For better or worse, most drivers are still bound by the gas station paradigm. You know, drive the car until it's almost empty, then go to a gas station and fill up. Electric vehicle veterans know that the many different ways you can charge open up new possibilities, but for most folks, the idea that an EV can't "fill up" as fast as a gas car is an instant dealbreaker.
I don't blame them for that. Modern EVs are only starting to go mainstream, and we've had the gas-car experience for a century. Yet even as the public charging experience in the U.S. and Europe gets better and faster with each passing year, China's EV sector is light-years ahead.
On today's episode of the Plugged-In Podcast, my co-host Tim Levin and I are covering two topics related to charging. The first is BYD's apparent breakthrough in five-minute DC fast charging, which starts with two new EVs priced around just $38,000. That technology made headlines all over the world, and has led many investors to doubt whether Western automakers can ever catch up to China.
Next, we move to a Consumer Reports study that says the American DC public fast charging experience still isn't great, unless you're a Tesla owner. Shocker, I know.
Many networks are getting better, while some, like Shell Recharge, perform so poorly that we've sometimes wondered if they're a part of some counter-EV operation by the oil companies. (I'm being facetious when I say that. Mostly.)
Finally, we wrap up by getting Tim's impressions of the new Cadillac Escalade IQ. We feel bad as EV fans for saying this, but we both love the Escalade. It's large, in charge and unbeatable for comfort. Thankfully, it has an electric version now that plays all of those hits, except better—if you can pay for the privilege.
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Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
