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The inspiration for this story, along with its title, comes from Kyle Conner of Out of Spec Reviews. If you are an EV fan, you probably already know Kyle. No organization tests more EVs than Out of Spec, and no journalist I know has a deeper understanding of the current state of EVs and living electric than Kyle does.
Related Story: Electric Vehicle Charging Is a Confusing Mess For New EV Owners
Charging Is Getting Worse, Not Better
Kyle isn’t “local.” Out of Spec Studios constantly travels worldwide to test EVs, visit manufacturing locations, and attend EV-focused events. Out of Spec is global, and its team is based in the wide-open West in Fort Collins, Colorado. Kyle and his rapidly-growing team travel from one metropolitan area to another almost non-stop, and they report on the state of charging daily. During a recent trip in California, Kyle reported, “One thing is clear; we are past the golden age of EVs in America for road trips. Stations are failing left and right, and there are many new EVs on the road needing to charge, with nearly no added infrastructure in the last year or so.”
Related Story: New Solution Could Save EV Owners Thousands On Home Charger Installations
Kyle goes on to say, “Electrify America has just launched a brand new charging unit promising to be powerful and reliable, and I had my chance at trying it for the first time today. It didn’t work. I had to switch to another one.”
In an upcoming video, Kyle will report on his most recent Supercharger visit. Kyle owns two Teslas and uses them as his daily drivers. At a 40-stall Supercharger he used this week in California, every charger was occupied, with his own being number 40. As an EV advocate, Kyle looks forward to the days to come when Tesla will open its Supercharger network to owners of CCS-charger-equipped models from other brands but wonders how already crowded Superchargers will keep pace. Folks in some states like California may be accustomed to seeing Superchargers, but other states have almost none. There is one in Rhode Island. Just five in Vermont.
It’s Not One EV Expert Who Sees The Problem
Another respected source for EV information is Transportation Evolved. In a recent quick post on Youtube, the team titled their post “The Coming S... Storm.” The post relates to Electrify America’s plan to replace broken chargers. The team isn’t thrilled with the plan, or the current state of charger reliability. The post prior to this was titled, “EVs are going Mainstream Are We Ready?” The answer is shown in the title pane, which displays, “We’re Not Ready.” Host of the post, Kate, makes many great points in the video. It's well worth watching..
The Charging Business Is Not Profitable
Kyle points to the fact that EV fast charging is not profitable as the main reason that EV stations are not better maintained and more numerous. After all, it’s hard to compete with Electrify America, who is in the business by way of VW’s government-mandated punishment. Would you like to jump into a business so bad companies that are caught violating the Clean Air Act on a massive scale are offered it as an alternative to bankruptcy and jail?
The Electric Vehicle FUD Conspiracy By…Everyone?
Maybe this news of the sad state of the charging network is just a conspiracy. If it is, count The New York Times among the conspirators. This past month, the gray lady published a story titled, A Frustrating Hassle Holding Electric Cars Back: Broken Chargers. The story includes the quote, “... about a quarter of the public charging outlets in the San Francisco Bay Area, where electric cars are commonplace, were not working.”
Still not convinced that the good ole’ days may be coming to an end? Here is a selection of posts on this topic:
Elektrek - Tesla dominates charging experience satisfaction, and that’s a problem now that it’s going public
Green Car Reports - California Study of Fast Chargers Finds Poor Reliability, Many "Not Functioning"
How Many EV Stations Do You Own, Operate, and Maintain?
Many EV publications and experts lament the sad state of affairs of the charging network, but I’m unaware of any that own and operate a nationwide DC fast charging business. It seems we must wait for “someone else” to solve the problem. Someone like Kameale C. Terry and Evette Ellis, founders of ChargerHelp! They melded the need for more skilled job training with the need for a more reliable charging network and built a business.
More EVs Means More Types of Owners
A lot of the next wave of EV owners are also going to need to charge someplace aside from home. Today, most EV owners charge at home most of the time. That cannot continue as buyers who don’t own a home start to make up a larger percentage of EV owners. Sharing the slow Level 2 charger behind the public library isn’t going to cut it for everyone in apartments, condos, and multifamily homes without a practical way to charge where they park. The current practice of installing two Level 2 chargers in a parking lot holding hundreds of vehicles is not a way to solve the growing problem.
Related Story: $39,974 Ford F-150 Lightning - Can It Really Cost So Little?
Where Are the Affordable EVs?
Daily announcements and advertisements hitting us about the face and neck from all sides telling us about great new affordable EVs, but where are they? The new Chevy Equinox EV is years from delivery. The Ford F-150 Lightning is off the market. Pretty much every EV in America not made by Tesla are delivered at ridiculously low volumes, around 3,000 units per month or less. This rate of delivery has not changed in more than a decade. Affordable EVs are delivered at about one-fifth to one-fifteenth the volume of a mainstream affordable model like a Camry or Accord. For nearly every automaker who makes affordable EVs, the electric models are among the lowest-volume models in the brands' portfolios.
