September 9 to 17 is National Drive Electric Week.  About 60% of Americans know little or nothing about EVs. They should. EVs are a practical and affordable option for many people, and they put much less carbon into the atmosphere than a gasoline-powered car. Take our quiz, based on the car pictured. It’s a used 2013 Nissan Leaf with about 25,000 miles on it.

  1. The Kelley Blue Book fair market value for this car is closest to:
    a) Under $10,000
    b) $15,000
    c) $20,000
    d) Used Leafs are unavailable or very hard to get.
  2. How many miles can this car drive on one charge?
    a) 30 miles
    b)50 miles
    c)65 miles
    d) 84 miles
  3. The miles-per-gallon equivalent for this car is:
    a) 75 miles per gallon
    b) 95 miles per gallon
    c) 114 miles per gallon
    d) 150 miles per gallon
  4. At .12 per kWh (U.S. average), what would it cost to drive 100 miles in this car?
    a) $1.50
    b) $3.48
    c) $5.75
    d) $7.25
  5. How long does it take to charge this car?
    a) 6 hours
    b) 16 hours
    c) 30 minutes
    d) 15 minutes
  6. How long will it take for this car’s battery to degrade 30%?
    a) It depends on your climate.
    b) It depends if you routinely deplete the battery almost to zero.
    c) Maybe it doesn’t matter.
    d) All of the above.
  7. What is a PHEV?

    ANSWERS

  8. 1. A Actually, used Leafs are readily available and modestly priced. It is comparable to buying a used gasoline powered Ford Focus with similar mileage. See Why You Should Buy a Cheap Used Electric Car.2. C or D This Leaf will offer you about 85 miles, but it’s best not to run the battery down below 20%, so 65 miles is a better answer.3. C 114 mpg. See http://www.hybridcars.com/what-is-mpge/4. B  $3.48 This varies depending on the cost of electricity in your area and when you charge. Night-time rates are cheaper.5. A or B. If you trickle charge using a regular household outlet, it takes 16 hours maximum. If you install a 220-volt level 2 charger in your garage (around $500 – $700) charging time is six hours maximum. This car is not equipped to use a level 3 charger (the 30-minute option found in some public settings) but many newer Leafs can. Level 3 chargers are still hard to find.6. D Nissan will replace the battery of this car if its capacity falls below 70% before 60,000 miles or 5 years. Batteries in many cars will go a lot longer than that if the owners do not live in hot climates and avoid running the battery down almost to zero on a regular basis. But studies show that many people do not need a battery at full capacity to meet their daily needs. The average American drives less than 30 miles per day, so a somewhat reduced range is adequate. See battery lifespan

    7. PHEV stands for “plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.” This is a car such as the Chevy Volt that has both a battery that can be recharged from an external source and a gasoline engine. It runs on electricity around town and switches over to gasoline for longer trips.