The Southern California EV Charging Problem!
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the host discusses the Los Angeles EV charging dilemma, highlighting the challenges faced by electric vehicle owners due to inadequate infrastructure. With government incentives driving EV adoption, the lack of reliable charging options, particularly at Electrify America stations, is causing frustration. The video emphasizes the need for better solutions, such as workplace and apartment complex charging, to support the growing EV market and prevent defection from electric vehicles.
Takeaways
- ๐ The Los Angeles EV charging infrastructure is facing significant issues, causing long wait times for electric vehicle (EV) drivers.
- ๐ Sponsors like Star Charge and Amber are promoting EV charging and extended warranties, indicating a growing market for EV support services.
- ๐ The video discusses the real-world problem of EV charging in Southern California, which could be indicative of broader issues in the US if not addressed.
- ๐ข Government incentives have driven the adoption of EVs, but this has outpaced the development of adequate charging infrastructure.
- ๐ Electrify America, a major charging network operator, is experiencing high station occupancy and equipment failures, contributing to the charging problem.
- ๐ Many EV owners live in apartments or condos without the ability to install home chargers, leading to reliance on public charging stations.
- ๐ The new generation of high-power charging hardware is failing, causing further strain on the already limited charging options.
- ๐ซ There is a lack of queuing systems and maintenance at charging stations, leading to user frustration and inefficiency.
- ๐ Some EV owners are charging to 100% due to lack of understanding or out of obligation once they secure a charging spot, which slows down the turnover of chargers.
- ๐ ๏ธ The video suggests that workplace and apartment complex charging could be key solutions to alleviate the strain on public charging stations.
- ๐ The poor charging experience is leading some EV owners to reconsider their choice of vehicle and influencing potential buyers negatively.
Q & A
What is the main issue discussed in the video script?
-The main issue discussed is the problem of inadequate and unreliable electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in Los Angeles, leading to long waiting times and frustration for EV drivers.
Who are the sponsors mentioned in the script?
-The sponsors mentioned are Star Charge, which is the largest EV charging manufacturer in the world, and Amber, which offers extended warranties for Tesla batteries and other services.
What is the significance of the government incentives mentioned in the script?
-Government incentives are significant because they encourage people to buy electric cars by making them more affordable through tax credits and state incentives, but also contribute to the strain on the charging infrastructure.
Why do some EV owners face difficulties charging at home?
-Some EV owners, particularly those living in apartments or condos without the option to install home charging, face difficulties because their living situations do not allow for personal charging setups.
What is the issue with the Electrify America charging stations as described in the script?
-The issue with Electrify America charging stations is that they are often full or have non-functioning chargers, leading to long waiting times for EV drivers, and the new Gen 4 hardware is also prone to failure.
What is the impact of the charging problem on EV owners' experience?
-The charging problem negatively impacts the EV owners' experience by causing inconvenience, wasting their time, and in some cases, leading them to reconsider their decision to own an EV.
What is the role of workplace charging in solving the EV charging problem?
-Workplace charging is suggested as a solution to alleviate the charging problem by providing an alternative place for EV owners to charge their vehicles, potentially reducing the strain on public charging stations.
Why is there a need for durability requirements for charging stations?
-Durability requirements are needed to ensure that charging stations are reliable and maintain functionality over time, preventing the frequent breakdowns that frustrate EV owners.
What is the importance of maintaining a proper queuing system at charging stations?
-A proper queuing system is important to ensure fairness and efficiency at charging stations, preventing situations where drivers have to wait excessively or lose their place in line.
What are some alternative solutions suggested for improving the EV charging experience?
-Some alternative solutions suggested include installing more Level 2 chargers for slower but more reliable charging, implementing workplace and apartment complex charging, and improving the durability and maintenance of DC fast chargers.
How does the video script highlight the contrast between the EV charging experience in Los Angeles and other parts of the country?
-The script contrasts the negative EV charging experience in Los Angeles, where there is a high concentration of EVs and insufficient infrastructure, with other parts of the country where charging is less of a problem due to lower EV density and better-maintained charging stations.
