One of the biggest qualms many people have about electric vehicle charging is the time lost spent sitting in the car, waiting for the charger to replenish electrons. Hell, that’s why Tesla, Ford, Polestar, and just about every EV manufacturer is starting to add video games and apps like TikTok or Zoom—just to make that time spent while charging more useful. But what if we ignored the games, and instead, made effort into placing our EV charging stations in useful places? My local Kroger grocery store just added a set of DC fast chargers, allowing EV drivers to conveniently charge up while grocery shopping. Let me tell y’all, this is absolutely the way of the future.
It’s no secret that EV charging takes a long time compared to a simple refill of a gas-powered vehicle. Even under ideal circumstances, most cars will take at least 20 minutes to reach 80 percent on a hyperfast DC charger, way longer than the five minutes or so we’d spend at any given gas station. Thus, that extra time is often one of the biggest points of contention amongst EV skeptics; “I can’t wait that long, I’ve got things to do!” they’d say.
The missed opportunity cost eaten up by sitting in an EV and waiting for the car to recharge, isn’t acceptable to them.
But, like, what if you didn’t have to wait and twiddle your thumbs? Why not fold EV charging into another activity?
I’ve been doing that for a while now with my Mitsubishi i-MiEV. I’ve picked a local coffee shop that has access to charging, allowing me to work from home, sip a coffee, and charge my car. By the time I’m done with a substantial portion of work, the i-MiEV is good to go for the next 45-50 miles of use. Similarly, my Kroger grocery store has installed DC fast chargers, making it a boon for the off day I have a press car and need a full charge. By the time I’ve finished my grocery shopping, DC fast charger has just about finished recharging the car. [Editor’s note: The HEB grocery store near my parents’ place in Texas has the fast Tesla Supercharger stations, and I can confirm this is a superb way of adding range and being productive at the same time. Go grocery stations! -PG]
I didn’t sit in the car, twiddling my thumbs, lamenting that I’d wasted half an hour of my time, that could have been spent doing something else. There was no lost utility recharging, and the time spent charging was used valuably for grocery shopping. The experience was so seamless and convenient, that I had convinced myself that every grocery store or department store should have DC fast charging facilities.
True, concerns about charging don’t exactly evaporate. I’ve written about them before, there are plenty of class and work schedule constraints that don’t seem to pan out for the folks who don’t have a specific 9-5 office job, or live in an area with a robust charging infrastructure. Even the grocery store where I recharged was in a neighborhood that definitely has been accused of being gentrified, but that’s beside the point.
Being able to turn the charging experience into a passive thing that happens while you’re doing something else, is something that should be available to EV drivers of all incomes. Maximizing opportunity cost is good for everyone, y’know?
I suppose that’s easier said than done, though. In my experience, most DC fast charging stations are in the middle of nowhere, next to things that aren’t exactly desirable. In Autopian Slack, Patrick George commented that he slow-charged a Polestar 2 next to an awkward light pole at a random CVS in Brooklyn. Not ideal. Even plenty of DC fast charging stations are in weird spaces, often poorly lit, and in areas where some drivers just don’t feel comfortable enough to leave their car.
To me, EV charging will likely always be relatively slow compared to refilling a fuel-powered car. Instead of working to close the gap with what are likely diminishing returns on charging speed, why not work within the limits of the service, offering tangible, useful things to do while charging? Sure, some charging stations and service providers have that idea, like Subway’s charging oasis.
But charging stations paired with useful points of interest should be the norm, not just a gimmick to sell sandwiches where they refuse to tessellate the cheese correctly.
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There is 2 Target stores near my neighborhood in PHL. I was surprised when I went to the one that I never go to and it had Electrify America chargers at it. If I were to guess beforehand where they would have installed those chargers I would have said at the other Target which is next to a highway in a much larger shopping center in a more visible area and not this one.
I never thought about it until now, but this idea is perfect! Not only can local folks charge while doing their regular shopping, but grocery stores also offer (usually) clean restrooms and grab-and-go meal items for those traveling through.
