Finding EV Charging Locations

[TRP]

There are really 4 primary use cases for public L2 charging:

1. Apartment/Condo — This one would help improve EV adoptions. If there was a way to secure portable chargers from theft, simply installing 14-50 outlets would be sufficient.
2. Work locations. I am fortunate that my office has an L2 charger. More of those would be helpful.
3. Hotels/Motels. This one is kind of obvious. I don't take a lot of long trips, but for those that do, they would be helpful.
4. Grocery stores/Movie theaters/Restaurants. These are opportunity locations. Especially helpful on super hot days, if your car only cools the battery when it's plugged in or turned on. During this past summer there were more than a few times when my car told the temperature was too hot and I should plug in to keep the battery cooled.

Here in Phoenix, I have seen all of these, both free and non-free. When using those that require payment, always make sure to read the fine print. I had a job a while ago where the cost was $0.03 for the first 3 hours, and then $5 an hour after that.

I agree with this, but if we are putting these options in order... hotels would have to be last...IMHO. If you don't make it simple for everyday use then travel is not an option.

Sponsored

 

[ShirBlackspots]

www.plugshare.com is a very good website to look for a charger.
ABRP (A Better Route Planner) also routes your trip around where chargers are.

 

[jefro]

"total of 20-30 miles"
That doesn't require 240VAC. That amount is nothing unless the F150 has terrible efficiency.

 

[Sdctcher]

Here is a good place to charge:

 

[jefro]

Kinda unsafe for bikes there.

 

[Sdctcher]

On a Global Scale, every investor is looking for the next pivot of an industry.

With Big Tobacco it was diversification and smokeless products after some very bad publicity years ago.

Tesla came along, Big Auto hung back, while Start Ups took advantage, until recently. Now, Battery Manufacturers and other EV suppliers are all jumping into the game following Big Auto's change of heart.

I believe that Charging Infrastructure is the next shoe to drop.

If Congress can pass the 1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill (already passed by the Senate) there will be Billons in credits for the build out. Chargepoint, and others are already moving aggressively to position themselves.

My hope is that Big Oil will soon begin to announce their pivot from fossil (long-Term) to EV Charging, replacing gas pumps with EV Stations. Already US Pump count is dropping and they are being left with vacant or underused properties. Investment in new searches for reserves have dropped for the past year. Big Oil cash reserves are soaring. Individual gas stations already have a possible customer base. The time to pivot is now with a build out before the number of EVs on the road dramatically increase. Ford announced yesterday the goal of 200,000+ Mach-Es next year. Tesla will try to push 1 million.

This is the EV'er hope. Someone with deep pockets will jump into the EV Charger Market soon or we will be in big trouble a year from now.

 

[Sdctcher]

OK. I admit it. I like making money according to my own moral priciples. If my neighbor loses his city job I am happy to buy his tractor as cheap as possible. I feel bad for him but the next day I haul the tractor to the next county and sell at a good profit. Then I take my poor neighbor a bag of groceries or something out of my garden to tide him over.

I tell that story just to show you "moral" investors probably will not put their money into EV Charge Station infrastructure just because they want to help society. There has to be a pay off, the sooner and the bigger possible, with a little "morality" thrown in.

Investor game theory highlights "Inflection Point" (or pivot) recognition as leading to the biggest bag of profit.

After calling an early future pivot before any other investor, investors watch for a "trigger event". The Trigger Point in charging will be the $7.5 Billion Congress is kicking in that would be effective January 1, 2022 and last for up to 10 years, or until the money runs out. First Come, First Serve. We can be sure that if Big Oil decides they can make big money over the future, save their station locations, and give more time to also pivot to electric energy production, they will all pull the trigger and the rush will be on.

They are being publicly challenged on their commitments to Climate Change. They could use investment into EV Charging to both make gobs of money and make us believe they are soldiers in the war against Climate Change. And then they can continue to pump their declining oil reserves for the next 50 years in relative peace.

In addition to Federal "Free" money, the other trigger has been the current media crush on a perceived mass longing for an EV that will eventually lead to sales.

Gas stations make very little from gas pump sales. The money is in auto service and store sales. Larger locations can break even now with EV Parking but smaller stations will have to wait until faster charging options become technologically possible. And for now, the ones that can accommodate the EV will have to invent ways to keep customers occupied for more time. I think we will see more fast food restaurants and gamerooms partner with stations.

Unfortunately, this kind of Charger roll out will not help Renters charge at home. But this is history. It took many years after the advent of motion pictures for event watching to move from big screen to TV and the Internet. In the beginning, if you really want it you have to go get it; later on it will come to you.

