EV Education

• EVs are 2.6 to 4.8 times more efficient at traveling a mile than gasoline-powered vehicles. They can use 60% to 73% of their fuel source, while conventional vehicles only use 12% to 30% of the energy from gasoline.
• Reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions. Transportation is the highest carbon and greenhouse gas emitting sector of the US economy.
• Strengthens US energy independence.
• Reducing fossil fuel use in urban areas improves air quality and reduces respiratory illness associated with byproducts of fossil fuel combustion.
• Embracing a mix of EVs and other electric transportation methods lowers the cost of transportation and makes low-cost transportation more accessible.

• Understand Driving Habits: The average daily mileage in Florida is less than 40 miles per day, and every EV on the market today has several times that range per charge. We’ve found that most drivers only need to charge a few times per week and only those with long drives need to charge daily. Drivers can also adjust their habits to maximize range.
• Regenerative Braking: Your EV automatically recaptures energy during deceleration to extend range.
• Plan Trips: Identify charging stations along your route to alleviate concerns. PlugShare and Chargeway are popular options.
• Drive Efficiently: Maintain a steady speed and minimize rapid acceleration.
• Know Your EV: Familiarize yourself with your vehicle's range of capabilities and features for added confidence.

• Walking: The most sustainable option for short distances.
• E-bikes and e-scooters: Efficient for commuting short distances and environmentally friendly. If you’re exploring Downtown Jacksonville, check out the City of Jacksonville Dockless Mobility Program.
• E-motorcycles: Offer a compact and quick way to navigate urban environments. The Federal Government offers a tax credit for purchase of qualifying e-motorcycles. 

To ensure optimal performance and longevity of your electric vehicle (EV) battery, routine maintenance is essential, including regular software updates and checks of the cooling system. Battery care involves monitoring state of charge and avoiding extreme temperatures whenever possible. Always consult your owner's manual for specific maintenance recommendations and warranty details.

By law, every EV manufacturer provides a battery warranty of at least 8 years and/or 100,000 miles. Batteries are designed to last well beyond 8 years, but battery life depends on factors like environment and charging behavior.  

When an EV reaches the end of its life, the battery can be reused or recycled. If you ever need to have your EV battery replaced, the manufacturer will handle the recycling process. A reused battery may provide energy storage or backup power. A battery that cannot be reused is recycled for raw components like lithium. 

Unlike with gas fill-ups, most EV owners can charge their vehicle at home while they sleep or do other things instead of making a trip to the gas station.  Actual charging time depends on the state of charge (how ‘full’ the battery is), battery size, charging kW rate, and other factors like ambient temperature. The time to charge the EV is longer than a gas station trip, but many EV drivers wake up with a full battery each day, and filling up only takes a few seconds to plug in when they get home. 

That depends on the battery size and the rate of the charger. Level 1 chargers (standard 120-volt outlet) add about 3 miles of range per hour of charging. Level 2 chargers (240-volt home chargers and most public charging) add between 20 and 40 miles of range per hour. DC fast chargers (sometimes called Level 3 chargers) can charge a car to 80% battery as fast as 15 minutes. Regardless of charging speed, most EV drivers do not need to “top off” during the day, and instead choose to charge at home each night. A typical battery electric vehicle owner charges about once every three days. In general, though, you can consider the concept of minutes, hours, and days.  Level 3 DCFCs can completely charge most batteries in an hour from zero to 100%.  Level 2 chargers could do the same thing in 8-16 hours.  Level 1 charging would take up to 3 days to reach 100% if allowed to completely discharge.  In reality, this does not happen because EV owners charge the vehicles more frequently and never have to go from zero to 100 %.  Daily driving is managed between 80% - 20% by plugging in when it is convenient and inexpensive, at home at night.  

Compare EVs head-to-head with other EVs and gas-powered cars, using our EV Shopper Tool.

Consider an EV that gets 4 miles per kWh.  The kWh costs $0.14, so he is paying 3.5 cents per mile for fuel.  A gasoline car that gets 26 miles per gallon and purchases gas for $3.25 per gallon is paying 12.5 cents per mile for fuel. Over 14,000 miles in one year the annual gasoline costs $1,260 and the annual electricity costs $490.  In this example the annual fuel savings from going electric are $1,260.

The US Dept of Energy offers the Alternative Fuels Data Center: Vehicle Cost Calculator that can also help you compare.

JEA’s electric rate is typically about 14 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), and EV batteries range in size from 50 to 100 kWh, or about $7 to $12 for a “full tank.” Depending on the model (and your driving style) an EV can go between 3 and 5 miles per kWh. If you drive 10,000 miles per year, you would spend about $450 to $550 per year on fuel. Compare that to $1,000 for a car that gets 30 MPG and $3 per gallon for gas!

JEA is well-prepared for the anticipated increase in electricity demand from the growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Florida, where current adoption rates are around 3%. JEA electric distribution network has room for significant numbers of EVs as long as they charge during off-peak hours. By charging your EV during off-peak hours, you can help. Even when fossil fuels are used to generate electricity, the overall emissions from charging EVs are lower than those from gas-powered vehicles. JEA is transitioning to more carbon-neutral energy sources over time, including nuclear and renewable energy. By 2030, JEA's power supply portfolio will be 35 percent clean energy. Utilizing off-peak hours for EV charging will further benefit the electric grid by balancing demand and reducing strain during peak times.

In the US, the #1 greenhouse gas contributor is transportation– primarily from cars and trucks burning fossil fuels. Wheel-to-wheel comparison of EVs to ICE vehicles can be found on the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

It all comes down to efficiency. EVs use the energy in their batteries with very little wasted, while in gas-powered cars, most of the energy in the fuel is wasted as heat. Even when powered by coal, the total emissions are lower for EVs. 

Aided in part by JEA funding, there are over 600 Level 2 charging stations available for public charging in the Jacksonville area. JEA owns charging stations for our fleet vehicles, but they are not for public use. JEA also incentivizes sites that host charging equipment for public use.

JEA does not subsidize charging at paid stations. In total, there are over 600 charging stations in the Jacksonville area (according to Plugshare). About 100 of those provide free charging: https://www.plugshare.com/map/free-ev-stations. 

A map of public chargers can be found via PlugShare and Chargeway. You can filter the results based on type of plug (J1722 or Tesla) or charging rate (Level 1, Level 2, or DC fast chargers).

The distance that an all-electric vehicle can go depends upon a variety of factors, like battery size. Plug-In Hybrid batteries have capacities between 8 and 20 kWh, with a travel range of 1460 miles using just electricity. While fully electric vehicles have battery capacities between 30 kWh and 65 kWh, travel range is between 110 and 250 miles. Vehicles with higher capacities, up to 200 kWh, can typically travel 300 to 400 miles on one charge.