As many have said, this idea goes beyond grocery stores Any place you are going to be spending time (shopping centers, restaurants, work, hotels, large interstate rest areas) would be a candidate for this solution. As the charge time gets faster and the range longer, you already have the infrastructure in place.
You also need to patrol these to make sure they are not being used as parking spots. Ticket and/or tow the abusers. Make sure you give someone reasonable time. 5 to 10 minutes beyond full, ok stuck in line or bathroom. 30+ minutes abuser.
Not just grocery stores, but every retail space with a big ass parking lot should have covered parking with solar panels on top and chargers at all the spaces.
I completely agree with the premise that chargers need to be located where people are likely going to congregate. My town here in California has EV chargers at most of the public buildings like libraries and community centers, although there’s usually only one or two at each location. The shopping center near my house already had a section of chargers and Tesla recently added a whole other section of about 20 superchargers. I don’t own an EV, but if I did I imagine it would be super-convenient to charge the vehicle while grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, dry-cleaning, yada yada. You could run all your errands while the vehicle is charging. My dad owns a Toyota Murai, and that vehicle is such a pain to refuel. The hydrogen pumps always seem to be located in out-of-the-way (dark) industrial areas, or they’re out of hydrogen when you get there.
Both the charger and the electricity are costing someone some amount of money to provide both, along with the costs associated with maintaining the chargers. If a business wants to provide one or both at a discount/for free, to attract customers, that should be their choice, not something that is mandated. Unfortunately, a lot of EV owners seem to feel like they’re entitled to free or subsidized charging, especially those that don’t have their own charger(s) at home.
This isn’t about free or subsidized charging. This is about good places to build stations where people can conveniently buy their charge.
Yes, complain about those onerous EV subsidies. I’m sure you have just as much ire and scorn for the federal gas tax, which has stayed the same for the last 30 years…
The only fuel tax that needs to go up is the one on commercial vehicles.
As a Bolt EUV owner, the more L2/DC Fast Chargers everywhere, the better. In general, there’s just going to need to be a ton more infrastructure everywhere to keep up.
When I drove a PHEV, I was always on the hunt for L2 chargers – and would usually find them in downtown areas, etc. It was kind of a game to always find a charger, and keep it running electric as much as possible. On road trips, it basically just ran as a ICE vehicle.
Driving the Bolt now, I definitely still seek out L2 chargers when available, but it’s usually when I need them (on longer trips at a destination, if I’m running low, or…if it’s free charging). A local grocery store has some DC fast chargers, and it’s never been enough to change my behavior to go there – and when I did, I still wouldn’t charge since it would cost ~4x more than it does at home.
It’s not bad to have them there, but until they’re on highways/interstates every 50 miles or so…that’s really where they’re most needed.
Eventually, I think we’ll get there – there will be enough on highways for roadtrips, and in areas like grocery stores where they make some sense. From what I understand, L3 chargers are still pretty damn expensive – having a bunch of 80amp L2 chargers that can deliver ~50-70 miles/hour might be a better solution. Only a few EV’s can accept that level of charge right now, but I’m sure that will change over time. Until I got the Bolt, I never really thought about L2 charging speeds…but going from 3.3kw to 11.2kw is (obviously) a huge difference!
TLDR, more chargers everywhere!
Around Toronto they should put chargers on the freeways so you could charge while stuck in traffic. /s
DCFC is for road trips, no one is full scale grocery shopping on a 3-400 mile leg. You are driving a compliance EV, which is a different story. If you’re relying on DCFC for the bulk of your daily charging, your battery may be on borrowed time.
L2 would work for grocery stores, but who really care about 20 miles? Its a nice perk, but no one will depend on it. Work, home, hotels are the only places L2 should be. Home can be “street parking” for apartment dwellers, btw, but no one’s parking at a store overnight.
I’m partly with you here, but I know in my area (Vancouver, BC) there are a lot of apartment dwellers with Teslas that are at the Superchargers regularly. Might as well be at the grocery store.
I guess it makes sense if thats a trend, but seriously, dont supercharge your car 365 a year unless you’re selling before the warranty ends. I knew people did this, just thought it was fringe.
an average trip tot he Grocery store is 30-60 minutes for me. I would definitely use the DCFC to get a full charge for the week so I would hopefully not have to wait longer somewhere else. I have a house, so I probably would have the home charger, but not all people are so lucky.
