People who don't buy because of "charging time"

[JetFalcon]

I'm just wondering about the people who are one the fence of buying a Tesla / EV because of how long it takes to charge.

Because they say filling up at the gas station is faster. But then, you have to do it at some point in your commute, meaning you will have to stop. Even if you only drove locally the entire week. This is something I felt was nice to not have to stop for gas all the time. And since I don't do road trips often maybe 4-6 a year, then it doesn't seem that big of a deal to have to wait to charge that few times a year. Rather than get gas all the time.

I would say road trips yeah it can feel like it is taking forever, and it's hard to always find something to do while charging. And some supercharger stops may have nothing to do. If every stop you did had an opportunity to charge then maybe you can feel like you are driving indefinitely. But then gas can get expensive for road trips especially when you don't prepare and fill up in the city. I was in Primm, gas was around $6 and someone asked me and my friend if we knew where cheaper gas was. So then, to drive a gas car at the lowest cost you may have to do more research which is like wasting time charging your car for cheap.

My friend claims he prefers his Honda Civic that gets 40 mpg. He has thing against Tesla he claims he cuts off all Tesla drivers because he doesn't agree or doesn't like automated driving. I don't mind his perspective. He doesn't seem to have an issue with gas prices because maybe if your car gets 40 mpg then you don't need to care about gas prices because your gas lasts longer? I know he doesn't enjoy the charging on road trips or doesn't really care about the idea of finding L2 charging next to a business we may visit. He is old fashioned and prefers just filling at the gas station. So do my parents. People think gas is more convenient even if it's more expensive. But then, for local commutes I think an EV makes more sense because you just charge at home.

 

[RTPEV]

I feel like I know your Tesla-hating friend after hearing you post about him so much!

Anyway, I think at this point after all the time you've spent traveling together that if he doesn't get it, he probably never will. Even if he finally comes around to the realization that it's not as big a deal as he's making it out to be, he certainly won't admit it and keep telling himself it's really worse than it is.

He will come around eventually when gas cars become less common and stopping for gas becomes even less convenient. That may take 10 years or so, and even then he will be reminiscing about the "good 'ol days" when he could just stop for a quick fill up. But secretly he will probably appreciate the fact that he doesn't have to go to a gas station every week for that fill up.

I have many neighbors who still keep a landline for some reason that I don't understand, but if they feel like shelling out whatever it costs them each month for keeping that dinosaur, then who am I to argue.

 

[Transformer]

For people who ask about charging time, I point them to abetterroutplanner.com where they can simulate various road trips in various EVs and see how long the charging stops are.

Transportation is always complicated. People had to learn a lot to drive gas cars like jump starting, engine tuneups, carbon monoxide poisoning, tire rotation, gear shifting, signaling, predicting what other drivers and pedestrians are likely to do, and much more. Switching to an EV is akin to switching from Windows to Mac -- new things to learn, and you'll miss the familiar features before you'll appreciate the advantages.

 

[whisperingshad]

Most people that have this issue might be the type to run almost on empty tank and then are worried about and emergency and having to get gas or even charge(which a charge would be a time issue for sure).

I don't travel alot, but when I do, sometimes it does become an issue if there isn't a supercharger closeby etc(hotel had chademo/ccd chargers only)

 

[jjrandorin]

Based on what this OP has posted here repeatedly in the past, this appears to be one of the most abusive "friend" relationships I have ever seen.

 

[Big Dunc]

So most people can charge at home or at work. Unless you regularly drive over 200 miles a day, then it isnt an issue.
However, on days when I do need to exceed the range of the battery (only a few times a year), then I stop half way because I cannot / do not want to sit in a car for 5 hours without a break. (I may have done 30 years ago). I stop, plug the car in, go to the rest room, then buy a healthy burger and eat it whilst reading my e-mails / texts / watsaps etc. Before I have finished, I have a notification from the car that it has enough charge to complete the journey. In the real world, my bladder is more limiting than a Tesla battery.

