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There still needs to be a terminal of sorts to enable charging, usually with a big touch screen these days, and of course it needs to be connected to power and

by llampx 5y ago

There still needs to be a terminal of sorts to enable charging, usually with a big touch screen these days, and of course it needs to be connected to power and internet. Can't be cheaper than a gas station style card reader - where gas stations sometimes even save on costs by having one card reader for multiple pumps or the whole station.

xeromal 5y ago
There's no terminal on Tesla chargers. You just plug in and it starts charging. For non-teslas, this isn't an option so you have to use the app.
- tsimionescu 5y ago
  The normal solution is: you drive up, you fill up, and then you go inside and pay when you're done. No app, no smartphone, no problem. You can pay cash or card. Why in the world would you complicate this?
  - xeromal 5y ago
    There's nothing complicated about a Tesla charging. You drive up. Plug in. Done. There's no app. There's no wallet. There's no kiosk or attendant that has to be maintained or paid.
  - nickv 5y ago
    That requires staffing (at a 24/7 level ideally). I just did a cross country drive in a Tesla and most of them are in stations that are around stores, malls, hotels or restaurants - but none of them are staffed. The costs of these stations are already high, adding a physical building that is staffed by somebody 24/7 will just make it even harder to build and more expensive. How is getting out of your car, walking to a valet or booth to talk to a person, and paying where they ask "What is your stall number?" less complicated than literally just plugging in your car? To be clear, if you have a Tesla, there is NO app needed. There's nothing. You literally just plug in and it works. That's better than any gas station I've ever been to. FYI - This isn't a Tesla EV thing. This is an EV thing. EVERY network basically requires either an RFID card or a smart phone app: ElectrifyAmerica, Chargepoint, SOMA, Flo, EVGo. I can't think of one that doesn't.
    - vel0city 5y ago
      > EVERY network basically requires either an RFID card or a smart phone app My Mach E isn't a Tesla and charges on EA stations by just plugging it in. I don't have an EA app. There's a standard protocol for this negotiation. Lots of chargers don't yet support it, but the technology exists for non-Teslas to have a plug and charge experience.
  - dagw 5y ago
    go inside and pay when you're done. Go inside where and pay whom? The vast majority of charging stations I've seen are unmanned.
- llampx 5y ago
  Right. I was thinking of non-Tesla terminals. I'm sure its not an insurmountable obstacle to add terminals to future or current charging points (if they are forced to by regulators)

by llampx 5y ago

xeromal 5y ago

There's no terminal on Tesla chargers. You just plug in and it starts charging. For non-teslas, this isn't an option so you have to use the app.

tsimionescu 5y ago
The normal solution is: you drive up, you fill up, and then you go inside and pay when you're done. No app, no smartphone, no problem. You can pay cash or card. Why in the world would you complicate this?
- xeromal 5y ago
  There's nothing complicated about a Tesla charging. You drive up. Plug in. Done. There's no app. There's no wallet. There's no kiosk or attendant that has to be maintained or paid.
- nickv 5y ago
  That requires staffing (at a 24/7 level ideally). I just did a cross country drive in a Tesla and most of them are in stations that are around stores, malls, hotels or restaurants - but none of them are staffed. The costs of these stations are already high, adding a physical building that is staffed by somebody 24/7 will just make it even harder to build and more expensive. How is getting out of your car, walking to a valet or booth to talk to a person, and paying where they ask "What is your stall number?" less complicated than literally just plugging in your car? To be clear, if you have a Tesla, there is NO app needed. There's nothing. You literally just plug in and it works. That's better than any gas station I've ever been to. FYI - This isn't a Tesla EV thing. This is an EV thing. EVERY network basically requires either an RFID card or a smart phone app: ElectrifyAmerica, Chargepoint, SOMA, Flo, EVGo. I can't think of one that doesn't.
  - vel0city 5y ago
    > EVERY network basically requires either an RFID card or a smart phone app My Mach E isn't a Tesla and charges on EA stations by just plugging it in. I don't have an EA app. There's a standard protocol for this negotiation. Lots of chargers don't yet support it, but the technology exists for non-Teslas to have a plug and charge experience.
- dagw 5y ago
  go inside and pay when you're done. Go inside where and pay whom? The vast majority of charging stations I've seen are unmanned.
llampx 5y ago
Right. I was thinking of non-Tesla terminals. I'm sure its not an insurmountable obstacle to add terminals to future or current charging points (if they are forced to by regulators)