About Electric Vehicles

There are more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road every year, including in Alaska. There are two types of EVs that charge from the electric grid. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) run solely on electricity stored in batteries, commonly with a range of 200-350 miles or more. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) typically have a more limited all-electric range (often 25-40 miles) before switching over to an internal combustion drivetrain.

Charging takes place at three levels:

  • Level 1 at 120 volts adds about 3-5 miles of range per charging hour (1.5-2 kW)

  • Level 2 at 208 or 240 volts adds about 20-40 miles per charging hour (6-19 kW)

  • Level 3 at 480 volts and three phase, direct current power can substantially recharge an EV battery in 20-30 minutes (50-250+ kW), also called DC Fast Charging

Connectors come in different styles, with some proprietary to a particular manufacturer such as Tesla. Most Level 1 and Level 2 public chargers in the Anchorage area use J1772 connectors. Most DC fast chargers in the Railbelt use CCS or Tesla connectors, with some sites offering both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors with Tesla adaptors.

EV Incentives

    Chugach offers electric vehicle (EV) charging incentive programs to promote the use of EVs in Alaska. The programs help individuals and businesses establish charging at home, at workplaces, for fleet vehicles, and for public use within the Chugach service area by providing a bill credit after installation. The programs are helping speed the transition to electric transportation, which benefits all members by reducing rates.

    The bill credits amounts vary by program and are listed in the overview below.

    Program Name

    Incentive

    Charging Level

    Max per Account

    Residential

    $200

    L2 (208-240 volt)

    2

    Commercial – Level 2

    Up to $1,000

    L2 (208-240 volt)

    2

    Commercial – DC Fast Charging

    Up to $5,000

    L3 DC Fast Charging

    2

    Applicants may apply for more than one program per location, but an individual charger cannot receive funding more than once from Chugach. An applicant may receive funding from other sources without affecting their eligibility under a Chugach program.

    Below are links to current Chugach EV incentive programs. 

    EV Program Contacts:

    Mark Henspeter at mark_henspeter@chugachelectric.com, (907)762-4210, or Sean Skaling at sean_skaling@chugachelectric.com, (907)762-4192.

    Benefits of Electrification

    Using electricity as a transportation fuel provides a number of benefits. First, “fueling” a vehicle with electricity is significantly less expensive than fueling with liquid fuels. Another is reduced transportation emissions such as carbon dioxide, which are 60-70 percent lower when powered by Chugach, compared to gasoline. A third benefit is that the use of electricity for EV charging helps spread the fixed costs of a utility like Chugach across greater sales, which puts downward pressure on members’ electric rates.

    EVs in Alaska

    Every six months Chugach conducts a count of electric vehicles (both all-electric and plug-in hybrids) registered in Alaska. The number of registered EVs in Alaska and in the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA)  has risen steadily in recent years, as shown below.

    Electric vehicles in Alaska

     

    Electric Vehicles in Alaska

    There are now a wide variety of BEV and PHEVs registered in the MOA, and the total number of EVs is the fastest growing in the state, at approximately 100 new EVs per month. At the beginning of 2023 there were almost 1,000 plug-in electric vehicles registered within the MOA. The most common BEV brand is Tesla at over half of all BEVs, followed by Chevy. The most common PHEV brand in the MOA is BMW, followed by Ford. The most popular 2022 model year electric vehicles were the Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, and Chevy Bolt.

    Electric Vehicles by Region

     

    Cost of Charging an EV

    The cost* of charging an EV is less than half the cost of fueling an internal combustion vehicle when fuel cost is $3.75 per gallon and electricity is $0.20 per kWh, approximately Chugach’s residential rate.

     

    EV Calculator button​

    Try Chugach’s EV Calculator to compare the cost of charging an EV to the cost of fueling a gasoline vehicle.  It also calculates carbon dioxide emissions reduction based on Chugach’s generation mix of natural gas, hydro and wind.

    *Assumes average electric vehicle efficiency of 2.9 miles per kWh and the average gasoline vehicle efficiency of 25.4 miles per gallon.

    EV Emissions

    The emissions from driving an EV are produced at the power plants where electricity is generated, rather than being emitted from the vehicle directly. Chugach has a generation portfolio comprised of natural gas, hydro, and wind. An electric vehicle powered by the Chugach system is responsible for approximately 66% less carbon dioxide than an average-efficiency gasoline-powered passenger vehicle. In addition, an EV emits no cold-start carbon monoxide or other pollutants. Chugach members who have rooftop solar panels can further reduce the carbon emissions of driving an EV.