 

[Big Dunc]

As an aside, my wife was always scared going to less than 1/4 tank in an ICE car. If I tell her she has enough range, but she will get home on around 10%, she just does it and isn't at all bothered.

 

[pb2000]

I love the Tesla for everything around town and the simplicity of just plugging in when I get home beats a gas station any day. It does really suck as a road trip car though, especially with the pre heat-pump SR+ in the winter - stopping every ~175km to charge is just way too often compared to the 600km of my gas car. Taking longer on road trips, also means more hotels and less time at your destination - I use to do the ~17 hours from Calgary to Mesquite, NV (sadly no longer have the condo) in a single day, but that would be two long days in a Tesla each way (2 hotel night and 2 days of lost vacation time).

 

[whisperingshad]

For people who ask about charging time, I point them to abetterroutplanner.com where they can simulate various road trips in various EVs and see how long the charging stops are.

Transportation is always complicated. People had to learn a lot to drive gas cars like jump starting, engine tuneups, carbon monoxide poisoning, tire rotation, gear shifting, signaling, predicting what other drivers and pedestrians are likely to do, and much more. Switching to an EV is akin to switching from Windows to Mac -- new things to learn, and you'll miss the familiar features before you'll appreciate the advantages.

FYI
Rivian just bought it

Rivian acquires A Better Routeplanner - Gearrice

Rivianthe American electric mobility startup, has acquired A Better Route Plannerthe popular route planning app for electric cars, according to electric. The

www.gearrice.com

 

[CleanDemon]

I hated the idea of a Tesla a few years ago. Fast forward, and I now own two. I will never go back to an ICE vehicle. NEVER.

 

[Yelobird]

My friend claims he prefers his Honda Civic that gets 40 mpg. He has thing against Tesla he claims he cuts off all Tesla drivers because he doesn't agree or doesn't like automated driving. I don't mind his perspective.

Based on this one statement I would say your “friend” is an idiot. I don’t agree with something so my solution is to endanger other lives to make a point. You need to find a new friend……. Can I also wildly guess he has a 6“ diameter exhaust on his Civic and a wing on the back. That would explain a lot.

 

[whisperingshad]

Cuts off people on purpose? Sounds like a Douche....
Love my 18 Prime, super cheap to run and reliable as heck.....without plugging in it gets low 50s mpg.....Honda is junk in my experiences( and families) but I would never cut them off and endanger people lol

 

[blperk]

Love my MYLR. I always tell doubters that it doesn't matter how big your battery is. What really matters is how big your bladder is. When we travel long distances (which we do frequently) we stop, plug in the car, walk the dogs, go to the bathroom ourselves, unplug and go. Thus it really doesn't take us significantly longer to travel in an EV.

 

[srs5694]

I would say road trips yeah it can feel like it is taking forever, and it's hard to always find something to do while charging.

IMHO, this is the wrong way to think about charging an EV. You shouldn't be going someplace to charge and then look for something to do; you should go someplace to do something and be able to charge your car while you do your activity. Of course, in some cases the infrastructure doesn't yet exist to make this possible all the time, and that's a limiting factor for EV adoption for people who can't charge at home. (I'd like for there to be DC fast chargers at every supermarket, for instance.) On road trips, at least those I've taken (based in Rhode Island and traveling as far as Cincinnati), finding charging during travel stops not an issue for me, in a 2019 LR RWD Model 3. Driving safety experts recommend driving for no more than two hours between stops. Even if you stretch that to three hours, an EV with 180 miles of range (round up to 250 or 300 miles for reasons we all know) is adequate. Pick where to eat, take a bathroom break, etc., based on the presence of charging and you're set. A Tesla's navigation is excellent at helping out with that.

In the real world, my bladder is more limiting than a Tesla battery.

Precisely. If your bladder is not currently the limiting factor, wait a few years. It will be.

My friend claims he prefers his Honda Civic that gets 40 mpg. He has thing against Tesla he claims he cuts off all Tesla drivers because he doesn't agree or doesn't like automated driving.

I hope your friend doesn't kill somebody. I'd suggest he watch some Wham Bam Teslacam videos, but somehow I think he'd find them amusing and keep driving in an unsafe manner, rather than learn how dangerous that sort of driving is.

