My Horrible EV Charging Experience

 

I’ll describe the vehicle situation, and then I’ll annihilate this particular charging situation. 

First the disclaimers. I’m not against EVs, I’m against unrealistic mandates. I would be very happy if our MPV was an EV with a 300 mile highway range, or better yet, a hybrid with a much smaller battery but also all-wheel drive. I also recognize the superiority of the Tesla Supercharging network. I was part of the US rollout for years at a previous employer and I was the first to plug in an NRTL (Nationally Recognized Test Lab), approved-to-a-UL-standard public Supercharger. I also recognize the necessity of having a charger at home. And finally, I am not a member of a charging network. I was charging as a guest, a key factor but still there are complaints.

 I do not want a Tesla. I had just driven a Model Y Performance and marveled at the fierce mid-range acceleration and throttle response but didn’t enjoy the road noise or ride quality, but worst of all, the touchscreen. Even the new Model 3 Performance, improved as it is, with the giant touchscreen and minimal physical controls is massively overhyped as “high tech” and an ergonomic nightmare. The Chevrolet Bolt BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) I was driving had far better controls and was far more intuitive.

Needing a loaner while my car was in for service, Hertz had a Chevrolet Bolt available. I asked for a Tesla because I really wanted more time in one, and it was quicker, but I took the Bolt. The mini-review follows:  The power delivery lagged at throttle tip-in, the handling was understeer-predictable, the ergonomics were good except the center armrest was too far back, the touchscreen showed finger prints like crazy, the shallow rear hatch cooks area cooks the contents unlike a metal trunk, and the seat had an awkward hard spot disguised as thigh support when exiting the vehicle. 

 Here starts the EV problems. What side is the charging port on? Logically it should be on the rear left side, like many ICE cars. Why? Because you don’t have to walk around the car, nor around your door. The little “Home” icon on the dash was not a charger, and indicated left side, but the port was in front. Now keep in mind this is not my car, I don’t drive it every day, so this is a minor annoyance.

Now the charging experience. I was given a choice of locations near my house, and I chose the closer, less congested area with more charging stations. And this is where it gets stupid, really stupid. I went to an Electrify America location at a Target parking lot. Checking online, Google Maps shows it is EV go. That isn’t helpful.   

The stations are not a drive-through, and are on a access lane to enter and leave the parking lot. Either way, you’re backing in or out in a busier section of the parking lot. Lame. Especially if you don’t know where the damn port is! I get out of the car, a second time mind you, and like virtually every charging station I’ve seen, it is uncovered! How cheap and lazy is this?!? It’s 95 degrees and now I have to expletive-with an unfamiliar device. Oh, and keep the AC running in the car, while I charge the battery. Make that make sense. And of course, no solar panels on the non-existent canopy to aid in energy production. Not sure I would be more pissed off if it was raining, but I was baking.

Speaking of “convenient locations”, this one had 4 stations, 8 plugs, and was 350 feet from the entrance doors from Target. That was laughable if I was in a better mood. You know what was convenient? The three gas stations at the intersection a block away, and the station on the other side of the freeway. All with covered pumps, 5 minutes to refuel to 100% of range, which was over 400 miles in the replacement Malibu, and easy-to-read credit card readers.

 The car displayed it was ready to charge, the charger station screen stated to plug in, and I did. And it stated I needed to unplug. I couldn’t read the damn credit card screen, even when shading it from the sun. The three, widely spaced, unlabeled buttons provided no assistance. 

 I had to back out again, making sure the route was clear on this access route, and pull into another space. This one also would not charge and the screen on the credit card reader was also dark.

I was done. I called Hertz, requested a gas vehicle, was provided a Chevrolet Malibu, and I was perfectly content driving the Malibu with over 400 miles of highway range and a 100% refill in 5 minutes.

This experience sucked. It was so bad I felt compelled to come out of my writing “retirement” and share these observations. The charging accommodations and convenience were terrible compared to gas stations. The proximity to shopping at many charging locations is poor when at the furthest possible place. And how many are drive-through versus parking, requiring reversing in, or out? I have no desire to charge an EV at a public charger, especially as a guest. At least at the gas station I can walk a tenth of the distance and get some lottery tickets, clean the windshield which is a novel idea at an EV charging station, and go home “fully charged”.