EV charging stations aren’t perfect. Any EV owner who has used these stations can tell you that. But not everyone is familiar with just how frustrating these public charging stations are, even in many parts of California, which will ban the purchase of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
What are electric vehicle owners' top gripes when using these charging stations? Here are the ones we hear the most:
- Many public charging stations suffer from broken chargers. Maintenance and repairs can take weeks or longer.
- Public chargers are getting faster, but they still aren’t fast enough
- As more EVs hit roads across the country, more people rely on the same limited EV charging stations.
In this blog, we’ll go into more detail about each of the issues above. Then we’ll share our reasoning for why every homeowner with an electric vehicle needs to install an in-home charging station (the short version: it’s convenient and will keep you from pulling your hair out!)
Burgeson’s is making it more convenient and affordable to charge your EV from the comfort of your home.
You love your electric vehicle. But charging it can be a pain. Burgeson’s is here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. You can enjoy a fully-charged vehicle ready to go when you get up for work. All it takes to get started is to make an appointment with one of Burgeson’s EV specialists.
The Biggest Issues with EV Charging Stations Across the Country
EV charging stations aren’t quite up to par with the infrastructure of the modern gas station. And it could take years before these stations are as convenient as filling up a gas-powered vehicle. EV owners know the issues of public charging stations all too well. We hear from many of them who have decided to take the in-home charging route instead.
What are the biggest complaints of these EV owners? Here are the top three complaints we hear at Burgeson’s.
Repair, Maintenance, and Infrastructure Issues
State and federal governments are incentivizing EV charging companies to build the infrastructure necessary to support EV growth. The problem? They aren’t being incentivized to maintain them!
This is a big problem. Because according to consumer research firm J.D. Power, EV owners “are finding charging infrastructure inadequate and plagued with non-functioning stations.” In fact, they found that among the nearly 12,000 EV owners that participated in the research, satisfaction with popular level 2 public charging stations was on the decline.
The decline is almost entirely prompted by maintenance issues. “The study finds that one out of every five respondents did not charge their vehicle during their visit. Of those who didn’t charge, 72% indicated that it was due to the station malfunctioning or being out of service.”
Another study by the University of California, Berkeley found many public EV charging stations to be unusable, with the claimed 95% uptime being closer to 77% uptime.
Speaking of growing pains: the same study above noted that upwards of 5% of EV charging stations are so poorly conceived that their cords are too short to reach some cars!
Slow Charging Speeds
The wait times for charging your EV at a public station are a major headache for anyone transitioning from a gas vehicle to an electric one. What used to be a 3-minute visit to a gas station now takes 30 minutes. And that’s not even going to fill the vehicle to full.
Could public EV charging stations ever be as fast as filling a gas tank? There’s a good chance that they will, but that future could be over a decade away. And in the meantime, it’s simply more convenient and faster to power up in the comfort of your home.
Limited Charging Resources
Electric vehicles are gaining popularity, and Tesla is no longer the only EV maker in town. As more and more EVs hit the roads, the number of charging stations must also increase to meet that demand.
The good news is EV charging stations are being added fairly quickly. Over 50,000 EV charging stations are operating in the U.S. today. For comparison, just about 150,000 gas stations are in operation across all 50 states.
The bad news is there are still plenty of regions barren of charging stations, even here in California. Driving far out of the way to charge your EV is a big problem. In time, this will be resolved. But it may take a few years more before these public stations are available to everyone.
Avoid the Hassles of EV Charging Stations by Charging at Home
It’s easy to forget how new the EV industry is. In fact, the first fully converted gas-to-electric refueling station didn’t pop up until 2019 (Takoma Park, MD, wins that award).
Lots of people want to own electric vehicles. But nobody wants to wait for charging station companies to get their acts together. The best solution is to charge your car from home until certain growing pains are resolved.
So what are the benefits of charging your vehicle from home?
- No waiting at charging stations: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, it takes most level 2 chargers about 4-10 hours to fully charge an EV. Most EV owners would rather spend that time at home than at a charging station. And with home chargers, you can.
- Ability to charge your EV at night: Charging your electric vehicle at home overnight allows you to take advantage of decreased rate times.
- No having to look for a charging station: The number of EV charging stations in California is growing, but not fast enough. Many homeowners have to go pretty far out of the way to fill up at one. That’s not nearly as convenient as filling up at home.
- No frustrating broken-down chargers: Arriving at your go-to charging station only to find most of the chargers needing maintenance is a big problem, especially if your vehicle is empty. There’s peace of mind knowing that the charging station at home is working just fine.
- It increases your home’s value: As EVs become more popular, in-home charging stations are at the top of home buyers' lists. It’s a convenience that guarantees a higher value for the home, especially if it’s integrated with solar.
Want the convenience of charging your EV at home? Call Burgeson’s!
Whether you want to avoid filling up at public charging stations or you’re tired of waiting 20-30 hours to get a full charge at home, the experts at Burgeson’s can help. We install the latest level 2 EV chargers for homes across Redlands. You’ll have a full charge in as little as 8 hours. And you’ll wonder why you didn’t install one sooner!
