Charging an electric vehicle in the future increasingly looks like an experience somewhere between a truck stop and an airport lounge.
Most public chargers sit in parking lots, often three or four machines along the side of a hotel or grocery store. Drivers are exposed to the elements and, unless they need to go shopping, are basically stuck hanging out in their cars while filling their batteries.
But charging companies and automakers increasingly see a need for stations with amenities: restaurants, good bathrooms, comfortable furniture, and canopies that shield from the rain, snow and sun. After all, even the fastest chargers need a half-hour to top off your car so you’d better enjoy the stay. The additional convenience could entice would-be EV drivers to take the plunge, adding fuel to the electric transition.
It needs to look like a Starbucks or a McDonald’s. These idiot franchises on the highway should be adding EV chargers — it’s a captive audience.
At least in europe, these fast food chains almost always have electric charging. I think it’s a good fit, because charging the car and eating something takes about the same time.
Gas station chains like Sheetz, Wawa, and especially Buc-ees are well prepared for this.