Future state of EV Charing networks

David777

David777

Well-known Member
Location
Silicon Valley
Latest news on EV charging. I have a 2007 Subaru Forester with 260k miles and have been waiting for EV and plug-ins to advance, mature, with lowering prices more before committing to a new vehicle. With many new vehicle models being announced, expect that may be in the next 2 or 3 years. A key issue as someone occasionally driving a few hundred miles, has been waiting for the rise of charging networks. There is enormous economic pressure in the USA to build these services that also requires much work with electric utility companies. Here in the SFBA, one already see myriad Tesla's everywhere. Beyond the main topic, building and servicing charging networks will employ many in new more technical jobs.

Out of Gas: A seismic change is coming to American transportation. I have bad news for service stations

I Have Bad News for Gas Stations

Electric cars have a road trip problem, even for the secretary of energy

https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1187...s-charging-energy-secretary-jennifer-granholm
 

spouse works for a very large and well known company but even they have quit replacing charging units in parking because the damage and vandals that take the copper wires out ....or break them ..... one employee unable ( not allowed) to charge at apartment counted on those chargers at work but now spends a lot of time searching not only for stations but ones that actually work.
I have heard of nothing but horror stories from those who bought cars.
They say it is fine if only in town but a road trip forget about it.
Most people like you were waiting for more charging stations and such but it is not materializing.
 
There isn't enough power production or grid capacity to handle large numbers of EVs as primary vehicles.

EV drivers encounter 4-charger places where the grid can only supply 2 of them at a time. Then you have the home overnight charging, which isn't adequate if there are 2 (much less 3) cars needing charging over night. It only gets worse with EV monster trucks which need a home Level 2 charger to be of any use.

Peak demand during commuting hours coincides with other peak demands on power too. It's like none of this was ever thought out.

Even plug-in hybrids offer diminishing returns. For now a straight hybrid fueled by gasoline makes the most sense and may for a decade, and even then only the smaller lighter compact sedans and hatchbacks really benefit in mileage savings.

In the end there are just too many large, heavy, jacked up wind resisting and view blocking vehicles on the road.
 

The future state will be better than the current state that's for sure.

And wait till they bury the charging wires in the road so battery size can be reduced as well as fill the void where there is no charging available.
 
dilettante said:
There isn't enough power production or grid capacity to handle large numbers of EVs as primary vehicles...
Click to expand...
s.b.
There isn't enough power production or grid capacity CURRENTLY while society is ramping up, to handle large numbers of EVs as primary vehicles...

Both the government and capitalist market forces are bearing down on that deficiency and issues going forward, just as my OP link addresses.
 
This is an interesting topic. Based on a number of articles I've read, it seems that charging at commercial charge stations (Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, and ChargePoint) is close to being on par with the cost of gasoline. That, combined with the limited range and the time required to charge, makes an electric car a tough choice right now. If you use an EV to commute to work and back and can charge at home overnight, it's a great choice.
I think the greatest reason to move to electric vehicles is that it gives us, for the most part, freedom from the world-wide oil market. We can still provide enough fossil fuel to power trucks, planes, and boats if we're not also having to fill up all of the automobiles. I suspect Exxon/Mobil is fighting diligently and offering much in the way of cash incentives to slow the roll to EVs.
 
EV's are fine for local driving...IF the owner has an in-home charger....but until they come up with a vehicle with a range of 300+ miles that can be recharged in just a few minutes, they are useless for driving any distance. Plus, with the state of our current electrical grids, if everyone suddenly went to EV's, we would probably have nationwide "brownouts".
 
EVs are a new technology. We haven't built a charging station on every corner, like we did with gas stations. When non-horse drawn vehicles were first introduced, you had to buy gas in the 1890s version of a pharmacy, and it came in a glass bottle. I do think the charging time will have to come down. And most people don't drive over 300 miles/day, which is about the range for EVs, today.
 

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