{"id":2283820,"date":"2024-06-26T10:20:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T14:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/reporter-tests-ev-chargers-in-americas-heartland-comes-away-less-than-impressed\/"},"modified":"2024-06-26T10:27:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T14:27:26","slug":"reporter-tests-ev-chargers-in-americas-heartland-comes-away-less-than-impressed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/reporter-tests-ev-chargers-in-americas-heartland-comes-away-less-than-impressed\/","title":{"rendered":"Reporter Tests EV Chargers in America&#8217;s Heartland, Comes Away &#8216;Less Than Impressed&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Freporter-tests-ev-chargers-in-americas-heartland-comes-away-less-than-impressed%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2283820&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article \u2063from the \u200dWestern Journal, authored by C. Douglas Golden and featuring experiences \u2063from journalist \u200bAaron Turpen,\u2062 critically examines the practicality of using and relying on electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in America&#8217;s heartland. Turpen&#8217;s experiences with different\u200d upscale electric vehicles, including a\u2064 Mercedes-Benz EQE, BMW i4, and Genesis\u2064 GV60, at Electrify America chargers in Cheyenne, Wyoming, revealed inconsistencies\u200d and inefficiencies. Issues ranged\u200b from slow charging rates to complete failures in connectivity and payment \u200bprocessing.<\/p>\n<p>Despite \u2062governmental subsidies and a push towards cleaner energy through electric cars, gaps in the\u200c deployment and reliability of nationwide fast-charging infrastructure were apparent. Turpen&#8217;s experiences echoed broader concerns about\u200b the readiness\u200b of current\u2062 EV technology and infrastructure to support a widespread\u200b transition from traditional \u200bgas-powered vehicles. The\u2064 article highlights ongoing challenges with\u200d the charging \u2063stations themselves, including their apparent unreliability and\u2062 the slow rate of charging compared to the existing gasoline refueling systems.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the article\u2063 links the EV charging infrastructure problems to broader political and societal concerns, invoking a commentary \u200con \u2063the importance of the 2024 election and its implications for American \u2063values and history, as expressed by former U.S. national security\u200d advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. The piece\u200b concludes with an \u200dappeal\u2062 for reader support for The Western\u2062 Journal, emphasizing the \u200bpotential impact of direct engagement\u2062 and membership in safeguarding the platform&#8217;s journalistic \u2063mission against challenges\u200d posed by Big\u200c Tech and advertising blacklists.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/%20\"><span>C. Douglas Golden<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 26, 2024 at 6:38am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>It\u2019s never been easier to own an electric car, we\u2019ve been told.<\/p>\n<p>There are plenty of models to choose from. The government will subsidize your purchase, as well. And, above all else, it\u2019s easy to find working chargers anywhere you go, right?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, well, about that: One reporter in America\u2019s heartland decided to see how easy it was to juice up a series of EVs. As it turns out, things weren\u2019t quite as rosy as they are with regular gas stations.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2024\/06\/02\/aaron-turpen-electrify-america-chargers-in-cheyenne-a-case-study\/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Vnv31T6LK3He39f1iQ01DLCmkSc8ybIVvdvoAJ4GUgARxAQcqLu6X82c_aem_ATrY2L4DI-ZToB5uVVauaYRK5gtR-j150l6qxX7F_3V1k19R_JL0Obkj_DD6kpN6hP0bcBFPp0tpR5KCfrrxbZt9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cowboy State Daily<\/a>, Wyoming-based automotive journalist Aaron Turpen test-drove a series of EVs to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/things-just-got-worse-ev-company-brink-nasdaq-100-delisting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Electrify America<\/a> chargers at Target parking lots in the state capital of Cheyenne. Things didn\u2019t go smoothly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy goal was to try the charging stations, talk to the people who also use them, and find out what the current (see what I did there?) state of EV charging is in this part of the world,\u201d Turpen wrote in an article published earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy conclusion is that it\u2019s still pretty hit and miss.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Turpen used three <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-ford-to-invest-500m-in-electric-vehicle-startup-rivian\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">electric vehicles<\/a>, none of them downmarket slouches: the Mercedes-Benz EQE, a BMW i4, and Genesis GV60. All of them use the same charging protocol and plug, the SAE CCS1.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, all of the charging stations in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/target-reverses-course-removes-hundreds-pride-items-collection-2000-last-year\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Target<\/a> parking lots use the SAE CCS1 standard, which is the protocol for almost all fast-charging EVs that aren\u2019t Teslas. It\u2019s worth noting, however, that Tesla\u2019s NACS standard has won out and automakers will begin changing over next year \u2014 but that\u2019s not exactly the point of the story.<\/p>\n<p>The chargers should have a charge rate of 350 kilowatts an hour, which is relatively standard Level 3 charging speed.