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Featured EV charging shortage in NYC (insideevs article)

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jan 23, 2024.

  1. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Article about low availability & long waits for EV charging in NYC.

    Seems like they're encouraging rideshare drivers to adopt EVs, but that growth is getting ahead of what their permitting process can handle for charger build-outs.

    Oil companies and their gas stations didn't wreck the planet by selling a thing that you needed apps, timeslots and hours of daily patience to use. They built enough competing stations to make efficiency experts weep.

    Granted, the petroleum industry had the advantage of installing a lot of infrastructure before there was as much bureaucracy around construction.

    I take it as a reminder that we're still very, very early into a very big change.

    (Link fixed)
     
    #1 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, Jan 23, 2024
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2024
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    best to do your due diligence before buying. i did. i don't think anyone believes there is enough public charging yet, even the feds
     
  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Much improved and adding the CCS-1 option to my Tesla has opened many more direct routes.

    Bob Wilson
     
  4. Roqu3

    Roqu3 Member

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    Maybe Tesla just need to increase their charging stations in crowded states, I recently saw this video of a guy doing a +700 mile roadtrip in the cold using a 2013 Tesla S, he wasted 2 hours in charging stops but he always found supechargers available.
     
  5. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Bah l've made 5000 mile trips loosing only 20 minutes.

    But yes, Teslaa does need to continue to build out their network.
     
  6. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    The bureaucracy must not be too tough even now as my little burg must have added 6 new or rebuilt to the tanks stations in the last year.
     
  7. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Often the red tape in a smaller town gets things done more quickly.
     
  8. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Yeah but this isn't roadtrip use. This is many rideshare drivers trying to spend every waking moment driving for profit, all in the same city where they all have to compete for the same not very many chargers on a daily basis.

    It's a problem that gets solved by scale, as in MOAR! and it sounds like the permitting office can't keep up.
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Maybe ride share should build their own charging stations
     
  10. John321

    John321 Senior Member

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    Another thing I've thought of but never hear mentioned - Is there a personal danger from crime in these big cities when they know tourist and visitors who are unfamiliar with the area are forced to stop in these urban charging centers?
    How does a person unfamiliar with Chicago, New York, Milwaukee etc, know if the charger they are being routed to is in a high crime area?

    These people who are unfamiliar with the area are then forced to sit for a good length of time to charge their vehicles and are vulnerable victims for criminal elements who target them.

    In a car when I approach a large city I have the option and do a fill up long before I would get to that city so that I can take a bypass around the city or speed through it on the Interstate to avoid stopping in it.

    As an example when we took a trip to South Dakota we went approximately 150 miles out of our way to avoid driving on an interstate through the Chicago Metropolitan area. The scenery was outstanding on the bypass route and the reduction in stress made the trip much more enjoyable. If I had to charge my vehicle I may not have been able to take the bypass route.

    Downstate legislators see Chicago crime impacting tourism | www.cities929.com
     
    #10 John321, Jan 24, 2024
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2024
  11. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    I have talked to a couple uber drivers who grab charging. Guy said he waits in the charger until a ride comes in. So you need to charge, drive by, no spots, and he leaves five mins later. I guess that’s alway possible someone is just leaving, but somehow it would be annoying. I don’t know why yet. I know people wanting to charge can get upset if they can’t get a spot even though when they get a spot they are happy with it. When chargers become like gas stations, and with roofs, it will get more relaxed. They aren’t really chargers but it is easy to say.
     
  12. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    There are plenty of people who avoid entire clusters of states now, I do. The days of normal conversation with all walks of life and points of view, with everyone still on one bigger side undivided, may be over. Hope not.
     
  13. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    This isn't very clear to me. Are these new stations, or just new tanks to existing stations?

    Under tank regulations have a service life limit on the tanks. They have to be replaced periodically. The beaurocracy that makes putting in a new station a hassle should be easy for replacing tanks. The first is because of the safety and environmental risks a gas station imposes, and the latter is about limiting those risks.
     
  14. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Fear makes people do some pretty weird things.
     
  15. Mr.Vanvandenburg

    Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member

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    In my case seeing the Biden campaign bus attacked on the highway says it all. Fear justified. This is not normal. This is people living in another reality, and acting with violence is part of the trance.
     
  16. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    With a comfortable lounge, bathrooms, and abundant charging. Hummm, operate them 24x7 too. Opps, we've just re-invented Buc-ee's.

    Bob Wilson
     
  17. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Of the 6, 5 were new. One was a multi tank replacement as a result of rebranding.
     
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  18. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    A question then is how much of the approval process is visible to the public? Construction can be quick once ground is broken, but that doesn't represent the paperwork, permitting, and inspections needed for work can start.
     
  19. Danno5060

    Danno5060 Member

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    I've had a few conversations with various people about EVs. It seems like everyone has some reason why an EV won't work for them - and they dig down pretty hard to come up with some of those reasons. I also live in the middle of oil country, and people would rather dowse themselves in a few gallons of unleaded and strike a match rather than drive an EV (or even a standard Prius). This sounds like some of those conversations.

    I imagine that there was a time when the conversation was like: why would I want a gasoline vehicle when I can stop and feed my horse anywhere; my horse doesn't get stuck in the mud, or get a flat tire...

    Gasoline cars developed a lot over the years. It took more than one step and levels political scandals too. We take the current system for granted, but it wasn't always that way. Auto manufacturers like GM bought out the public transportation systems that many people used before everyone had a car and made them unusable, shutting down public transportation to get everyone to buy cars. We also built the interstate highway system, suburbs, and those gasoline stations that are now everywhere were not built overnight. It took years, but eventually, we made it so that life in most of America requires a car.

    Of course, NYC is different from most of the places in the country. These people aren't charging in their home garage at night. They're using their EVs to make a living on the NY streets. I also don't know how well EVs get along with apartment and condo life, where people may not necessarily have your own garage to park at night.
     
  20. Danno5060

    Danno5060 Member

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    I keep thinking that someone should start a chain of restaurants connected to EV charging stations. You can only get fast food at a gas station when it doesn't take that long to fill up. Also, what kind of food are you going to get when the whole place smells of gasoline, oil, and diesel. Now think of a place where people are there for 1/2 hour or more, and it doesn't reek of petroleum.