and can’t even get you halfway across the state on a single charge
This is the part that needs to be rethought. Depending on speed and stuff, I can go about 200 miles on a charge. Want to go farther? Fine! DC fast charging is, in fact, fast. Plug in, take a pee break, stretch for a minute, and get a bite to eat. In 20 minutes, you can get a lot of charge in most cars (granted, my Chevy Bolt needs a little more time but that battery technology is relatively obsolete)
We already stop on the road for other reasons. It’s not hard to combine stops, and it will only get easier as chargers get built up. Stop pretending we need to drive 500 miles without stopping, that’s dangerous anyway.
More importantly, people should give more priority to more common needs. I plug my car in when I get home, like my phone, and just always have a charge. It is so much more convenient to never have to go to a local gas station again. Much better than older cars where it seemed like I had to go every couple of weeks.
Yes, recharging my EV is less convenient on road trips, but it’s more convenient 95+% of the time
It’s not more convenient 95% of the time if you don’t live in a place where you can just plug it in all the time. Until people are able to figure out how to get widespread adoption of EV charging stations in apartments and condos, EV adoption by the general public is significantly limited.
Want to go farther? Fine! DC fast charging is, in fact, fast
Sure, but those need to exist at the appropriate locations, and be maintained in working order - neither of which is the current reality in a lot of places.
Add to that the lack of availability of affordable EVs and you are going to have the slow adoption we currently see.
.
I was planning to get an EV of some sort the last time my vehicle needed to be replaced, but there were none available at the time that fit my budget and my needs.
I still intend to have one relatively soon, but the practical realities are still an impediment.
I actually see this rest stop idea as really cool advantage to bring life back to random locations across the country. Kinda like the 1950s Route 66 road tour theme that was popular back then. Create a stop with some goofy thing to look at, some food, some place to stretch, a park, a rock wall, whatever. Great opportunity to capitalism while creating fun and working around the range problem until technology improves or countries like the US get with the program and go more public transport.
As for:
Stop pretending we need to drive 500 miles without stopping, that’s dangerous anyway.
It is more a functional reality in western states, not a luxury or something to boast about. One can drive that 200 miles (likely your charge range will be less at 85MPH with a 60MPH headwind and ascending 4000 vertical feet over a few hours) without having services, utilities, or even towns. The range is a necessity to get back to civilization, let alone finding a charger or gas station.
This is the part that needs to be rethought. Depending on speed and stuff, I can go about 200 miles on a charge. Want to go farther? Fine! DC fast charging is, in fact, fast. Plug in, take a pee break, stretch for a minute, and get a bite to eat. In 20 minutes, you can get a lot of charge in most cars (granted, my Chevy Bolt needs a little more time but that battery technology is relatively obsolete)
We already stop on the road for other reasons. It’s not hard to combine stops, and it will only get easier as chargers get built up. Stop pretending we need to drive 500 miles without stopping, that’s dangerous anyway.
More importantly, people should give more priority to more common needs. I plug my car in when I get home, like my phone, and just always have a charge. It is so much more convenient to never have to go to a local gas station again. Much better than older cars where it seemed like I had to go every couple of weeks.
Yes, recharging my EV is less convenient on road trips, but it’s more convenient 95+% of the time
It’s not more convenient 95% of the time if you don’t live in a place where you can just plug it in all the time. Until people are able to figure out how to get widespread adoption of EV charging stations in apartments and condos, EV adoption by the general public is significantly limited.
Sure, but those need to exist at the appropriate locations, and be maintained in working order - neither of which is the current reality in a lot of places.
Add to that the lack of availability of affordable EVs and you are going to have the slow adoption we currently see.
.
I was planning to get an EV of some sort the last time my vehicle needed to be replaced, but there were none available at the time that fit my budget and my needs.
I still intend to have one relatively soon, but the practical realities are still an impediment.
I actually see this rest stop idea as really cool advantage to bring life back to random locations across the country. Kinda like the 1950s Route 66 road tour theme that was popular back then. Create a stop with some goofy thing to look at, some food, some place to stretch, a park, a rock wall, whatever. Great opportunity to capitalism while creating fun and working around the range problem until technology improves or countries like the US get with the program and go more public transport.
As for:
It is more a functional reality in western states, not a luxury or something to boast about. One can drive that 200 miles (likely your charge range will be less at 85MPH with a 60MPH headwind and ascending 4000 vertical feet over a few hours) without having services, utilities, or even towns. The range is a necessity to get back to civilization, let alone finding a charger or gas station.