Outlines
๐ Los Angeles EV Charging Crisis
The video script discusses the significant issues faced by electric vehicle (EV) owners in Los Angeles, particularly the lack of adequate charging infrastructure. The narrator, waiting in line to charge his EV, highlights the problem as a specific concern for the region that could potentially spread across the US if not addressed properly. The script mentions the sponsors, Star Charge and Amber, who provide EV charging and extended warranty services, respectively. It emphasizes the frustration of EV drivers who, due to government incentives, have purchased EVs but are now dealing with long waits and broken chargers at Electrify America sites, which are often full. The video aims to bring attention to this issue to government and industry stakeholders.
๐๏ธ Home Charging Limitations and Incentive Issues
This paragraph delves into the challenges faced by EV owners who live in apartments or condos without the ability to install home chargers. The government's incentives for EV purchases have led many to lease or buy EVs, but the lack of charging options at home and the over-reliance on public charging stations have created a problematic situation. The script shares anecdotes of individuals who must wait in lines at charging stations weekly, which is causing dissatisfaction and even prompting some to consider returning their EVs. It also touches on the issue of people taking advantage of free charging programs, which contributes to the congestion at charging stations.
๐ ๏ธ Solutions to the Charging Infrastructure Problem
The script suggests potential solutions to the EV charging crisis, such as workplace charging incentives, which could alleviate the strain on public charging stations. It proposes that the government should mandate or strongly encourage the installation of charging infrastructure in workplaces, as this could provide a convenient and hassle-free charging option for EV owners. The paragraph also discusses the need for more level two chargers as opposed to high-power charging stations, which are prone to failure. The conversation highlights the importance of durability and maintenance requirements for charging stations to ensure they remain operational and reliable.
๐ The Impact of Charging Woes on EV Adoption
The final paragraph addresses the broader implications of the charging problem on the adoption of electric vehicles. It points out that the frustrating experience of charging in Southern California could deter people from choosing EVs in the future and influence public opinion negatively. The script contrasts the situation with other parts of the country where charging is less of an issue, suggesting that the problem is localized but still significant. It ends with a call to focus on solutions rather than complaints and highlights the need for a queuing system and better infrastructure planning to accommodate the growing demand for EV charging.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กEV Charging
๐กElectrify America
๐กCharging Infrastructure
๐กGovernment Incentives
๐กApartment Complex
๐กWorkplace Charging
๐กLevel Two Charger
๐กCharging Queue
๐กDurability Requirement
๐กMaintenance
๐กEV Adoption
Highlights
Sponsorship acknowledgment for the video by Star Charge, a leading EV charging manufacturer and provider of residential and commercial battery storage solutions.
Introduction of Amber, offering modern extended warranties for Tesla batteries without long-term contracts or upfront payments.
The Los Angeles EV charging problem is highlighted as a specific issue affecting electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Southern California.
Government incentives for EV purchases have led to an increase in demand for charging infrastructure.
Many EV drivers in LA face challenges due to a lack of home charging options, leading to long waits at public charging stations.
Electrify America, a major charging network, is experiencing high station occupancy and maintenance issues, contributing to the charging problem.
The new generation of charging hardware is not immune to failure, as evidenced by broken chargers at multiple locations.
The video discusses the negative impact of free charging incentives on the availability of charging stations for others.
The importance of workplace charging as a solution to alleviate the strain on public charging infrastructure is proposed.
Apartment complexes and shared housing present significant challenges for installing home charging stations.
The inefficiency of charging to 100% in EVs and its contribution to longer wait times at charging stations is explained.
The need for durability and maintenance requirements for charging stations to ensure reliability is suggested.
The disparity between the charging experience in Southern California versus other parts of the U.S. is highlighted.
The video emphasizes the urgent need for solutions to the EV charging problem to support the transition to electric vehicles.
The potential for workplace charging to improve EV driver satisfaction and reduce dependence on public charging is discussed.
The video concludes with a call to action for improved charging infrastructure and a warning about the potential backlash against EVs due to charging issues.
