Gas Vehicle Ban Coming, But Where’s The Charging Stations? Hmmm

It even got mentioned on the nationally syndicated Glenn Beck Program on Tuesday March 29th.

Glenn had some 'fun' at our expense (he's a native Washington resident) over the legislature passing a ban on the sale of new gas vehicles after 2030, and the licensing of ones from out of state.

So With EV Push, Where are All the Charging Stations?

Although this 'ban' is not for another 7 years, that will get here fast.  We don't exactly have a ton of 'public' electric vehicle charging stations in our region. We looked. Where are they?

Tesla has Five.  According to the Tesla website, there are two "destination" charging stations in Richland and Kennewick, and one in Pasco (near the airport).  One of the Kennewick ones is a  "supercharger"  (fast charge) station in Kennewick by Fred Meyer near 10th and Ely.  If you don't own a Tesla, you can download their app, and a new pilot program allows other EV models to use their stations.

According to the Federal Alternative Fuels Data Center (US Department of Energy) there are a total of 18 in the Tri-City metro area (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick, Benton City, and Prosser)   This list includes the 5 Tesla locations, we cross-referenced the two maps.  The state claims there are 3,765 total public charging stations in WA state, but the bulk of them are centered around Seattle and King County.

Pretty sure there are a LOT more than 18 gas stations in our area.

 The charger you get with EV is not the 'best.'

Even the environmental website electricforall.com says EV's come with what's called a Level 1 120-volt plug-in charger.   HOWEVER, to quickly and most effectively recharge your vehicle, you need a Level 2 charger. According to chargehub.com, these more powerful units need to be hard-wired into your home's electrical system.

According to various sources including Angi's List (now Angi) the home project sourcing guide, the price of installing a Level 2 charger ranges from $483 to $1,169.

A more powerful panel that would really 'zap' the battery can run you anywhere from $1,300 to $1,800.

  When you travel, make sure you half the mileage--you have to be able to get back

If you're planning a trip, make sure you cut the mileage in half.   According to energy.gov (the Feds), the average median range for an EV is 250 miles, it's as low as 135 on some models. So, you could drive about 125 miles somewhere, because you have to be able to return.

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And finally, when you're planning a trip or long drive, you will have to map out where the charging stations are. Good luck pounding your way up into the mountains...unless you have a generator.