I would encourage street L2 (for apartment dwellers) over grocery store DCFC, but we certainly need DCFC along highways every 75-100 miles nationwide.
“L2 would work for grocery stores, but who really care about 20 miles?”
You’re right that it isn’t much, but it can be cumulative. 20 miles at the grocery store, another 30 at the movies, maybe go downtown to the entertainment district for a few hours and pick up 40-50 more. It adds up and you just plug in where your normally spend time. I do L1 at the office and other charging where the opportunity presents itself. Rarely do I have to compete with the other 2 EVs at home for charger time, and mine is the family car getting the most use.
Excellent point. Today I ran 7-8 errands, and if each had an L2 I would be fairly topped off. I drove ~40 miles total, and parked for ~2 hrs. Now, if we can only get chargers at enough practical locations, that would be amazing.
I first saw this several years ago at The Merc Coop grocery store in Lawrence, Kansas. There are solar panels in the parking lot that act as sun shades, and there’s several EV chargers under the solar panels. When I first noticed the setup I thought it was a great idea. The roof of the store is covered w/ solar panels as well.
I work for a co-op, and we have a similar setup at one of our locations. Solar canopy over much of the parking lot, and a line of chargers near the front of the lot.
They actually get far more use than I was expecting.
We actually offer the average length of a shopping trip for free, and then charge for time beyond that. It’s been very popular.
Another win for Lawrence! I had to settle for Topeka 15 years ago when I lived in KS.
Basically everyone just want you to spend even more money to not feel bored while waiting for your car to charge, instead of fixing the problem of long charge time in the first place. This, Tesla diner, whatever. Nope.
That’s the root of the problem, for sure. But sometimes a good solution doesn’t address the root problem, just the negative effects.
Chargers_Chargers_In_ALL_Parking_Lots.jpg
And it doesn’t have to be a particularly fast charger at somewhere like a doctor or grocery store. At a doctor’s office, a slower (and cheaper!) 24kw charger would probably be sufficient, as you’re going to be there a while anyway. Maybe a 4 50kw ones at a grocery store, with one or two 150kw units, as most people spend at least 30 to 45 minutes at a grocery store.
My local better walmart has a big bank of Electrify America chargers. 150kW “fast” $0.37/min
My local Wegmans does too.
That might be it, but they are there! And if they were in my city, they’d probably be vandalized and destroyed the first week…
The grocery store is great for the folks who don’t charge at home, and the real answer here is broad: as you said, “useful points of interest.” For long travel corridors, the Subway Oasis and other restaurant/charger combinations. It’s charging stations at hotels. Theme parks. Wherever a person is likely to park for a while.
A nice thing is that a lot of them won’t have to be DC fast chargers, either. You spend the day at a theme park while your car is on L2 charging and you should be doing pretty well. Or the night at a motel.
A lot of people keep looking at the gas station model, but it works because you need a place to bury tanks full of gas and people can quickly fill up and move on. If we replicate that when businesses already need power and EVs necessarily take longer to fill up, we are creating problems in the name of familiarity.
Well said!
Here in the UK, one of the better DC fast charging operators, Instavolt, have a deal with McDonalds, and so are rolling out fast chargers to McDonald’s carparks across the country. Makes total sense. OK, so I’m not a massive Maccie’s fan, but knowing that there are reliable chargers somewhere I can get a coffee and something to eat is a definite win. Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, has an agreement with PodPoint and VW, and has slow 7kW chargers in a lot of their stores now too, and some have faster chargers. 7kW though won’t get much into your car whilst you’re doing your groceries though.
I’m very glad my building has EV charging in our car park, and even better, they haven’t worked out how it can be billed. So it’s paid for by the management company! I’ve had my Polestar a week and a half now, and I’ve only had to charge it once, as my commute isn’t bad. The charging spaces are shared by everyone in the building, and you just have a swipe card to unlock the box covering the charger socket.
