As they say, hind sight is always 20/20.  There are likely a dozen things I learned about electric cars I would have never learned had I not bought one.

Perhaps the number one thing is that there are at least three major types of charging stations.  Tesla has two of them.  Another one is better and faster, but rarer.  It is the one used by much of Europe and Nissan.  Just because you have found a charging station doesn’t mean it is compatible.  Moreover, even if it is compatible, it doesn’t mean you can use it.  Some are for public use.  Some require membership.  Still others are for private use.  I’d guess that car rental agencies will have the private type, for use only to charge the agency cars.

The whole system does not resemble gas stations at all, as I first imagined it.  To charge a car from “bone dry” so to speak, may take as much as an hour at a level 3 charge station.  Make that 6 or 7 hours from level 2 charge stations and I don’t even want to hazard a guess for level 1 charge stations.  With them you measurement is just almost in days instead of hours.

The hitch of course is that this is all variable depending on the car.  However, just so you know what I talking about, the level one is effectively plugging your car into a standard household outlet.  With my car, that means roughly a 15 to 20 % charge overnight.  Fortunately, I use but 7 to 8 percent a day.  That allows me to gain a little each night.

For those that drive more, they will either need to go to the level 2 or they will occasionally need to visit one of the level 3 chargers.  You can have a level two charger installed in your home.  However, I have an adaptor.  Once I have an electrician install a 220 outlet close to my car, I can plug my adaptor into the outlet and I effectively have a level two charger.  The adaptor was supplied with the car.

There are many Tesla level 3 chargers in my area, which are not compatible with my car, but I have an adaptor that converts the level 3 charger into a level 2 charger for my auto.  I am sure, once I figure it out, I will be able to get it to work, but so far I have had no success.  Maybe one day soon I will be able to alter that report.

Either way, I just might run into a hitch.  I tried to connect to a level 3 the other day and noticed signs all over, for Tesla only.  I don’t know if these are caution signs or if it is the equivalent of no trespassing.  If I ever get my adapter to work, I just might find out.

As an aside, in order to hook up my car, I have to park sideways.  Otherwise, the cable is not long enough.  Obviously not designed for Nissans.

Having said all this, I would like to describe a little about how it will be in the near future.  The main places you will be able to find level 2 and 3 chargers will likely be at hotels and restaurants.  I can’t imagine a gas station making any money allowing autos to sit in their facility for an hour or so.  They might be able to do this with maybe two or three cars, but what do you do while 50 cars are charging.

On the other hand, when I go into a restaurant, I generally spend about an hour there anyway.  So, in the future, I go in.  Someone plugs in my level 3 charger and I go in and eat.  I pay the bill for charging as I pay for the food.

If I am staying in a hotel, I go in and have the car charged while spending the night.  Some arrangements would have to be made to move the car once charged.  Either that or there would be a need for many more charging stations.

My guess is that some hotels would not even charge for the charge.  They would simply consider it part of the cost of doing business.  Others would likely charge just enough to cover the cost.  After all, the chargers would be a drawing card.

Oddly, I can foresee the cost of charge trucks operating similar to tow trucks.  You’re stranded.  You make a call and out comes a truck with a big generator on it.  As for the costs and level of charge, it would likely be a point of negotiation.  I’m not sure but it seems I already saw someone advertising such a service.  Maybe someone already beat me to it.

The one thing I am hoping for the most is that they standardize the chargers so that, when you get to the charger, you don’t find out it’s not compatible.  I’ll go one step further.  At least, they need to have level 2 chargers available, that is to say, 220 volt outlets.  If I have to, I can wait the 5 or 6 hours. To get fully charged, especially if I will be spending the night in a hotel.  Also, I’d not mind browsing around a mall for a while either.  If I am in a hurry, maybe I could make a 2 hour charge get me to my destination…sort of like when I just put five dollars worth of gas in the car when that is all I have.

Then, of course, all these chargers would need generator back up…in case there is a power outage.  On the other hand, maybe I should put solar batteries on my house to charge my car.  Even now, I just can’t wait to see my first electric bill now that I am charging my car at home.