The Last Big Obstacle to Electric Cars Is All in Your Mind

[Zorro]

Making electric vehicle adoption work means rethinking our travel habits entirely. It's well worth it.

The average American drives fewer than 40 miles a day, well within the 200- to 300-mile range of most current-model electric cars. Yet electric cars still make up less than 5 percent of new motor vehicle sales. As EV technology has improved, range anxiety—the fear of running out of juice before you get where you’re going—has given way to anxiety about where you’re going to charge and how long it will take. And that may be holding people back from making the leap from gas to electric.

There’s no question that America needs more charging stations to accommodate the growth of electric vehicle sales and fuel the transition away from gasoline. If the escalating climate crisis hasn’t put a fine point on that, skyrocketing gas prices should. But it’s going to take more than infrastructure to wean Americans off the pump and get them hooked on electrons. We’ll need to reengineer the country’s car culture, learning to see the charging cord as a liberator not a tether, and changing some of our most ingrained travel habits outright.

“Right now the thinking is, ‘Build stations, we’ve got to build stations,’” John Eichberger, executive director of the Fuels Institute, a transportation energy research group, told The Daily Beast. “But once they’re built, how are we going to deal with human behavior?”

There are about 46,000 public chargers across the country, according to the Department of Energy’s latest count. The majority can give you 25 miles of range in about an hour. Fast chargers, numbering fewer than 6,000, can do it in 10 minutes or less. (These are rough estimates—it can vary a lot depending on the charger, the car, the state of the battery, and so on.) For comparison, there are around 150,000 gas stations in the U.S., most with several pumps, and all of which can fill ’er up in five minutes flat.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-last-big-obstacle-to-electric-cars-is-requires-a-mental-fix-in-our-travel-habits

I'm preparing for my 11th (or 12th, I've honestly lost count) all-electric cross-country road trip next week. Finding charging stations and range anxiety are not a concern.

[Sherman A1]

1. No, the last big obstacle to electric cars is my wallet

just can't come up with the cash at this point and I suspect that will continue to be a big hurdle.

[TheRealNorth]

3. Lol

I hear ya. We need to deal with the computer chip shortages.

[lagomorph777]

4. I want one very badly.

My wallet and my wife are the big obstacles at this point.

[Sherman A1]

5. I'm looking at the Ford Maverick Hybrid Truck

in the next couple of years to replace two vehicles (a 08 Yaris and a 98 Ranger) but for now I will wait as there are not any available and it would just sit in the driveway anyway as I am retired and really don't do much driving.

[JohnSJ]

7. Exactly. Not only are their prices to high for many, but if you rent an apartment, charging can

become a real issue. Add to that the cost to install a charging system in one’s home to avoid trickle charging presents another obstacle

Until infrastructure and battery technology improves, it is not a very cost effective option for many

Currently hybrid technology seems like a more viable alternative, but unfortunately because of the chip shortages, and other issues, until things stabilize, vehicles are too expensive for many now

[moniss]

19. You hit on a good aspect

that I have seen ignored by the vast majority of anybody writing articles on the topic of adoption of EVs. I had a Chevy Volt for 4 years from their first release. Charging was always a super hassle because of living in an apartment. You can imagine what landlords will do to rents if big apartment complexes of hundreds and hundreds of people are clamoring for chargers in the parking lots/garages. The rents are already going sky-high and a landlord is going to look to recoup those costs. Chargers can be anything from about $500 to several thousand dollars each and then there is the installation cost which could involve trenching for power cables and repairing blacktop etc. Then there is maintenance cost for when the chargers get damaged etc. Now add security into this equation because there will have to be some sort of security code access so that the person parking next to you can't use your assigned charger.

Now contemplate heavy snowfall in northern states and snow drifts packing in the easy access to the charger. More snow removal costs or shovel it yourself most likely. I'm not saying these issues can't be overcome but I am saying, as you pointed out, that renters in apartment complexes are going to face major rent hikes and the landlords are going to experience major improvement/maintenance costs that will drive barely affordable rents over the edge. I don't see the GQP ever getting on board for giving grants to landlords to install this infrastructure. So while the individual homeowner or renter with a garage might be able to better swing this I firmly believe that for most renters it is going to be a very long time coming and it won't be an easy cost. Most reliable sources indicate renters account for over 34% of all households and the percentage is increasing.

