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Just because those patterns are atypical doesn't mean it's not a valid concern. This problem will stop more people than you would expect from getting an EV. Als

by yladiz 9y ago

Just because those patterns are atypical doesn't mean it's not a valid concern. This problem will stop more people than you would expect from getting an EV. Also many people in major cities do not have the space to charge their car, mostly because of only street parking available, so there does need to be a separate solution besides charging at home.

randyrand 9y ago
On top of that it's rather common to drive somewhere and leave your car overnight where there won't be a charger. 1. driving to a relatives 2. driving somewhere for vacation
- sowbug 9y ago
  There's another thread about destination charging. My family's experience is that there's a dryer plug or at least a 120V plug within reach at homes we visit, or else a Supercharger less than ~100 miles (round trip + driving around town) from the hotel where we're staying. There are also Chargepoint stations in many public parking lots, but we've never had to use them. It's not as convenient today as gas stations. But Tesla has been adding Superchargers quickly.
greglindahl 9y ago
One atypical thing is having chargers available for street parking. One can only hope it becomes more popular.
- sowbug 9y ago
  Yeah, if you park on the street where you live, an EV will be a burden. I've seen random extension cords plugged into cars on streets in San Francisco, but that's a hack.
sowbug 9y ago
This discussion is not a binary question of right vs. wrong. OP said it was "ridiculous" not to view range and charging time as a "huge downside." Perhaps if EVs were marketed toward people who drive 50-60K miles/year as OP does (estimate based on often driving more than 250 miles in a single trip), that would be a legitimate criticism. But for many typical driving profiles (US average around 15K miles/year, average trip < 50 miles), current-generation EVs work fine, and their owners are happy. EVs work for most people, but not for OP. Can't both be true at the same time? BTW the same discussion happened in the mid-2000s with smartphones. People were apparently ridiculous for giving up week-long battery life for something that has to charge at least daily. Yet for many, the benefits outweigh the costs. Smartphone battery life isn't ridiculous. It's just a better fit for some people than for others.

by yladiz 9y ago

randyrand 9y ago

On top of that it's rather common to drive somewhere and leave your car overnight where there won't be a charger. 1. driving to a relatives 2. driving somewhere for vacation

sowbug 9y ago
There's another thread about destination charging. My family's experience is that there's a dryer plug or at least a 120V plug within reach at homes we visit, or else a Supercharger less than ~100 miles (round trip + driving around town) from the hotel where we're staying. There are also Chargepoint stations in many public parking lots, but we've never had to use them. It's not as convenient today as gas stations. But Tesla has been adding Superchargers quickly.

greglindahl 9y ago

One atypical thing is having chargers available for street parking. One can only hope it becomes more popular.

sowbug 9y ago
Yeah, if you park on the street where you live, an EV will be a burden. I've seen random extension cords plugged into cars on streets in San Francisco, but that's a hack.

sowbug 9y ago

This discussion is not a binary question of right vs. wrong. OP said it was "ridiculous" not to view range and charging time as a "huge downside." Perhaps if EVs were marketed toward people who drive 50-60K miles/year as OP does (estimate based on often driving more than 250 miles in a single trip), that would be a legitimate criticism. But for many typical driving profiles (US average around 15K miles/year, average trip < 50 miles), current-generation EVs work fine, and their owners are happy. EVs work for most people, but not for OP. Can't both be true at the same time? BTW the same discussion happened in the mid-2000s with smartphones. People were apparently ridiculous for giving up week-long battery life for something that has to charge at least daily. Yet for many, the benefits outweigh the costs. Smartphone battery life isn't ridiculous. It's just a better fit for some people than for others.