It’s easy to tell other people how to live their lives. It’s easy to say to people you don’t know that they should buy electric cars in the blissful abstraction of the Internet. Reality is a lot harder. And the reality, according to a recent study, is that owning an electric car is difficult for those who don’t have access to a home charger.
Yes, we’re going to beat up the universe for not providing enough chargers, because the big concern most EV owners have is that they can’t charge easily. Specifically, we’re going to beat up Electrify America, which may be one of the companies that has, ironically, done the most damage to electrification in America.
Who else is damaging the move towards electrification? The American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, both of whom are suing to stop the Biden Administration’s new rules on emissions. Rules that, I’d point out, were cut back fairly dramatically to make it easier for automakers. This is also a little ironic given that the Biden Administration has quietly been great for America’s oil producers.
Whether accurate or not, Elon Musk is the one individual who usually gets credit for electrifying America and he wants to get paid for it. According to Musk, that’s gonna happen.
Owners Are Cranky About Electric Charging
I should clarify right off the bat that this survey is from global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and some people have thoughts about McKinsey that are not charitable. The survey, however, sounds correct. (I mean, McKinsey may have aided a pharmaceutical company in the creation of an opioid crisis that wrecked lives and communities, but the firm’s advice was at least accurate. Terrible, but accurate). [Ed Note: My view and Matt’s don’t align on McKinsey. I think, though the company has a checkered history, it also does a lot of good, helping struggling organizations optimize and, in some cases, stay afloat. (A close family member of mine works for McKinsey). But I get it. -DT].
The data we have comes via a survey done by McKinsey’s Center for Future Mobility, which I have not seen, but was viewed by Automotive News:
Twenty-nine percent of EV owners across the globe said they’re likely to reverse course. That hit 46 percent in the U.S. Consumers globally said their top concern was the inadequacy of the public charging infrastructure. They also cited concerns with high costs of ownership and detrimental impact to long-distance trips.
“I didn’t expect that,” Philipp Kampshoff, leader of the consulting firm’s Center for Future Mobility, told Automotive News. “I thought, ‘Once an EV buyer, always an EV buyer.’ ”
That sounds right to me. Our non-Tesla EV charging infrastructure is bad. I was at an EVGo station yesterday and it was packed, which makes sense because there are only two non-Tesla stations near me and they’re always clogged with Uber drivers and the wait times are terrible. It’s a big reason why I’m not getting a PHEV or an EV.
I also think this is where Tesla has been successful. The Supercharger network is great. Up-time is really high, and because it’s only served Tesla cars up until recently, issues have been minimal. Tesla also went to a lot of prime spots for charging early and won that battle.
If only there were another company that had a huge amount of money and a big lead that could have provided an alternative to Tesla. If only it was actually owned by a car company…
In Ultimate Rebuke Of Electrify America, Porsche Adds ChargePoint Capability
I’ve already gone full batting practice on Electrify America, so I’ll just summarize for those who are new to the awfulness that is Electrify America. Some smart lawyer or planner at Volkswagen convinced a judge that, instead of just turning over all those billions of dollars in Dieselgate fines to the government, the company would take a couple of those billions and build out an EV charging network.
That network became Electrify America. It could have been the alternative to Tesla’s Supercharger network, but instead, it became a laughing stock. I’ve rarely been to an Electrify America charging station where everything just worked. Between credit card readers failing and chargers freezing up, it’s been a bad experience for myself and many other people I know who have roadtripped electric cars.
This failure led Ford and, eventually, Volkswagen to agree to adopt Tesla’s NACS charging standard for future vehicles. And now, there’s this, from Porsche:
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) today announced it has signed an agreement with ChargePoint, a leading provider of charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), which will enable access to its charging network within the Porsche Charging Service. The collaboration will increase the number of chargers available to Porsche customers to more than 86,000 across the United States.
“We passionately believe in choice, and as a result we are constantly looking for opportunities to enhance our customer experience and expand charging options,” said Timo Resch, President and CEO of PCNA, “this is a significant step in that direction, and well-timed as we look forward to the arrival of both the new Taycan arriving at Porsche Centers this summer but also the all-new Macan Electric later this year.”
On the one hand, this was probably inevitable. Electrify America, for whatever reason, was unable to get big enough to serve all VW brands, and most buyers like being able to just connect to a charger and not have to mess with a bunch of different apps. By integrating ChargePoint, Porsche owners will be able to connect to a charger via the My Porsche app and not have to fuss. I suspect this isn’t the last company that’ll get integrated into Porsche’s system.
On the other hand… lol.
The Oil Lobby Wants To Save You From Electric Cars
It’s important to reiterate that there’s no specific federal mandate saying that car companies can’t sell gas-powered cars. There’s a formula for emissions/mileage (well, two formulas, sort of) that automakers have to meet, and the federal government leaves what that technology is up to automakers. Can automakers meet those goals without selling a lot of electric cars? Probably not.
I mention this because this is why two oil and gas lobbying groups are suing the Biden EPA’s new, kinda relaxed regulations.
