EV Charging Growing Pains
I was an earlier adopter of electric vehicles and owned a Tesla when they first arrived on the scene. The buying experience was done completely online aside from delivery that took place at a physical dealership. The vehicle had a pick up and go that just could not be matched by a conventional gas powered car and it was exciting to let the car drive itself. Then winter came...
"Sharon Bragg of Clifton Park, New York, has to charge her Ford Mustang Mach-E GT more frequently in the winter months. The GT's EPA rating is 270 miles on a full charge. Bragg said it's closer to 200 in the colder weather. Last December a Level 2 charging plug got stuck in her Mach-E and would not budge. After multiple failed attempts by bystanders, she called an electrician, who blew hot air on the plug for 20 minutes to release it."
Source: ABCNews
One problem with owning an EV is the cars ability to hold a charge in colder climates and Chicago is one of those places. You would leave the garage after charging overnight with a range of 270 miles but that would drop dramatically the longer the car remained outdoors - even when not driving it, and especially when using the heat, the range would drop. On one particular day, I could not even make it home and had to plug in at a Whole Foods where the battery was draining almost as quickly as it charged, it was a long wait. The solution here is more level 3 chargers. Then there are other issues...
Parking spots at EV chargers are sometimes occupied by gas-powered vehicles, Rosenholtz said. Or a charging cord is too short and won't connect to the vehicle. Then there are times when the charger is dead ... or the wait time is more than an hour. The bad experiences are frustrating, he said. The one upside? Meeting fellow EV drivers.
Source: ABCNews
The other solution is having vehicles that have a longer range and having batteries that do not drain so quickly in colder weather. One EV vehicle noted that they got more range when not using luxuries in the car. The luxury in this case was the heater. Is a heater a luxury?
Although advances in technology are coming and these issues will get solved, it is going to take time. How long are you willing to wait? These issues will not stop the EV revolution but it is going to be a long time before you can comfortably take a long road trip in an electric vehicle.
In order for there to be more adoption, EV chargers will have to be installed in more places and that is where we can help. Let us know if you have EV questions or want to learn more about our services. Leave us a comment below or email us at news@ph1c.com
