BestPal said:
TonyWilliams said:
I had a fellow recently tell me that he "hated" public fast charging...
That fellow is still here watching and is still telling you the same thing
Let's make one thing clear: public DC charging at today's charging speeds is just as much of a patch to EV range problem as is the Range Extender. Just a different approach. As you said yourself, until we get into FAST charging (at least a testa supercharger level or faster), public DC charging of today is still a patch and will remain as such.
If you want widespread public adoption of EV's, I certainly do, then a solution to the fears above (what if I run out) such as: "ohhh.. not a problem, if you're running low, just drive out of your way, find a DC station, and sit there for 30 minutes and pay 10x premium for electricity used" is NOT a solution for general public. It's not a good sales speech at a dealership. No matter how many times you repeat that it is. It just won't work in a long run. Long range and charging at home or at work will. Preferably automatic wireless/induction charging.
I'm obviously not going to change your mind any, so I'll respond for those following along.
1) Yes, we need faster DC charging... many times faster. But, that won't happen if we don't have that first generation of chargers to pave the way.... e_v_o_l_u_t_i_o_n. With 25kW to 135kW today, and several times that in the future.
It becomes somewhat easier to do faster charging with larger battery packs, which will happen as batteries become cheaper per kWh, lighter per kWh, and generally have more stored kWh capacity per car. You have to start somewhere, and gasoline isn't the start of anything. It's a band-aid.
Gasoline augmentation makes sense for folks like Tom who have virtually no infrastructure around, or somebody in Montana which might not have EV infrastructure in my lifetime. That's just not the case in San Diego, or southern California, where we live.
2) I don't know that I have EVER suggested that home charging shouldn't happen. What the "old guard" EV folks, like you, seem to think concerning
inhibiting public charging as a greater good is absolutely silly. Even more than that, it's just dumb. Pure and simple.
Everybody who can charge at home overnight should do so, and they should also charge as fast as can be done at public stations when needed.
Some folks that don't have that place to park with electricity overnight still need to power the car somewhere, so we either leave them out of the EV market altogether, or we send them to a place to charge as fast as possible. Obviously, you'd offer them gasoline or "Just-Drive-The-Prius(TM)". The state of California wants to offer them hydrogen. Heck, at least everybody has an answer ;-)
3) Any public charging instills curiosity and some confidence to the largely unwashed masses just by physically being there. So-called long range batteries (more than 100 miles?) doesn't get me to places that normal San Diego folks actually drive to; Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, etc. unless I'm able to charge somewhere. Even a 300 mile Tesla Model S can't do that.
4) I don't believe supporting a gasoline model of "range extension" versus a public DC charging "range extension" is the correct concept, nor will today's gasoline answer benefit the future DC charging one. We are so far apart on that concept that it's really silly to belabor. It's a fundamental issue. Certainly, the easy answer is gasoline, I don't doubt for one second. I guess I've never picked "easy" in life.
5) Wireless charging is fine at home. It's not much different than plugging in except it:
a- costs more
b- weighs more on the car
c- isn't foolproof, any more than just plugging in
d- will NEVER match the conductor efficiency of just plugging in (that's just simple physics)
...but, some folks will still like it. Great. It's not really an either / or thing. Folks will indeed have wireless charging, however I expect the bulk to be plugged in overnight somewhere. Even if that is reversed, it isn't something I care to spend much thought on. It's a
non sequitur to fast public DC public charging or overnight charging.
6) I'm going to venture into the unknown with this bullet point, and suggest that you do not live in a 100% electric household, like I do. If I'm right, then clearly you're not vested in quite the same way I am in an EV future. I actually did drive to San Francisco a few weeks ago, and while it wasn't exceptionally painful, it most obviously would have been easier with a petrol car. We have a long way to go.
But, if I can't do it, I'd never ask YOU to do it, which is why I work toward making public acceptance of EV's easier, and not use an oil scapegoat and/or intentionally want to harm EV infrastructure.
It's OK if you're not 100% oil free at home. I find that the most staunch, most opinionated "old guard" EV folks aren't either, which makes it easy for me to understand your thought processes.