2025 YTD (11/30/25) 575 Rides 11,467 Online Miles Driven $11,875 Given Back To Charity*

Email me your questions at joseph@GPSgreaterimpact.com, and I'll add it here!

My mission is to demystify EVs and support charitable causes that promote sustainability policies and programs - all while providing an exceptional ride experience. As an UBER Pro Gold Driver, I give back a minimum of $1 per ride + $0.10 per mile + Tips to charitable organizations like the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (faithforclimate.org).

Yes. It is a 2021 Mustang Mach E GT - a 100% electric crossover SUV with dual electric motors and an extended range high-voltage lithium-ion battery (98 kWh) with a nickel-cobalt-manganese chemistry. It has 600 lb-ft. torque and rated at 480 horsepower (0-60 in 3.8 seconds). The battery range is 240 - 310 miles depending on weather, weight, driving style, and ratio of in-town vs. highway. The seating capacity is five, including the driver and 30 cubic feet of storage behind the back seat (60 with the back seats down) plus 5 cubic feet in the frunk.

In short, it depends on what level charger being used, state of charge of the battery, the EV voltage platform, and weather conditions. Let's go through these via basic charger types.

Overview of Charger Types/Speed/Cost

There are three basic types/levels of charging: Level 1, 2, and 3. The levels indicate basic charging speeds. In short, charging via:

• Level 1 is 1-2 kW or 3-8 miles/hour.
• Level 2 is 2.5-19 kW or 10 to 60 miles/hour.
• Level 3 is 24-350 kW rate or 75 to 300 miles/hour. Note: Most level 3 are not charging at the same rate for the entire charging session and most charging sessions are less than 30 minutes.
• Costs vary from free to $25+ per session.

Public Charging

Public level 2 and 3 charging is widely available in the DC region, and the availability nationwide is rapidly growing. As of late 2025 in the United States:

• 69,000 stations with 230,000 ports.
• 9,000 of those stations are the DC "Fast Charging" Stations.
• 1,000 charging ports are being added per week (recent growth rate in the last year).
• 60% of public stations are in urban areas with 23% in suburban and 17% in rural areas.

Reliability

Charging stations are generally improving their rates of being operational, though some providers are better than others at addressing chargers that are out of service. In my experience, Tesla and Electrify America having the highest rates of reliability and EVGo and Blink having the lowest rates of stations/port reliability.

Charging Frequency & Finding Charging Stations

For most commute and local driving, EVs are often only needed to be charged once a week (similar to a tank of gas). For long-distance trips, I recommend starting with a full charge and planning for a stop around 25-40% of charge remaining. Finding chargers (and whether working or not) along a route is easier than ever in

• Google Maps
• Waze
• Apple Maps
• EV Charging Provider Apps
• Aggregating Apps like "Plug Share" that maintain a map and detailed info on most public charging stations in the country.

Now, in depth, by level (Geek mode!):

Level 1

This is plugging a car into a standard 110v or 120v AC outlet. It will charge between 1 and 2 kW per hour or 3-8 miles of range per hour (depending on the EV). This is also known as trickle charging. Charging this way for my Mustang would take about 3 days from near zero to 100%. I did this once while visiting my in-laws over 4 days during Christmas. Slow, but it will charge!

Level 2

This is plugging a car into a 220v or 240v AC charger. Here is where the AMP capacity of the cable being used comes into consideration for speed. The speed of maximum charging (measured as kilowatt hours) is volts multiplied by amps; divided by 1,000. At home, I have a 240v/48a charger that is capable of charging up to 11.5 kWh or 40 miles of range per hour. Level 2 chargers can range from 2.5 kW per hour up to 19 kW per hour. These chargers are often found at malls, parking lots/garages, grocery stores, and home chargers. Some are free, while others may charge $0.13 - $0.50/kWh of energy. The cost at charging at home would be the cost per kWh your electric company charges you - some electric companies offer off-peak charging rates that can be as low as $0.01 - $0.02/kWh. I have a single rate at home because I have solar panels, so my rate is always a flat $0.11/kWh or about $9-10 to charge from near empty to a full charge.