“Today, we are taking action to protect American consumers, U.S. manufacturing workers and our nation’s hard-won energy security from this intrusive government mandate,” API Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers said, voicing a common refrain from opponents of electric vehicles.
[…]
“EPA has exceeded its congressional authority with this regulation that will eliminate most new gas cars and traditional hybrids from the U.S. market in less than a decade,” Meyers added. “We look forward to making our case in court.”
BTW, because of President Biden’s policies, these companies are all more profitable than ever. We have a system of government that allows this to happen and so these groups can exercise their rights as they see fit, but I’d just point out that automakers seem fairly happy with the revised regulations.
Elon Musk On Track For Biggest Payday Ever
Both Tesla shareholder resolutions are currently passing by wide margins!
♥️♥️ Thanks for your support!! ♥️♥️ pic.twitter.com/udf56VGQdo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 13, 2024
I’m not sure what to make of the tweet above, but it seems like Elon Musk is confident he’s going to get the biggest paycheck in human history. Will a Delaware judge allow the company to leave to avoid enforcing its judgment? That remains to be seen.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
Man, this song from post-punk Irish band Fontaines D.C. is extremely good and I can’t wait to hear the rest of this album, which comes out at the end of summer. Also, what is this video?
The Big Question
Does this study sound right to you?
Yeah, stopping at gas stations and filling your car with poison stink juice is much more convenient than refueling your EV at home by simply plugging it in.
Yeah, stopping at gas stations and filling your car with poison stink juice is much more convenient than refueling your EV at home by simply plugging it in.
It seems like most people I talk to with electric cars love them, and most people concerned with charging don’t buy electric cars… I’m certainly no expert and have done no research on this but it doesn’t seem to pass the “gut check” for me.
It seems like most people I talk to with electric cars love them, and most people concerned with charging don’t buy electric cars… I’m certainly no expert and have done no research on this but it doesn’t seem to pass the “gut check” for me.
DT – One suggestion…go watch John Oliver on McKinsey (love that irreverent “person”). I’m glad you have folk making bank with them, but…they are at the very least SHADY. (BTW…been following you and Torch since the beginning of your Jalopnik days (RIP Deadspin as a side note), and thank you for creating a cool space for these discussions!)
That being said, thank GOODNESS the Oil Companies are here to save us poor consumers who want breathable air and outside temperatures of less than 160 degrees. How could we ever use MORE fossil fuels on electricity for AC and pump more ancient and limited groundwater without your foresight and vision of…oh, who am I kidding…PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT…and not the Lisan al-Gaib variety…wait…there’s actually a “tomorrow?” What is this “tomorrow” you speak of?
I’ve watched it. It’s extremely unbalanced, but that show is about entertainment, not reporting.
But not worth getting into.
An entertaining way of reporting items that usually go unnoticed…he actually sites sources, which is more than I can say for most “real reporting” nowadays…but I hear you. No opening of worm cans on a Friday!
I can write a piece on lots of companies citing excellent sources and it’d make them seem like monsters. Ford with Henry’s racism, the Pinto situation, Firestone, etc. VW with nazism and dieselgate.
I could go on and on. But media bias is a complex issue, and like you said, no opening a can of worms on a Friday. [clinks glass]
I have a friend who worked for Kinsey and she confirms everything horrible we have heard, while adding some new bad behaviors as well.
DT – One suggestion…go watch John Oliver on McKinsey (love that irreverent “person”). I’m glad you have folk making bank with them, but…they are at the very least SHADY. (BTW…been following you and Torch since the beginning of your Jalopnik days (RIP Deadspin as a side note), and thank you for creating a cool space for these discussions!)
That being said, thank GOODNESS the Oil Companies are here to save us poor consumers who want breathable air and outside temperatures of less than 160 degrees. How could we ever use MORE fossil fuels on electricity for AC and pump more ancient and limited groundwater without your foresight and vision of…oh, who am I kidding…PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT PROFIT…and not the Lisan al-Gaib variety…wait…there’s actually a “tomorrow?” What is this “tomorrow” you speak of?
I’ve watched it. It’s extremely unbalanced, but that show is about entertainment, not reporting.
But not worth getting into.
An entertaining way of reporting items that usually go unnoticed…he actually sites sources, which is more than I can say for most “real reporting” nowadays…but I hear you. No opening of worm cans on a Friday!
I can write a piece on lots of companies citing excellent sources and it’d make them seem like monsters. Ford with Henry’s racism, the Pinto situation, Firestone, etc. VW with nazism and dieselgate.
I could go on and on. But media bias is a complex issue, and like you said, no opening a can of worms on a Friday. [clinks glass]
I have a friend who worked for Kinsey and she confirms everything horrible we have heard, while adding some new bad behaviors as well.
I just bought a 2024 ev6, and I don’t expect to plug it anywhere other than at work when I find an unoccupied ev spot or at home on my level2 48amp charger.
But for family use we still will use our 2014 pathfinder, since it’s a 7passenger(we got 5kids) and Toronto or Montreal is a 7 hour drive. I live in rural north-western Quebec.
Of all my vehicles my too favourites are now not gas powered. My ev and my diesel tractor are my favourites, and oddly they were both made in South Korea..