Once again I'm not saying we don't need to change and quickly but as you pointed out there is a huge segment of the society that is largely left out of the discussion at this point while media bows down at the altar of Musk.

[JohnSJ]

23. The good thing about the Volt is it is a PHEV, so you aren't entirely dependent on only electric

[TheRealNorth]

2. For me, I think when the Fast Chargers are widely available....

Is when I will make the jump from hybrid to electric.

[JohnSJ]

9. The problem with fast charging is they degrade the batteries life span much more quickly

They are working on newer battery technologies, along with different recharging models to improve the situation

I agree with you currently regarding the hybrid model

[Zorro]

13. My battery degradation experience

Less than 5% battery capacity loss over 7 years using fast charging a majority of the time.

YMMV.

[JohnSJ]

14. Good. Still, from my perspective, until the infrastructure is more extensive, I won't jump into an

all electric vehicle

[Wingus Dingus]

6. An hour of charging at a charging station to get you 25 miles? Am I understanding that right?

No thanks. I'll wait until it's no different than stopping at a gas station.

[genxlib]

8. Yeah, that does not alleviate concerns.

If anything, it makes it worse.

And that assumes that there isn't someone already using that charging station when you get there.

[Zorro]

11. If you have a garage

You plug your car in at home.

On the road you plug in at a DC fast charging station. Electrify America stations are showing up all over the country along the interstates (part of VW's Dieselgate settlement agreement).

[Wingus Dingus]

15. I'll wait until the fast-charging stations are common and everywhere.

It needs to be comparable to the ease and dependability of getting gas.

[TheRealNorth]

17. If you are solely using your car close to home....

Then it makes sense. But some people might use their vehicles to go on trips 300+ miles away, and noone wants to be stuck hours waiting for the car to recharge, assuming you can find a place to recharge it (which you might also need to plan out ahead of time).

[markie]

10. my "Last Big Obstacle"

to good electric car is $$$

initial expense is prohibitive

[global1]

16. Some Stupid Questions: When You Charge Your Car While On The Road At A Charging Station.....

does one pay for the charge? Are you tcharged for the charge? What is the cost of charging one's car at a charging station? Right now I pay for gas. Does one pay for the electric used?

I don't know if I've ever seen that question addressed.

Also - to me a hybrid makes more sense because I have family about 400 miles away and make the trip a number of times a year. Range of the car becomes a factor for me.

Somebody also asked the other question I have: What happens when you get to a charging station and it's being used? That certainly would put a crimp on the trip. Could be a long delay in a trip.

Also - I live in the Chicago area - with cold winters. I'm told that an EV gets less efficient in the winter. Is that true?

[Zorro]

21. Think I can answer some of your questions

Yes, you'll pay for charging at a charging station. For Teslas, one sets up an account with a credit card which is charged whenever you use their superchargers (I've been told it's at market rates, which depends on where you are -- I can't confirm, since I'm grandfathered in and don't have to pay, but I did ask a Model 3 owner in Arkansas how much it cost him to "fill up" and he said about $8 for about 300+ miles of range). I don't know about Electrify America rates, but believe they might be a bit higher.

As I mentioned, I've travelled coast-to-coast several times over the past 3 years, and have yet to arrive to find any Tesla supercharger site along the way fully congested. We typically charge on average ~45 minutes per stop, which is a decent enough break to stretch our legs etc. after driving for 3-4 hours. We usually make between 500-600 miles/day (which we would do normally in a ICE car), but don't feel quite as worn out by the end of the day. Autopilot helps there, too.

There have been times around Los Angeles where I've had to wait maybe 5-10 minutes for a spot to open up, but that's to be expected in that area with the sheer number of Teslas on the road there.

