EV Owners Are Ditching Electric: Is The Gas Comeback Real?

After several years of driving electric vehicles (EVs), the experience of switching back to a combustion-powered car has offered a nuanced perspective on what truly constitutes convenience. The popular belief suggests that fueling a gas car is inherently easier than charging an EV, a sentiment the author initially agreed with upon returning to a gasoline vehicle.

The author's recent past involved chaperoning a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and managing a 2023 Tesla Model Y as yearlong review vehicles. As an apartment dweller without at-home charging, the author relied exclusively on public charging for both EVs. While adapting to this routine was straightforward, charging annoyances were a common occurrence.

Now, driving a 2025 Acura ADX, the fueling routine mirrors that of most drivers: heading to a gas station at any time, anywhere, and departing within minutes with sufficient range. This simplicity, however, isn't without its caveats. The operative word in the gas car routine is “go”—one always needs to actively seek out a gas station. In contrast, the EV experience often minimized the need to specifically ‘go’ for charging.

For the author, Level 2 chargers were conveniently located across the street from home and within a few blocks, as well as a row of chargers at the MotorTrend office. These allowed for charging in places already being visited, reducing the time commitment to merely walking to plug in and unplug. While gas stations are ubiquitous and rarely require a hunt, the few minutes spent filling up might still be longer than the most convenient EV charging options, even without home charging. Furthermore, this time is spent in the 'gaseous milieu' of a fuel plaza, rather than the quiet familiarity of one's neighborhood or office.

When it comes to long-distance travel, gas cars typically offer a more straightforward experience, requiring less time and planning compared to calculating charge stops and hoping for functional EV infrastructure. This holds true even with Tesla's Supercharger network becoming accessible to other brands. However, the range advantage of gas cars isn't always as effortless as perceived.

The subcompact Acura ADX, for instance, has an EPA-rated driving range of 378 miles with AWD, yet real-world usage indicated a maximum of 345 miles and an average refueling frequency every 260 miles. This average driving range aligns with that of many mainstream EVs, and the maximum falls short of some high-end electric models. Despite these range nuances, the overall time taken for a road trip in a gas car remains significantly less than in an EV. Gas vehicles facilitate reaching a destination as quickly as possible, though the author sometimes appreciated how EV charge stops could provide natural breaks during a long drive, even if they extended the total travel time.