Time to regulate public charging infrastructure?

[jpadc]

Fairly high density in my area has not resulted in competitive pricing. As a result, IMO, the publicly funded infrastructure is under used, resulting in a poor use of public funds. As an example, I have paid for charging once in almost 5 years of ownership, largely because it is so cost ineffective.

Some thoughts: 1) Your area is one of least affordable areas of the country to live so do you really expect anything to be cost effective there? 2) What is "competitive?" Parking alone cost a fortune and charging stations also require parking places. 3) The cost of the station and maintenance on it alone have to be paid by somebody. I saw rates as low as 59 cents per kWh there and with electric rates in CA among the highest in the country & the other costs I mentioned, that does not strike me as crazy high (relative to all the crazy high prices there). Is it WAY higher than the cost of gasoline? Absolutely and I think that is why you really believe its too high. Gasoline enjoys an enormous advantage from the economy of scale. Should this be regulated to MAKE public charging cheaper than gas on a per mile basis, well I don't think its a good idea, but YMMV.

 

[powersurge]

I live on Long Island, New York. At this time, I don't give a hoot about "regulation". I charge at the charge point stations, which are free at this time, and I have had no problems with my ID card to get charges. The problem with charging stations here in new York is that there are not enough of them.

I feel they should be "de-regulated" and their numbers increased so that EV drivers, and the general public can see that electric cars are here to stay and are getting more popular. Right now, I would say that on long island, there are stations every 5-10 miles, which does not make sense unless you are planning to stay in that area for a while. That is why there are few (in my observation) EVs using the charging stations.

There should be legislations for tax breaks for every school, bank, supermarket, shopping center, library, etc. to boldly display that they have a charging stations there... Then there will be more incentives for current EV drivers to use the charging stations, and potential new drivers to see the convenience of "gassing up" while you go to the supermarket!. As an example, Remember when cash machines were new? You had to have an account at that bank, and you had to be lucky enough to have the bank with a cash machine near you..... Now there are cash machines everywhere, and they are all interconnected anywhere you go... THAT is the regulation we need, to increase users, and then the cost will also be lower for everyone...

Agreed..hit the nail right on the head

To bring this back a little on topic, let us suppose that generous tax breaks were enacted as suggested above. Now let's say that the owners or operators of the charging station decided that it would cost $50 per charge. Is that a good use of taxpayer funds? Would these charging stations be used? Is that an efficient market place?

I live in Long Island, NY. None of the charging stations charge for their use. I can see that promoting more numerous charging stations would a) promote current EV owners to use the charging infrastructure (I don't see the existing ones used because they are so far apart, and not convenient for EVs to use as part of their daily routine), b) Advertise to potential new EV drivers that these cars are real, are useful, and are free to drive when you use the public chargers while you are shopping, and c) The Shopping centers, banks, churches, places of commerce would find the installation of public chargers to be good for business (as being cool, modern, future-sensitive places for people to shop).

I am sure that at some point charging stations will ALL charge for a fee of some kind. I think, however, that the current stations that charge a fee are ridiculous in their attempt to GOUGE EV owners because they think that EV drivers are easy marks. I went to an NRG EVGO station at my Nissan dealer, and they wanted like $5-6 for a 30 min charge!! They will disappear like the dinosaur if none of us use them...

The fight is on gentlemen (women). Why don't all of us start to suggest to the managers of the businesses we frequent to install EV charging stations, and tell them it is good for THEIR business!!!

 

[mjblazin]

We also need to be on our manners when using them. Whole Foods has essentially three ChargePoint stations at a key Uptown location in a garage. Their goal is exactly as described. They also have a 2 hour limit on any free parking garage slots since you really have no good reason to be in a grocer longer than 2 hours.

Yet I see cars plugged in well over that time, especially Teslas. I realize a Tesla cannot get a full charge in 2 hours at 6 KW. Too bad. It is not Whole Foods' problem. We have a lot of apartments in that neighborhood. People visit from Austin and think I will just leave my Tesla or Bolt or BMW or whatever in the garage all day charging for the trip back.

It does not look good, regardless of other EVs that might want to use station. That point is not the issue. Spreading the EV story is. Seeing a very attention getting car tying up a spot getting charged all day is not the right story for EVs or the grocer.