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Family reports Energy Secretary’s EV entourage blocking charging station to police.

A family called the⁤ police on Secretary of ⁣Energy Jennifer Granholm’s entourage⁣ after they were blocked from charging ​their vehicle by ⁢a non-electric vehicle⁤ (EV) that took up the spot on behalf of the official’s⁢ EV.

Ms. Granholm recently went on a four-day EV road trip from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Memphis, Tennessee, that⁢ was‌ aimed at ‌bringing attention​ to the‍ White House’s multi-billion dollar effort to push green energy and cars. In a Sept. 10 NPR report, journalist Camila Domonoske recounted her experience of the journey. In between the trips, the entourage had to “grapple with the limitations” of EVs.

When Ms. Granholm’s ‍caravan of EVs decided to fast-charge in Grovetown, Georgia, the⁤ group realized that there weren’t enough chargers for each vehicle. Out of the four chargers at the station, one was broken and the three remaining were occupied.

A staffer from the Energy Department parked a non-EV close to one of ⁢the working chargers to ‍reserve​ a spot for Ms. Granholm’s vehicle. ‍The fact⁢ that a gas vehicle was blocking the charging spot “upset” the family who was inside their EV on ⁣a⁣ hot day with their baby, according to the reporter, and they subsequently called the⁢ police.

The sheriff’s office couldn’t do anything about‍ the issue as it is not illegal for ⁣a non-EV to take a charging spot in the state, said Ms. Domonoske. Following the incident, department staff took measures like sending their vehicles to slower chargers until both the Secretary and the family had enough room ⁤to charge their‍ EVs.

Last⁣ year, a Wall Street Journal article by reporter Rachel ‍Wolfe also described a four-day road trip across ‌the United States riding an EV as a ‍negative experience. The article was titled “I Rented an Electric Car for a Four-Day‍ Road ⁣Trip. I Spent More Time Charging It Than I Did Sleeping.”

EV Charging

Charging is a major‌ issue for EV owners. In ‌a February interview with‍ ABC, Tony Quiroga, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Car and Driver,” said that he ⁢has been forced to wander the aisles ⁢of a Walmart while waiting for an EV he was testing to charge.

“Longer trips ⁤bring up flaws with EVs. People ⁣are leery⁤ of ⁢taking them on long trips … that’s why older EVs don’t have 40,000 miles on them,” he said.

Electric vehicles are charging at a charging station ⁣in Monterey Park, Calif., on April 12, 2023. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Speaking ‌to the outlet, ⁣YouTube personality‍ Steve Hammes said that he ⁤feels “nervous” ⁤about ​allowing his 17-year-old daughter Maddie​ to use EVs due to the long charging times.

“We’re ⁢going through the ‌planning process⁤ of how easily Maddie can get from‍ Albany to Gettysburg [College] and where she can charge the⁤ car,” he said. “It makes me a​ little​ nervous. We want fast ⁢chargers that take ⁤30 to ‍40 minutes … it would not make sense to sit at a Level 2 charger for ⁣hours.”

An ‍Aug. 18 survey by J.D. Power found that owner satisfaction with EV charging was “on the decline.”

“Public charging can be difficult, as crowded charger locations extend wait times, and frequent downtime can make it hard to find a⁢ working location ​to begin with,” it said.

The survey found⁢ that EV owner‍ satisfaction with Level 2 charging times fell to 455 points (out of ​a possible 1,000) while satisfaction with DC ‌fast‌ chargers fell 30 points to⁣ 588. The declines are in addition to the ⁣general dissatisfaction with public EV charging, which has already hit‍ its lowest-ever level since the survey began in 2021.

“The⁤ declining satisfaction scores‌ for public charging should be‌ concerning ⁣to automakers and,⁢ more broadly, to public charging stakeholders,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power

State-Wise Adoption Divide

While ​the Biden administration is strongly pushing ahead ⁣with the EV transition, issues like charging are posing a challenge for such plans. Other major problems with EVs are their driving ‍ranges and ⁣high cost.

A June study by ⁤the ⁣American Automobile Association (AAA) found that EV range can ⁣fall by up to a quarter when the vehicle ‌is carrying heavy loads. “Range anxiety remains a top reason consumers are hesitant ⁢to switch from gasoline-powered vehicles to EVs,” ‌Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson‌ for AAA,⁣ said at ⁢the time.

According to‌ Autolist’s 2023 EV Survey, ‍people⁤ who resist switching to ⁤EVs​ as their vehicle were found to have become “more entrenched in ⁤their views.”

While 42 percent⁢ of ⁢survey respondents cited the high cost of EVs as a major concern, ​39 percent were worried about the‍ range of the vehicle on a single charge, and 33 percent were concerned about where to charge the EVs.

An August study by J.D. Power found that the United States is “increasingly divided” over EV adoption, with a “stark ‌division” seen between the top 10 states ⁢where EVs are being adopted.



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