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I am a new owner of an electric car. While I love the driving experience, the charging experience leaves much to be desired. Quite often, I find charging lots being occupied by cars which are fully charged or, worse, not even plugged in. There are also times when chargers are not working or have displays which are barely legible because of exposure to the weather. Although my car has a real-life range of about 400km, I find myself having range anxiety, especially on weekends, when I tend to drive a lot more. What should I do?
One of the main things electric vehicle (EV) owners need is a change in behaviour and expectations, especially if they do not have access to private charging points.
They can no longer drive till their tank is near empty, knowing the next refuelling station is around the corner and that they can fill up within five minutes.
They have to do opportunistic or destination charging. The former means plugging in whenever the opportunity arises, regardless of the battery's state of charge.
Destination charging refers to journey planning, which involves stops with available chargers - for instance, frequenting malls with EV charging points or patronising food centres near charging points. And when you drive to Malaysia, plan for rest stops at places with chargers.
While there is no guarantee you will find an unoccupied charger each time, you should be able to do so at least half the time (provided growth in the EV population does not outpace that of the charging network much further).
In any case, it is far more desirable than looking for a charger only when your car's battery is near empty.
It helps if you live or work near a place with EV chargers. This may involve some walking, but that is a reality you have to live with unless the chargers happen to be in the same building where you live or work.
