Alan Northcutt: Exploring barriers to local EV transition

As of Oct. 29, the state of Texas ranked third in electric vehicle registrations in the U.S. with 325,193. McLennan County had 1,198 registered EVs, or 0.55% of total vehicles. This pace of transition to electric vehicles is seven times slower than Travis County's 3.9%. Thus, this 2024 EV update explores some of the barriers to more robust adoption of EVs in McLennan County. Note that "EV" typically includes both pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. In this column, the term "BEV," or battery electric vehicle, is preferred, as it excludes plug-in hybrids, whose emissions contribute to the climate crisis.

Price of BEVs

Detractors of BEVs usually claim these vehicles are affordable only for the wealthy. In reality, in 2024 BEV prices have become competitive with internal combustion engine cars. The following are examples of new BEVs with reasonable sticker prices, along with range, a key specification.

Chevy Equinox EV: $26,100 ($7,500 tax credit applied), 319 miles.

Nissan Leaf SV Plus: $29,373, 212 miles.

Tesla Model 3: $34,990 ($7,500 tax credit applied), 363 miles.

Honda Prologue: $42,041 ($7,500 tax credit applied), 296 miles.

Qualification for the federal tax credit depends on site of assembly, source of critical minerals and the buyer's income. Although not available now, check tceq.texas.gov for the periodic Texas BEV grant, usually $2,500. In Texas, driving a BEV saves about $1,000 in gas costs annually, and eliminates oil change expenses.

Selection in Waco

BEV selection clearly was an obstacle in 2020, with the Chevy Bolt EV at AutoNation Chevrolet the only option. Just four years later, 26 models are now available from 10 dealers. The following is a guide to the dealers in Waco selling BEVs, with available models, maximum range of each, and availability of EV chargers.

AutoNation Chevrolet: Chevy Blazer EV (range 279 miles), Chevy Equinox EV (319 miles), Chevy Silverado Pickup (450 miles, coming soon). No public charging.

Bird-Kultgen Ford: Mustang Mach-E (320 miles), F-150 Lightning pickup (320 miles, production paused until January), E-Transit van (159 miles). Public Level 3 rapid charging, 24 hours.

Douglass Nissan: Nissan Ariya (304 miles), Nissan Leaf (212 miles). Public Level 2 charging (adds 20 miles per hour of charging) during business hours.

Douglass Subaru: Subaru Solterra (227 miles), Limited and Touring models. Public Level 2 charging during business hours.

Greg May Honda: Honda Prologue Touring (296 miles).

Jeff Hunter Toyota: Toyota bZ4X (252 miles). No public charging.

Mercedes-Benz of Waco: EQB 250+ SUV (245 miles), EQE 350+ (298 miles), eSprinter cargo van (206 miles). Public Level 2 charging during business hours.

Richard Karr Cadillac: Lyriq Sport 1 (314 miles), Sport 3, Luxury 1, Luxury 3, Tech and GMC Hummer EV (314 miles). No public charging.

University Kia: EV6 (310 miles), EV9 (270 miles), Niro EV (253 miles). Public Level 2 charging during business hours.

Volkswagen of Waco: ID.4 Pro S (275 miles). Public Level 3 charging during business hours.

Although selection has dramatically improved, these BEVs represent only half of the total electrics available in the U.S. Further, the three most popular BEVs in McLennan County are the Tesla Model 3, Y and S, and the nearest Tesla dealership for a test drive is in Austin (three locations).

BEV charging

Limited charging opportunity is a common criticism of BEVs. First, it is important to remember that over 80% of charging occurs at home, typically in a garage. But for apartment dwellers and others without home charging, it is true that 24-hour public charging has been limited to three sites in Waco:

Tesla Superchargers at Collin Street Bakery (22 rapid DC NACS plugs for Tesla)

Electrify America chargers at Walmart in Bellmead (six rapid DC CCS1 plugs, for most non-Tesla BEVs)

Freewire chargers at Road Ranger in Lacy Lakeview (six CCS1 plugs)

But over the last year, charging availability has improved, with three new sites open and five pending:

EV Connect ProStar chargers at Baylor University's new Hurd Welcome Center (two Level 3 CCS1 plugs), available 24 hours.

Francis Energy chargers, second entrance to Bird-Kultgen Ford on Loop 340 (two Level 3 CCS1 plugs, two Level 2 J1772 plugs), 24 hours.

Clipper Creek chargers, Magnolia headquarters on Franklin Avenue (four Level 2 J1772 plugs), open to public except Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Under construction: Roadster Travel Center on I-35 in Lorena (20 rapid NACS plugs).

Under construction: Circle K on Spring Valley Road in Hewitt (two Level 3 CCS1 plugs).

Approved for bids: Three Level 3 charging stations with four plugs (NACS or CCS1) each, on Highways 84, 6 and 31. Completion expected in 2025.

Because of their superior functionality and massive network, Tesla Superchargers are now designated North American Charging Standard (NACS) for rapid charging. Eventually all BEVs will have the NACS port and will charge at all Supercharger sites. This transition of CCS to NACS has begun, with Chevy, Ford, Rivian, Polestar and Volvo BEVs able to charge at some Tesla Superchargers by using an adapter. Also, two sites on the Baylor campus and multiple Waco hotels have Level 2 chargers, but these are typically for students or hotel guests only. Charging availability has significantly improved in Waco.

BEV batteries

A common argument used to denigrate BEVs is the risk of early battery failure and expensive replacement. Not widely understood is that federal law requires all BEVs sold in the U.S. have a battery warranty of at least eight years or 100,000 miles. Various BEV manufacturers have even longer warranties — up to 120,000, 150,000 or 175,000 miles. Extended battery warranties are also available from firms such as Xcelerate Auto and Endurance.

One of the most important studies on battery degradation came from Geotab, a telematics firm, which analyzed some 6,000 BEVs of all makes over 1.5 million days. They found annual degradation of 2.3% in 2019, which decreased to only 1.8% in 2024. David Savage, a vice president at Geotab, concluded, "Batteries in the latest EV models will comfortably outlast the usable life of the vehicle and will likely not need to be replaced."

Positives of electric

The anti-BEV claims addressed above are overwhelmed by the positive qualities of battery electric vehicles. These include improved air quality for car occupants and the community, convenient home charging rather than gas station stops, elimination of oil changes, few moving parts for minimal maintenance, brisk acceleration, silent operation, support for a vital industry, and the creation of new vehicle and battery jobs. And most important, the daily satisfaction of knowing your driving helps preserve rather than destroy a livable climate.

Alan D. Northcutt is a retired Waco physician and director of the grassroots climate action and education group, Waco Friends of the Climate. His email address is .