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Agree; the "charging problem" is a huge obstacle for the electric vehicle industry. We're going from a world where vehicles need to "recharge" (refuel) once ev

Agree; the "charging problem" is a huge obstacle for the electric vehicle industry. We're going from a world where vehicles need to "recharge" (refuel) once every week or so for about a minute and a half to a world where they will need to recharge nearly every day for several hours. Nevermind what happens to the electric grid when all this energy that was formerly being moved in tanker trucks in the form of gasoline now has to be moved over the grid and down to consumer homes. I'm all for electric vehicles, but they have enough problems that any switch will be long and slow because we as a society will have to change the way we build and live in cities to deal with those problems (just as we did when gasoline vehicles replaced horses, so there's precedent).

jackmott 9y ago
As long as the work truck daily cycle can be done in 1 charge then there isn't a problem at all. Top it off every night. For long trips, ie 18 wheelers, yeah it is kind of a no go without quick-swap batteries. Which isn't that huge of an obstacle imho. But, all that said, no of course fossil fuel cars aren't going away in 8 years
- mikeash 9y ago
  This is something I think a lot of people fail to understand. For daily use, EV charging is a convenience, not an inconvenience. It only takes me five seconds to plug in my car in the evening. It may take several hours to charge, but that happens while I'm eating dinner or sleeping or whatever. When you drive more than the car's range in a single day, then it flips, of course. For me, and I think for most people, this is rare enough that it's still a net win. It also flips if you can't plug in at home. For a lot of people that's easy, but for many it's tough. Thankfully installing a charger is pretty easy, so it comes down to convincing the powers that be to do it, or at least allow it, which gets easier all the time. Agree with the conclusion. Eight years?! The average car on American roads today is 11.5 years old. Average. Cars just don't get cycled out that quickly.
  - AnimalMuppet 9y ago
    > It also flips if you can't plug in at home. For a lot of people that's easy, but for many it's tough. You mean like if you live in an apartment, and you get one covered parking space (if you're lucky)? And if you're married (or have a roommate), and you both have cars, well, your apartment complex might put in chargers for the covered parking, but they probably aren't putting chargers on the uncovered parking, so only one of you can charge per night.
    - mikeash 9y ago
      Why the emphasis on covered spaces? The difficulty and expense is the same whether it's covered or not.
      - AnimalMuppet 9y ago
        My perception is that the apartments consider the non-covered parking to be for visitors. It therefore seems to me less likely that they will install chargers for those spaces. (There is also perhaps the issue of the electrical chargers being out in the rain, but that wasn't part of my reasoning.) Disclaimer: I don't own any apartments, and I'm only guessing about how apartment owners think.
LeonM 9y ago
The current grid is in most cases perfectly capable to deliver the required energy to charge cars if we all were to switch to EV's. The maximum output of the grid has seldomly been a problem, it scaling the production of electricity up/down to match the demand which is difficult. Some argue that adding thousands of EV's to the grid (each with 60-100kWh capacity) will actually help 'balance' the grid demand and make it more efficient.
sroussey 9y ago
If nothing were to change, then sure. But what about wireless charging at stop lights? Or the batter tech on HN last week that has longer range and only takes 5min to fully charge?

jackmott 9y ago

As long as the work truck daily cycle can be done in 1 charge then there isn't a problem at all. Top it off every night. For long trips, ie 18 wheelers, yeah it is kind of a no go without quick-swap batteries. Which isn't that huge of an obstacle imho. But, all that said, no of course fossil fuel cars aren't going away in 8 years

mikeash 9y ago
This is something I think a lot of people fail to understand. For daily use, EV charging is a convenience, not an inconvenience. It only takes me five seconds to plug in my car in the evening. It may take several hours to charge, but that happens while I'm eating dinner or sleeping or whatever. When you drive more than the car's range in a single day, then it flips, of course. For me, and I think for most people, this is rare enough that it's still a net win. It also flips if you can't plug in at home. For a lot of people that's easy, but for many it's tough. Thankfully installing a charger is pretty easy, so it comes down to convincing the powers that be to do it, or at least allow it, which gets easier all the time. Agree with the conclusion. Eight years?! The average car on American roads today is 11.5 years old. Average. Cars just don't get cycled out that quickly.
- AnimalMuppet 9y ago
  > It also flips if you can't plug in at home. For a lot of people that's easy, but for many it's tough. You mean like if you live in an apartment, and you get one covered parking space (if you're lucky)? And if you're married (or have a roommate), and you both have cars, well, your apartment complex might put in chargers for the covered parking, but they probably aren't putting chargers on the uncovered parking, so only one of you can charge per night.
  - mikeash 9y ago
    Why the emphasis on covered spaces? The difficulty and expense is the same whether it's covered or not.
    - AnimalMuppet 9y ago
      My perception is that the apartments consider the non-covered parking to be for visitors. It therefore seems to me less likely that they will install chargers for those spaces. (There is also perhaps the issue of the electrical chargers being out in the rain, but that wasn't part of my reasoning.) Disclaimer: I don't own any apartments, and I'm only guessing about how apartment owners think.

LeonM 9y ago

The current grid is in most cases perfectly capable to deliver the required energy to charge cars if we all were to switch to EV's. The maximum output of the grid has seldomly been a problem, it scaling the production of electricity up/down to match the demand which is difficult. Some argue that adding thousands of EV's to the grid (each with 60-100kWh capacity) will actually help 'balance' the grid demand and make it more efficient.

sroussey 9y ago

If nothing were to change, then sure. But what about wireless charging at stop lights? Or the batter tech on HN last week that has longer range and only takes 5min to fully charge?