Transcripts
thank you to our sponsors for today's
video star charge and Amber star charge
is the largest EV charging manufacturer
in the world and is also a provider of
residential and Commercial battery
storage and microG grid Solutions this
video is also brought to you by Amber
Amber offers a modern extended warranty
for your Tesla battery and more without
the burden of long-term contracts or
upfront payments check out the link in
the description below to browse their
plan options and get started with a free
overthe a diagnostic check hello and
welcome to another out of speec reviews
video behind me you will see a line of
electric cars that does not mean this is
an exciting race to Vegas or comparison
test I'm actually waiting in line to
charge so I really have nothing else to
do except make a YouTube video for you
about the Los Angeles EV charging
problem and I've actually just spoken to
almost all of the EV drivers here and
surprisingly they're all in the same
boat and this is a real problems
specific to Los Angeles but I think
could expand across the us if we're not
careful and if we don't take charging
infrastructure seriously we've mentioned
this topic there's bugs flying around
we've mentioned this topic a few times
on this channel but we're living it in
the moment right now and I want to bring
to everyone's attention especially the
US government Department of
Transportation Electrify America Tesla
all of the other different charging
Network operators out there Evo and and
really share this major problem to
electric vehicle adoption here in
Southern California I'm not this is not
a sensational piece I'm all for more
electric cars I've been driving electric
cars for I don't know 10 years I'm all
about it this is a problem it doesn't
work and here's what's going
on you joined me in a parking lot with
Colton and Jordan behind the camera and
um that I5 just is giving up
no joke this is a disaster very much so
we've seen so many people come and go
just not even wait in line that Blazer
has been thinking about it for a while
yeah they were here they've left they've
now lost their place in
line there's no queing okay we've got a
lot of problems compounding first off
let's start with what a lot of people
here have mentioned to us there were
extreme incentives from the government
to buy electric cars so this nice woman
over here about an eqb from Mercedes
very cheap on a lease we also have a BMW
a Volkswagen a Ford another Mercedes
down there and of course our Lucid that
we're driving most of those Vehicles
come with some sort of charging plan
that sends and navigates the drivers and
sort of incentivizes you to use one
particular charging Network which is
Electrify America yep we are all at this
Electrify America site and this is
happening at this very moment not just
at this site but many other Electrify
America sites if you go on the App
you'll see station full at probably 30
40% of stations maybe even more in
Southern California and there's plenty
of station locations on the map but
they're all kind of full because there's
only two working stations at this high
power charging site Colton mhm yeah but
there's only three here there's only
three there's a level two charger which
on the app shows as one of four really
oh it shows as of what the heck so so
you think oh there's going to be four
stations and one of them is a level two
one of the high power ones is completely
offline by the way this is the New Gen 4
Hardware this is the brand new stuff and
I should say I just let's just let's go
over there let's just do the video
through Kansas and I visited every
single EA in Kansas and a lot of them
were these and one station was broken at
every single location really yeah so
okay Electrify America there there's a
lot of people to blame here partially us
because we're like electric cars are
great go buy them I'm not saying we are
blameless in this uh in this you know
Department but what we have here is
essentially a high power charging
dispenser linked up to a high charging
high power charging cabinet and this
seems simple on the face of it to charge
an electric car you just take this plug
it in charge it but seemingly this is
more complicating than putting a man on
the moon yeah because it's always broken
I don't get it do you get it no I really
don't and often these fail Jordan you
just did a video or posted on Twitter I
think yesterday talking about how you
got like 60% of the time these actually
work those or the uh the NFC scanner for
your pass which is so n access to blame
whoever does this NFC card reader is to
blame BTC is to blame EA is to blame
every car maker is to
blame okay so um let's start with what
we've heard from most of these people we
met a guy with a lyric we met the lady
with the Mercedes um they both bought
their cars because of government
incentives it was cheap on a lease you
have $7,500 tax credit you have uh a
state incentive and you know then you're
driving a really nice car the government
says Hey drive an electric car we you
know you're driving a much nicer vehicle
than the equivalent combustion vehicle
you would buy it's like Nissan Versa or
Mercedes eqb like which would you go for
oh yeah and most people maybe not most I
