How much does it cost to charge an electrified car?

Electric or gas? It’s a question no longer reserved for those shopping for a new stove. Ford’s electrified vehicles have entered the car market in a big way.

Decreasing battery costs and improving technology mean that sticker prices are becoming more and more competitive with traditional gas-powered vehicles. And, with incentives in some provinces, you can get into an EV for about the same or even less than its all-gas equivalent.

The Electrified Wave

EVs’ increasing attractiveness to car buyers could translate into more than 20 million electric and hybrid passenger vehicles on the world’s roadways by 2020, says the Clean Energy Ministerial, a global policy forum.

At the heart of this rising popularity are benefits for more than just the owners. The environment gets some help because hybrids emit much less climate-changing CO2, while vehicles that operate on electricity alone release zero. And Canada benefits from improved energy security, as electricity can be produced from a wide range of sources, including hydro, solar and wind power.

But for most car buyers thinking about switching to an electric vehicle, their wallet makes the final decision. And that wallet wants to know one thing: Just how many loonies will buying an EV save?

Charged up over Focus Electric

There’s no doubt that powering a vehicle with electricity is cheaper than doing it with gas, thanks to huge efficiency gains made by replacing a gas engine with an electric motor. The Focus Electric, for instance, gets the equivalent mileage of a 2.2 litres-per-100 kilometre gas-powered car*. The average fuel consumption for all new cars, meanwhile, is around 9L/100km**.

Before getting into more specifics, though, let’s back up. It probably goes without saying, but let’s put it out there: all-electric vehicles don’t need gas. That means no more trips to the pump. No more worrying about the price and no more lining up when it drops by a few cents per litre. And perhaps most importantly, it means spending a whole lot less to fuel your vehicle.

Get to know your charger

To understand how owning the Ford Focus Electric saves on fuel costs, it pays to know about how charging works in the first place.

Focus Electric

Rather than relying on gas, an all-electric vehicle requires (you guessed it) an electric charge to operate. An EV can plug directly into the type of standard outlet you’ll find at home or work (which operates at 110V) or into a 240V charging station, which requires the type of outlet you’d use for a stove or clothes dryer.

Focus Electric

The most obvious benefit of using a 240V is that your vehicle charges faster. With an 110V plug, the Ford Focus Electric charges overnight. With a 240V plug, it can charge in just under 4 hours. And the recently announced 2017 Ford Focus Electric will come with lightning-fast, 480 Volt DC fast-charging capability that can refill 80 per cent of the battery’s capacity in an estimated 30 minutes, with a projected total range of 160 kilometres.

Focus Electric GIF

But what about the cost?

In fact, fueling an all-electric vehicle over the course of a year costs on average about eight times less than a gas-powered car, says Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation. If we assume you’re charging from empty at night in off-peak hours, here’s a good breakdown for the Focus Electric with its 23 kWh battery:

ChartEnglishFocusElectric

When you look at the numbers for the Focus Electric, it’s no surprise that a growing number of customers are taking a long, hard look at Ford’s electrified vehicle line. When it comes to savings and performance, these Fords are hard to beat!

And now with incentives in some provinces^, you can get into an electrified Ford for equal or less than its all-gas counterpart. So go ahead, find your nearest dealer today.

* Fuel consumption ratings for 2016 Focus Electric: 2.1Le/100km city, 2.4Le/100km hwy and 2.2 Le/100km combined, based on Government of Canada approved test methods. Le/100km is the Government of Canada equivalent measure of gasoline fuel efficiency for electric mode operation. Actual fuel consumption will vary.

** Source: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute data, data updated March 2016.

^ Incentive is provided by the provincial governments of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec and is subject to cancellation or change without notice. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited is not responsible for any changes to or cancellation of the incentive and makes no representations about eligibility. Please consult your provincial government or Ford dealer for more information. Rebate amount varies by eligible vehicle and payment option. Certain conditions apply.