← EV Owner Insights

New to EVs? What you actually need to know before the first charge

New owners tend to start with the same setup questions. Many settle on charging to 80% for daily use and 90% only before longer trips, and several saw little visible degradation at 90%. Home charging comes up repeatedly: people who relied on a Level 1 cord found how little it adds overnight, while even a modest 20A Level 2 unit covered most daily needs.

Public charging and arrival margins are where expectations break down. Owners found chargers broken, busy, or slower than listed, and cold weather cut range noticeably. Several cut it too close, with one reaching a Supercharger at 1% after traffic and highway speed ate their buffer. Early reliability and dealer problems appeared too, but most owners reported delight, especially with no trips just to fill up.