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Turpen said he visited the charges during non-rush hour times \u2014 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., all during the work day, although many were busy during lunch hour \u2014 and all of the cars used were from the manufacturer\u2019s press fleets, meaning they should, theoretically, be in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nbas-most-valuable-player-which-five-players-made-the-daily-wires-mvp-rankings\/\" title=\"NBA\u2019s \u2018Most Valuable Player\u2019: Which Five Players Made The Daily Wire\u2019s MVP Rankings?\">tip-top shape<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring the first week with the Mercedes-Benz EQE, I charged the vehicle two times at the EA stations. The first charge started with the EQE\u2019s battery at about 53 percent and it was charged to 82 percent after a total of forty minutes of charge time,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<p>This is partially due to the battery management design of the Mercedes, which limits it to 180 kW charge power. While batteries generally charge faster the lower the charge is and ramp up the fuller they get, this is a relatively slow rate of charge for a modern EV.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore: \u201cThere were several other cars at the charging stations that afternoon (the Mercedes was one of four) so the slow down could have been due to the other vehicles also using power.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Turpen concluded that both the vehicle design and the other cars charging at the time was responsible for the slow charge rate.<\/p>\n<p>At least that went smoothly, if slowly, though. The same couldn\u2019t be said for the BMW i4.<\/p>\n<p>Turpin\u2019s first visit with the car, which starts at $54,000, came with just one other car at the Target <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/colossal-failure-ev-charging-stations-face-mechanical-problems-half-inoperable-1-area\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">charging station<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI plugged in and spent about five minutes attempting to get a connection. The car would connect with the charger and begin taking a charge and then inexplicably stop the charge and claim a disconnection,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The other owner, who had a Volkswagen, said he was giving up and going to another Target to attempt a charge there. Turpen attempted a connection a few more times and finally gave up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI returned a few hours later and attempted to plug the BMW in again. Same result. During that visit, two other drivers pulled in to plug in and both had the same issue. Clearly it was Electrify America having troubles,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA few days later, now at about 23 percent charge, I pulled in and plugged in the BMW i4 again. This time, charging worked fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, \u201cfine\u201d depends on your definition of the word: The first plug was out of service and the second one required 70 minutes of charging to take the i4 from 23 percent to 98 percent. He also noted that while the i4 is supposed to have a higher maximum charge rate of 210 kW, it didn\u2019t go any higher than 180 kW \u2014 the same as the relatively slow Mercedes.<\/p>\n<p>And then there was the Genesis GV60. While the Hyundai-owned brand doesn\u2019t make any claims about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/man-plugs-80k-electric-truck-house-finds-will-take-4-days-charge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">maximum charge speed<\/a>, Turpen said that after he did \u201csome digging,\u201d he found out that it was 230 kW, which wasn\u2019t bad.<\/p>\n<p>The first visit with the GV60 went fine, with just a half an hour to take the car from 58 percent to almost 100 percent. Things were spottier next time around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the next visit, with the GV60 at about 40 percent charge, the EA plugs were again not working. Connections were failing and no credit card or membership app processing was happening at the plugs. More communications issues. Other drivers there were also not able to get a charge,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI returned two days later and had no issues plugging in and getting recharged. This time, I was there about 40 minutes and charged to 96 percent from about 31 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Turpen also noted that other Electrify America users noted that the Level 3 chargers were \u201cfinicky.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom plugs not working to intermittent outages and broken connectors, it\u2019s not a network with a perceived reputation for reliability. On the other hand, the phone app and connected ChargePoint and EVgo membership cards all work at the EA stations when the stations themselves are working,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Turpen was \u201cless than impressed\u201d with what he found.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy conclusion from my own experience plus the experiences of those I spoke with at the chargers was that EV fast charging is definitely not really ready for prime time,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAt least not in Cheyenne with the Electrify America stations. With more competition and with most plug-ins moving to the Tesla (NACS) standard, though, it will be interesting to see how the Tesla charging stations hold up with the higher usage rate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, this is yet again more pie-in-the-sky thinking. The coast-to-coast network of commercially available, reliable Level 3 chargers hasn\u2019t materialized, no matter how hard <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/bidens-7-5-billion-ev-charging-stations-results-zero-built-two-years-despite-spending\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg<\/a>, the Biden administration and the Democrats try to make it happen.