Frequently Asked Questions

There’s an electric or hybrid option for all vehicle types. Creating electric and hybrid versions of commercial vehicles, like pickup trucks and cargo vans, took a bit longer, but as of 2021 and 2022 model years there are options for both. 

Cargo vans, pickup trucks, SUVs and semi-truck are really the only types of vehicles where your options for buying an all-electric are somewhat limited. However, advancements in battery capacity and efficiency have improved to the point where the technology is available to make all of these a reality. Many leading manufacturers have models designed (if not already in production), and we’re likely to see a number of each arrive in markets within the next couple years. 

Certain types of vehicles do lend themselves better to modern electric technology. Examples include compact SUVs, sedans and other mid-size and compact cars. If you’ve got your heart set on an EV or hybrid and you prefer one of those smaller vehicle types, you have dozens of options to choose from. Many popular manufacturers, like Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Honda, have released hybrid variations for a number of their most popular models.

There are many benefits to driving electric. The most obvious benefit is saving money on fuel costs. Hybrid vehicles boast roughly 20 to 35 percent better gas mileage over conventional versions of the same model, depending on how you normally drive. 

How much EV drivers save really depends on how much your electricity costs (which is always far less than gasoline) and how much you drive. Many estimates put the savings at between $750 and $1,000 a year for the average EV driver. 

There are nearly 4,000 public charging stations in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area, with nearly 800 of those being free, more than 700 fast charging stations and more than 400 Tesla Supercharger stations. There are nearly 2,000 charging stations in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro area, include roughly 350 free charging stations, 350 fast chargers and 120 Tesla Supercharger stations. 

You can look up charging stations near you on plugshare.com. 

The answer to this question is highly variable. Every model is different and the advancements in technology each year means there can be significant differences between certain model years. 

Any person who owns a phone understands that batteries don’t last forever – but EV batteries are not the same as phone batteries. On average, EVs only lose about 2.3 percent of battery capacity each year. 

Some electric vehicles, like the Tesla Model S, can go for between 350 miles and 400 miles without needing to recharge, while lower-end models like the affordable Nissan Leaf only have a range of about 150 miles to 220 miles. How much these range restrictions impact you depends on a couple factors. 

If you primarily commute between work and home, a 200-mile range is probably more than you need. The speed of charging can make up for a more limited range. Driving long distances isn’t that difficult if charging only takes 20 or 30 minutes, but it may be an inconvenience if you regularly take long road trips for work or pleasure and the vehicle needs hours to reach a full charge. 

Absolutely, especially if you’re buying a pre-owned electric vehicle. Tesla were often considered luxury-adjacent purchases up until some of the more recent model years. Now a current year Tesla Model 3 starts at about $47,000 new (the company has a goal of releasing a sub-$20,000 car sometime in the future). Many electric vehicles start for far less than that, like the Chevrolet Bolt at just $27,000 and Nissan Leaf for about $29,000. 

You can find pre-owned electric vehicles and hybrids for far less than the new sale price – even EVs that are only a few years old. We encourage you to browse our inventory of electric and hybrid vehicles to see for yourself. Car shoppers in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore looking for an affordable electric or hybrid car with a lot of miles left should visit an Easterns Automotive lot. 

Between 15 and 20 years is how long EV batteries should last, but how long a charge lasts (the range of the vehicle) is more varied. 

There’s no standard battery range for EVs, but modern models tend to get between 200 and 270 miles per charge. Some may get a little less while other higher-end models can get far more. For most city commuters this range is more than enough. It’s especially adequate with new fast-charging technology, which means even if you have to stop halfway through a road trip to recharge, you can often get up to 80 percent of charge in roughly 20 minutes and get back on the road. 

One of the benefits of all electric vehicles is the minimal maintenance they require. When you think about a lot of the maintenance needs of conventional vehicles – like oil changes – you will probably recognize that most of that upkeep concerns the combustion engine and how it functions. Since there’s no combustion, there’s no oil changes, spark plugs, conventional batteries or other normal maintenance concerns. 

While there are some specialty electric vehicle manufacturers, like Tesla, Rivian and Lucid Motors, nearly every car maker is currently in the electric and hybrid game. If you’re loyal to a particular Honda, Toyota, Nissan or Mazda model, you might be surprised to learn they already offer a hybrid variation. 

Many of the major automakers are also manufacturing all-electric vehicles now in addition to their hybrid vehicles.