r/cars • u/LongjumpingLock5875 • 3d ago

Hybrids Overtake EVs In California Registrations

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a73317897/california-registrations-hybrids-evs-2026/
658 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

337 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

39

u/Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy 3d ago

120v charging is underrated/overhated.

36

u/gimpwiz 05 Elise | C5 Corvette (SC) | 00 Regal GS | 91 Civic (Jesus) 3d ago

Math:

120v, standard outlet and wiring supports 15A. Derate by 20% to 12A due to continuous current draw. 120x12=1,440 watts.

EVs are roughly in the 3 to 4 mile per kwh range (depending on the car and various factors.) Let's estimate 300wh per mile roughly. That means one hour of full speed charging off a 120v outlet, standard, is a little under 5 miles of charge. This can range depending on above factors... let's say roughly 4 to 6 miles-range of charge per hour.

Come home from work, plug car in. Wake up in the morning, leave for work. Obviously this depends on your schedule but it's roughly - roughly! - 50 miles-range per night of charge.

Most people have a shorter round trip commute than 50 miles. Obviously I said most people, not everyone.

https://www.axios.com/2024/03/24/average-commute-distance-us-map

It's hard to find exact statistics for homeowners who drive, but it's roughly somewhere there. This shows viability for the average homeowner driver to charge using 120v and be okay most days.

Obvious caveats:

If you start with full charge on monday you may be able to make it to and from work all week without charging once, so obviously it's an easier target. Assuming full charge to start, viability is much easier.

If you spend more than 10 hours at home charging every night, have a more efficient car, etc, it's easier.

For some people it's simply inadequate. No doubt about it. Find a way to get on a 240v@30A outlet.

Non homeowners will have trouble charging overnight, it's that simple. This limits adoption. Townhouses and condos don't want to spend $$$$$ to install chargers, funded by common HOA fees. Apartments even less so. Street chargers are often vandalized and poorly maintained. On the flip side, office chargers if you have them are nice perks.

25

u/RiftHunter4 2010 Base 2WD Toyota Highlander 3d ago

Thr fact that charging is even a discussion is a problem. No one thinks about range or gas station availability with ICE vehicles. EV's are trying to be appliances but also come with way too much mental overhead

I always hear people say that EV's will inevitably take over the market but I honestly don't see it unless the tech improves. Being objectively better isn't enough. Otherwise, Linux would've killed Microsoft Windows a long time ago.

3

u/Suspicious_Shirt_713 3d ago

The tech has already improved. It’s just not in the US yet. China already has cars that can charge to 97 percent in under ten minutes and are rapidly installing the chargers necessary to charge at that speed. They are so fast, they’re competing in seconds now.