EVs don't need to charge as quickly as gas cars fill up, US consumers say

[Dear_OP]

Speaking of questionable locations. I once came across a pair of BCHydro DCFC located in the back of an alleyway space a few feet from commercial garbage bins. Not that I needed the charge. But man, sitting there to charge in the evening would make me nervous.

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[SonicBlue]

So… like nobody else is the least bit suspicious that “77%” say they’re cool with waiting 40 minutes to refuel?

I wonder if maybe they exclusively surveyed Bolt owners?

 

[ipca204]

So… like nobody else is the least bit suspicious that “77%” say they’re cool with waiting 40 minutes to refuel?

I wonder if maybe they exclusively surveyed Bolt owners?

As a "dual" previous owner of two Bolts, I call horseshit on the whole article.

 

[Fremont Kid]

Speaking of questionable locations. I once came across a pair of BCHydro DCFC located in the back of an alleyway space a few feet from commercial garbage bins. Not that I needed the charge. But man, sitting there to charge in the evening would make me nervous.

Try out the EA location in Green River, UT. The chargers work great but, they are basically in a large alley next to Green River Coffee that is open only during select hours. Fortunately the Chow Hound burgers, etc. is right across the street, providing indoor seating and food.

 

[ChehRob]

Some people will look at the charging time, as an opportunity to get some other sort of chores done. Other people find it a waste of time. Both are valid and need to be taken into account when buying a car or taking a trip.

 

[RickMachE]

Try out the EA location in Green River, UT. The chargers work great but, they are basically in a large alley next to Green River Coffee that is open only during select hours. Fortunately the Chow Hound burgers, etc. is right across the street, providing indoor seating and food.

Not to mention that they poured the charging pads then surrounded them with gravel. I was in the far right one once, when I pulled out (it wasn't working) I dropped the right tire off the edge. Luckily it wasn't far enough that suspension or the spoiler hit, but it was close. I spent some time moving gravel back over while I charged.

 

[dtbaker61]

EVs don't need to charge as quickly as gas cars fill up, US consumers say

STEPHEN EDELSTEIN JANUARY 7, 2025 184 COMMENTS

• 77% of Americans indicated they'd wait up to 40 minutes for a charge to 80%
• Many current EVs meet that timeframe already
• More consumers prefer dedicated charging stations vs. gas stations with chargers

Long charging times and lack of available public charging stations have been cited as major roadblocks to EV adoption in countless studies and surveys, but a new survey of U.S. consumers conducted by Deloitte indicates that attitudes may be changing.
While it included about 31,000 responses from thirty different countries, the survey found that charge times may be what analysts called a "softening barrier" for U.S. consumers and EV adoption, with many appearing less interested in speeding up EV charging to match gasoline fill-ups. Of U.S. consumer surveyed, 77% said they were willing to wait up to 40 minutes to charge their car from zero to 80%—well within the DC fast-charging envelope of many current EVs.


Gravity EV charging center in New York City
While respondents said that fast-charging time was the most important part of the EV charging experience, a majority were able to wait 21-40 minutes for a charge. The location was also important, with 44% of respondents saying they preferred a dedicated EV charging station to a gas station with chargers, while only 15% preferred the opposite.

The study also underscored that many EV drivers don't require frequent fast charging. Most (79%) of U.S. respondents intending to buy an EV said they planned to charge at home. That's a figure close to what various studied have found for years—although 58% of the overall survey sample said they do not currently have access to a charger, which begs for more details. And 35% of U.S. consumers surveyed said they drive more than 60 miles from their home only once or twice per month, while a further 23% said they never go that far.


General Motors and ChargePoint EV fast charging
This paints a different picture than a Deloitte study published about a year ago, which concluded that EV charge times and cost could be holding shoppers back. Two years earlier, another Deloitte study found that two-thirds of Americans didn't want an EV, primarily due to range and cost concerns.

If this study's conclusions are accurate, though, EVs are set to exceed consumer expectations. The list of vehicles with especially short road-trip charge times is growing, and several companies, including Toyota, have teased that 10-minute charge times may be around the corner—potentially involving solid-state batteries.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1145442_evs-charge-gas-cars-fill-up-us-consumers

DCFC charge speed is low on my list... 100kw is just fine... but I do hope to see a more generous sprinkling of chargers 50mi-100mi apart at most for the times I do travel.

99% of my charging is at home, at 32amps... just fine by me. I have a garage, so temp and charger security are no problem.

The bigger problem for "mass uptake" of EVs I see is for owners that do not have access to level 2 chargers at home. Until there are Level 2 chargers available "everywhere" owners park at night (and can charge at residential rates) EVs will be problematic for the general public.

One thing that would HELP, might be L1 outlets made available in all parking lots where EVs might be parked all day; work & school. This would take the edge off commuting charging presuming people park for 8 hours or so while at work or school... but only if cost/kWhr is comparable to residential rate you might otherwise expect to pay at home.

 

[Teslaeata]

As a "dual" previous owner of two Bolts, I call horseshit on the whole article.

Trouble with the journos and others is that their expertise is severely limited by their lack of experience and the aggregate effect of their often anti EV jaundiced view produces stats and interpretations of stats that are, as you succinctly summarise, horsehit

If you want to know something about EV usage, ask somebody who knows with substantial practical experience and can give a true account!

Fed up of reading in UK that infrastructure’s not there, range anxiety blah blah blah.

105,000 miles and I rest my case ?

