EV Purchase in Iowa

Pro of driving EV in Iowa:

Iowa has one of the lowest electricity rates

Cons:

• Iowa charges a $130/year fee to compensate for gas tax loss. 
• It adds a  $0.026/KWH tax to EV charging at a public station. However, even with this tax, the rate is still much lower than that of most states.

An inexpensive Nissan LEAF with a range of 150 miles can save a lot of money without sacrificing driving comfort in comparison with an EV with an range over 200 miles.

Range	150 miles	247 miles
Price	10,499	17,995
Sale tax	525	900
Registration	286	286
EV fee	130	130
Title	35	35
Initial total:	11,475 (7,871 cheaper)	19,346
3-month warranty	Yes	No
Insurance	lower	higher
local or mid-distance driving	easy	easy
Long distance road trip	challenging	easy to manage

Suppose one does a long distance road trip once per year and it lasts for a week. She can rent a car for a week for about $400. It would cost $2,000 in five years, still much lower than the initial saving of $7,871. Renting a car for long distance traveling helps reduce the mileage of the owned car, hence the insurance, and the wear of the car. 

In summary, buying the LEAF saves a significant amount of money without sacrificing the driving comfort for both local and long distance trips.