A long cord is handy when you need to charge your car, like this one I saw in southwest Albany on June 14, 2023.
In a story two years ago, I wondered about how to charge electric vehicles at home when the owners don’t have garages with outlets, let alone fast chargers.
The answer was obvious, I suppose. And on a leafy street off Broadway Street last week, I happened to see how that problem is easily solved: With a long cord that is plugged in, presumably, somewhere at the house and then looped across the fence and the sidewalk to the car parked on the curb.
In this case there was no sidewalk. So it made things easier. But when the house is on a fully developed street, the cord would have to cross the sidewalk, right?
This particular car was a Chevy Bolt EUV. According to Google, the car has a 350-volt lithium ion battery that takes seven and a half hours to charge at 220 volts.
In April Chevrolet annnounced it would discontinue making this model at the end of the year so the plant where it’s made can produce more expensive electric vehicles — pickups — instead.
As for the challenge of charging EV’s overnight at home if you live on a street in the older parts of town without a garage, in March 2021 I wondered how owners would handle that.
Oregon is making a push to provide more public chargers by the time combustion vehicles are no longer allowed to be sold in the state in 2035. But centrally located public chargers don’t help EV owners if they want to charge their rigs while they’re parked on the curb, especially overnight.
So, are we we going to enter an era of electric motoring where charging cords strung across sidewalks to cars on the curb will be a thing? (hh)
Chevrolet says it won’t make this model of electric vehicle after this year.
Do you really think this is going to be a REAL problem over time?
I doubt it. The vast majority of houses HAVE a garage and a driveway.
Where is the city ordinance that imposes severe penalties for homeowners who create a city-perceived unsafe condition?
Here is suggested wording:
“Any cords connecting to an EV shall be configured so that they do not cross a driveway, sidewalk, passenger unloading space, or city right-of-way. Violations are misdemeanors and subject to jail time of less than 1 year or a fine of at least $1,000.00.”
C’mon city council. Do your damn job.
Power asserted (no pun intended). Control reclaimed. Order restored.
If you are well-heeled enough to purchase an EV, then you are plainly dwelling amongst the privileged, whether you live in the “old part” of Albany or elsewhere. When one is privileged one does not concern oneself with minor concerns such as charging cables across sidewalks. The Privileged.do not imagine that others might be affected. Cheerio!
The first thing I noticed was that the vehicle is parked on the wrong side, unless that is a one way street.
Yes most houses have a garage but, for various reasons, are seldom used for storage of a car.
Keep in mind people to have a proper AMP rating on your cord for charging. A common “extension” cord sold at FM will cause you grief!!!
I recall back in the day I got a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the road. The officer that issued the ticket was my neighbor. Real neighborly.