According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are only 112 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Idaho
, making for a total of 285 public charging ports. This means that Idaho is in the bottom 16% of U.S. states as far as public EV charging port access. The eco-friendly car lifestyle can be very rewarding provided that you know how—and where—to charge your electric vehicle
. In Idaho, you might face some challenges when attempting to locate a public charger since there are only 112 public charging stations within the state. In this article, we’ll explore your charging station options in Idaho, as well as how much it could cost you to charge your car.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers Where to find electric vehicle charging stations in Idaho
To locate the proper charging station for your vehicle, you’ll first need to determine which type of charger your car needs. There are four different levels of EV charging stations:
Level 1: This type of charging station is typically found at home since it only provides 120 volts and charging can take over 24 hours. A Level 1 station is ideal for plug-in hybrids, but fully electric vehicles would do better with a Level 2 charger or higher.
Level 2: With this type of charger, you’ll get 220 volts, meaning that charging typically takes four to eight hours. This is still better suited for home charging due to the amount of time you’ll need to wait for a full charge, but will certainly work in a pinch.
Level 3: You may also see this type of charger referred to as DC fast charging. A Level 3 charger can charge your vehicle at a rate of up to 20 miles per minute, making it ideal for long drives.
Tesla Supercharger: These are Tesla’s proprietary DC fast chargers. They have more plugs per site on average, so finding a Tesla charging station can be helpful if you need to charge up quickly.
Most of the public charging stations in Idaho offer either Level 2 (available at 94 locations) or DC fast chargers (available at 21 locations). Level 1 chargers aren’t very common because they require a long charging period, so you typically won’t find this type of charger at public stations in Idaho.
There are a couple of websites that will give you more precise information about the locations of EV chargers in Idaho:
ChargeHub: This site relies on user-generated data, and lists Level 1, Level 2, DCFC (Level 3), and Tesla Supercharger stations reported in each city.
PlugShare: This site also relies on user-generated data, but it shows pricing, user reviews, and parking information for each reported charging station.
Idaho cities with the most EV charging stations
According to ChargeHub, most of the charging stations in Idaho are located in or near the capital city, Boise. There are also several stations available to drivers in or near Coeur d’Alene
and Idaho Falls
. The following table provides a breakdown of charging station options in each of these three cities, as documented on ChargeHub:
| Total number of public charging stations within 15km of the city | | Tesla Supercharger stations | |
|---|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle in Idaho
It’s no secret that lower fuel costs are one of the benefits of owning an electric car. But while there may be a few free EV charging stations in the state of Idaho, you can’t rely on always charging your car for free.
An electric eGallon (that is, the amount of electricity equivalent to the energy in a standard gallon of gasoline) only costs distributors about $0.90 in Idaho which, compared to the national average of $1.00 per eGallon, is a good deal.
Depending on the exact make and model of your EV, this means you might pay between $10 and $30 for a full recharge. That’s significantly less than you might pay for a full tank of gas, which could cost between $57 and $70 at Idaho’s current rate of $4.42 per gallon.
This lower fuel cost means that, on average, an EV owner will save an average of $600 per year in fuel costs by owning a car that’s powered by electricity. These savings will add up to about $8,000 over the vehicle’s lifetime. That’s a lot of money!
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Idaho electric vehicle incentives
Now that you know a little more about your charging options, let’s explore Idaho’s electric vehicle incentives
to give you an idea of the financial benefits of owning an eco-friendly car in the state. Unfortunately, you won’t receive much in terms of financial compensation for purchasing an eco-friendly car in Idaho. While you’re exempt from Idaho state vehicle inspections
and maintenance programs, the benefits end there. While many other states offer financial incentives for electric car ownership, Idaho unfortunately offers no such program. As such, you’ll have to rely on fuel cost savings alone to offset the price of a plug-in hybrid or electric car.
How to save on electric vehicle insurance in Idaho
Whether you already drive an electric car or you’re just considering the possibility of owning a more eco-friendly vehicle, you should know that there is a downside to EV ownership: the higher green vehicle insurance costs
. Let’s compare a couple of vehicles, starting with the most popular vehicle in Idaho: the Ford F-150. On average, Ford F-150 insurance
costs drivers about $2,181 annually. Compare that to Tesla Model 3 insurance costs
, which average about $3,213 a year, and you’ll quickly realize how much more you might pay to insure an eco-friendly vehicle. Fortunately, there is a solution: use Jerry
to find your next insurance policy. This licensed insurance broker takes the work out of shopping for a new policy by comparing rates from over 55 providers in just 45 seconds. The result is a customized list of policy options that could save you hundreds of dollars each year.
“Jerry
is an amazing app. Thanks to it, I saved a lot of money for my Tesla Model 3’s insurance. I’m so glad I downloaded the app!” —Erza S.
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