The biggest argument I have heard from prospective EV buyers has been “There is not enough places to charge”. This is possibly the most irritating argument against battery powered vehicles because the trade-off of not having as many charging stations around as petrol stations in you simply do not need to use them.

The Ultimate Convenience

I’ve been riding around Beijing on an electric motorcycle for the last few months and not once have I had to look for somewhere to charge. The ability of being able to “refuel” at home has meant I’ve always had a fully charged battery every morning before heading out to work. It actually makes it feel even more of a burden when I drive to work in my petrol car and have to find a fuel station every few days.

There is EV charging infrastructure around Beijing but in my 2 years of living here and witnessing the number of electric cars on the road go from almost none to everywhere you look, I’ve only twice seen charging stations being used. Alternatively, I’ve seen home charging stations being installed in a lot of underground residential car parks so the local Chinese have obviously discovered the joys of refuelling at home just as I have.

When is the Last Time You Drove More Than 200 Miles?

The only scenario where it would be an issue that charging stations would be vital is during a long-distance drive. It is understandable that there are consumers who want the option to drive a considerable distance (especially in the US due to the lack of public transport) but in general, it is not very common these days. If you are driving to another city or even a large town, it is frequently a nightmare finding parking, entering cities or dealing with traffic so more drivers are choosing to leave their cars at home.

There will always be some exceptions to the rule but in general, if someone is commuting more than a modern EV range on a daily basis then thats the individuals problem rather than the industry. It is not healthy for a 200+ miles commute on a daily basis.

The Charging Network is Growing

Everyday more and more charging stations are popping up all over the world so even if a prospective EV buyer decided to rely solely on the charging network, their options are getting better. There are plenty of companies listening to the “lack of charging station” complaints and are trying to fill the ‘void’.

The Alternative is Expensive

I remember working low paying jobs when I was younger and the worst part of it was sinking a big chunk of my hard-earned cash into fuel. I mean yes, I could travel long distances if I wanted to but is was so expensive I financially didn’t have the option. If I had the option to travel to work in an EV for a considerably lower cost at the risk of not being able to do something I wasn’t able to anyway, of course I would have. Once the initial cost of buying an EV drops to around the price of a similar ICE vehicle, low income families are really going to benefit.

There will always be some naysayers to changes but I for one am excited to see where the future of EV based transportation will take us.