Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two-electric vehicle owner. Disagree with 14:36; the Electrify America stations I've seen are *not* fast chargers. This makes a huge difference (many many hours vs 30-60 min to fully charge). We charge overnight in our garage (both cars, a Tesla & a non-Tesla electric) & occasionally charge on a road trip (Tesla). That's why even though Musk is an idiot, I would strongly recommend getting a Tesla over any other electric car -- it's all about the charging network & despite $ going into this, it will take awhile to build up that network--and honestly, I would strongly consider a hybrid like 14:34 recommends.

The EA stations, while not as fast to charge as some Tesla superchargers for most cars, are DCFC level 3 chargers — it’s not going to take any car hours and hours to charge fully there. It’s possible they have a level 2 charger at some stations, but most of them are 150 or 350 kw. Actual charging speed depends on your car and your starting state of charge, obviously, but it shouldn’t be more than 40 to 60 minutes at most to get from under 10 percent to over 80.

Even slower EA stations are better than some of the old ChargePoint ones I’ve used on road trips that cap out at 50 kw — but even those will charge most cars pretty well in about an hour.

The bolded is the biggest impediment to broad adoption. People who own EVs tell me (and DCUM posters too) that stopping for 40-60 minutes isn't a big deal. But it is a huge change from where we are today. If my tank is low and I need to run my kid to swimming I can allot an extra 10 minutes (or less) and be done. I drive past 3 service stations between here and swimming. I think EV without a home charger is a tough sell and something East coast cities are going to have to address. (The recently proposed bill requiring new apartments to include EV charging is a good start.)

We have an EV, and I don't find stopping for 20 minutes on road trip (the most we typically have to stop) to be a problem. The 40-60 line above was quoting the OP, who set 30-60 off against hours and hours.

But one thing I've had a hard time getting my head around since we got the EV is that you don't generally need to fill them up all the way -- even on road trips, the better plan is to make sure you have enough electricity to get to the next charge, not to charge all the way up to 80 percent or 100 percent. I know this, because I keep reading about it and because my ev-charge-routing apps recommend it, and yet I still spend an extra 5 or 10 minutes charging on a road trip because I'm just used to wanting to have a full tank after I stop for gas.

Personally, I still wouldn't recommend getting an EV now if you don't have anywhere to charge at home. But if you go with the "I just need enough power to get to the next charge" idea, you could stop for 5 minutes and add 30 miles of range to your battery (if you were in a hurry), which would be more than enough to let you drop your kids to swimming and then go charge up to a higher level some other time. Which means you could make it work if you wanted to.

I guess my point is not that the time is or isn't a big deal, but rather that the better way to think about it isn't about how much time it takes to get a full charge at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Two-electric vehicle owner. Disagree with 14:36; the Electrify America stations I've seen are *not* fast chargers. This makes a huge difference (many many hours vs 30-60 min to fully charge). We charge overnight in our garage (both cars, a Tesla & a non-Tesla electric) & occasionally charge on a road trip (Tesla). That's why even though Musk is an idiot, I would strongly recommend getting a Tesla over any other electric car -- it's all about the charging network & despite $ going into this, it will take awhile to build up that network--and honestly, I would strongly consider a hybrid like 14:34 recommends.

The EA stations, while not as fast to charge as some Tesla superchargers for most cars, are DCFC level 3 chargers — it’s not going to take any car hours and hours to charge fully there. It’s possible they have a level 2 charger at some stations, but most of them are 150 or 350 kw. Actual charging speed depends on your car and your starting state of charge, obviously, but it shouldn’t be more than 40 to 60 minutes at most to get from under 10 percent to over 80.

Even slower EA stations are better than some of the old ChargePoint ones I’ve used on road trips that cap out at 50 kw — but even those will charge most cars pretty well in about an hour.

The bolded is the biggest impediment to broad adoption. People who own EVs tell me (and DCUM posters too) that stopping for 40-60 minutes isn't a big deal. But it is a huge change from where we are today. If my tank is low and I need to run my kid to swimming I can allot an extra 10 minutes (or less) and be done. I drive past 3 service stations between here and swimming. I think EV without a home charger is a tough sell and something East coast cities are going to have to address. (The recently proposed bill requiring new apartments to include EV charging is a good start.)

Charge at the office. Though that would require a garage or lot with enough charging spots. My federal government office has a huge number of charging spots and they are pretty much always open and available due to telework.

I use a (suitably heavy duty) extension cord in my driveway. But I think a full electric EV with no home charging would be a challenge unless my workplace offered it or there as a VERY convenient local charger. So yeah, maybe hybrid for now.