don't actually know the percentage but a
lot of people cannot charge it home so
the woman with the eqb had a home
charger shipped to her right the problem
is she doesn't have a home she lives in
an apartment has an apartment with no
place to install charging her apartment
complex does not offer charging
therefore once a week she has to come
and wait in line and charge her car she
said she's 2 months into EV ownership
every single time she says there's a
fight there's an argument there's
something happens at a charging station
that is making her want to you know
return her car the guy with the lyric
just said this is the last time he'll
ever do a road trip in his lyric just to
like go from Palm Springs to La and back
yeah right which is not that far he's
said it's his wife's worst decision
she's made to buy a car like it's a nice
car but having to deal with this like
especially even at home would be
extremely annoying so we're very lucky
that in Colorado we have plenty of
charging infrastructure very very rarely
do we find a line or something but it's
typically enough to handle the traffic
in our area one or two cars here or
there we also don't use the charging
infrastructure in our area all that
often because we're charging at the
office or the house or your shop or so
it's not so common that at DC Chargers
but I'd still say I go a couple times a
week to charge do a test do something uh
and and this isn't so much of a problem
there Jordan you just drove across the
country I did recently I didn't wait in
any lines driving across the country I
mentioned every single Charger station
in Kansas had one at least one post
broken but I also only saw one person
ever the whole time I was driving
through wow that was that was 10 DC fast
charging locations and I saw a lucid
owner so I think it's important that
this conversation is really centered
around Southern California right because
this is a very high concentration of
electric cars a very high concentration
and a very high percentage of government
incentives incentivizing those electric
cars and a very high concentration of
people that either a don't have a place
to install home charging or their car
came with a free charging program which
we've met many of these people at
charging stations it's the old person's
Club they buy an ionic 5 or an id4 they
go to the charger they get their 30
minutes of free charging even though
they could e easily charge at home I
know two people in call not calling them
out but I every time I see the charger
I'm like I'm going to rip your car out
of this charger with my twizzy I don't
know I'm just it seems so wrong but
that's the incentive structure right you
go you get your free charging plan
because you're cheap and then you clog
up the station make people wait in line
because you refuse to charge it home and
so those are the types of people that
that's what this situation is
surrounding but it is interesting cuz
here in California especially it's like
people can't use either of those
incentives because a lot of people he I
istically live in apartment complexes
like housing is expensive here so a lot
of people are in shared housing in a in
a sort apartments or condos with no
place or option to install a level two
charger a lot of times even if you're
renting a house they don't necessarily
want you to do that yes so you're handed
this level two charger that you can't
use or you're given free charging in
public which you don't want to use out
of everyone here waiting in line we are
the only ones that are actually on a
road trip we're the only ones that are
not local to this station this is very
normal for everyone behind us which it
really shouldn't be well I think the
hard part too is so like the lady over
there with her Mercedes she has to come
here like she said once a week so she's
not doing a quick top up she's not going
to 50% she's full charging same thing
with like this id4 here it's going deep
into the pack so it's like this just
becomes a pain so you like once you get
the stall you feel obligated I need to
get as much juice as I need to but then
it inconveniences everybody else well
and I think a lot of people may be
watching this video don't even know why
charging to 100% is bad and it's really
because most electric cars charge faster
when they're dead and then as they fill
up they really slow down so it could
take the same amount of time to go from
95 to 100% just that last 5% as it does
to go from 0 to 80 in some cars right
and some people will just wait there
those Toyota bz 4X owners charging over
5 hours zero to full I've seen it so
many times yeah I I saw a sutera full
charging on my road trip at one point
and um yeah it's a waste of your own
personal time but also makes this system
challenging like that clogs the Chargers
even more people who think they have to
do that so we really are getting hit at
all angles in Southern California and
like I said this station is the station
we come to often because it's near our
favorite driving roads it is the only
charger kind of in this area that's very
high power and uh unfortunately the
Lucid is in very low single digit
percent I think it's at 3% right now I
can't actually make it to another high
power charger we're here all day we have
