, and this truck has a whiff of BRE 510 about it. The automatic transmission isn’t the most performance-oriented option, but after riding motorcycles in the dunes until your legs turn to jelly, would probably make for an easier trip home.Bring a TrailerThe motorcycle is a Yamaha CT3 Enduro, also of 1973 vintage. It’s intended for offroad use only and doesn’t actually run, so it’s more of a project. Repairing a single-cylinder two-stroke Japanese motorcycle of this era is about as difficult as assembling a Duplo set. Or you could cruise up to your local car meet and just talk about your plans for the Yamaha—this is also an accepted convention of project-motorcycle ownership. Bring a TrailerThis auction for this pure-1970s combo ends September 21. Contributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. More

Our test results for the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max show impressive acceleration times.It also beat out other three-row SUVs in terms of observed fuel economy.The Hybrid Max setup is only available on the Grand Highlander’s top two trim levels.Welcome to Car and Driver’s Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We’ve been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here).We found a lot to like about the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander when we first drove and tested it, but now that we’ve been able to compare it against the three-row SUV segment writ large, we’re particularly impressed with the performance of its new 362-horsepower Hybrid Max powertrain. This setup, which combines a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four gas engine with two electric motors and a six-speed automatic transmission, delivers on both the acceleration and fuel-economy fronts.In our three-row SUV comparison test, the Grand Highlander was the quickest in a straight line by a wide margin, getting to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. That’s despite it weighing more than any of its closest rivals, at a hefty 4936 pounds. There are quicker three-row SUVs out there, but not many: the Dodge Durango’s V-8–powered SRT variants come to mind, plus expensive luxury-badged SUVs such as the BMW X5 and Audi Q7.More on the Grand HighlanderThe Grand Highlander also lives up to the brand’s reputation for fuel-efficient hybrids—at least in relative terms. While the Hybrid Max model doesn’t achieve Prius-level MPG numbers, it was the thriftiest SUV in our test, averaging 25 mpg over our 650-mile comparison loop. That beats the EPA’s 22 mpg combined rating. Still, we were a bit disappointed with the Grand Highlander’s result in our 75-mph highway fuel economy test, where it only hit 24 mpg, a bit behind the EPA’s 26 mpg estimate.While the Hybrid Max is considerably more expensive than the 2024 Grand Highlander’s lesser powertrains, which include a nonhybrid turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four and a less powerful but more efficient hybrid with a nonturbo 2.5-liter gas engine, we think the upgrade is worth it. The Hybrid Max setup is available only on the Limited and Platinum trim levels, which both carry starting prices above $55,000.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

There is a simple rule in the truck wars: numbers always go up. It doesn’t matter if it’s the maximum towing capacity, maximum horsepower, or maximum number of cupholders: This year’s full-size trucks must provide more in every category. That’s why we were surprised to see that, for 2024, the new Ford F-150’s max payload number has actually fallen compared to last year’s model.The 2023 F-150 offered up to 3315 pounds of hauling capacity. For 2024, that number falls to 2455 pounds.An 860-lb drop sounds cataclysmic. But for the trucks people actually order, it’s not going to make much of a difference. Because while that 3315-pound number provided Ford with plenty of bragging rights, actual buyers almost never optioned a truck to have that kind of hauling capacity. It required you to get a 5.0-liter V-8 single-cab 4×2 truck with an eight-foot bed, the Max Trailer Tow package, and the Heavy-Duty Payload package. That last package is what gave it the 800-pound payload advantage over the rest of the lineup, but Ford axed it to limit configurations.”The 2024 F-150 still offers best-in-class max payload capability. Payload was reduced when the Heavy Payload package was removed for the 2024 model year,” a Ford spokesperson told Road & Track.The company focused heavily on eliminating order complexity for the new F-150. That means eliminating as many packages as possible. Given that the Heavy Payload package was rarely optioned and required a bunch of tweaks—including different springs, tires, drivetrain cooling, etc.—it’s not surprising to see it’s off the menu. Especially because, as the spokesperson noted, Ford’s max payload figure still trumps all of its rivals. If you want more than that, you’ll have to get a heavy-duty truck.Related Stories”We’re simplifying our offerings based on how we know customers actually use their vehicle and running the business more efficiently,” the spokesperson told R&T. “We’re also bundling the most popular features and making it even easier for customers to quickly build, price, and order the F-150 that best meets their work and recreation needs. This results in many benefits: higher quality, improved customer experience—easier for customers to order and dealers to stock, and faster to turn the units.”Reviews EditorArguably the most fickle member of the Road & Track staff, Reviews Editor Mack Hogan is likely the only person to ever cross shop an ND Miata with an Isuzu Vehicross. He founded the automotive reviews section of CNBC during his sophomore year of college and has been writing about cars ever since.Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.  More