EvenTesla’s Superchargerstake 15 minutes to deliver enough power for a 200-mile trip.
This means gas stations are over, but how do we replace them?
IKEA’s plan is one model, but there are others.
Tesla Fans Schweiz / Unsplash
Time and Distance
Gasoline is an amazingly dense form of energy storage, way better than batteries.
A basic Tesla Model 3, for example, has a 54 kWh battery capacity.
And it only takes minutes to fill up.
Suzanne Emily OâConnor / Unsplash
This means stopping at a gas station to quickly top up your tank is no longer viable.
Queues would be huge, with people waiting for cars to finish charging.
This means the entire gasoline infrastructure needs to change.
Ikea
Electricity, though, already goes everywhere.
Suzanne Emily OaConnor / Unsplash
In practical terms, charging should take place when the car is parked.
Or it could mean you constantly top up the battery as you park in different places throughout the day.
“Charging behavior is different [from] filling up your car with gas.
“But malls, supermarkets, etc.
are also great places to charge while [you] shop.
Tesla already makes its superchargersfree to use for some people, and IKEA could do the same.
Ikea
In Europe, its common to see city parking spaces reserved for EVs, with charging units alongside.
This is essential for city dwellers who live in apartments and dont have their own parking spaces.
In Melrose, MA, the local utility company hasinstalled charging stations onto electric utility poles.
Perhaps this kind of thing will become commonplace as demand for chargers increases.
