It’s actually a really good case study into the way innovation takes shape over time. There’s not much to be told from the ‘sociotechnical’ perspective (users d

It’s actually a really good case study into the way innovation takes shape over time. There’s not much to be told from the ‘sociotechnical’ perspective (users don’t really buy a car because of the way the plug feels or looks), but the regulatory aspect is fascinating. EU we’re well intentioned to regulate a standard as it drives efficiencies across infrastructure and provides some stability for manufacturers who might be nervous about entering an unproven market. However, it’s clear that they introduced it prematurely as the technology and requirements were yet to be ironed out. I would hold that there will be an easy fix to this problem - maybe a drop in replacement to support regional differences, or a power adaptor (similar to the travel adaptor market that supports the current list of 15 odd mains connectors)? At any rate, if the global market does need to be normalised, the transition period will no doubt be slow and somewhat inconvenient, potentially requiring support for multiple standards at both charger and vehicle. Edit: reading through the comments here, it seems that there is an sociotechnical angle in terms of ergonomics, as some cables can be bulky or difficult to handle. (Are they any worse than a bowser handle though, and do people actually have an opportunity to do AB testing in showrooms, which are often catered towards a single brand?)