we're we're number five in line and each
car really takes about you know an hour
45 minutes cuz everyone deep charges and
there's only two working stations so
that's our situation as it stands what
can solve this situation Jordan do you
have some ideas I don't know okay I have
a great one workplace charging
incentives yep a lot of people I I'm not
saying everyone but there is a a large
percentage of people that have to go to
work somewhere there should be a
government incentive rather than just to
install high power charging that is
going to fail and I say is going to fail
because it does fail this is a brand new
replace charger and it has failed um it
should be like almost mandatory or I
hate forcing people to install charging
but it should be like if you're going to
force people to drive electric at least
have a way for them to charge with no
hassle because it's already an
inconvenience for some people to drive
electric if you're going to incentivize
it they need to be able to charge at
work workplace charging why would you as
an emplo as an employer why would you
not want to offer workplace charging
it's a a nice perk it doesn't cost all
that much for level two charging your
employees will stay there longer I know
certainly I would when my car is
charging I'm at ease here comes a Nissan
Leaf that actually can't even charge
here except for the level two station
because they ripped the Chad out of this
one yep so how many level two chargers
for example could you install instead of
one of these like I don't know if people
understand the cost difference 70
because if we had a lot more level two I
do think and people's awareness of where
the level two Chargers are that would
alleviate some of this cuz there are
some people who don't drive that much
and so if they went and did level two
charging on their errands per week that
would cover their driving I think there
should also yeah workplace charging is
one okay apartment complex is a very
easy second to go after you know
multi-unit dwelling I think is the
appropriate term to use for condos and
apartments it's very difficult at times
to install charging because you have
shared parking spaces and there's a lot
of HOA situations but this is something
that is really probably the most
difficult situation when it comes to
charging and it needs to be solved and
we will have more coverage coming on you
know level two charging I mean I think
one of the easiest ways to solve this DC
problem is with low power charging it's
easier on the grid easier on your car
easier on your time you don't waste four
hours like this woman over here um you
know every week it's really really sad
the other topic is on the DC side let's
say you do have to DC charge we're on a
road trip right now in the Lucid a I
left San Francisco came here to LA on a
single charge very impressive but now
that I'm in La my whole rest of the day
is
ruined and um not just because I'm in LA
but also because I have to charge the
car I actually like La um so I think
there needs to be a durability
requirement for charging stations there
is currently no required test other than
UL or one of these you know typical
safety related items I think there needs
a longevity and durability compos
component to install a DC charger
because I've seen you've seen you've
seen we've all seen so many brand new
high power charging stations go in and
then like two weeks later it's offline
or something stupid happens and also
maintenance Jordan yeah so yeah other
than the bad publicity I remember what I
was going to say other than bad
publicity there's no actual ding against
the company like if this stops working
bummer but like they're they're not hit
by anything and it's worse if they was
like funded by something and that
funding doesn't really require a
guaranteed well so the intention this
site you're absolutely correct but I
think for nevi funded sites there is
like a 97% uptime requirement first of
all how do you quantify uptime what does
that mean uh is that that you know 50%
of stations at that particular site or
is it at the Port level and so these are
all things that are being figured out
and I believe some of those decisions
have already been made however do you
trust the companies to self-report up
time
right you know if you charge in a
station's derated to 1 kilowatt but
you're successfully charging at 1
kilowatt is that considered up because
we've had so many stations especially on
Electrify America especially on Gen 4
BTC units which is what they're kind of
only installing now we've seen them
drate to 40 Kow all the time all the
time and is that considered a successful
charging session and are they going to
be penalized for that as I believe they
should be Jordan your thoughts yeah I
mean that's i' I'd be curious how those
penalties actually work and yeah the
self-reporting thing is challenging I
mean there's the crowd Source reporting
there's the vehicle type reporting like
rivian's doing where they give it a
rating but even then I've driven rivan
plenty of times two stations that were
a-rated and then I was d-rated so it's
like I don't I can't even trust the car
necessarily but then again I don't know
how the car is getting its data and what
it's considering as a so I don't know
