ST. LOUIS — Over 96,000 people in Illinois drive electric vehicles; in Missouri, that number is much lower at about 25,000.
The fear of running out of a charge before reaching your destination, or what Ameren calls "range anxiety," is common among electric vehicle skeptics. In order to help ease the anxiety, 5 On Your Side went to Ameren for answers to common EV charging questions.
Is there a shortage of charging stations in the St. Louis area?
Ameren's Becky Whitman said, "We often get the comment, I can't buy an EV because there isn't enough charging. But the fact of the matter is 80% of charging happens conveniently at home, your cars ready for you in the morning. But there are about 2000 places in the St. Louis area that you can charge if you needed to."
How much does it cost to charge an EV?
"When we think about charging on the go, we're thinking about fast charging, and it ranges from station to station, but about 15 to $16 per charge is probably what you can expect," Whitman said.
How long does it take to charge?
"So, the stations are getting more and more powerful. They probably anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to get about 80% full on a charger. Ameren will incentivize up to 50% of your project cost if you're installing charging at your business."
To learn more electric vehicles, click here.
How does it feel to actually drive an EV? Traffic Anchor Paul Cook will explore more in his next "On the Move" segment on electric vehicles.
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