 

[tuminatr]

That all sounds well and good, however, if we are being honest I have changed my lifestyle since owning an EV. I travel for my job and charging is just inconvenient.

For example, if I were to drive to Saint Louis from Saint Paul, MN with my MME I would be required to stop to charge 5 times and it would take about 2 hours to charge. My total trip would be 11 hours and 38M in my 2021 MME GTPE. If I had the best range / fastest charging EV my road trip would be way better. In a Lucid Air GT I would spend 37 minutes charging on the same trip. Total trip time would be 9h 16m.

I would make that road trip in a Lucid I will fly to saint louis as an MME owner.

Charging speed & battery capacity is a big deal

 

[dtbaker61]

That all sounds well and good, however, if we are being honest I have changed my lifestyle since owning an EV. I travel for my job and charging is just inconvenient.

For example, if I were to drive to Saint Louis from Saint Paul, MN with my MME I would be required to stop to charge 5 times and it would take about 2 hours to charge. My total trip would be 11 hours and 38M in my 2021 MME GTPE. If I had the best range / fastest charging EV my road trip would be way better. In a Lucid Air GT I would spend 37 minutes charging on the same trip. Total trip time would be 9h 16m.

I would make that road trip in a Lucid I will fly to saint louis as an MME owner.

Charging speed & battery capacity is a big deal

but, the important questions are:
"what percentage of owners drive more than 150 miles per day?"
and

"how many trips over 150 miles does the average Owner take, where they NEED DCFC?"
and

"are those trips for pleasure, or business?" presuming that a little extra time to fuel, snack, and use a bathroom are less of a burden when on a pleasure trip as long as there is a "moderately fast" charger available every 50-100 miles even off interstates you can get where you want to go.

 

[tuminatr]

but, the important questions are:
"what percentage of owners drive more than 150 miles per day?"
and

"how many trips over 150 miles does the average Owner take, where they NEED DCFC?"
and

"are those trips for pleasure, or business?" presuming that a little extra time to fuel, snack, and use a bathroom are less of a burden when on a pleasure trip as long as there is a "moderately fast" charger available every 50-100 miles even off interstates you can get where you want to go.

Your argument is sound and logical however my 73 year old father in law that drives cross county 4 times a year won't even consider and EV for this reason. The vast majority of the public is saying the same thing and is voting with their checkbook.

I think that the early adopters like us have bought an EV but if you want the vast majority of the general public to sign on until a basic EV that you can buy gets to Lucids level of charging speed and range EV adoption will be slow.

 

[Maui]

Agreed... today's EV requires a lot of hand-holding, not necessarily unlike ICE vehicles... just different from ICE. People are familiar with what is required to keep their ICE vehicles running or they know someone that can manage that for them.

But this is really no different from any other technology, eventually it will get easier and get adopted by the main stream. Just look at the computers that are in everyone's hands today. Early adopters had to manage and know a lot about those device to keep them running. Now between the hand-set and the device manufacturers, they are mostly care-free. When there is a problem, there are obvious and easy places to go get them fixed or replaced.

 

[tuminatr]

Agreed... today's EV requires a lot of hand-holding, not necessarily unlike ICE vehicles... just different from ICE. People are familiar with what is required to keep their ICE vehicles running or they know someone that can manage that for them.

But this is really no different from any other technology, eventually it will get easier and get adopted by the main stream. Just look at the computers that are in everyone's hands today. Early adopters had to manage and know a lot about those device to keep them running. Now between the hand-set and the device manufacturers, they are mostly care-free. When there is a problem, there are obvious and easy places to go get them fixed or replaced.

Exactly right, tomorrow I am traveling and rented an EV. To make travel work I need to bring my NACS to J1772 and NACS to CCS adapter. it's inconvenient and imagine if I was not a current EV owner it would be challenging

 

[Dear_OP]

As an owner of both EV and ICEV, I can say there is much much less maintenance than ICEV. Just less moving parts. No sparkplugs, drivetrain fluid, PS fluid, coolant, oil change, tranny oil change, diff oil change, exhaust work, PCV, fuel filter, DEF filter, air intake filter, cabin filter, MAF clean, dirty oily undercarriage and engine bay, on and on. This is hampered with modern vehicles "hiding" the cramped engine bay with plastic shrouds. Add in turbo plumbing and it just escalates ICE maintenance complexity. Engine heat accelerates rubber degradation and ICE has a circuitous rubber hoses everywhere that do require replacement.
Bummer as I like wrenching and have a garage lift.

EV has some maintenance but it is far less that is limited to simple things like wiper blade, windshield washer and brakes. Stuff that is applicable to ICEV. So I find myself looking for things "to tinker" while trying not to get zapped!

If one's use cases work out and access to home charging, it is hard to argue against having an EV apart from emotional rationalizations.

 

[Maui]

Okay, let's just be real for a minute. Handholding for ICEV? what do to mean? EV require far more handholding that ICEV just for fueling alone as a daily interface with the vehicle. There is a gas station in every town in every county in every state in the US. ICEV all use the same fuel apparatus format, zero guessing when and how to refuel.

Regarding maintenance, most modern ICEV tell the driver when the engine oil requires changing, and the industry average is 10,000-mile change intervals and most other maintenance items are at 100,000-mile (or longer) intervals now. All cars need tire rotations between 5,000 to 10,000 miles, no different than EV.

Early days of ICE not now. That was my point, 0r the point I was trying to make

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