Surprise costs muddy EV and gas competition

• I'm only paying around $10 to fill up from "empty" on my home charger, whereas current gas prices in the area would cost me $52 to fill up my old Subaru.

Yes, but: The spike in my insurance — $115 more per month — is wiping out what I'm saving.

• EV insurance prices are expected to drop as more hit the road, but that could take a while.

If you're wondering: I paid $640.93 for the charger recommended by "Car and Driver" and Amazon, plus $275 to install the outlet in my garage.

Friction point: Occasional public charging also put me over budget.

• I paid for three $25 fast-charging sessions when I visited Tallahassee last month. I could have skipped one of those and used a free slow charger.

I save by charging during off-peak hours, and my home charger is fairly slow.

• So, when I forgot to plug in recently and had to run downtown for a story, I got worried my car would die on the road.
• To use one of the only free slow chargers working downtown, I had to pay $10 to get into the garage. Not worth it.

The bottom line: You all need to get EVs so I can start saving money.