Long lines and broken chargers: Demand for powering EVs outpaces infrastructure

[Caribbeans]

Long lines and broken chargers: Demand for powering EVs outpaces infrastructure

Americans bought more than 1 million electric vehicles this year. Marketplace’s Meghan McCarty Carino says the expanding fleet has collided with our inadequate public charging network.

Lily Jamali and Rosie Hughes | Dec 21, 2023

More than a million electric vehicles were sold in the U.S. this year, but despite that, GM, Ford and Tesla announced they were reducing production of EVs in the fall.

As more drivers make the switch to electric, the availability of public places to juice up those cars hasn’t kept pace. In 2021, the federal government set aside $7.5 billion to build tens of thousands of chargers across the country. But the project has barely broken ground in the two years since.

Marketplace’s Lily Jamali spoke with Marketplace reporter Meghan McCarty Carino about the issue, which she’s been following as both a reporter and an EV driver. The owner of a 2019 electric Volkswagen Golf said relying on public charging has become more difficult as EVs have multiplied on the road and at the stations where they power up.

The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Meghan McCarty Carino: I have owned my EV since 2019. It’s kind of an older model, it’s a lower-range EV. This was the first year, I would say, I really started to question my decision to get an EV. There are a number of reasons, I think, but basically the charging situation became untenable.

Lily Jamali: I’m surprised by that because you’d think if you’d had it since 2019, the charging situation would have only gotten better. So, what’s going on? more
https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/long-lines-and-broken-chargers-demand-for-powering-evs-outpaces-infrastructure/

Most battery EV fans haven't ever actually driven one yet, or waited in a line to get to a charger to wait for their battery to charge.

RELATED:

Tesla blamed drivers for failures of parts it long knew were defective -A REUTERS Investigation

Wheels falling off cars at speed. Suspensions collapsing on brand-new vehicles. Axles breaking under acceleration. Tens of thousands of customers told Tesla about a host of part failures on low-mileage cars. The automaker sought to blame drivers for vehicle ‘abuse,’ but Tesla documents show it had tracked the chronic ‘flaws’ and ‘failures’ for years.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/tesla-musk-steering-suspension/

Betting the entire vehicle energy transformation on lithium-ion batteries and only li-ion batteries is a good idea?

[Think. Again.]

1. one of these days...

...we'll get around to doing the work that needs to done to make the transition. I hope.

[Alpeduez21]

2. No shit

What pisses me off is everyone hyped all electric vehicles and we don’t have t he infrastructure for it. Know what we do have the infrastructure for? Hybrids! Everyone I know buys three quarters tge gas they did before owning one. I think a 75% reduction in automobile emissions would help and it’s easier than all electric.

[Caribbeans]

3. Mr. Kim might know about the hype

Hundreds of Energy Department Officials Hold Stocks Related to Agency’s Work Despite Warnings

WSJ | Feb. 22, 2023

Philseok Kim, a director in the Energy Department division that funds research into emerging energy technologies, disclosed owning stocks and trading options in companies that stood to be affected by that research. Ethics officials highlighted seven stocks on his disclosure form in July 2021, including some related to his division’s research efforts.

Mr. Kim reported owning several investments in Tesla Inc., the electric-car maker, at a time when his division was funding research into making longer-lasting and more-efficient batteries. He reported that at the end of 2020 he owned between $18,004 and $95,000 in Tesla call options, which are bets on the stock’s price to rise...more https://archive.ph/iVPpZ

Nothing in the US will be fixed until things like Energy Dept. Officials owning stock in companies they are funding is OUTLAWED - this shouldn't be a hard thing.

Know what we do have the infrastructure for? Hybrids!

Here's Toyota's take

Toyota’s 1/6/90 Rule – The Case for Hybrids

[orthoclad]

5. We need fuel cells, PHEVs and SEVs

Charging gigantic batteries will cause grid problems, especially if we adopt fast-charging tech. The instantaneous loads will be huge.

Plugin hybrids - PHEVs - are a fair compromise. The batteries aren't huge; resulting in smaller charge times, and causing fewer mineral extraction problems.

Solar electric vehicles need to be subsidized for development. Cars spend a large part of their lifespan sitting outdoors. We might as well be tapping the sunlight. There are several in development but they aren't getting the industrial support that the megabattery electrics enjoy. Every kiloWatthour that a car picks up from sunlight is that much less demand on the grid.

[NickB79]

4. Same thing going on in California's H2 station situation

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-10/hydrogen-highway-or-highway-to-nowhere

The difference being, you can at least partially refuel your EV if you have access to an electrical outlet.

[Caribbeans]

6. Germany can make hydrogen work - but most people don't even know that Germany has a working hydrogen infrastructure

https://h2-mobility.de/en/our-h2-stations/

Also, the EU has mandated - by law- hydrogen stations every 200km along the TEN network.

MEPs adopt new rules for more charging stations and greener maritime fuels

Europa.eu | 11-07-2023

Recharging stations every 60 km for cars, every 120 km for trucks and buses, hydrogen refuelling stations every 200 km
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230707IPR02419/meps-adopt-new-rules-for-more-charging-stations-and-greener-maritime-fuels

Germany (and the EU) want hydrogen cars. The US does not. Yet.



Sadly, the US hydrogen "infrastructure" is a global laughingstock.