The EV Experience — One Year On

About a year ago, we purchased a Hyundai Ioniq5 electric vehicle. There were several reasons:

• Improve our resiliency and reduce reliance on commercial power systems
• Reduce our use of fossil fuels
• Generate fuel (electric power) using onsite solar energy
• Simplify vehicle maintenance
• Reduce our impact on the climate

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We’ve had the vehicle just over a year now, and it’s time for an update. The car itself has been flawless. There have been no maintenance issues. The driving experience is excellent.

Road Trip!

We took the car on a trip to Omaha Nebraska last summer, and while finding high-speed charging facilities can take some persistence, we were always able to find one. The car came with a two-year membership and free charging from Electrify America. Those charge points are somewhat sparsely located, so we had to use other commercial chargers a few times. In total, we were able to charge for free just over half the time, resulting in a total fuel cost of around $175. The trip mileage was 1770 – just under 10-cents a mile.

No Serious Problems with Charging While Traveling

Charging at Electrify America was easy, once you got the hang of it. Many of them are located at Walmart stores, usually way out at the end of the parking lot. Once we realized this, we used our Apple Maps to get close, and then just looked for the Walmart. 

An interesting kind of etiquette exists at these charging stations. Strangely, one pulls into a charging stall, and then hooks up to charge. Because they’re always busy, there’s usually a que of sorts waiting for the next available stall. It can be hard to know who’s next though. In a couple instances, one customer had appointed themselves the “charging station Marshall” and chatted with others assembled there to determine charging order. This worked well, and felt like a community of like-minded people. Our first exposure to this.  

In other examples, we found the regular roadside service stations are starting to provide EV services. The Flying J in Ardmore Oklahoma is one example. Four “pumps” were located a short distance from the store arranged  as pull-though lanes — much more like we’re used to for gas pumps. This was much more efficient than the stalls. We were in and out of the Flying J in about 15 minutes. Just enough time to get something to eat.

Some chargers were located in Target parking lots. Francis Energy, a regional brand in Oklahoma and Kansas was one example. Not super fast chargers, but good enough. We also found an Electrify America facility at a Target in West Omaha. 

The only fly in the ointment with Electrify America is that there were frequently chargers out of service. Even so, we were always able to get what we needed. 

Fuel Costs: ICE vs EV

Before owning the Ioniq5, I had a 2013 Mazda CX-5. It averaged about 30 miles per gallon. Over the last year, unleaded gas in the Austin area has varied between $2.66 and $3.29. The yearly average was $2.84 per gallon, or (when using the Maxda CX-5) about 9.4 cents/mile. From April 2024 until April 2025, We put about 15,500 miles on the Ioniq5, for an equivalent fuel cost of $1467.33

A couple of months after buying the Ioniq5, I installed an Emporia Level 2 charger. It is powered from my shop, with both grid-tied and solar energy available. The installation was pretty easy, and charge rates are adjustable from 2.9 to 11.5 kW. Depending on sun conditions, I usually charge at 3.8 to 5.8 kW. The power consumed from our typical 100-mile to and from Austin, round trip, is 22 kWh or so. This can usually be replaced in one day. 

Using data from the Emporia Charging system I installed last year, we used 2782 kWh charging the Ioniq5. At our current Pedarnales Electric Cooperative (PEC) power rate, that represents a value of $307.59. I actually paid PEC $110.82 to power the car, so the rest — $196.78 or 1779 kWh — was generated by our solar array. So, we avoided $1356.51 in power costs for the Ioniq5. We generated 64% of the Ioniq5’s power onsite. That’s almost two-thirds of our vehicle fuel. With the addition of the second solar array, now under construction, we should be able to increase that to nearly 100%.

In other words, a year’s driving in our former vehicle, the Mazda CX-5, would have cost almost $1,500. That same amount of distance in the Ioniq5, would have cost $308 when purchased from our power company. The power provided by our solar array further reduced the cost by $197. Our actual out of pocket for a year’s driving was $111.

What about the cost of the solar equipment?

So far, we’ve spent in excess of $10,000 installing solar equipment here at Roy Creek Ranch. And while we’ve been able to do so economically by buying used solar panels and surplus LiFePo4 batteries, the cost is still substantial. The goal was never to save money on our power bill though. Instead, we spent money on solar equipment for resiliency in our country home in the event of a power grid failure. In that, we have been successful. There have been two major, multi-day events, and several hours-long outages since we began the project. Each one has impacted our lifestyle less. At this point, we could live comfortably for an indefinite period of time if commercial power were interrupted.

That installation now provides us with an opportunity. With the addition of a second array and related inverter equipment, we will have nearly 12,000 watts of solar energy generation available. That extra power could be used to reduce household energy use, and in time it will. Until then, it will be used to power our transportation. A solar project, initially intended to provide emergency power, will now power our car. Win-win.

EV Comfort and Style

Of course, this is not a cheap car. After comparing it with other vehicles with similar comfort and style, I think we got a pretty good deal though. In other words, we didn’t “settle” for a spartan experience in order to get an EV. Quite the opposite. ICE vehicles with similar features cost the same or more. In other words, we probably would have spent the same amount of money thus making the ICE vs EV cost argument moot. 

The EV Community

One other fun aspect of owning this car is the interest it generates. I’ve been driving for over 40 years now, and never been stopped to discuss a car like I have been with the Ioniq5. It’s a stylish design, and those who ask about it seem to know it’s an EV with a good reputation. I have to admit these encounters are fun and they have been entirely positive. 

I haven’t gone so far as to join a club yet, but I’ve been tempted. At one Electrify America charger in Round Rock Texas, I encountered another Ioniq5 owner. We chatted while waiting for the cars to tank up, and I learned my new friend had not one, but two Ioniq5s. He also had an Ioniq N. He invited me for a ride in it and we traded contact info. Kinda great being in a recognized “cool” car.

The Verdict: We Love the Ioniq5

Marilyn and I love this car. It represents the best of the EV world; quiet, powerful, smooth acceleration and all the creature comforts one could want. Every time we get into it, I feel like we’re living in the future. Apple Car play makes for an excellent entertainment and navigation experience. I did get a do-hickey that allows my iPhone to magnetically attach to the small space on the left side of the dashboard. It becomes part of the instrument cluster along with the speedo and car metrics with the CarPlay display to the right. And the Bose sound system is excellent. 

With the Ioniq5 and the soon to be commissioned second solar array, we will be nearly self-sufficient for our transportation needs. And, I feel as though I’m making a meaningful contribution to mitigating our influence on the climate. Think globally, and act locally.