    Efficiency of EVs

    The main reason for the low cost per mile is due to the efficiency of the electric drive system compared to an internal combustion engine drivetrain. According to the US Department of Energy, about 12 to 30% of the energy in the hydrocarbon fuel is converted to forward momentum in an internal combustion engine vehicle, compared to 60 to 73% of the electricity in an EV battery. An EV also recaptures energy while braking, which can increase total efficiency to over 90%.

    The US Department of Energy provides interactive graphics that provide energy requirements for different driving conditions.

    How to Charge at Home

    You can plug into any regular 120-volt outlet to recharge your vehicle. This Level 1 charging is slow, but will add 3 to 5 miles of range per hour. Overnight charging may be enough to cover daily driving.

    Level 2 charging (240-volt) is faster and adds about 20 to 40 miles of range per hour. This can be accomplished by installing a dedicated EV charger, or by adding a 240-volt outlet near your vehicle. If you have an electric clothes dryer, you may already have a 240-volt outlet that is capable of Level 2 charging. Chugach encourages members interested in purchasing an EV to talk to their electrician about what upgrades might be necessary in their home or garage to support EV charging.

    Another important aspect of home charging is understanding your typical driving behavior to inform possible electrical upgrades for EV charging. A commuter driving more than 1,000 miles per month may need a dedicated high-amperage charger, while a driver who mostly uses their EV for short trips around town may be fine using existing garage outlets and a mobile charger. Large EVs also have higher charging demand than smaller and more efficient EVs. An electric car with an efficiency of 3 miles per kilowatt-hour (3 mi/kWh) charging at 24 amps will add range at the same rate as an electric truck with an efficiency of 2 mi/kWh charging at 36 amps.

    From electric grid perspective, the best time to charge is overnight starting after 11 pm, when demand on the Chugach system is decreasing. Most vehicles can be programed to start charging at a specified hour, or to reach a certain state of charge by a specified time of day.

    Public Charging Stations

    There are over a dozen charging stations in the Municipality of Anchorage, and the number continues to increase. Chugach helped fund six of the first stations in Anchorage and Girdwood.  The Dimond Center hosts the city’s first DC fast charger capable of charging at more than 50 kW. Availability of the public charging stations in the Chugach service area is high.

    One of the most frequently used apps to find charging stations is called PlugShare. The app identifies the charger locations near you and provides information including the type of charger, types and numbers of charging ports, cost, user comments, and photos. More detailed information is sometimes available for networked chargers. For example, the ChargePoint app provides more detail about their chargers, such as availability, queuing, and charge complete notifications, if enabled.

    Below is the PlugShare.com map of publicly available charging stations in the Anchorage area. There are many more non-public charging stations intended for employees, fleets, or other private purposes.  Pan out to see all the new chargers along Alaska’s highways, including many DC fast chargers now in operation and more coming soon.

    Charging at Chugach

    Chugach has installed two Level 2 ChargePoint EV charging stations which are available for public use in the parking lots at its south headquarters at 5601 Electron Drive and north district building at 1040 E 1st Avenue. While there is currently no charge to use them, charging is limited to 8 hours per vehicle per week. Drivers need to first download the ChargePoint app or sign up for an account at chargepoint.com or dial the number on the charger.  

    How to charge an EV with ChargePoint

    Chugach charging station

    Wattson

    Chugach's EV is a 2017 Chevy Bolt, nicknamed Wattson. When fully charged it has a range of about 240 miles in the summer and a predicted range of 140 miles under worst-case scenario winter conditions (below zero temperatures, parked outdoors, short trips with defrosting and cabin warming each time). The actual winter range is longer on highway trips or when starting from a warm garage. Like other electric vehicles, it accelerates quickly, regenerates energy when braking, and is generally a very efficient vehicle. Chugach’s “fueling” costs are less than half the cost of an equivalent gasoline vehicle and maintenance costs are minimal compared to similar internal combustion engine vehicles in the Chugach fleet..

    Wattson EV

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT THE LINKS PROVIDED BELOW:

    Electric vehicles on the market

    Other