For some reason, this post got downvoted and buried, so I think no one saw it. I thought it was helpful, especially for people curious about EVs or those who are on the fence because they’re anxious about charging in the US.
Step 1: Have a parking spot
Step 2: Make sure that parking spot is suitable for installing a charger
If you don’t meet the above, then:
Step 3: Hope for a well-developed public charging infrastructure
I don’t meet these conditions, and I’m sure hundreds of thousands of other car owners in my city don’t either.
@Ronald
The guide actually recommends checking charger availability before committing to an EV.
Gabriel said:
@Ronald
The guide actually recommends checking charger availability before committing to an EV.
In that case, it’ll be years before I can get an EV.
Gabriel said:
@Ronald
The guide actually recommends checking charger availability before committing to an EV.
In that case, it’ll be years before I can get an EV.
Are you in the US? Mind sharing which state? I was chatting with someone in South Florida who thought there were no chargers nearby but hadn’t checked any apps. South Florida is actually full of charging stations!
@Gabriel
I’m not in the US. I’m in Eastern Europe (EU), and unfortunately, it’s a charging desert here.
Ronald said:
@Gabriel
I’m not in the US. I’m in Eastern Europe (EU), and unfortunately, it’s a charging desert here.
I get that. Is the electrical grid modern enough for EV charging over there?
@Gabriel
Yeah, the electrical grid is fine—it’s the EU after all. But since EV adoption is low, and people can’t really afford them here, there isn’t much interest in developing the infrastructure.
Ronald said:
@Gabriel
I’m not in the US. I’m in Eastern Europe (EU), and unfortunately, it’s a charging desert here.
Mind sharing where specifically? Here in Poland, the charging infrastructure is improving, though it’s got a long way to go. The Czech Republic seems to be doing better, but Croatia is struggling based on what I’ve seen on PlugShare.
We’ve got someone in /r/EuroEV from Poland who’s working on getting a charger installed in their apartment complex parking. Once they’re done, we’re asking them to write a guide since charging infrastructure for apartment blocks can be really tricky due to all the bureaucracy and costs.
@martin
I’m in Romania. The charging infrastructure here isn’t great, especially in cities.
One big issue is the lack of parking. Only about 25-30% of cars in my city have a designated parking spot. The rest are parked ‘illegally,’ so if those cars were EVs, they wouldn’t be able to access any home charging.
Even for those with parking spots, many can’t install chargers without major costs, like running cables over long distances or tearing up sidewalks.
@Gabriel
I’m in a small city in rural Pennsylvania. We’ve got eight Superchargers without Magic Docks, two non-networked NACS plugs, and four J-1772s for the whole city.
As much as I want an EV, I won’t be getting one anytime soon.
@Ronald
Wow, things got complicated at Step 2. /s
Another option: have a charger at work.