Why I'm regretting purchasing a Clarity

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insightman said:
I, too, would like a BEV to complement our Clarity. Honda's going to make one I really want, the Urban EV, but they're saying only for Europe next year. <sarcasm>Honda's such a responsive company, I'll just write them and they'll change their minds and make me one</sarcasm>

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This is what people think it might look like.
https://www.motor1.com/news/267750/honda-urban-ev-production-version-render/

I guess slightly larger than a Fit. Too bad they don't have the Honda Jade for US. It's a good body style against the Prius.
https://www.honda.co.jp/JADE/
 
weave said:
But during those 200 mile drives with my Clarity, I've been stopping at a public charging station about half way (for free no less) and just getting lunch while my car tops off. I don't NEED to do it, but I want those extra EV miles. Charging is not THAT big of a deal. It's a routine you can get used to pretty quick.

By the way, here's a pic of that public charging station. It's really neat. In Charles Town, WV at American Public University. A bunch of solar panels with about 20 charging stations under it (many are often ICEd but I never have a problem finding a spot). Here's a Google Street View of it too -- https://goo.gl/maps/BjNUgxTCR9G2 )

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Yeah, all sounds good till yo actually do long trips in BEV and realize the wait times you may incur to get a charging spot is too much.
Your one meal can easily turn into 2 or 3 meals.
What's wrong with a plug in hybrd? It is at least as efficient as a hybrid, and covers most of your commute days on battery power.
 
One potential future issue with charging stations is waiting for a spot. The multiple spot station shown in the OP doesn’t exist in my area yet. The charging stations available here are all single or dual spot and more and more often are completely occupied as more and more folks go electric. There is no “protocol” at the stations for waiting in line either. And, the stations are all in locations where the drivers will be doing other things like shopping and may just leave their cars in the way. So, the need to charge for even a few minutes can turn into many times that long while waiting. As I see it, BEV adoption, sales, and use other than commuting will be more and more limited by charging infrastructure in my area of the country. Until then, it’s all PHEV for me.
 
Sandroad said:
One potential future issue with charging stations is waiting for a spot. The multiple spot station shown in the OP doesn’t exist in my area yet. The charging stations available here are all single or dual spot and more and more often are completely occupied as more and more folks go electric. There is no “protocol” at the stations for waiting in line either. And, the stations are all in locations where the drivers will be doing other things like shopping and may just leave their cars in the way. So, the need to charge for even a few minutes can turn into many times that long while waiting. As I see it, BEV adoption, sales, and use other than commuting will be more and more limited by charging infrastructure in my area of the country. Until then, it’s all PHEV for me.
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I agree that this is fast becoming a bottleneck. In the one month I have owned the Clarity, I have never seen an empty public EV charger station
between the hours of 9 AM to 7 PM. If I were a gas station owner, I would start looking at putting a couple of chargers up :)
 
I've watched a lot of videos of folks doing road trips with a big battery Tesla. Except for the most rabid Tesla fans, there's a whole heck of a lot of range anxiety and charging for about an hour each time in the middle of nowhere using superchargers. The trips generally take much longer than the reviewers expected getting them to their destinations late at night.
 
If it had been up to me, we would have gotten a Model 3 to compliment my Model S. My wife overruled (after all, it was to be her car) and was uneasy about having 2 BEVs. She doesn't regret buying the Clarity, but now that we've seen a few Model 3s on the road, she does admit they're quite nice looking.

So although we don't 'regret' the Clarity, I'd be lying if I told you I wouldn't have been happier with the Model 3 as our 2nd car. With that said, 'Happy wife=.... ;)
 
lanb said:
I agree that this is fast becoming a bottleneck. In the one month I have owned the Clarity, I have never seen an empty public EV charger station
between the hours of 9 AM to 7 PM. If I were a gas station owner, I would start looking at putting a couple of chargers up :)
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Sounds quite funny having potential electric arc in your gas station……
 
ryd994 said:
Sounds quite funny having potential electric arc in your gas station……
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Just connect one of the diesel pumps right into the diesel generator :( No one is buying diesel cars now, or so I hear.

