Re:There’s a queue coming for Tesla charging
by phkahler on Friday November 12, 2021 @12:12PM
(#29201783)
It will be even more true for EVs because the charging times are longer. You won't stop in the convenience store while you're charging your car, you'll want to charge your car while you're at a store or out to eat because it takes longer to charge than to get gas.
IMHO the charger networks are a short-term solution and will ultimately go away. It's not that they are all making money by marking up electrons, it's that they're inconvenient.
I know people that have "all the apps" installed on their phone because they want to use whatever charger is nearby, not necessarily one on a particular network. As these things become more ubiquitous, people are going to want to pay via cash or credit in addition to using their phone. Your local restaurant doesn't need their chargers to be on a national network, they need them to be run by a local guy who also handles maintenance - like arcade game operators in the 80's or your local vending machine company today.
IMHO the charger networks are a short-term solution and will ultimately go away. It's not that they are all making money by marking up electrons, it's that they're inconvenient.
I know people that have "all the apps" installed on their phone because they want to use whatever charger is nearby, not necessarily one on a particular network. As these things become more ubiquitous, people are going to want to pay via cash or credit in addition to using their phone. Your local restaurant doesn't need their chargers to be on a national network, they need them to be run by a local guy who also handles maintenance - like arcade game operators in the 80's or your local vending machine company today.