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, there\u2019s the option of installing a Level 2 charger in your home \u2014 but the point of these networks is that cheap and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-to-ban-sales-of-gas-powered-cars-by-2035\/\" title=\"New York to Ban Sales of Gas-Powered Cars by 2035\">reliable charging<\/a> should be available anywhere in America. Maybe this works if you\u2019re puttering around San Francisco, but the situation is more dire once you get into the heartland of America. Despite plenty of money being thrown at the problem, the problem persists \u2014 and this isn\u2019t the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/reporter-learns-brutal-ev-road-trips-can-driving-new-york-washington-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">first horror story<\/a> we\u2019ve heard along the same lines.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine, if you would, a similar story regarding gas stations being this unreliable and slow. We\u2019d be questioning the very viability of the automobile. But the thing is, they aren\u2019t \u2014 and they haven\u2019t been this unreliable for well over a century and counting now.\u00a0 The switch to the NACS protocol may solve some of the problems, but it will create others, and there are still reported problems with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/tesla-owner-goes-viral-car-fails-charge-frigid-temps-wasnt-even-worst-part\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tesla\u2019s Supercharger<\/a> stations, as well.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s yet more proof that the EV changeover dream is just that: a mere dream we\u2019re chasing at a very expensive clip.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>I heard a chilling comment the other day: \u201cWe don\u2019t even know if an election will be held in 2024.\u201d <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>That wasn\u2019t said by a conspiracy theorist or a doomsday prophet. No, former U.S. national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said that to the founder of The Western Journal, Floyd Brown.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Gen. Flynn\u2019s warning means that the 2024 election is the most important election for every single living American. If we lose this one to the wealthy elites who hate us, hate God, and hate what America stands for, we can only assume that 248 years of American history and the values we hold dear to our hearts may soon vanish.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The end game is here, and as Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>All of this means that <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>without you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>, it\u2019s over. We have the platform, the journalists, and the experience to fight back hard, but Big Tech is strangling us through advertising blacklists, shadow bans, and algorithms. Did you know that we\u2019ve been blacklisted by 90% of advertisers? Without direct support from you, our readers, we can\u2019t continue the fight.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Can we count on <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>your support<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? It may not seem like much, but a <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Western Journal Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  can make all the difference in the world because when you support us directly, you cut Big Tech out of the picture. They lose control. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A monthly Western Journal Membership costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We are literally counting on you because without our members, The Western Journal would cease to exist. Will you <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  in the fight? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Sincerely,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Josh Manning<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Deputy Managing Editor<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>The Western Journal<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44670\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44670\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44670\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44670\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44670\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he&#8217;s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he&#8217;s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-biden-leaves-for-delaware-as-russians-prepare-to-take-kyiv\/\" title=\"Joe Biden Leaves for Delaware as Russians Prepare to Take Kyiv\">enjoys spending time<\/a> with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties). <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Morristown, New Jersey <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Catholic University of America <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Spanish <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  American Politics, World Politics, Culture <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commentary by C. Douglas Golden, June 26, 2024: Owning an electric car is supposedly easier than ever with numerous models available and government subsidies. Additionally, finding operational chargers is presumed straightforward. But, is this really the case?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":663,"featured_media":2283821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ev-charging.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32821,32820,5046,6287],"class_list":["post-2283820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-americas-heartland","tag-ev-chargers","tag-reporter","tag-testing"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/ev-charging.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2283820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2283820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2283821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2283820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2283820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2283820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}