Williamson Commissioner Cook: The EV Diaries

This past summer, I had to consider that my 2000 Sienna van may be reaching its expiration date with the mileage approaching 380,000. I knew I didn’t want to invest in another internal combustion engine, yet it is still early for an electric vehicle adoption.

I hit the internet and Consumer Reports shopping for prospects and reviews. Early on I was drawn to the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with its designation of 2022 Car of the Year (not just EV car of the year). The videos were strong selling points. I was sold on a car I’d never touched nor ridden in. I wasn’t even sure of the interior, other than the console could be pushed back, freeing valuable floor space.

My husband and I visited Round Rock Hyundai for pricing and availability. Well, high and long were two descriptors — quite the price and an eight- to 10-month wait list. Regardless, I put $500 down — my husband thought it was crazy — and we hoped for the best.

Next, I explored what all these charging stations for garages are all about and if we had the ability to add a 240V line to our power panel for a charger. I contacted an electrical contractor to do the analysis and lo and behold, we had a breaker slot that could accommodate the 60 amp/2 pole 120/240V circuit breaker. This is not a Home Depot item. Off to Elliott Electric Supply I went, but this breaker was in short supply, so I had to go to a Bastrop location to pick it up: $32.48 + gas + time.

Another research project informed me the level 2 charging station was the most affordable and practical. What brand? We settled on the ChargePoint Home Flex EV Charger from Amazon costing $810.79 with tax. We took our 100-foot climbing rope we brought from Colorado and routed it through our attics and to an exterior wall with the circuit panel (outdoors) to estimate how much power line we needed. Again, Amazon Prime came through for us and delivered the incredibly heavy power line. My husband was game to do this himself, or should I say on the cheap?

Next, where to install it? Last available wall space was also the perfect spot for the charging unit. Down came the drywall as hubby had to create a very strong framing assembly to support the charger and a long cable that could reach the car even if it was backed into place. We even purchased a fire extinguisher and mounted it as you walk into the garage from the house, as if it’s really going to make a difference should a fire occur. We also threw the circuit breaker, and nothing blew up. Then we waited, and waited; fortunately, the van kept running.

I did check in with the salesperson twice over the following four months. The bulk of the orders were for models that I wasn’t ordering, nor my color, the lone wolf on the prowl. Then on Feb. 8, as I pulled into the parking lot near the Homerun Dugout at Dell Diamond, my phone rang — strange number — however, I answered. My now new salesperson announced that my long-awaited 2023 car would arrive about Feb. 28. My eureka moment flooded my soul! It’s actually going to happen! I was nearly dancing as I waltzed into the Workforce Solutions’ Skills Development Awards program. I made sure this salesperson was saved in my contacts. The next call came two weeks later, and the car had arrived early on Feb. 23, but I didn’t have time until that Saturday afternoon, Feb. 25, to close the deal.

That car was a technology shock for me. The salesperson was so patient as he led me through the options. Think about it: a leap from 2000 to 2023 technology. But I’ll add, just because they could add a feature doesn’t mean they should.

And let me be clear, your smart phone is a big part of this transition. My phone now has a car app specific to Hyundai, the car charger app; the phone becomes an electronic key if the fob is not available; and the car communicates with my phone as it shares data and reads messages and lets me know when charging is complete. I have set my charging to stop at 80% full charge for battery longevity on my phone app. I plug in the car about every other night after I’ve let the batteries cool from driving and unplug it in the morning. I learned early on that the car will not go into gear if the charger is still connected (no drive-in movie speaker episodes – smart programing).

Now for the driving experience. It’s exhilarating to say the least. The car can go from zero to above the speed limit in seconds, it's hard to hold a steady speed without the aid of cruise control and it was day four of driving before I figured out how to set and release that feature. It is so quiet and responsive the driver must be alert at all times. I even have to wear a pair of “driving” glasses to read the many screens, buttons and options (I am of that age) on the dash.

I have had two things occur for which I don’t have an explanation:

1) I was driving with cruise control set at 65 mph in the middle lane of south MoPac one Sunday morning. Three cars in succession came flying by in the left lane exceeding 70 mph, and I felt my car speed up. I looked at the screen’s cruise control designation, and it was now set for 70 mph. I thought, “You are not a dog, no need to chase those cars.” It was probably in the code to not hold up traffic but to go with the flow. I had to reset the cruise speed.

2) It knows (or thinks it does) the local speed limit and warns you should you choose to exceed it by a considerable amount. There is a school zone between my house and Old Settlers Boulevard. The school zone sign has the times during which drivers are to observe the school zone. Well, one morning the car decided the speed limit was 21 mph and was beeping up a storm as I tried to go 30, the actual speed limit. I had to nearly press the accelerator to the floor to get to 30 and got worried about turning onto Old Settlers where the speed limit is 50 mph. Fortunately, after a short while on Old Settlers, the car did pick up on the real speed limit and let me go. It hasn’t happened a second time; maybe the car was just having a moment.

I love not being concerned with the price of gasoline. I pay a steady rate for electricity so “when” I charge isn’t limited, and I don’t fret about the number of miles left to drive as I did in the first week.

But on day 35, while waiting at a stoplight on Old Settlers just west of the Mays Street intersection, I was smacked by a Ford Mustang as the young driver attempted to pull right to get into the right-turn-only lane for Mays Street. It rearranged my right rear panels, and the software is alerting me that there are problems with the cross-traffic safety monitoring and a few other things. One sensor is now realigned in an unplanned direction and the software system seem to be beside itself. Oh, technology.

Good news: the van is still running!

Terry Cook is county commissioner of Precinct 1, which includes most of Round Rock, most of Austin in Williamson County and part of southern Cedar Park.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Williamson Commissioner Terry Cook: The EV Diaries