Yes, batteries don't hold as much charge in cold weather, but they're working on it. You might want to check the latest literature on that. There seems to be a fair number of EV sales in states like Massachusetts and Colorado, in any case.

[global1]

28. Thanks For Answering My Questions - A Follow-Up On The Cost Of A Charge Though....

As EV's get more popular and the standard gas vehicle goes the way of the horse and carriage - won't the cost of a charge go up in price?

I got to think that this is like the start of cable TV. No commercials. Cheap entry to get cable. Then when the market goes cable - suddenly everything changes. They figure out a way to increase the cost until your paying $180.00/month and they now have commercials.

I'm thinking that the same thing will happen with EV's. We'll all be lured into going EV because it is cheaper than gas - and then when most everyone has an EV - these enterprising companies will figure out a way to jack up the cost of a charge.

Eventually it will be as expensive to charge as it is to fill up.

Am I being too cynical about this whole thing or might I be on to something?

[Zorro]

31. A reasonable concern

I believe Tesla is committed to not make its supercharger network a profit center, just as it indicates it is committed to not make its service centers a profit center.

I believe Electrify America and other charging station companies (Chargepoint, etc.) may have a different pricing structure , but their pricing may be constrained by state regulatory commissions.

[oioioi]

18. Why aren't EV battery modules universal and swappable?

If battery modules were able to be slow charged offline and replaced easily, existing gas stations could be re-tooled to swap out battery modules within a few minutes with fully charged replacements. Isn't this just a matter of setting specific design standards for the EVs to make their batteries modular and easily removed? It seems this would be logistically easier in the long run than trucking gasoline all over the place.

[Iwasthere]

20. Google "nio"

[oioioi]

26. Cool, thanks - already in use in China - 5 min swap - video of the consumer experience:

All EVs should use a universal battery module form so it can be swapped like this at any station anywhere. The car even drives itself into the replacement bay.

[drmeow]

27. Damn

That's awesome!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

22. Charge for an hour to get 25 miles of range.

Let's see, at that rate I'd be charging the electric for about fifteen hours just to make a ten hour drive to Kansas City, which I do at least once a year. Then there are the drives to Tucson, Denver, Colorado Springs.

And pay tens of thousands of dollars more than I've ever spent on a car.

Not to mention, that the electricity isn't free. Even if the charging stations don't make you pay for the charge, you need to consider the cost of generating that electricity. Especially given how many are still using coal.

So no, it's not merely changing our mindset.

[usonian]

24. One problem for me is that electric cars are big computers.

Actually, so are gas powered cars these days, but I think I got the last vehicle that's not "connected" and I am loving it.

No over the air (OTA) firmware downloads, no constant spying on me, no ability to hack it with a phone. (you have to break into the car to change the firmware and download the now-mandatory black box)

Cops can't stop me remotely. Car won't refuse to start if I clean the windshield with alcohol.

For something that could be as simple as a golf cart, why the rocket-science technology?

My fearless prediction: When you buy a smart EV from Google, (Christine?) it will not only find a pizza place for you, it will automatically drive you to the one it wants you to patronize.

OR ELSE

And have a great day (searches for fresh tinfoil for hat)

[RainCaster]

25. I'm on a waiting list for my EV

Till then, I have an hybrid sedan and a fossil powered pickup to get around with.

[slightlv]

29. I'm retired

and would love an EV. But no one is going to give a load to a retired person with only SS as money coming in. It's not good business sense, obviously. So, that's the first problem.

Second problem, charging stations. I'm in small town Midwest town. This is fossil use central. I can see them bucking this big time. I don't care, I don't drive that much. I own my home; as long as I can charge from here, I can "fill up" from here enough to get me to go where I need to go, no doubt. But it would be nice to know I've got a charging station should I get low enough going to the doctor's office or someplace else an hour or so away from home.

I like the idea of a universal changeable battery. that would be so cool. But still, initial $$$ is the main problem. Something is going to have to be done for those of us who really support the idea but who are the low end of the money spectrum. And it can't be like tax credits, cause that doesn't help the "here and now"

[marie999]

30. Doesn't our electric infrastructure need to be improved?