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Comment by djcapelis | Hacker News Reader

> If the state government was serious about this, they would be installing chargers all over the place.

Seen the charger network in California lately? They’re… quite widespread. And the state is definitely helping with infill to keep adding more. The state is even adding them to rest stops, which is unusual in California since rest stops here are normally very nearly free of any services or amenities.

So yes, they’re serious, and yes, they’re doing exactly what you suggested they’d be doing if they were, and have been for years now.

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I live in California and the charger network is barely adequate for the current number of electric cars. If everyone had them, there would be hours-long lines for chargers.

Electric cars are still a luxury for people who have dedicated parking spaces with chargers at home, and the voters all know it.

By the way, I am not against electric cars. I own one. I'm just being realistic about their practicality for the general population.

I am really surprised more parking structures (Condo/Apartment/Hotels/Garages/etc) haven't hopped on board the charging train.

Not only is it a nice incentive for the residents, they can also charge for it any make some money.

It is not cheap for them to build. It requires a lot of capacity to put a charger in every space. It often requires upgrading the entire electrical system for the property, trenching across parking lots, etc.

Also, many of the current residents in an HOA will oppose the project because it will cost them money but they themselves would not benefit because they don't have electric cars.

> there would be hours-long lines for chargers

I think the common misconception here is that chargers are often compared to gas pumps. Do you visit the gas pump every day with your car? Most people don't. Most EV owners charge at home, often during night hours, to take advantage of cheaper TOU electricity rates.

The clear difference here is that with an EV, you can wake up every morning with a "full tank". That eliminates the need to use a public charger unless you 1) forgot to charge 2) are on a road trip or 3) drive a lot. The average commute is ~15 miles the last I checked, so I think #3 will happen, but it won't be very common.

tldr: You can't really leave for your destination in an ICE with a full tank. With an EV, you can.

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