General Motors, Volkswagen Group, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Company, Tesla Motors, BYD, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motors, and more have all committed to building multiple new electric vehicle lines over the next few years potentially pushing the electric car market to hit over 145 million by 2030.
This isn't a 'flash-in-the-pan' fad, electric vehicles (EVs) are here to stay and almost certainly going to take a big part of the auto industry in the coming years. The question is no longer when the EVs will arrive, it's where we go from here.
Despite rapid growth, the EV industry still has a long way to go in one key department, charging. If you already own an EV or are considering buying a new one there is some information you need to know.
Historically much of the emphasis has been placed on the massive build-out of a public charging network. Public charging programs like the Biden administration’s push for 500,000 new charging stations has gotten plenty of press, but should we pump so much money into public infrastructure?
The answer is, maybe, with the small caveat that these hypothetical stations are all fast-charging stations with charging speeds comparable to Tesla’s Supercharger network. The pros of a public system are easy to see. "What if I am in desperate need of a charge?", "What happens on long trips?", "What if it's an emergency?” these are all legitimate concerns and ones that are directly resolved by a fast public charging network.
Unfortunately, most public chargers are Level 2 stations, meaning they charge at a slower rate, around 8-11 hours to fully charge a vehicle, while these chargers don't have the speed required for quick stops they are relatively affordable. These chargers are less expensive to install than a Supercharger station but they're just too slow for public use.
Simply put most EV drivers need to charge up 2-4 hours per day on a Level 2 station to replace the power they used. Can you imagine relying on a public network when it takes 2-4 hours to charge up daily? That's 2-4 hours you’ll need to spend at a shopping center, grocery store, or any other random place, every single day and that is a terrible solution. Tesla's Supercharger Network cuts the wait time down to about 30 minutes to an hour but is very expensive and difficult to install due to power limitations. While Tesla has done an amazing job building out the Supercharger network even they admit it's not a day-to-day solution.
Even though we are accustomed to the gas station model, it's recommended by every EV manufacturer to get in-home charging. After all, 90% of charging by current EV owners happens at home and it's easy to see why. On average, needing to charge 2-4 hours daily would be a real pain on a public network, however, if the charger is installed at home you simply plug it in once you're done for the day. Just like your phone, your car charges up while you sleep and is ready to go when you are.
For most single-family homes getting charging is relatively inexpensive and easy, owners can add a 240-volt or even 110-volt plug without much issue, but for those living in multi-family homes like condos and apartments, the task gets much trickier. This is why companies like Orange exist. We make EV charging at apartments and condos, easy and affordable to meet the needs of the entire community. With Orange, we bring the same ease of use that single-family homes get to the multi-family community.
The best-case scenario for EV drivers is to invest in in-home charging regardless of any national charging networks.
General Motors, Volkswagen Group, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Company, Tesla Motors, BYD, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motors, and more have all committed to building multiple new electric vehicle lines over the next few years potentially pushing the electric car market to hit over 145 million by 2030.
This isn't a 'flash-in-the-pan' fad, electric vehicles (EVs) are here to stay and almost certainly going to take a big part of the auto industry in the coming years. The question is no longer when the EVs will arrive, it's where we go from here.
Despite rapid growth, the EV industry still has a long way to go in one key department, charging. If you already own an EV or are considering buying a new one there is some information you need to know.
Historically much of the emphasis has been placed on the massive build-out of a public charging network. Public charging programs like the Biden administration’s push for 500,000 new charging stations has gotten plenty of press, but should we pump so much money into public infrastructure?
The answer is, maybe, with the small caveat that these hypothetical stations are all fast-charging stations with charging speeds comparable to Tesla’s Supercharger network. The pros of a public system are easy to see. "What if I am in desperate need of a charge?", "What happens on long trips?", "What if it's an emergency?” these are all legitimate concerns and ones that are directly resolved by a fast public charging network.
Unfortunately, most public chargers are Level 2 stations, meaning they charge at a slower rate, around 8-11 hours to fully charge a vehicle, while these chargers don't have the speed required for quick stops they are relatively affordable. These chargers are less expensive to install than a Supercharger station but they're just too slow for public use.
Simply put most EV drivers need to charge up 2-4 hours per day on a Level 2 station to replace the power they used. Can you imagine relying on a public network when it takes 2-4 hours to charge up daily? That's 2-4 hours you’ll need to spend at a shopping center, grocery store, or any other random place, every single day and that is a terrible solution. Tesla's Supercharger Network cuts the wait time down to about 30 minutes to an hour but is very expensive and difficult to install due to power limitations. While Tesla has done an amazing job building out the Supercharger network even they admit it's not a day-to-day solution.
Even though we are accustomed to the gas station model, it's recommended by every EV manufacturer to get in-home charging. After all, 90% of charging by current EV owners happens at home and it's easy to see why. On average, needing to charge 2-4 hours daily would be a real pain on a public network, however, if the charger is installed at home you simply plug it in once you're done for the day. Just like your phone, your car charges up while you sleep and is ready to go when you are.
For most single-family homes getting charging is relatively inexpensive and easy, owners can add a 240-volt or even 110-volt plug without much issue, but for those living in multi-family homes like condos and apartments, the task gets much trickier. This is why companies like Orange exist. We make EV charging at apartments and condos, easy and affordable to meet the needs of the entire community. With Orange, we bring the same ease of use that single-family homes get to the multi-family community.
The best-case scenario for EV drivers is to invest in in-home charging regardless of any national charging networks.
