While owning a Tesla, I can charge at one of these locations or at a \u201cnormal\u201d EV charging station such as Electrify America. If you\u2019re looking for convenience (like I am), superchargers help maximize your quality of life. You just pull up, plug in, charge up, unplug, and drive off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no need to go inside a store or even swipe your card at a terminal. It\u2019s all done via software. The charger will automatically determine your vehicle\u2019s VIN and charge the credit card on file. While this makes the task less convenient if you want to pay with cash (impossible to do) or change cards, I prefer this approach compared to having to get out and swipe my card at other brands\u2019 charging stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast, inexpensive charging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Charging from a low battery to 100% capacity generally takes only 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the output speed and number of other vehicles charging simultaneously. The charge-up costs around $6 USD. That\u2019s about two gallons of gas (or less, when gas prices are high).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, it seems like the charging stations are always available and functioning properly. At stations that use the J1772, CHAdeMo, or CCS chargers<\/a>, I\u2019ve found that terminals are often down and require maintenance, or the screen or cord is broken due to vandalism or misuse. While I\u2019m not saying superchargers are immune to vandalism, it seems Tesla makes it a high priority to fix problems and has a large enough staff to resolve those issues quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tesla recently announced that it\u2019s willing to release their proprietary charging adapter to other EV manufacturers and have allowed other brands to utilize the Supercharger network. While I think this is a good move on Tesla\u2019s part, it\u2019s also far too late in the game for them to try to get the Tesla charger adapted for the North America Charging Standard<\/a> (NACS\u2026but not to be confused with \u201cNational Association of Convenience Stores\u201d in our industry) regardless of how much better the charger is in terms of efficiency and ergonomics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been an EV owner for less than a year<\/a> and I\u2019ve lived in different areas of the country that tend to have differing mindsets about EVs. Tulsa has a very deep history with oil. Our baseball team is called the Drillers. Both our soccer and hockey teams are named the Oilers. And of course, this big guy<\/a> also lives in Tulsa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think it\u2019s safe to say that Raleigh had a much more accepting attitude toward EV adoption than Tulsa. Not that people in the Tulsa area are vehemently opposed to it, but there are just significantly fewer EV owners, charging stations, and hype around this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I\u2019ve experienced both ends of range anxiety, vehicle storage, and charging issues, I\u2019d still recommend purchasing an EV if you\u2019re interested. But there are still some questions yet to be answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you might not be ready to make an EV your only<\/em> vehicle like I\u2019ve done, I think everyone should at least drive an EV this year. Whether you rent one, test-drive one, or borrow one from a friend, I think you\u2019ll be surprised at how good they\u2019ve become, how quick they are, and how smoothly they drive. And you\u2019ll probably be shocked at how quiet the drive will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rate of EV adoption will depend heavily on our society and changing ideals. When I was in Europe last summer, it was obvious that people embraced EVs much more than Americans. To be fair, Europeans tend to make shorter trips, due to density and country size\u2014but the overall acceptance of EVs across multiple cultures and nations was immediately clear. In the long run, I do believe that EVs are the future and their widespread adoption and normalization is only a matter of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about EV and convenience with new resources in the EV Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLesson: If charging availability and convenience are your primary concerns with an EV, it\u2019s difficult to beat Tesla\u2019s charging infrastructure.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Would I recommend an EV?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Lesson: EVs are the future, even if that future is still a few years away. But the more you learn about EVs now, the better prepared you\u2019ll be when the time comes to buy your own EV.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
EV and Convenience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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