UCLA MAE Professor Rajit Gadh, Director of UCLA SMERC, was quoted in the Automotive News article “EV fast charger technology floors it” by Lawrence Iliff.

Rajit Gadh, director of the UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center, said one of the big benefits of EV use is paying roughly the equivalent of $1 per gallon of gasoline for the same number of miles. But that low price is tied to off-peak residential rates.

Ultrafast DC chargers are more expensive to buy, install and operate, and the cost is passed onto the consumer. Chargers at 350 kW also may require expensive site upgrades. Add higher energy rates and service costs, and the equivalent price could be $5 per gallon, he said.

“It’s going to alleviate the range stress, but you’re not going to do it every day,” said Gadh, who drives a Tesla and has developed software to find the lowest-cost charging solutions as part of a tech startup.

Image courtesy of Automotive News.