yeah there the the way rivan is rating
their things is they look at Peak power
and also attempted charge there's a
whole algorithm I did a podcast with
Wasim about that but I think they need
to go it's way more complicated than the
car because it also gives an a rating if
you got full power and then D rates yeah
it doesn't ding you for that
unfortunately um so this is the Southern
California problem I don't think we need
this video to drag on people realize
okay there's a lot of people waiting in
line more cars are coming and looking
and leaving and it's a real issue um
anything further to mention Jordan this
video has gone on for 20 minutes now and
the nothing's changed yeah nothing's
changed so same to car we got we got
like four more cars ahead of
us and uh is what it is so it's a
problem that's that's all I'm saying is
don't my personal opinion is as much as
I love electric cars I love seeing my
friends Drive EVS I'm really a a
proponent of the technology I think it
is clearly a future uh you know
powertrain solution for many people uh
if this is the experience that the
government is incentivizing I I don't
know how that's even a good thing at all
and it's really souring everyone's taste
because a lot of people I've talked to
who are going back like they're quitting
EV after trying EV it's because of this
and then they're telling all their
friends that Eevees are the worst
meanwhile we have all these top down
things like oh everyone has to be Eevee
by like 2035 or something so it's like
yeah that's going to get walked back
it's a very challenging that there's no
way those were those those were just not
going to
happen they have been getting walked
back and we should like re-report on
that cuz we report on everyone as they
were like oh we're going next and like
by this time and it's like I don't even
know and that was how many months ago
yeah yeah
yeah I mean it's the you know Matt Farah
said it best in one of his podcasts it's
the page one story on the announcement
and the page 11 story when you walk it
back shout out the smoking Tire it's not
my quote I love it though it's really
great uh so that's the end of the story
don't drive an electric car in La unless
you can charge it home don't drive an
electric car to La unless you have an a
charging solution where you're going
predetermined you're going to leave it
don't drive an electric car just no no
drive an El everywhere else in the
country is fine Jordan we go everywhere
Kansas every everyone I met in the
midwest was so happy with their e it's
literally easier to drive to Fairbanks
Alaska an electric car than it is to
charge in Los Angeles it's crazy think
about that it's really crazy not I mean
it's not actually easier to do that I'm
just
joking but but think about some remote
destination less time waiting at
Chargers yeah yeah yeah Le I mean that's
the thing it's uh we got a squeaky S
Class pulling in nice I think we should
end it there thanks so much for watching
an Out ofpc reviews video This Is Us
complaining cuz we have to wait in line
should make a few more videos about this
and just release them one a day until
we' been in La for 30 days and here's
theer yeah until Electrify America lines
every single parking space with high
power charging in this parking lot there
we go and then it's a whole another
problem of how do you even install high
power charging how do you do utility
grid upgrades how do you do site
distributed load shared DC power I can
come up with a million problems but we
really should focus on the solutions
rather than
complaining for now we're doing but
right now it's very easy to complain as
we're waiting we are now at another
station this I5 we've created our own
queuing system now so I I don't know if
we are there's an iv4 next to us that
needs to charge there's only two working
stations again out of three one is down
the Kona is on the level
two um and so we have a dead station we
have a Mercedes that's plugged in at
70% and the ionic those charge really
fast who who cares but then there's an
rron an i4 the id4 and then us and we're
at 7% at this one and we have to get to
an event and there's no way we're making
the event and this the Jordan just
checked the app right Jordan everything
else is yeah like three4 of the Stations
of the EA installments are full right
and then sometimes when it shows one
free it means like someone is unplugged
and is moving y to the next car in line
so it's and there's no queuing system
that's a real problem yep there needs to
be and I don't know how that would work
other than old school hand a piece paper
but it's it's bad well I think it's
crazy over there there's a
flyer an ad for an app that says want to
avoid excess waiting at EV charging
station lines get EV Pal app to check
cars in line before you get here
shouldn't that already be an you're
already using how's that going to know
how would that I don't know is is
someone going to hang out here and let
you know what maybe that's what all the
people that just lurk around charging
stations do well maybe they're just like
maybe just we need attendance like we
needed at the first gas stations it's a
real problem what a frustrating
experience
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