People think of chargers like they do gas stations - you want it close by so you can fill up conveniently (and without wasting what you just filled up on to get home after). But with EVs, you typically plug in at home and have a full charge every day, meaning you don’t need a nearby charger. Better to have some a hundred-something miles away so you can use it on road trips, which is really what DCFC is for.
That is, of course, in an ideal world. Plenty of urban areas have DCFC partly because of people from out of town passing through, but mostly for people who can’t charge at home for whatever reason (ancient wiring, apartment living)
The earlier commenter unfortunately has neither home charging nor DCFC readily available, so that’s a problem. Maybe they can get by on level 1 (normal 120V outlet) but not everyone can.
I think stuff like this is why dealers are having trouble selling them. With ICE cars the only question is “do you have a parking space big enough for it.” But with EVs it’s “Do you have enough amperage in your service? Do you have 240V lines available in your breaker box? Do you have a way to get the electricity to where you park?”
As EVs get more prevalent these will work themselves out, but switching to electric has more caveats than sticking to gas.
The questions aren’t totally invalid, but they are overblown. Virtually every house in the US has 240V (sometimes 208, but cars can handle that too) available - they generally just need a second adjacent slot. Technology Connections (YouTube channel) has a great video explaining it. The wiring is the same, even. Service amperage is easy to work around, especially with one reasonably-priced option that pauses charging if your whole-house is about to trip (unlikely if you charge overnight, but this works with code)
Yes, it’s easy to stick with what you know. And I’ll admit I have a gas car too, but it rarely gets used. But I have to say, it sure is nice to have a quiet car that’s fun to drive and never needs to go to the gas station.
I think a good start would be to have all car dealers watch a few Technology Connections videos. The Biden administration should pay him to do a Super Bowl commercial or something. He’s just great.
But these are all questions that require you to go home and look at your fuse box, or hire an electrician to verify that you have what you need. Or do some research.
Now, I love doing a ton of research before I buy a car. But most people don’t need or want to know a hubcap from a head gasket, and the added of complexity of “this needs to connect to your house” is a hurdle that ICE cars don’t have, and will be a growing pain for EVs.
Those questions really don’t need to be asked. I charge off of a regular outlet, level 2 charging at home is nice but unnecessary. If those questions keep coming up, it’s likely from dealers that are fearmongering.
I have no idea, and that’s kind of my point. I’ve never bothered checking, because charging off of a regular outlet is enough for me, and it will be enough for a lot of other people too.
People think of chargers like they do gas stations - you want it close by so you can fill up conveniently (and without wasting what you just filled up on to get home after). But with EVs, you typically plug in at home and have a full charge every day, meaning you don’t need a nearby charger. Better to have some a hundred-something miles away so you can use it on road trips, which is really what DCFC is for.
That is, of course, in an ideal world. Plenty of urban areas have DCFC partly because of people from out of town passing through, but mostly for people who can’t charge at home for whatever reason (ancient wiring, apartment living)
The earlier commenter unfortunately has neither home charging nor DCFC readily available, so that’s a problem. Maybe they can get by on level 1 (normal 120V outlet) but not everyone can.
I think stuff like this is why dealers are having trouble selling them. With ICE cars the only question is “do you have a parking space big enough for it.” But with EVs it’s “Do you have enough amperage in your service? Do you have 240V lines available in your breaker box? Do you have a way to get the electricity to where you park?”
As EVs get more prevalent these will work themselves out, but switching to electric has more caveats than sticking to gas.
The questions aren’t totally invalid, but they are overblown. Virtually every house in the US has 240V (sometimes 208, but cars can handle that too) available - they generally just need a second adjacent slot. Technology Connections (YouTube channel) has a great video explaining it. The wiring is the same, even. Service amperage is easy to work around, especially with one reasonably-priced option that pauses charging if your whole-house is about to trip (unlikely if you charge overnight, but this works with code)
Yes, it’s easy to stick with what you know. And I’ll admit I have a gas car too, but it rarely gets used. But I have to say, it sure is nice to have a quiet car that’s fun to drive and never needs to go to the gas station.
I think a good start would be to have all car dealers watch a few Technology Connections videos. The Biden administration should pay him to do a Super Bowl commercial or something. He’s just great.
But these are all questions that require you to go home and look at your fuse box, or hire an electrician to verify that you have what you need. Or do some research.
Now, I love doing a ton of research before I buy a car. But most people don’t need or want to know a hubcap from a head gasket, and the added of complexity of “this needs to connect to your house” is a hurdle that ICE cars don’t have, and will be a growing pain for EVs.
Those questions really don’t need to be asked. I charge off of a regular outlet, level 2 charging at home is nice but unnecessary. If those questions keep coming up, it’s likely from dealers that are fearmongering.
Is your house 60amp service?
I have no idea, and that’s kind of my point. I’ve never bothered checking, because charging off of a regular outlet is enough for me, and it will be enough for a lot of other people too.
And it won’t work for some people. What a world.