This is not what we need. We need more chargers in convenient locations. There are multiple popular highway rest stops in my region that do not have DCFC. In an ideal world, apps like ABRP would be unnecessary for road trips. If I make a bathroom stop, I should also be able to charge. Don’t stop to charge, charge when you stop.
Fully. Last road trip we took the PHEV and just used gas. I looked for the EV chargers on the way because taking the EV was an option (the EV is smaller, so would be crowded with the whole family), and most places did have them. Sure the EV charging station had them, but they were only rarely on the exits, it was always drive a few minutes off the freeway instead of right at the end of the ramp. Many of them didn’t have restrooms or snacks to buy (the latter is how gas stations make money). There were a few exceptions, but in general locations exist for long trips but they are still not convenient.
I don’t mind driving a couple minutes to get a good charger, but there should be at least 100 kW chargers (preferably higher) at all rest areas that are already electrified. When my family stops for a quick pee and leg stretch, it easily takes 15 minutes. It would be super cool to stop at the most convenient spot where I don’t even have to leave the highway fully and get 75+ extra miles of charge.
In ideal conditions, a 300 kW charger can deliver 50 kWh in 10 minutes. That’s mostly fine, but on a road trip still involves 10 minutes of charging every 2 hours, much more frequently than the typical restroom break or snack break.
And if people are going to be leaving their cars to do other stuff while charging, there need to be a lot of stalls so that there are open spots at popular rest stops. Delivering high power to each stall is helpful to speed them to idle/trickle, so that the overall circuit for the whole set of multiple chargers can efficiently direct the power to where it’s needed most.
The current status quo is about 20 minutes every 3 hours (in a model 3), which is a perfect travel pace IMO. People consistently underestimate how long they spend stopped on road trips. The EV adds about 4 minutes per hour for each hour past 3. It’s really not a big deal.
What is a bigger deal is when charger locations are poorly located, requiring inefficient stopping schedules.
You’re obviously free to do road trips the way you want to do them, and 20 minutes every 3 hours is the kind of thing I can do with my kids, but on trips I’m doing without the kids I’d prefer the option of stopping for less than 10 minutes every 3 hours. I have a 500 mile trip planned this summer and I’m basically gonna throw in an overnight hotel stay in part to make it easier to top off at a charger while we sleep, but if I still had a gasoline vehicle I probably would just be driving straight through by leaving early in the morning, rather than doing an evening drive starting the night before.
And I’m with you on the charger locations being a bigger inconvenience. It takes a lot more planning/flexibility (ABRP and a few backup plans in case certain chargers are occupied or out of service or slower than advertised when I get there). But still, I’d like to see improvement in the driver experience for all of it.
This is not what we need. We need more chargers in convenient locations. There are multiple popular highway rest stops in my region that do not have DCFC. In an ideal world, apps like ABRP would be unnecessary for road trips. If I make a bathroom stop, I should also be able to charge. Don’t stop to charge, charge when you stop.
Fully. Last road trip we took the PHEV and just used gas. I looked for the EV chargers on the way because taking the EV was an option (the EV is smaller, so would be crowded with the whole family), and most places did have them. Sure the EV charging station had them, but they were only rarely on the exits, it was always drive a few minutes off the freeway instead of right at the end of the ramp. Many of them didn’t have restrooms or snacks to buy (the latter is how gas stations make money). There were a few exceptions, but in general locations exist for long trips but they are still not convenient.
I don’t mind driving a couple minutes to get a good charger, but there should be at least 100 kW chargers (preferably higher) at all rest areas that are already electrified. When my family stops for a quick pee and leg stretch, it easily takes 15 minutes. It would be super cool to stop at the most convenient spot where I don’t even have to leave the highway fully and get 75+ extra miles of charge.
I don’t mind stopping at a ‘gas station’ but those locate at exit ramps for good reason.
We need both.
In ideal conditions, a 300 kW charger can deliver 50 kWh in 10 minutes. That’s mostly fine, but on a road trip still involves 10 minutes of charging every 2 hours, much more frequently than the typical restroom break or snack break.
And if people are going to be leaving their cars to do other stuff while charging, there need to be a lot of stalls so that there are open spots at popular rest stops. Delivering high power to each stall is helpful to speed them to idle/trickle, so that the overall circuit for the whole set of multiple chargers can efficiently direct the power to where it’s needed most.
The current status quo is about 20 minutes every 3 hours (in a model 3), which is a perfect travel pace IMO. People consistently underestimate how long they spend stopped on road trips. The EV adds about 4 minutes per hour for each hour past 3. It’s really not a big deal.
What is a bigger deal is when charger locations are poorly located, requiring inefficient stopping schedules.
You’re obviously free to do road trips the way you want to do them, and 20 minutes every 3 hours is the kind of thing I can do with my kids, but on trips I’m doing without the kids I’d prefer the option of stopping for less than 10 minutes every 3 hours. I have a 500 mile trip planned this summer and I’m basically gonna throw in an overnight hotel stay in part to make it easier to top off at a charger while we sleep, but if I still had a gasoline vehicle I probably would just be driving straight through by leaving early in the morning, rather than doing an evening drive starting the night before.
And I’m with you on the charger locations being a bigger inconvenience. It takes a lot more planning/flexibility (ABRP and a few backup plans in case certain chargers are occupied or out of service or slower than advertised when I get there). But still, I’d like to see improvement in the driver experience for all of it.
I say we need both.
People who go long distances need to stop to charge.
1 Megawatt though? I think 400 kW is plenty.