5 ms·

I live in California and the charger network is barely adequate for the current number of electric cars. If everyone had them, there would be hours-long lines f

I live in California and the charger network is barely adequate for the current number of electric cars. If everyone had them, there would be hours-long lines for chargers. Electric cars are still a luxury for people who have dedicated parking spaces with chargers at home, and the voters all know it. By the way, I am not against electric cars. I own one. I'm just being realistic about their practicality for the general population.

darknavi 4y ago
I am really surprised more parking structures (Condo/Apartment/Hotels/Garages/etc) haven't hopped on board the charging train. Not only is it a nice incentive for the residents, they can also charge for it any make some money.
- twblalock 4y ago
  It is not cheap for them to build. It requires a lot of capacity to put a charger in every space. It often requires upgrading the entire electrical system for the property, trenching across parking lots, etc. Also, many of the current residents in an HOA will oppose the project because it will cost them money but they themselves would not benefit because they don't have electric cars.
acejam 4y ago
> there would be hours-long lines for chargers I think the common misconception here is that chargers are often compared to gas pumps. Do you visit the gas pump every day with your car? Most people don't. Most EV owners charge at home, often during night hours, to take advantage of cheaper TOU electricity rates. The clear difference here is that with an EV, you can wake up every morning with a "full tank". That eliminates the need to use a public charger unless you 1) forgot to charge 2) are on a road trip or 3) drive a lot. The average commute is ~15 miles the last I checked, so I think #3 will happen, but it won't be very common. tldr: You can't really leave for your destination in an ICE with a full tank. With an EV, you can.

darknavi 4y ago

I am really surprised more parking structures (Condo/Apartment/Hotels/Garages/etc) haven't hopped on board the charging train. Not only is it a nice incentive for the residents, they can also charge for it any make some money.

twblalock 4y ago
It is not cheap for them to build. It requires a lot of capacity to put a charger in every space. It often requires upgrading the entire electrical system for the property, trenching across parking lots, etc. Also, many of the current residents in an HOA will oppose the project because it will cost them money but they themselves would not benefit because they don't have electric cars.

acejam 4y ago

> there would be hours-long lines for chargers I think the common misconception here is that chargers are often compared to gas pumps. Do you visit the gas pump every day with your car? Most people don't. Most EV owners charge at home, often during night hours, to take advantage of cheaper TOU electricity rates. The clear difference here is that with an EV, you can wake up every morning with a "full tank". That eliminates the need to use a public charger unless you 1) forgot to charge 2) are on a road trip or 3) drive a lot. The average commute is ~15 miles the last I checked, so I think #3 will happen, but it won't be very common. tldr: You can't really leave for your destination in an ICE with a full tank. With an EV, you can.