The biggest issue with charging on the go happen on the busy days, like long weekends or when escaping natural disasters (hurricanes, wild fires etc.).
Tesla drivers have reported waiting 4+ hours at superchargers in their SFO-LA trips. It is quite likely, as all of them go and come back around the same time. Many car waiting lines are a common sight in Palo Alto superchargers. Recently, Tesloop also ended its services because of charging issues. These, even when Tesla is in full control of all its chargers. Lots of stories here. Not good to be stuck there for hours with tired kids and family in the tow. The family may just bid goodbye. :(
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/superchargers-super-slow.81432/

45 min charge becomes 4 hour nightmare:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/821zzc/mountain_view_california_tesla_supercharger/

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/Gea...-to-have-their-electric-cars-charged-20180305

IEV itself: https://insideevs.com/tesla-owners-report-waiting-hours-open-supercharger-wvideo/

Even fights reported at supercharger to get a spot. Mnd you, these are presumably pretty well heeled customers and this happened two years ago. Once the low lives start driving EVs, no telling what it's going to be.
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/rage-at-a-supercharger-station.66722/
First time I saw two ladies go at it at a supercharger station in San Diego. Pretty packed day with a line of people waiting for their Model S/X to be charged.

An Indian lady waiting very patiently in line until an Asian lady finds a spot and zooms in to take it. Indian lady is furious and tells her that there is a line. Asian lady says if I didn't see you then you didn't see me and says there is no dedicated waiting line. Asian lady says she doesn't give a *sugar*.

Indian lady gets even more furious and tries blocking/hitting the other woman's car. Group of people started to join in the argument. One side says there is a line while the other says you can either wait on one side of the stall or the other.
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These are stories before the Model 3 wave began. I can't imagine this getting better. Here is one posted on reddit just today, for 7.15 a.m. at San Diego.
https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/9k6rge/715am_at_the_san_diego_qualcomm_supercharger/

Tesla has also been putting up diesel generators to cope with the extra load. A PHEV is more efficient than that and can do so while driving. You can think of yourself as letting some other BEV driver get a charge, meaning you are helping the environment anyway and also saving yourself the time and trouble :)

In short, I think full electric cars really need people to bend their lives around the charging issues.
 
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weave said:
Once a year I drive across country to Phoenix, so that *is* a concern. But to be truthful I really push it too much to be safe as it is. A BEV would force me to stop and rest once in a while at least.

Just as an example, last June I drove straight from Phoenix to Delaware and only had a 30 minute nap break each night. Did it in 45 hours. That's just .... stupid.
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Agreed. A normal person would just take a flight for this, unless there was some specific reason for driving.
 
TeslaInvestors said:
These are stories before the Model 3 wave began. I can't imagine this getting better. Here is one posted on reddit just today, for 7.15 a.m. at San Diego.
https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/9k6rge/715am_at_the_san_diego_qualcomm_supercharger/
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Holy **** that must suck. OK, I've been cured. I'm definitely NOT regretting my Clarity now!

You're right too. It's only going to get worse. I tried recently to get my church to add a level 2 charger and even offered to pay 25% of the cost (the state will pay the other 75%) and they declined my offer. These just don't seem to understand that people will base their decisions on where they go based on charger availability here, like real soon now -- and I know of no other churches in the area that have chargers. None.

TeslaInvestors said:
Agreed. A normal person would just take a flight for this, unless there was some specific reason for driving.
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I go out there with a friend. He hates flying. It's a bit irrational. Sometimes I'll drive out there with him but fly back if I'm pressed on time.
 
weave said:
Holy **** that must suck. OK, I've been cured. I'm definitely NOT regretting my Clarity now!