The EV Charging Problem Didn't Happen Overnight
Another pro-EV publication we follow is The Fast Lane Cars. TFL isn't only an EV publication, but the folks there are Tesla owners, have owned other EVs, and test EVs regularly. Two years ago, TFL sounded the alarm in a post showing just how challenging charging an EV can be. Read our own story about why stopping for power at a public Level 2 charger while on the go is a waste of time.
Will Charging At Home Be an Option When Everyone Has an EV?
The EV movement is far from dead. Quite the contrary, now that our nation’s capital, California, has decided we will all drive EVs or walk by 2035, we really do need to get in line and follow the plan. Pay no mind to the utilities in the state leading the way on EVs asking EV owners not to charge or those blackouts everyone swears didn't happen.
Tell us in the comments below which affordable EV you plan to purchase next and how you will keep it charged.
EV charging image courtesy of Electrify America.
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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Comments
I'm 69, I really don't see a
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I'm 69, I really don't see a electric vehicle in my future. A hybrid, maybe. The infrastructure does not exist, in any way, shape or form. It's not just the range, and lack of reliable charging stations. Also we're is all this electricy going to come from? We're are the mechanics to work on these? Not at your local repair shop. Heaven help you, if you get in a accident. It'll take months to get parts, if ever. People who bought the early ones, are finding that their $10,000 , 7 year old car, needs a $30,000 battery, plus $2000 labor. There's goes all that savings, from not buying gas, and your kids college money. So it's time to get another one. That's if the old one is payed off. What's going to happen to these vehicles, when they aren't worth replacing the battery, after such a short time? What a waste, NOT GREEN! Will waste materials, that we don't have.
Our 4 1/2 year old Tesla
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In reply to I'm 69, I really don't see a by Riff (not verified)
Our 4 1/2 year old Tesla Model S 75D has 73K miles, and the battery still has about 92% original capacity. (It is not likely to fall much more for a long time.) I take pretty good care of the battery, but obviously we drive it a lot. My research indicates the battery is likely to be fine for around 15 years total, as much as 300k miles - far more longevity than any car I've ever owned. Charging at night is likely not much problem for the current grid. You only need 10 to 16 amps for a few hours. Perhaps it will be necessary to coordinate the charging some, so different cars in a neighborhood charge at somewhat different times; I'm not sure about that. Tesla is building more highway Superchargers every week, and we (live in Atlanta) have never had any difficulty charging on trips. As our electric power gets more and more green, EV's will be more and more good for the planet, likely staving off the worst effects of Climate Change. So... be doom and gloom if you like, but there's certainly another much more positive way to look at this.
Great perspective John Alan.
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In reply to Our 4 1/2 year old Tesla by John Alan Gibby (not verified)
Great perspective John Alan. I used to correct commenters who made the argument that battery replacements would be an issue, saying, "Not to worry." Then the top-selling affordable EV in America, the Bolt, required every battery be replaced. Along with every battery in the Kona. The automakers ate those tens of billions in battery replacement costs this time around, but it sure spoiled the battery record for a long time to come. According to Axios, roughly 3% of all vehicle registrations in the state of Georgia are EVs. Will the grid be ready in less than ten years when half of the vehicles in the state are drawing power at night? We all hope so.
EVs vs. non-EVs wouldn't even
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EVs vs. non-EVs wouldn't even be a topic of discussion if out-of-control politicians
weren't forcing their views re automobiles on me and forcing me, JG, and others to pay for it (the evolving fiasco). There is less and less of a free market in the US and we are all negatively affected, as well as poorer. My response: all my vehicles are over ten years old, and I’m not planning on buying any new ones. Also: Re “Climate Change” – the climate has forever been changing and will continue to do so.
I have a 1996 Suburban, that
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In reply to EVs vs. non-EVs wouldn't even by Mark Day (not verified)
I have a 1996 Suburban, that still pulls a 25 foot camping trailer .
‘We also have a 2004 Prius, 338,000 miles drive it daily 44 to 48 mph
(Passing it down to my granddaughter this year)
(Battery replacement was 2200 dollars vs avg of 20,000 for EV w/one battery unit)
My new Truck is a 1998 Silverado Pick up , pulled from a barn, checked and updated Mechanicals @27700 miles.
With vortices 350 ready to pick up when the suburban is done.
I agre that between the Market pricing, above higher costs and the infrastructure weakness
The electric EVs with be competing with Hydrogen before they are practical cost wise.