Google Maps Can Now Help Users Find Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Mostly, at this point, I think they're just expensive for what you get - for the lower priced ones. Here in the U.S. to get one without limitations (range or back seat room adults heads touch the roof/glass in the back of the Volt / Bolt etc.) you're looking at a Model 3 Tesla which starts (at this point) around $49k. Those are selling quite well in the U.S. - but that is a high end market.

I think the average new car in the U.S. sells for in the mid $20k's. Based on past capacity increases and price declines we'll need a good chunk of a decade (2025 or so) to get battery costs down (short of a real breakthrough) to where a $28k electric car without real limitations (range / size) is practical. JMHO.

I bought an electric car this year and did a lot of research on it. The Tesla is not only too expensive to start with, but I'd want the $8,000 add-ons for autopilot.

I picked the Nissan Leaf. I get 175 mile range (more than advertised) and the comfort and performance are excellent. We're a two-car family and usually rent a car for super long road trips, so this works for me. I charge it once per week, for free, while I'm at work. Their next model is going to have a 220+ mile range, and by the time I get my next Leaf I'm sure it'll be up past 300.

They start around $29k but that's before the tax incentives of $7,500 to $10,000 off. Not only does that make them more affordable, but buying one puts money in your pocket at tax time. The federal incentive is being phased out, but I assume that'll come back when the adults are back in charge.

If you're relying on a mobile phone to find a power point EN ROUTE to your destination then maybe an electric car isn't for you.

I assume you never get gas on road trips then. :rolleyes:

Google maps is way ahead Apple maps. I wonder if Apple will ever catch up.

Its nice to see Google catching up to Apple here, since Apple already had this.

I just came back from another UK trip and electric cars are seemingly common! I wish they were here... I guess everything is too far away for them to be suitable.

Mostly, at this point, I think they're just expensive for what you get - for the lower priced ones. Here in the U.S. to get one without limitations (range or back seat room adults heads touch the roof/glass in the back of the Volt / Bolt etc.) you're looking at a Model 3 Tesla which starts (at this point) around $49k. Those are selling quite well in the U.S. - but that is a high end market.

I think the average new car in the U.S. sells for in the mid $20k's. Based on past capacity increases and price declines we'll need a good chunk of a decade (2025 or so) to get battery costs down (short of a real breakthrough) to where a $28k electric car without real limitations (range / size) is practical. JMHO.

Google maps is way ahead Apple maps. I wonder if Apple will ever catch up.

It appears this functionality is already available in :apple: Maps :)

Searching “EV Chargers” produces two results in my vicinity: one ‘POD Point’ location and one ‘Polar Network’ location.

I assume you never get gas on road trips then. :rolleyes:

I’m not quite sure of the relevance of that response, however in the UK we don’t even have a decent national cycle network (apart from London) so the thought of an organised nationwide electric car charging point network sufficient to cater for a massive surge in their numbers doesn’t fill me with a lot of hope to be honest.

My daughters family used to have a Nissan Leaf on lease two years ago ... their 80 Mile journey to us seemed perfectly do-able thanks to the 120 mile range claim. In reality the remaining-meter dwindled quicker than expected and with 30 Miles remaining and 20 Miles to complete they couldn’t take the risk and ended up using a Nissan Car Dealer in the city nearby. What a palaver. Took hours to recharge after the queue had died down. Luckily the place was open, still.

Again. Nice idea. Makes sense. In the real world ... Not so much. Even electric bikes here aren’t taking off due to the governments inherent hate of two wheeled transport ... unless you’re in London!

And this week they’ve admitted they’re SLASHING the subsidy to buying electric cars. Not good. Short sighted politicians say one thing and do another.

Short term savings. Massive long term loss as congestion increase and greenhouse gases do the same. The solution is out there. Investment (here at least) certainly is not.