Electric Car Ownership - Any Experiences?

[prabe]

We tend to have rest stops along the interstate highways. They typically have a gas station, some food (anywhere form a Dunkin' Donuts to an entire food court of fast food, restrooms. Often a convenience store and maybe a gift shop.

Also there are chains that are effectively this--around my neck of the woods, this is like Sheetz, or Wawa or Royal Farms; further south and west it includes places like Buc-ee's.

 

[Baron Opal II]

I am most interested in people's experiences owning EVs, in general, and your experiences or information on home charging stations, specifically, as we'll need one of those as well....

We have a Hyundai Kia Kona, my daughter drives a Bolt. We have both been very pleased with the cars performance and endurance.

Charge fears are a real thing, once you get to 25% charge you get very nervous about station location and distance home. Even if getting home is well within current range.

Installing a Stage 2 charger really is a need. Since you don't have a garage some sort of shelter for the panel needs to be researched. Planning solar cells for the future is excellent- there are a number of plans for solar batteries to charge one's electric car out there.

The main concern we had is the panel blowing out secondary to power loss. The surge is a killer. We had a special breaker installed to prevent surges reaching the charger during electrical storms or grid restarts after someone drives into a power pole.

NB: Kona, not Kia; my bad.

 

[Umbran]

Installing a Stage 2 charger really is a need. Since you don't have a garage some sort of shelter for the panel needs to be researched.

Maybe at one time that was true, but the charger I just bought is explicitly fine exposed to the elements. It needs to be hard-wired, with a special circuit breaker at the electrical panel, but doesn't need shelter.

 

[Baron Opal II]

Maybe at one time that was true, but the charger I just bought is explicitly fine exposed to the elements. It needs to be hard-wired, with a special circuit breaker at the electrical panel, but doesn't need shelter.

Excellent! Happy to hear that.

 

[prabe]

Maybe at one time that was true, but the charger I just bought is explicitly fine exposed to the elements. It needs to be hard-wired, with a special circuit breaker at the electrical panel, but doesn't need shelter.

Not arguing, but I remember there being pretty imposing warnings in the user manual for our Kia EV6 about getting water and/or dust in the charger or the cable.

 

[Umbran]

Also there are chains that are effectively this--around my neck of the woods, this is like Sheetz, or Wawa or Royal Farms; further south and west it includes places like Buc-ee's.

I've only been in a Wawa a couple of times, but it didn't seem to be the kind of place where you would spend a half-hour or more of your time. A Stabuck's might be more appropriate.

A level 3 charger costs between $40K and $150K, depending on model and features. It is more than a homeowner should pay. But for commercial public-access properties, a company like EVgo will get you an installation with no upfront costs or maintenance fees, if you are in an ev-dense market.

 

[Mannahnin]

I've only been in a Wawa a couple of times, but it didn't seem to be the kind of place where you would spend a half-hour or more of your time. A Stabuck's might be more appropriate.

My recollection from living in PA 30+ years ago was that WaWa was a fairly conventional convenience store chain, but I guess more modern ones are bigger and more expanded, with lots of food options, fancy coffees like a less-trendy Starbucks, etc.

 

[Umbran]

Not arguing, but I remember there being pretty imposing warnings in the user manual for our Kia EV6 about getting water and/or dust in the charger or the cable.

Corporate warnings are not really an indication of the risk to you. It is an indication of the risk to them, which is entirely different.

I mean, yeah, you don't dunk it in a bucket while washing your car or use it to dig your garden. But, when in the cradle, the plug is protected. If you are just going from cradle to car and back, there's not a lot to fear.

 

[prabe]

I've only been in a Wawa a couple of times, but it didn't seem to be the kind of place where you would spend a half-hour or more of your time. A Stabuck's might be more appropriate.

The ones they're building around here are--as with Sheetz and Royal Farms--more like large convenience stores with a lot of pumps and dine-in facilities (seating) often with made-to-order food. Between using a restroom and a little snack shopping and eating, half an hour doesn't seem wildly unreasonable. Obviously YMMV (heh).

 

[Umbran]

My recollection from living in PA 30+ years ago was that WaWa was a fairly conventional convenience store chain, but I guess more modern ones are bigger and more expanded, with lots of food options, fancy coffees like a less-trendy Starbucks, etc.

The real thing is seating.