Level 3

This is what is known as "fast charging." Level 3 chargers are direct current (DC) and the speed at which it can charge an electric vehicle depends on its voltage and cable amp capability, weather conditions, state of the EV battery charge is at the start of charging, and what the EVs own rate of accepting a DC charge. Level 3 chargers are often found at highway rest areas, grocery and retail parking lots or garages, and dealerships. Level 3 chargers have charge ratings from 24 kWh to 350 kWh. None will charge at its fastest rate for the entire charge session. If a battery being charged starts at 20% or below and/or if it is hot or cold weather, the charging speed may be reduced. All fast chargers slow to under 40 kWh rate once a battery reaches 80% charge to protect the health of the battery. Further, the EV's capability to accept a charge rate matters as well. For example, my Mustang can handle up to 400v of charge. If I am at a charging station rated at 200 kWh rate and it provides that maximum via 1,000 volts x 198 amp cable, my car will have a maximum charge rate from that station between 69 - 78 kW/per hour.

Level 3 charging comparisons often use the "20/80" scale - How fast will a battery charge from 20% to 80%. At the fastest charge rate my Mustang can handle and with moderate outdoor temperatures (50 to 90 Fahrenheit), I can charge 20/80 in about 30 minutes or about 150-180 miles. 

Nearly all Level 3 chargers will require a fee with a few exceptions. This is because it costs $100,000 to install a single station. The cost to charge at these stations depend on the provider, the state or region of the country, and if the EV owner has a subscription plan with the provider. Rates in the DC region (DC, Northern Virginia, and the surrounding Maryland Counties) - excluding special subscription rates - are $0.22 to $0.57 kW/hour. The major Charger providers in the DC region include Tesla, Electrify America, ChargePoint, Blink, EVGo, Electric Institute, and Amped. I most frequently use Tesla with rates between $0.22-$0.43, Electrify America with a flat $0.42/kW rate and EVGo with $0.28 - $0.57. I have subscriptions for all three. My cost to charge at Level 3 stations from 20% to 80% is $11 to $25.

A Word (or a few!) on charge ports: There are several types of charge ports, though the industry is moving slowly toward standardization:

North American Charging Standard (NACS)

Also known as the Tesla charging port that can be used for Level 1, 2 or Level 3 charging. This is used by Tesla and many car manufacturers have agreements for non-Tesla vehicles to use the NACS style or adapters. 

Combined Charging System (CCS)

This is the current standard for most non-Teslas with a pin structure that can be used for Level 1, 2 or Level 3 charging. However, the NACS type is slowly replacing this system over the next 10 years due to the NACS being a smaller size and less likely to be damaged if dropped. For Level 1 and 2 charging, the top half charger accepts the "J1772" style port. Most plug-in hybrids (cars with an EV motor and battery to drive 10-60 miles in all-electric with a back-up internal combustion engine) have the "J1772" style port and may not be able to accept a Level 3 charge.

CHAdeMO Charging Standard (CHAdeMO)

This is one of oldest charging standards for Level 3 charging. ChAdeMo charging cables are often paired with a CCS charging cables at many non-Tesla charging stations. It is primarily used by older EV models from Nissan and Mitsubishi. It is a standard that is being phased out due to its relatively large size and low capacity for higher charging rates.

One of the benefits/features of owning an EV is that maintenance costs are much less compared to internal combustion engine cars. This is due to the fact that there are far fewer parts/elements to an EV motor vs. and ICE motor. The maintenance for my Mustang includes tire rotations every 10,000 miles, cabin filter every 20,000 miles, and windshield wipers as needed. For fluids, it is basically just the windshield wiper tank. Tires and brakes last as long as regular vehicles with similar costs to replace. In cases where an EV driver uses "one-pedal" driving (a setting where braking is mostly done using the motor), brakes may not be needed to be replaced for most of the life of the vehicle.

In terms of the battery, nearly every car manufacturer has a 10-year warranty for battery replacement. Batteries will degrade over time that slowly affects total range - but even that is very slow. I have lost, perhaps, 5-10 miles of range per full charge in the fours years I have owned my Mustang. If a battery needs to be replaced (either from a major accident, wear or malfunction), the cost ranges from $5,000 - $20,000, depending on the size and chemistry make up of the battery. Newer batteries are increasingly using chemistries favoring iron and phosphate - further lowering the cost for replacement. Several car companies, like Honda and Toyota, have announced they are developing "solid state" batteries that will have virtually no degradation over time and feature charging times as fast as 5-10 minutes. Roll out of these types of batteries could be available in new vehicles as soon as 2028.