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Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

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Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#2
Several states have laws that require apartment building and condo managers to allow tenants/owners to install EV chargers (at their own cost). I expect this trend to continue slowly across the US.

If you can't charge at home, public charging is going to continue to expand rapidly (as electricity is everywhere). It'll just take some time, and effort on the part of local citizens and policy makers.

If you own an EV, get involved! Advocate for home, workplace, and public charging stations where you frequent.

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#4
I used to run an extension cord out of my 2nd floor window, but I wasn't parking on the street. My space was off the driveway, behind a fence and a gate, but only about 12 feet from the curb.

More recently, I had been parking an electric car in my apartment's lot, and running an extension cord from the exercise room, out to the car. Then the apartment decided to close off those outlets.

In both cases, the car's battery was only 24Kwh. With 110 volts, it took about 18 hours to fully charge. With a battery the size of a Tesla, that charging rate is going to take all week.

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#5

Several states have laws that require apartment building and condo managers to allow tenants/owners to install EV chargers (at their own cost). I expect this trend to continue slowly across the US. If you can't charge at home, public charging is going to continue to expand rapidly (as electricity is everywhere). It'll just take some time, and effort on the part of local citizens and policy makers. If you own an EV, g…

Several states have laws that require apartment building and condo managers to allow tenants/owners to install EV chargers (at their own cost).

Which states?

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#6
Why does everyone need a place to charge at home? Sure, it is one of the big advantages of an EV, but not everyone can take advantage of it. If the car has a 300-400 mile range, then charge it like you fuel up a gas-powered car. Takes a little bit longer, but that will improve over time.

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#7

Several states have laws that require apartment building and condo managers to allow tenants/owners to install EV chargers (at their own cost). I expect this trend to continue slowly across the US. If you can't charge at home, public charging is going to continue to expand rapidly (as electricity is everywhere). It'll just take some time, and effort on the part of local citizens and policy makers. If you own an EV, g…

Several states have laws that require apartment building and condo managers to allow tenants/owners to install EV chargers (at their own cost). Which states?

California, Colorado, Florida, and Oregon. Shorthand is typically "right to charge" laws.

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#8

I used to run an extension cord out of my 2nd floor window, but I wasn't parking on the street. My space was off the driveway, behind a fence and a gate, but only about 12 feet from the curb. More recently, I had been parking an electric car in my apartment's lot, and running an extension cord from the exercise room, out to the car. Then the apartment decided to close off those outlets. In both cases, the car's batte…

The average car is only driven enough miles per day to require about one night of charging at 120V to top off. A lot of folks, even Tesla owners, get by fine just using existing 120V sockets.

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#9

Why does everyone need a place to charge at home? Sure, it is one of the big advantages of an EV, but not everyone can take advantage of it. If the car has a 300-400 mile range, then charge it like you fuel up a gas-powered car. Takes a little bit longer, but that will improve over time.

I imagine the same people who are garage orphans are probably also those who haven't got time to charge their machines for an hour or two.

That's already a concern for road trips, but day to day that'll be a nightmare. Just hang around the charging station for an hour while your car recharges.

Re: Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?

#10

I used to run an extension cord out of my 2nd floor window, but I wasn't parking on the street. My space was off the driveway, behind a fence and a gate, but only about 12 feet from the curb. More recently, I had been parking an electric car in my apartment's lot, and running an extension cord from the exercise room, out to the car. Then the apartment decided to close off those outlets. In both cases, the car's batte…

The average car is only driven enough miles per day to require about one night of charging at 120V to top off. A lot of folks, even Tesla owners, get by fine just using existing 120V sockets.

I get by with a 100' extension cord (12 gauge) for my 100D Model S charging off 120V. The vehicle detects the voltage drop and reduces its charge rate accordingly. 36-48 miles of range per 12 hours added to the vehicle (the average American round trip commute is ~34 miles/day).

If I'm in a pinch, I'll pop over to a Supercharger for a top up, which is at the local grocery store so I'm shopping anyway. The charge is so fast (~150kw charge current, ~25 minutes), I sometimes have to go move the car mid shopping trip.

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