Topic: I love my electric car but I didn't realize my life would revolve around chargin

[ArticSteve]

I love my electric car but I didn't realize my life would revolve around charging it

Typical wishy washy article via the CBC but the point remains.  If you don't have personal charging you become a slave to the vehicle.  That year Leaf is awful.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-person-electric-car-1.6858857

[rrocket]

Obviously did ZERO real research before purchase and was simply trying to score some green virtue signaling points.

[OliverD]

Yeah, I can't imagine buying an EV without having a charger at my house. That's madness.

[sailor723]

Yep, buying an EV without access to a charger seems pretty shortsighted to me.  The other issue (as others have pointed out) is that adding large numbers of chargers to underground parking in an older highrise isn't always a straightforward or inexpensive proposition.

[valuator]

Yep, buying an EV without access to a charger seems pretty shortsighted to me.  The other issue (as others have pointed out) is that adding large numbers of chargers to underground parking in an older highrise isn't always a straightforward or inexpensive proposition.

In that case, not sure why providing a handful of chargers in a couple of designated stalls within the parking level could not be a solution.  Most urban drivers, most of the time, just either need a top-up or only an occasional lengthy charge.  I don't think you need large numbers of chargers, just limit availability to building residents only.

[JohnnyMac]

Yep, buying an EV without access to a charger seems pretty shortsighted to me.  The other issue (as others have pointed out) is that adding large numbers of chargers to underground parking in an older highrise isn't always a straightforward or inexpensive proposition.

In that case, not sure why providing a handful of chargers in a couple of designated stalls within the parking level could not be a solution.  Most urban drivers, most of the time, just either need a top-up or only an occasional lengthy charge.  I don't think you need large numbers of chargers, just limit availability to building residents only.

I would think signing out the spot would make a lot of sense.  You know there would be a person that gets the spot every day after work and park there the whole night.  There is no easy solution to this.

[valuator]

Yep, buying an EV without access to a charger seems pretty shortsighted to me.  The other issue (as others have pointed out) is that adding large numbers of chargers to underground parking in an older highrise isn't always a straightforward or inexpensive proposition.

In that case, not sure why providing a handful of chargers in a couple of designated stalls within the parking level could not be a solution.  Most urban drivers, most of the time, just either need a top-up or only an occasional lengthy charge.  I don't think you need large numbers of chargers, just limit availability to building residents only.

I would think signing out the spot would make a lot of sense.  You know there would be a person that gets the spot every day after work and park there the whole night.  There is no easy solution to this.

There are ways to prevent that....charge $$$ for time spent occupying the stall after charging is complete.  There are a lot of solution providers out there.

[ArticSteve]

In existing Condos/Co-Ops parking is at an extreme shortage.  Most owners get one spot and the wealthier ones may get a tandem.  Regardless, somebody will need to lose their spot which won't happen.  Then you have the whole deal about burning EVs, related insurance premiums, owners leaving their vehicle in the spot too long (like buildings with shared washers and dryers  ) and the entire EV charging intiative blows up.

EVs have a niche.  But users need to own their own dwelling with a driveway until such time that you can recharge a vehicle in the same time you can fill a gasoline car.  Then EVs will explode in he good way. 

[ArticSteve]

There are ways to prevent that....charge $$$ for time spent occupying the stall after charging is complete.  There are a lot of solution providers out there.


I posted before I read this.  Whose going to be the Police Person?  Informants?  Owners against owners?

New buildings there are solutions for sure.  Established buildings not a chance.  Aging owners with declining incomes (see effects of inflation).  Capital improvements are already the bain of Condo boards.  2 spots for 100 units.     You'll need 50% of old foggies/landlords on board with this.  Not happening. 

[sailor723]

My Vancouver daughter lives in a False Creek development called King's Landing (built by Concord Pacific in 2005). A few years ago the condo board offered owners a deal on a group buy and installation of level II chargers. Purely a guesstimate but I'd say it looks like about 1/3 of the owners decided to participate. My daughter's landlord put a charger in each of the two parking stalls that go with her condo. It's starting to become less unusual to see having a charger at the parking stall listed as one of the amenities in listings out there. Interestingly, the majority of the charger equipped stalls look to have ICE vehicles parked there. I guess many owners were thinking of adding value for the future.

[CSH]

There are ways to prevent that....charge $$$ for time spent occupying the stall after charging is complete.  There are a lot of solution providers out there.


I posted before I read this.  Whose going to be the Police Person?  Informants?  Owners against owners?

