Tesla, other electric vehicle owners find growing company on the road

Electric cars are everywhere, even in gas-happy South Dakota.

If you haven’t noticed, look a little closer. You’ll see a Tesla about every six blocks driving around Sioux Falls these days. But there’s another fleet of less-famous models from more traditional names that may slip under your EV radar.

Ford and Chevrolet are producing some of the top-selling all-electric vehicles in the country. And they aren’t boxy little numbers fresh from the cramped quarters of Copenhagen and Rome. Many of these cars are sleek, powerful and ready to tackle whatever you can throw at them.

Mike and Paula Wagner live on Lake Brandt, about 30 miles northwest of Sioux Falls. When they heard Ford was building an all-electric Mustang and going all-in on EV technology, they were immediately interested and put down a deposit.

Their red Mach E4x has four-wheel drive, an extended range of 250 miles on a charge and will launch from zero to 60 mph in just over 3 seconds.

“It’s a beautiful blend,” Mike Wagner said. “When you drive it, it’s a sports car, and when you put the groceries in the back, it’s an SUV.”

EVs are no longer a novelty. There are 19 models available in the United States, according to Car and Driver magazine, with more coming, including pickups and delivery vehicles.

The charging infrastructure is expanding, led by Tesla, which is building a network of super-charging stations across the country, including South Dakota. And for most people, who only drive around town, refueling is as simple as plugging in when you get home.

Wake up in the morning, and the tank is full.

“To me, the untold story is how cheap they are to run,” said Wagner, during a recent EV event at Sioux Valley Energy in Brandon. “People don’t think about that. My car gets filled up every night.”

Sioux Valley Energy helps its EV-driving customers with a metering program. It turns on at 9 p.m. and off at 7 a.m. In those off-peak hours, the per-kilowatt cost is lower for everybody.

The savings are significant when compared with buying gasoline, said Ben Pierson, the manager of beneficial electrification for Sioux Valley.

The nighttime rate is equivalent to paying 45 cents a gallon for gas. That pencils out to $1,589 a year in savings if you drive 15,000 miles. That’s just for the gas.

Electric vehicles don’t need oil changes or any fluids beyond the windshield wipers.

The only real maintenance costs are tires.

Sioux Valley isn’t getting into the charging business outside of members’ homes anytime soon, however. Pierson said the metering program was a response to customers’ needs.

“What we want to be is their energy experts,” he said. “It’s not for everybody right now.”

The sticker prices also are coming down to make them comparable to gas-powered vehicles. The Mustang, for instance, starts at $42,895. And if that sounds a bit much for a midsized sports car, consider that the gas-powered version is $27,205.

However, there are tax incentives for buying an EV, which can bring that cost down. And then there’s the near-zero operating costs.

Throw a solar panel on the top of your house, and there’s the potential for your car to be a net-zero transportation machine.

Now, it all costs money. Nothing is free.

“I’m not going to say this is a cheap car,” said Wagner, who got the top-line model Mustang. “It’s expensive to buy but dirt cheap to run.”

While the automotive behemoths such as Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan and Toyota are cranking up their EV programs, Tesla remains the top-selling EV company in America. The Model Y, with a base price of $41,190, was the most popular electric car in the first two quarters of this year.

The company sold 76,429 Model Y’s in that time, according to Car and Driver.

Second on the list was the Tesla Model 3 at 51,510 units. The base price of the Model 3 is $38,690.

But here comes Chevy. The Bolt EV and EUV sold 20,288 units at a base price of $37,495.

Numbers for South Dakota specifically are difficult to track, primarily because there isn’t yet a Tesla dealer in the state. Most Sioux Falls owners bought their cars from the Minneapolis dealer.

Tesla’s dominance is because it was a pioneer in the industry. That has attracted a following of enthusiasts who want the car for reasons well beyond economy.

They’re just really cool.

Owners can spend hours talking about all the features and benefits. There’s an annual gathering in the Black Hills and an active Facebook group.

Tom Murphy is on his second Model 3.

A few months after getting his first car, he was broadsided by a drunken driver in the industrial park near Russell Street. The car spun, jumped a curbed and ended up on nearby railroad tracks.

It was a hard hit. But the car stayed on its tires, and Murphy walked away from the crash. The batteries in an EV are heavy, and they’re in the bottom of the car, which means it has a very low center of gravity.

“My right hand to God, I think I’d be dead if I was in any other vehicle,” Murphy said. “The car stayed on its wheels the entire time.”

However, there aren’t any replacement parts. It had to be totaled. The crash was in October. He had a replacement in December.

There is some skepticism among South Dakotans when it comes to electric vehicles. The cold weather does reduce the battery range, but at the same time, because they are heavy and many have all-wheel drive, they do well in the snow.

“I have family and relatives who look at me sideways,” said Tim Den Hartog, a Model 3 owner in Sioux Falls.

Den Hartog is a Tesla enthusiast who worked at the company’s factory in Nevada before moving back to the area.

“I love new technology,” he said. “I like to push the limits.”

Wagner said there are issues driving across South Dakota. Right now, the Tesla stations aren’t compatible with other brands, but that could change soon. But it’s possible to get to the winding back roads of the Black Hills, he said.

“I can’t wait to take this to Iron Mountain Road.”