You're right too. It's only going to get worse. I tried recently to get my church to add a level 2 charger and even offered to pay 25% of the cost (the state will pay the other 75%) and they declined my offer. These just don't seem to understand that people will base their decisions on where they go based on charger availability here, like real soon now -- and I know of no other churches in the area that have chargers. None.



I go out there with a friend. He hates flying. It's a bit irrational. Sometimes I'll drive out there with him but fly back if I'm pressed on time.
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Well, a couple of nights ago I had to go pickup someone at a shopping center and since I only had enough charge to get there, I thought, I'll go there a little earlier, and charge for 30 minutes on one of the two free L2 chargers...

Even though it was 9pm, 2 Prius Prime were charging (neither registered in Plugshare)...
 
I used to drive an 80 mile EV. They are great for commuting, and when charger is guaranteed.
I have tried charging here and there and often found chargers are inside some paid garages, or paid parking stalls. Often times they are difficult to locate, unlike the corner gas stations that have tall signage and are too visible to miss. The public chargers being free or cheap are probably its own worst enemy. People misuse them, and even those who don't need them are plugged in.
I have even seen Teslas parked in EV spots at SF airport but not plugged in. These don't need charge for airport drop offs, but stil park there because those spots are right next to the entrance. :mad:

I still haven't sold my EV. Price is too low to sell, and it is quite good for local errands and saves us quite some money on gas if we use it instead of the SUV. I have to think what to buy after my Clarity Fuel cell lease is over in another 2.5 years. Not a pure BEV for sure.
 
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TeslaInvestors said:
Just connect one of the diesel pumps right into the diesel generator :( No one is buying diesel cars now, or so I hear.

The biggest issue with charging on the go happen on the busy days, like long weekends or when escaping natural disasters (hurricanes, wild fires etc.).
Tesla drivers have reported waiting 4+ hours at superchargers in their SFO-LA trips. It is quite likely, as all of them go and come back around the same time. Many car waiting lines are a common sight in Palo Alto superchargers. Recently, Tesloop also ended its services because of charging issues. These, even when Tesla is in full control of all its chargers. Lots of stories here. Not good to be stuck there for hours with tired kids and family in the tow. The family may just bid goodbye. :(
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/superchargers-super-slow.81432/

45 min charge becomes 4 hour nightmare:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/821zzc/mountain_view_california_tesla_supercharger/

https://www.wheels24.co.za/News/Gea...-to-have-their-electric-cars-charged-20180305

IEV itself: https://insideevs.com/tesla-owners-report-waiting-hours-open-supercharger-wvideo/

Even fights reported at supercharger to get a spot. Mnd you, these are presumably pretty well heeled customers and this happened two years ago. Once the low lives start driving EVs, no telling what it's going to be.
https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/rage-at-a-supercharger-station.66722/


These are stories before the Model 3 wave began. I can't imagine this getting better. Here is one posted on reddit just today, for 7.15 a.m. at San Diego.
https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/9k6rge/715am_at_the_san_diego_qualcomm_supercharger/

Tesla has also been putting up diesel generators to cope with the extra load. A PHEV is more efficient than that and can do so while driving. You can think of yourself as letting some other BEV driver get a charge, meaning you are helping the environment anyway and also saving yourself the time and trouble :)

In short, I think full electric cars really need people to bend their lives around the charging issues.
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Having charged at multiple locations on Long Island, NJ & CT, I’ve yet to have to wait to charge. CA is known for these issues, but I think it’s important to put things in perspective. Additionally, here on LI where I live, 3 new SC locations have been added in the last 12 months.
 
lanb said:
I agree that this is fast becoming a bottleneck. In the one month I have owned the Clarity, I have never seen an empty public EV charger station
between the hours of 9 AM to 7 PM. If I were a gas station owner, I would start looking at putting a couple of chargers up :)
Click to expand...
What would you do at a gas station for 2+ hours? They need to put them where people spend 1+ hours.
 
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