The Zero-Wait EV: Maximizing Your Electric Vehicle Experience
I’ve driven my electric car for 50,000 miles, about half of those miles on long road trips. When people ask about charging times, my response is that I’ve spent less time waiting to charge than I used to spend filling up with gasoline. The key is doing it right and having proper charging infrastructure. While it’s not always the case in these early days of EV adoption, it will become the standard as the EV transition continues. This is my guide to zero-wait charging, and how you can integrate it into your life.
The Zero-Wait Charging Concept
Many people are under the impression that charging an EV takes a long time – often hearing of 30-60 minute waits at fast chargers. Consider that a regular household plug can take over two days to charge an EV! However, this is often a misunderstanding of how most people actually use their EVs.
The reality is that the vast majority of cars are parked for over 22 hours each day. As long as you charge where you park—even at a relatively slow rate—the charging process becomes virtually invisible, as it happens while your car is stationary. Over 90% of EV owners charge at home or at work, so they wake up to a fully charged car every day, skipping the need to visit charging stations altogether. The mantra is: “Charge where you park, don’t park where you charge.” This is a fundamental shift away from the ‘gasoline thinking’ that most people are accustomed to.
While this is a great solution for those with home and/or work charging, the current lack of charging options in apartments, condos, and public spaces for many EV owners is a key area we need to address. Most policies focus on public chargers, which this article argues are not used by most drivers. The ideal solution would be to encourage more Level 2 charging options in these locations. However, there are alternative solutions for those who don’t have this available yet.
On the Road
When you make the transition to road trips, the charging situation changes, but the core idea remains the same. There are in general two types of road trips – recriational and ‘A to B’. Recreational trips often prioritize the journey and limit daily driving to around 4-5 hours. This translates into plenty of parked time, and is perfect for the mantra of charging where you park.
All charging should begin at hotels or homes. A good number of hotels offer charging, often free of charge. This should become the standard for the industry, providing enough chargers for all EV guests, with potential reservation systems. On a recreational trip, overnight charging is generally all that’s needed, because most EVs can travel for 4+ hours on a charge. By the morning, the car should be ready to go. The same principle holds true when you include places like parks and other attractions.
On the other hand, on hard-slog trips, you might need a charge after about 4 hours. This involves a bit more planning. You’ll want to use your favorite charger app to find fast-charging locations. Because Google Maps isn’t the most effective at planning routes compared to the likes of Plugshare or ABetterRoutePlanner, it’s important to include apps and resources like Google or Yelp to find restaurants near chargers in your area. Consider counter-service options, because fast charging can take roughly 30-40 minutes. In the future, you’ll even be able to order ahead and time the pickup. This optimizes charging and removes wasted time from your journey.
In case there aren’t great restaurant options near the charging stations, services like Google Maps can also help you find nearby take-out options. The author also advises carrying a folding table and chair in the car if weather permits. The goal is to integrate the charging break seamlessly into your drive by having options to eat or work while you wait.
While the ideal scenario hasn’t always worked, improvements are happening, and as EV infrastructure grows, will continue to do so. When the plan hasn’t worked as ideal, charging time can still be used by surfing the internet, watching streaming TV, or reading.
The future of EV trips aims for the goal of making the EV experience superior to gasoline ones in virtually every way. It’s what is needed to entice adoption. No mandates or rules are needed, because better, faster, cheaper, and greener will ensure success.
