The big barrier to EV ownership in Colorado
I’ve been an EV owner for almost six years now. I’m an early adapter among my friends, and I’ve enjoyed letting people drive my car. They are invariably impressed by the quiet and extreme acceleration. But they don’t see themselves buying one, and I think the biggest reason is the same reason EVS have not become more widely accepted in general: uncertainty about charging it.
Every auto dealership should have a prepared spiel for prospective EV owners about how to set up home charging. Until that part of EV ownership becomes clear in the minds of every prospective buyer we can expect EV sales to languish.
Here’s the deal. You can’t just plug your car into a 110-volt wall socket, it will take forever to charge. To be able to charge overnight you need a 220-volt socket like your clothes dryer or oven uses, and you will have to get an electrician to install it in your garage. All of that was pretty simple in my case because the best location for it was right next to the electrical panel, so it cost me less than $250 in 2018. It will cost more if the outlet has to be routed, or if your electrical panel doesn’t have room for the new circuit, or if it is to be installed outdoors.
About a year ago the city of Louisville came into some money for encouraging EV conversion in their community. They chose to install more charging stations in a few public places and that will help for sure. I haven’t done any real analysis, but I wonder if they couldn’t have gotten more out of that money by helping homeowners install charging capability at home. Let’s say the average cost of installation is $1,000. For a million dollars you can enable 1,000 homes.
Auto dealers should have someone on staff to help buyers with the home charging problem. Here’s a list of electrical contractors. Here’s how to get financial help with it. Here’s what Xcel is doing to support you with cost-effective charging strategies.
Addressing the home charging hurdle will encourage a lot of people to choose EV driving.
— Paul Schultz, Boulder