Telsa charges idle fees. So if your EV is connected and its not charging, you pay Idle fees that keeps going up.

[pi314]

In places like Montreal they have street parking with charging, etc.

Author bought a low range EV without any home charging infra?

I wouldn't buy an EV if I didn't own my parking spot and charging infrastructure for it... even if it's a 120v plug for a radiator, that'd give something overnight...

A PHEV could work in this type of scenario though.

[sailor723]

Yep, buying an EV without access to a charger seems pretty shortsighted to me.  The other issue (as others have pointed out) is that adding large numbers of chargers to underground parking in an older highrise isn't always a straightforward or inexpensive proposition.

In that case, not sure why providing a handful of chargers in a couple of designated stalls within the parking level could not be a solution.  Most urban drivers, most of the time, just either need a top-up or only an occasional lengthy charge.  I don't think you need large numbers of chargers, just limit availability to building residents only.

Yes, but why would a condo board vote to spend communal funds to the sole benefit of a few?  Until you get a demand sufficient for the board to spend whatever is required on electrical upgrades (if needed) you aren't likely to see them installing chargers "just because". Even then I would expect it would be up to the individual condo owners to pay to have a charger installed at their stall. That's what happened in my daughter's building in Van

[warp]

When personal transportation transitioned from horse and buggy to internal combustion engine cars, there was no poo-tax levied on horse ownership as a disincentive to owning horses or a tax break for ICE cars to accelerate their adoption. That transition happened because ICE cars proved an intrinsically superior form of transportation. Right now governments are incentivizing EVs with tax  breaks and penalizing ICE cars with taxation but until EVs prove an intrinsically superior form of personal transportation, that transition is not going to happen for the majority.

[Blueprint]

When personal transportation transitioned from horse and buggy to internal combustion engine cars, there was no poo-tax levied on horse ownership as a disincentive to owning horses or a tax break for ICE cars to accelerate their adoption. That transition happened because ICE cars proved an intrinsically superior form of transportation. Right now governments are incentivizing EVs with tax  breaks and penalizing ICE cars with taxation but until EVs prove an intrinsically superior form of personal transportation, that transition is not going to happen for the majority.

Meanwhile in Quebec...



We've reached 8.7% of the overall passenger car sales in 2022, pushing overall fleet data to 2.5%, rising exponentially every year. In my town we're past 10%, every other house has an EVSE and many only have EV's in their driveways. Suburbia is perfect for EVs, big cities and rural regions not so much.

[rrocket]

We've reached 8.7% of the overall passenger car sales in 2022, pushing overall fleet data to 2.5%, rising exponentially every year. In my town we're past 10%, every other house has an EVSE and many only have EV's in their driveways. Suburbia is perfect for EVs, big cities and rural regions not so much.

Amazing what bribery can do, eh?

[Blueprint]

We've reached 8.7% of the overall passenger car sales in 2022, pushing overall fleet data to 2.5%, rising exponentially every year. In my town we're past 10%, every other house has an EVSE and many only have EV's in their driveways. Suburbia is perfect for EVs, big cities and rural regions not so much.

Amazing what bribery can do, eh?

Factor in expensive gas, cheap and clean hydro power and a general cleaner vibe here than in the rest of the country. And cash on the hood always helps 

[OliverD]

I know a few people who wanted an EV as their next vehicle, but for various reasons (price and availability being the main factors) decided to purchase an interim vehicle before making the EV leap.

Best example is my CTO who had a deposit down on a Taycan Cross Turismo and then decided to keep his AMG C43 wagon instead. 

I think a lot of people want to make the move to EV but for whatever reason it doesn't work for them yet. One friend got a PHEV in the meantime with the intent to upgrade to a full EV in a few years.

[PJungnitsch]

I know a few people who wanted an EV as their next vehicle, but for various reasons (price and availability being the main factors) decided to purchase an interim vehicle before making the EV leap.

I think a lot of people want to make the move to EV but for whatever reason it doesn't work for them yet. One friend got a PHEV in the meantime with the intent to upgrade to a full EV in a few years.

That's exactly us, nothing was available in our price range with AWD. Wife was pushing hard for an electric or at least a hybrid

Could totally see us switching to an electric/PHEV Crosstrek type thing in the future for most of our daily driving, keeping the RX for long trips

[sailor723]

Agree that having an EV makes a lot more sense when you are a 2 car family. I think an ICE vehicle will remain the preferred choice for roadtrips at least until there is far more charging infrastructure combined with advances in rapid charging technology.