Having said that- my parents have a Skoda Enyaq, with the 58kWh battery. With the exception of opportunistic use of the Tesco podpoints and DC fast chargers at service stations, they have charged it for the past year and a bit since they got it off a 3-pin ~3kW ‘granny charger’, plugged into a standard UK household outlet. You’d be surprised how much driving you can do with just that low level charging available, if you can plug your car in overnight every night.
Yes – grocery stores, shopping malls, doctor’s/dentist’s offices, fast food restaurants (Sonic would be perfect for this) and any other number of similar places, where people spend time, but not too much time. That’s the down-side of having a few charging stations at work, since there’s the need to switch out vehicles throughout the day. But for the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s sake NOT at existing gas stations! For one thing, since I’ve gone all EV, I honestly can’t stand the stench of gas stations anymore. It’s like when I was a kid and my parents stopped smoking – the smell of cigarettes, which I had never noticed before, became unbearable. (One of my neighbors has a gorgeous, but carbureted, Studebaker Avanti, and when he drives by the house I can smell it coming from halfway down the street.) Also, gasoline fumes and potential spark sources don’t mix very well (actually they mix VERY well but with unfortunate results).
That’s a good point about separating the fueling.
I’m always amazed at how many people can’t gas up their vehicle without getting in and out, using their phone, or even turning off the engine (yes, I saw this recently and couldn’t believe what I was seeing). So FSM help us when EVs or chargers start to get run down/not properly maintained or when someone inevitably tries to stick a charger in their refueling port.
It’s called *internal* combustion for a reason!
/s
Old cars without catalytic converters smell so much better. I never thought I would see the day where someone complains about gasoline fumes on an automotive enthusiast website.
Two-stroke racing bikes too. And oooohh that sound.
It’s possible to enjoy automobiles and driving without having a gasoline fetish.
I’ve really never understood that logic… It’s like wondering how someone can appreciate a home-cooked meal without loving the smell of a compost bin.
I mixed 2 stroke gas for years as an arborist, and my current work involves regular filling of boats, ATVs, generators and other construction equipment. I’m pretty over it, I’ll be happy to stop smelling fumes on a regular basis when the time comes.
I think its more analogous to someone that loves bacon but hates the smell of it cooking? Your compost bin analogy I think is better suited to nasty gear oil or burnt transmission fluid.
What kind of oil did you use as an arborist? I see a lot of landscaping guys using the cheapest oil they can get and I agree it can be pretty bad. Castor oil and some race gas in a two stroke is pretty awesome. Even some of the synthetics like amsoil or R50 smell pretty good. Constant exposure can be rough for anything though. Remember, whats true for 2-stroke exhaust is true for all exhaust, always in moderation.
I’d argue it applies- The taste and smell of food are proven through our biology to be an intrinsic pleasure of eating, where as I’m not convinced that the smell of gas is nearly as critical to a love of cars.
I agree the human brain can associate smells (even unpleasant ones) with fond memories and good experiences, such that those scents can trigger a positive reminder of that experience. (And visa versa)
However, it remains that gas is not the only way to experience the positive attributes of driving or automobiles- So that link is not universal. Some people will never associate the smell of gas with driving- but can still appreciate the thrill of speed, sense of freedom, attractive design, etc.
I worked for a big company, so we stuck to Stihl or Husqvarna brand products almost exclusively, plus the highest octane fuel we could reasonably purchase in the area. Our saws were almost all computer carb, and tended to run pretty well. For me, it isn’t so much the exhaust, just the fumes of pumping gas. I was always careful, but as you say, too much exposure is never a good thing. Lately it only takes one decent whiff and I start to feel nauseous. I try to stay up wind.
Remember, the OG automobiles were steam and electric. Stinky petroleum products came later 🙂
They had a head start and still lost to petrol.
EVs only lost temporarily, until the technology caught up.
They’re back, baby!
Respectfully, this is pretty obvious: any place that is not your home and where you’re already going to spend an hour or more (30 minutes or more?) would probably be a reasonable candidate. Work was the easiest place to start due to the anticipated long durations, and dense commercial areas in general are probably less likely to have issues with infrastructure than residential areas.