It does really suck as a road trip car though, especially with the pre heat-pump SR+ in the winter - stopping every ~175km to charge is just way too often compared to the 600km of my gas car.

That's not been my experience (see above), although that is with the LR RWD (with 250 miles of rated range) and living in a significantly warmer climate -- although Rhode Island is hardly tropical. For road tripping in more frigid climates, more range is obviously highly desirable.

 

[JetFalcon]

Cuts off people on purpose? Sounds like a Douche....
Love my 18 Prime, super cheap to run and reliable as heck.....without plugging in it gets low 50s mpg.....Honda is junk in my experiences( and families) but I would never cut them off and endanger people lol

I never seen him do it, during our conversation debating Tesla vs gas, he says he cuts off Teslas because he thinks automation is stupid and is against it. But the autopilot is the main reason I can drive my car for so long without much worry about being tired.

I don't know how much lower my energy cost vs a 40 mpg Honda Civic, they could be about the same, but the EV performance is good value considering it uses a cheaper energy source and it feels faster the the Mercedes AMG since my dad has one.

 

[AS9.9.]

I'm just wondering about the people who are one the fence of buying a Tesla / EV because of how long it takes to charge.

Because they say filling up at the gas station is faster. But then, you have to do it at some point in your commute, meaning you will have to stop. Even if you only drove locally the entire week. This is something I felt was nice to not have to stop for gas all the time. And since I don't do road trips often maybe 4-6 a year, then it doesn't seem that big of a deal to have to wait to charge that few times a year. Rather than get gas all the time.

I would say road trips yeah it can feel like it is taking forever, and it's hard to always find something to do while charging. And some supercharger stops may have nothing to do. If every stop you did had an opportunity to charge then maybe you can feel like you are driving indefinitely. But then gas can get expensive for road trips especially when you don't prepare and fill up in the city. I was in Primm, gas was around $6 and someone asked me and my friend if we knew where cheaper gas was. So then, to drive a gas car at the lowest cost you may have to do more research which is like wasting time charging your car for cheap.

My friend claims he prefers his Honda Civic that gets 40 mpg. He has thing against Tesla he claims he cuts off all Tesla drivers because he doesn't agree or doesn't like automated driving. I don't mind his perspective. He doesn't seem to have an issue with gas prices because maybe if your car gets 40 mpg then you don't need to care about gas prices because your gas lasts longer? I know he doesn't enjoy the charging on road trips or doesn't really care about the idea of finding L2 charging next to a business we may visit. He is old fashioned and prefers just filling at the gas station. So do my parents. People think gas is more convenient even if it's more expensive. But then, for local commutes I think an EV makes more sense because you just charge at home.

Your 'friend' is a sociopath.

 

[whisperingshad]

I never seen him do it, during our conversation debating Tesla vs gas, he says he cuts off Teslas because he thinks automation is stupid and is against it. But the autopilot is the main reason I can drive my car for so long without much worry about being tired.

I don't know how much lower my energy cost vs a 40 mpg Honda Civic, they could be about the same, but the EV performance is good value considering it uses a cheaper energy source and it feels faster the the Mercedes AMG since my dad has one.

Civic insurance is expense in california.....that Tranny gonna go too. Dont worry about others, I didnt buy my Tesla to save money...my Prime is cheaper to run with electric at 40c

 

[johnnycnote]

...He has thing against Tesla he claims he cuts off all Tesla drivers because he doesn't agree or doesn't like automated driving...

Your "friend" is a child. Someday, he'll cut-off the wrong dude in a Tesla and it's not going to end well

 

[outdoors]

Funny how some of the haters I haven't seen in a while have EV's now. Love the whole charging at home thing. Even brag about how convenient it is.

Many have selective memory. Acting like they never disliked them. I just smile. Then move to the next item to tick off that they own. The lawn mower.

 

[rlsd]

My family members almost peed in their pants when they waited too long for me to stop at the supercharger when I drove back from Vegas.