OP, if you have no way to charge at home and don’t live near many fast chargers, you probably shouldn’t get a battery EV for now. By the next time you need a new car, your options may be better.

Anonymous wrote:Two-electric vehicle owner. Disagree with 14:36; the Electrify America stations I've seen are *not* fast chargers. This makes a huge difference (many many hours vs 30-60 min to fully charge). We charge overnight in our garage (both cars, a Tesla & a non-Tesla electric) & occasionally charge on a road trip (Tesla). That's why even though Musk is an idiot, I would strongly recommend getting a Tesla over any other electric car -- it's all about the charging network & despite $ going into this, it will take awhile to build up that network--and honestly, I would strongly consider a hybrid like 14:34 recommends.

The EA stations, while not as fast to charge as some Tesla superchargers for most cars, are DCFC level 3 chargers — it’s not going to take any car hours and hours to charge fully there. It’s possible they have a level 2 charger at some stations, but most of them are 150 or 350 kw. Actual charging speed depends on your car and your starting state of charge, obviously, but it shouldn’t be more than 40 to 60 minutes at most to get from under 10 percent to over 80.

Even slower EA stations are better than some of the old ChargePoint ones I’ve used on road trips that cap out at 50 kw — but even those will charge most cars pretty well in about an hour.

I have seen plenty of houses in other countries with a loooong cord snaking out of the house to the street where they park their ev. Not sure if that is will fly in the us. Is there an option to charge at work? I know some people who don’t charge at home, and rely on charging during the workday.

Anonymous wrote:It’s really no big deal. There are fast chargers all over. Get a vw and you’ll have 3 years of free charging w electrify America stations, which are often in Walmarts or malls. There is going to be a huge number of chargers installed in the coming years with funding from the infra bill. Really, it’s no big deal at all. Just requires some planning.

You clearly don't live in my county or along my commute!

Anonymous wrote:Don’t do this to yourself. Get a hybrid for now.

I think this is the answer for now, also. I'm the same boat OP, I've posted here before that my 'entire county' has 4 public chargers, two of which are only open 9-4pm, one is for hotel guests and one is 24/7 but is quite far from me. None of these are fast chargers. There are quite a few Tesla owners here because they charge at home or at the big tesla charging place in nearby county.

And I'm in a rapidly growing area outside a metropolis (i'm not local to the board). There are many places where chargers are not plentiful or even available! Do your research, I nearly went to go buy a ev impulsively recently (after the tax credit renewed) and did my research and realized-I just can't reliably charge.

I'd recommend a hybrid or plug-in. Is an EV doable without a home charger? Assuming there are public chargers available at your workplace, probably, but I think it would nevertheless be challenging if this is your only vehicle. For the three weeks I drove my EV before the installation of my home charger, it required too much planning for me and I was constantly thinking about the how, when and where of my next charge. I live in a suburban MD county where fast chargers exist, but three locations 15-20 minutes of home is not "all over." And then I have to sit at the Sam's Club for an hour? Everyone has their own tolerance level, but it wouldn't work for me based on my driving habits, lifestyle, and peace of mind.

Two-electric vehicle owner. Disagree with 14:36; the Electrify America stations I've seen are *not* fast chargers. This makes a huge difference (many many hours vs 30-60 min to fully charge). We charge overnight in our garage (both cars, a Tesla & a non-Tesla electric) & occasionally charge on a road trip (Tesla). That's why even though Musk is an idiot, I would strongly recommend getting a Tesla over any other electric car -- it's all about the charging network & despite $ going into this, it will take awhile to build up that network--and honestly, I would strongly consider a hybrid like 14:34 recommends.

It’s really no big deal. There are fast chargers all over. Get a vw and you’ll have 3 years of free charging w electrify America stations, which are often in Walmarts or malls. There is going to be a huge number of chargers installed in the coming years with funding from the infra bill. Really, it’s no big deal at all. Just requires some planning.

Depends on where you live. Many shopping centers have charging stations.

Or if you buy a plug in EV you could just use a extension cord from the house.

Don’t do this to yourself. Get a hybrid for now.

I’m interested in buying an electric vehicle, but I don’t have a place to plug it in. I rent my home right now and there is no garage. I don’t think the homeowner will be interested in installing a plug outside for the car.

In addition, I would like to move i to a more urban setting, where it is likely I wouldn’t have a garage and would have to park on the street. How do people manage this? Does anybody do this currently? Or is electric vehicle ownership only viable for wealthy suburban and rural property owners?