Restaurants and stores would make sense, and some airports are already adding charging stations so your car can juice up while you’re gone. We could probably add doctors’ offices, too.
In my town, there are always long lines of cars waiting for chargers, Tesla and otherwise. In fact, the Tesla lines are worse, often 10+ cars deep. And that’s with EV adoption of 5% or less. I can’t wait for the exciting new future.
Interestingly, I finally saw my first EV charging at a public charger a few days ago.
Interesting. Who was charging your EV?
A future where road rage is supplemented by parking lot rage as people start eating each other for access to scarce chargers.
Welcome… to Thundered-Ohm!
Watt the fuuuuu…
I seldom see lines — and definitely not worse at Tesla chargers.
In my town (Portland, OR) I haven’t seen a Tesla Supercharger station more than 1/2 full and have never waited to charge my Bolt EV.
(Oregon has the second highest EV adoption after California and I see dozens and dozens of EVs every day)
This is an extension of putting DCFC’s in places that people would stop anyhow. It’s why a lot of Superchargers are nearby restaurants, malls and other places to evacuate and/or eat. Some stores will do this anyhow.
Even better would be solar canopies and storage to provide weather protection and reduce the demand charges at peak times.
I’m not sure a solar canopy would be beneficial. A typical parking space is 15m^2. Even in Austin, TX and average solar panel output is 0.79 kWh / m^2. So, 11.8kWh per space per day in Texas. That’s a small part of one car per day. Not sure what the payoff timeline would look like on that.
it would provide shade and energy the entire time that the sun was out. now if they had these things connect to a DC battery so the banks filled regardless of anyone parked there or not, then the DC fast charging side of things becomes easier to manage. Or they do the opposite and use these as Grid enhancers. the owners of the solar would make money selling back to the electric company or to customers. seems like a decent idea to be honest.
“the owners of the solar would make money selling back to the electric company or to customers.”
In many (most?) states, electric companies are protected monopolies. You can’t sell electricity to the public.
I haven’t shopped in a grocery store in nearly 7 years. Online ordering turns 1.5 hours into about 30 minutes including the time spent picking it up. Spend that extra hour going for a hike in the park. Maybe put the charger there?
I like that idea! Municipalities should put chargers at city parks and playgrounds!
I can’t even imagine the amount of time I spent at parks and playgrounds when I had little kids. So families or individuals out for a hike or a walk would have this option. Whether the city runs them, or they contract them out (more likely), the city gets a cut of the profit.
Does your online store have the variety of the in-shop shelves. My local stores put maybe a third of what is offered in-the-store on their online version. It frustrates me, as I’m a picky shopper.
Yes, everything in store is the same. Actually, you can find it easier online so I feel like I have an even bigger selection. In-store shopping sucks as things are hidden on end-caps or there are 2 or 3 locations for similar items. Additional benefit, It’s easier to price shop as it lists all similar items and their per unit cost.
how do you know if you have been so lazy as to not venture out and see in 7 years.
Lucky. I’d love to just shop online.
I’ve wondered if the hybrid (heh) solution in the medium term will be more of the increasingly common mega-gas stations but with chargers and liquid fuel options. Those places are becoming more and more like grocery stores, and can easily occupy people’s attention for the charging time involved, as well as still cater to those of us with ICE vehicles.
Wawa in the Pennsylvania are does this. Many of them have Tesla Superchargers, along with the gas pumps. Inside the gas station is not just a convenience store, but a full counter service restaurant. Good hot sandwiches and smoothies for example
A Buc-ee’s opened near us recently and I was surprised that they had zero charging. Of course, it’s Kentucky so…..
They do this….I’m ready with my phone, videoing all the KARENS that will be barking about their parking spots they’ve waited on for 30 minutes. The constant traffic jambs of people waiting for a charge spot to go grocery shopping…. Fresh from the trailer parks Altima ice cars just whipping in sideways in charge spots and getting out and spending 32 hours shopping for little Debbie’s and mountain dew..
What a time to be alive!
Karen is a really overused pejorative. Often used by those looking to cover up their inadequacies and failures by attempting to shame someone into not pointing out said faults.
