EV Deserters Claim Charging Frustration – Only 30% Have Home Level 2 Chargers
By Edward A. Sanchez – May 4, 2021
A study conducted by UC Davis and published on the ecologically focused website nature.com (paid download) has been making the rounds in the EV blogosphere. Although I typically skip over these more obscure, granular studies, I could not help but comment on one particular statistic that really stuck out in my mind. Of the study participants polled, 70% claimed they had “no access to Level 2 charging at home.”
Hold up. Let’s unpack this for a second. Is it that nearly all of the 70% surveyed lived in apartments or other rentals where power to their parking space or street parking is utterly unavailable, or is it that many simply didn’t have pre-existing 240V outlets at their home and they were unwilling – or too lazy – to have the outlets installed? I know that may sound harsh, but hear me out.
For apartments, you’re at the whim of the management, so there’s little a tenant can do. But for single family residences, almost all homes built in the U.S. since the 1960s have 240V main power. Installing a 240V outlet in one of these homes (even in a rental property) requires nothing more than a specialized “duplex” breaker that bridges the two poles of the main panel to provide 240V power. Many homes that once had electrical appliances have switched to gas, leaving those 240V circuits unused, although it seems the U.S. is coming full circle once again when it comes to electrical appliances.
The unavoidable truth is that if a house doesn’t already have a pre-existing 240V outlet, yes, there is a cost associated with installing it. It can range from as little as about $300 on the low side to more than $1,000, depending on the “run,” or how far the electrician has to run conduit and wiring to get the plug to the desired location.
Waking up to a full “tank” is one of the benefits of EV ownership. But without a Level 2 charger at home, topping up might lead to frustration.
I understand this is an inconvenience and an added expense. But I have to wonder how much research EV buyers are doing before they take the plunge. What do they think EVs are powered by? Unicorns and fairy dust? Do they think that a battery powerful enough to whisk a two-ton vehicle down the road at a rapid clip can be reasonably charged with a standard household outlet?
General Motors has recently announced an initiative starting with the Chevy Bolt EUV that it will assist homeowners in getting Level 2 charging setup in their homes. Although GM is undoubtedly shouldering some of this cost, I think the company rightly realized that if there’s ever going to be a robust market for EVs, that buyers need to see them as a convenience, and not a burden.
Getting back to the study, up to 20% of EV buyers go back to an ICE vehicle, with charging inconvenience cited as the number one issue. Again – and I’m going to keep hammering on this – you need 240V home charging for EVs, plain and simple. Is it possible to charge an EV on a standard 120V household outlet? Sure, if you’re willing to wait 24 hours or more for a full charge. But for those who want to get a reasonable top-off overnight, between breakfast and lunch, or whenever else, 240V charging is a must, period.
Traditionally, legacy OEMs have punted on EVs saying, “people don’t want to buy them.” Well, if they see them as inconvenient and frustrating to live with, then yeah, they don’t want them. If they have the promise of a “full tank every morning” then they’re excited and enthusiastic.
If other OEMs are serious about selling EVs – and within a decade that may be the only choice in many markets – then they must complete the virtuous circle by offering some kind of assistance or credit in getting 240V home charging installed. If not the OEMs, maybe such a sweetener is part of Biden’s proposed $4 trillion spending plan. Whomever ends up paying for it, 240V charging should be considered mandatory for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
(Images courtesy Chevrolet)
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