Last Sunday’s article about the growth of electrical infrastructure for battery-powered electric vehicles missed a very important issue for EV adoption.
I purchased an all-electric automobile in March of 2021. I love the car. As a gearhead, I’ve always studied, worked on and collected cars. My ID4 might be the best car I’ve ever owned. The issue for EV drivers is the lack of Level 3 chargers.
Your readers need to understand that it takes a Level 1 charger (regular household current) between five and six days to charge a near-empty EV fully. It takes overnight for a Level 2 charger, the current of your electric dryer, to fully charge an EV. I installed one in my home; it is suitable because I can “refuel” while sleeping.
A Level 3, called a “DC fast charger,” can charge my car in about 45 minutes. A Level 2 charger costs between $350 and $750 dollars. A Level 3 charger starts at $15,000 and goes up from there. People will stop and eat lunch or read at a library while charging if they only need to stop once to return to the road. It makes no sense for the state to invest in Level 2 chargers in public venues. The charge takes too long and, in my opinion, won’t be adopted. The need for Level 3 chargers is far more significant and would be the infrastructure investment needed to hit Gov. Mills’ carbon reduction goals.
Tracy Floyd
Cape Elizabeth
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