Jonathan Belak estimates it costs him about $3 per week to get around in his Tesla Model S.
That’s based on the small fraction of his utility bill that results when the retiree plugs in the 2013 model electric vehicle to recharge at his Murrysville home.
Belak is president of the Murrysville-based Three Rivers Electric Vehicle Association. He’s among its members who have made the switch to all-electric fueling and don’t see any reason why they would go back to pumping gas.
“I haven’t had to go to a gas station since 2019,” said his wife, Bonnie. “That was when we sold our last gas vehicle.”
She makes her 3.5-mile commute to work in a 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
The Belaks have owned a series of electric bikes and cars over the past two decades. Jonathan was inspired to purchase his first electric 10-speed when he saw actor Tom Hanks tout electric vehicles on a late-night talk show.
“We were spending $40 a week on gas just to drive back and forth to work,” Jonathan Belak said. “I thought, ‘Maybe we should get an electric vehicle.’ ”
Members of the Murrysville group say there are deals to be had in the used EV market. Both of the Belak cars were previously owned. They paid about $30,000 for the higher-end Tesla, which would have cost upward of $100,000 when it was new.
Sue Quinn of Allison Park just purchased a new 2024 Hyundai Ioniq EV that would retail for about $45,000 but got $7,500 knocked off the price as part of a dealership promotion.
“It’s kind of luxury pricing,” she said. But she noted she essentially spends nothing to run the car — charging it at home, where her power supply is augmented by a solar panel.
“It’s free power from the sun,” she said.
A 2022 Kia Niro makes sense for Robert Bratton, who works from home in Monroeville and uses the electric vehicle mostly to run local errands. He said the car’s rated range of about 240 miles per full battery charge didn’t prevent him from taking it on a 3,000-mile round trip to San Antonio, Texas.
He used an app to plan a route that included a vehicle charging station at needed intervals. His tip: “Go somewhere that has four or six charging stations,” so there is less chance of being delayed if a station is already in use or out of order.
Mileage ranges have gotten better with advances in car design. Quinn bought her first EV used in 2018 when she lived in Chicago; it was a 2015 Leaf, with a rated range of just 50 miles per charge.
“It was the ultimate test of range anxiety,” she said. “It was a hilarious adventure of turning off the heater and all of the fans and the radio so you can get home on that little bit of juice.”
Quinn had an electric-gas hybrid car before purchasing the Hyundai, which has a range rating of 306 miles per charge. “I had been wanting to get that full EV for so long,” she said. “I wanted something small and sporty. Sporty means long range because you have less drag, and this finally came on the market.”
One of the advantages of electric vehicles is they generally have a quicker response than many gas-fueled counterparts, Jonathan Belak said.
“If you drive an electric car — a fast one, if you flex your toes, you’ll jump 40 mph,” he said. “It’s instant.”
The Murrysville club members also recommend EVs because of their low maintenance requirements compared to gas-fueled cars. There is less wearing on brakes and emissions inspections don’t apply.
Bratton enjoys his EV’s lack of engine noise.
“To me, it’s fun to drive,” he said. “I want to drive through the woods and hear the gravel crunching under the tires.”
A longtime motorcycle enthusiast, group member Bill Smith of Mt. Lebanon decided to buy a used 2016 Chevrolet Spark EV to take his pit bull to the dog park instead of investing in a side car for his pet.
While he has a gas-fueled Pontiac GTO to fall back on, Smith said he charges his compact Spark just once a week at home to keep it ready for local trips, at a monthly cost between $12 and $15. If he wants to replenish the battery at a charging station, one is available at a Dunkin’ restaurant near Canonsburg.
The Spark had 11,000 miles on the odometer when he paid $11,000 for it more than three years ago.
“It’s coming up on 21,000 miles now,” he said. “The battery doesn’t seem to be degraded any. It was a good purchase.”
Firefighters and the National Transportation Safety Board have noted hazards emergency crews can face when responding in cases where the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles have caught fire. Extra precautions are needed because of the risk that the batteries could reignite.
Smith believes such EV fires are uncommon and likely caused by use of inappropriate equipment to charge the battery.
“It’s kind of fun being on, not necessarily the forefront, but part of change,” he said of his EV ownership.
Quinn said many EV owners become attached to their cars. Though she sold the Leaf when she moved to the Pittsburgh area, she said, “I fell in love with it. I still have the license plate on my wall from that car because we’ve been through some times.”
In addition to the fuel savings, Quinn, who holds a doctorate in environmental engineering, long had the goal of owning an EV because of her concern about climate change and setting an example for her three children.
“I studied global warming back in the ’90s, so I’m aware of the issues,” she said. “I realized I just can’t contribute to the problem anymore. I needed to start changing what I’m doing to just feel OK with myself.
“It manifested in the desire for an EV.”
The Three Rivers EVA group has about 50 members and holds regular meetings in Murrysville, usually on the third Saturday of the month. Those who want to learn more about electric vehicles are welcome, as well as those who own an EV.
Visit threeriverseva.org for more information.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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