 

[Brian Head Yankee]

EV stations at businesses are no different than gas stations in the sense that the store is distributing the product that they do not produce or own. Charge station margins are 17 cents a minute.

The order of rollout needs to follow the locations where cars are parked the longest. Hotels, your place of work, and Apartment garages are the best locations. I am still not convinced that apartment renters will be EV owners anytime soon. I was on a 5 hour webinar with CPUC, EPIC, and the other rule makers in California. The push is to give Utilities incentives to install chargers. The model seems to be following Red Box or a vending machine. The business owner gets a little rent for the spot, that's it. Utility owned chargers feeding utility owned power.

Investing rebate dollars for charge stations outside restaurants and grocery stores is the worst use of our money. Not enough time to add more than 10 miles of range.

 

[Sdctcher]

EV stations at businesses are no different than gas stations in the sense that the store is distributing the product that they do not produce or own. Charge station margins are 17 cents a minute.

The order of rollout needs to follow the locations where cars are parked the longest. Hotels, your place of work, and Apartment garages are the best locations. I am still not convinced that apartment renters will be EV owners anytime soon. I was on a 5 hour webinar with CPUC, EPIC, and the other rule makers in California. The push is to give Utilities incentives to install chargers. The model seems to be following Red Box or a vending machine. The business owner gets a little rent for the spot, that's it. Utility owned chargers feeding utility owned power.

Investing rebate dollars for charge stations outside restaurants and grocery stores is the worst use of our money. Not enough time to add more than 10 miles of range.

The secret will be installing them where a captive audience is available for a few hours.

How about marrying stations in the parking lots of declining shopping malls.

Or, adding movie theatres and restaurants to existing parking garages.

And special parking lots at large factories for your shift.

I would like a long Friday Evening Out and a free charge by having my parking stub validated.

 

[EVBill]

EV stations at businesses are no different than gas stations in the sense that the store is distributing the product that they do not produce or own. Charge station margins are 17 cents a minute.

The order of rollout needs to follow the locations where cars are parked the longest. Hotels, your place of work, and Apartment garages are the best locations. I am still not convinced that apartment renters will be EV owners anytime soon. I was on a 5 hour webinar with CPUC, EPIC, and the other rule makers in California. The push is to give Utilities incentives to install chargers. The model seems to be following Red Box or a vending machine. The business owner gets a little rent for the spot, that's it. Utility owned chargers feeding utility owned power.

Investing rebate dollars for charge stations outside restaurants and grocery stores is the worst use of our money. Not enough time to add more than 10 miles of range.

Charge stations at restaurants immediately off of limited access highways make sense to me for investment to be focused as those are locations you could have your vehicle charging 30-45 minutes while you have a meal and stretch your legs before going back on the road. Additionally truck stops that could allow for charging with a trailer attached would be another good place to focus as many charging stations I have seen to date are direct pull in single parking spots that are useless for someone towing a trailer.

 

[sotek2345]

Charge stations at restaurants immediately off of limited access highways make sense to me for investment to be focused as those are locations you could have your vehicle charging 30-45 minutes while you have a meal and stretch your legs before going back on the road. Additionally truck stops that could allow for charging with a trailer attached would be another good place to focus as many charging stations I have seen to date are direct pull in single parking spots that are useless for someone towing a trailer.

Exactly this - Highway rest areas (in the states that have them) are also perfect locations for DC fast chargers. Spacing is about right on for the existing locations, you have bathrooms, food, convenience shopping, and public indoor seating to finish up waiting while your car charges.

 

[MickeyAO]

If you look at large gas stations on the Interstate system, where do they make the most money? It is not on the gas dispensed, but instead on the margins of what is sold inside. It will be the same at EV charging stations. I can tell you Big Oil has already been looking at other ways to use their products inside EVs...I've been testing for several of them in my lab for the last couple of years

 

[jefro]

I've had two electric cars. I think it's a waste of time to try to charge L2 during shopping or eating. Just too little time for much of a charge.

A better plan I think is to have work place charging that eventually might be some deal like free if power company has right to use batteries for super peak loads.

 

[Sdctcher]

Shell Oil expands their footprint in the EV Charge Business.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/arti...lead-north-american-electric-vehicle-charging

"Shell New Energies, a subsidiary of oil major Royal Dutch Shell, acquired EV charging startup Greenlots, claiming a bigger stake in the emerging electric mobility marketplace."

 

[shutterbug]

Shell Oil expands their footprint in the EV Charge Business.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/arti...lead-north-american-electric-vehicle-charging

"Shell New Energies, a subsidiary of oil major Royal Dutch Shell, acquired EV charging startup Greenlots, claiming a bigger stake in the emerging electric mobility marketplace."

Old news!

Sponsored