You don’t go out in public much, do you?
self-own
/selfˈōn/
INFORMAL
noun
an act by which one unintentionally embarrasses oneself or harms one’s own interests.
“this was a remarkable self-own by a news organization whose credibility was already under assault”
verb
unintentionally embarrass oneself or harm one’s own interests.
“they don’t have enough awareness to realize they were self-owning”
Yeah, I used to find the ‘Karen’ memes funny, but it’s kinda devolved into low-key misogyny. It started off innocently, but like most gendered insults, it’s just another way to keep women in their place. ‘Bitch 2.0’ if you will.
Once I started hearing women around me say things like “The restaurant forgot part of my order, but I didn’t mention it- I didn’t want to seem like a Karen” the joke wasn’t funny.
My favorite meta-gag here has to be that candy bar commercial.
“Here, I’m sorry I called you Karen.” “But that’s my name.” *pause, then proffers bar again* “I’m sorry you’re named Karen.”
Karen seems to be used almost equally on TikTok to describe men and women, and regardless of gender it’s always the type of people who absolutely deserve to be shamed for their actions.
Pejorative is not used nearly enough. A great word.
Give it time and we will pick a new name. Becky used to be used the same way Karen is today.
I just wish we’d stop using people’s names as insults. There are all kinds of innocent Karens, Chads, and Brandons out there who now have to put up with a bunch of shit every time someone sees their name.
I say this in particular because recently I got to watch an idiot embarrass himself and everyone around him when he saw the clerk at the gas station was named Brandon and proceeded to go on an unhinged rant about politics. Considering the political leanings of the area I was in, I’d be surprised if that was the first time it had happened.
Easy problem to solve. Signage saying that if it isn’t an EV that is charging at the time, it will be towed. People will get the hint when word gets out that the tow company isn’t playing around.
Wanna create some new jobs that will most likely be lost in the transition to EV? There ya go.
Charging networks have already solved the problem of EVs sitting after they finish charging by charging idle fees. Generally about $1 a minute.
I’ve been saying this for a few years now! I got shit on for the idea on the old site, and I think once on here about it.
It’s a simple concept whether it’s a grocery store, movie theatre, or the Home Depot. Charge a super premium for the juice…unless you get a receipt or validation from the place of business that gets scanned (or code inputted) and then the price of the juice is subsidized. It can be a time-stamped type of thing and one use only. It makes so much sense to me.
So dang logical!
There’s also charging at work and the potential for employers to provide it as a benefit to employees. If we’re looking for ways to get people in the office, free juice might be an incentive,.
A guy at work had an i3 and slow charged it off of 110v. People/Person complained that they didn’t get their gas paid for, so why should he get free electricity. Management caved and told him to stop. He quit shortly after
Lol that’s like $1/day in electricity. God-tier pettiness. I almost respect it.
Happened at an air force base as well. I think the guy almost got court marshalled for it. That being said, the company could have instead put chargers in, just like they do vending machines, and charged a flat not profit or even very small profit charge.
If the guy was smart he’d have jury rigged a V2H solution and been using it to power his home as well as his car, all on the boss’s dime…
A guy can dream can’t he?
He’d have to work a lot of overtime to siphon enough electricity from 110v to make that worthwhile.
It’s like the little bitches who complain about the smokers taking smoke breaks. My line was when I was in management was; “When the only difference in output between the smokers and the non-smokers is smoke break time, I will look into it.” My smokers were some of my most productive workers.
This is exactly what will happen at my work. People will complain and a benefit will be lost for some, and those who complained will have gained nothing other than making things worse for a coworker.
An incentive to show up early before all the chargers are taken!
My employer has 42 free chargers that stay full most days. I calculated that my 50 mile commute cost my employer about $0.80 a day in electricity. That said, it isn’t an incentive to spend 1 hour + commuting to work and back only to sit at a desk and call into Teams meetings.
We have an official policy that says we have to work in the office 2 days a week with one of them Wednesday. Wednesday they have free beer in the lobby at 3:30 and the parking lot is still only about 25% full. Most people just ignore the policy and continue working more productively from home