I’ve been considering a used EV for my next car purchase. I’ve found plenty of used EVs in my price range but my biggest issue is I would have to take it to a DC fast charger to charge. I park in a parking garage right now and can’t bring power to my parking spot unfortunately. I live in university district in Seattle so I have a few near me and my work.

Used Tesla Model 3s are right at the top of my budget but they seem to have the best range I can find (in my budget) ~250 miles for the mid range. I live 20 miles from work and commute 4 days a week. So I could theoretically make it 5-7 days without charging.

I hear fast charging takes approximately 30 minutes for an 80% charge. That’s about double the time it takes to fill up. Of course if I go for a less expensive EV with less range it would be more often. Has anyone owned an EV without being able to charge it at home?

Are fast chargers reliable? Are ranges for affordable EVs large enough now? Is it worth the effort to get into an EV asap?

Mostly just looking for person experiences and best guesses. Just want to start a conversation even if it’s just friendly speculation. Thanks in advance.

  • Sfl2014BEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    5 years plus and doing fine without charging at home. Not an issue with Tesla as far as I can tell. Superchargers have been bulletproof for me.

  • SpaceXBeanzBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    It’s possible but I don’t recommend it. The convenience of charging at home is really what attracted me and probably everybody to owning an EV. Plus charging at home is significantly cheaper than charging in public and really offset the cost of having to gas up a car that’s an ice car.

  • avebelleBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    Definitely doable but sitting at chargers gets old pretty quick. We did it for 6months before I finally got our charger installed. Now it’s a whole different ball game.

  • jturkishBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    Don’t eliminate level 1 charging, maybe there’s a regular ol 120 outlet on your parking garage. If not I like the comment about not thinking like Ice and filling up once a week. Charge up on spots you frequent

  • alejandro_bearBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    I do it. It a bit of hustle as I need to go to a charger twice a week but it’s ok

  • geekhausBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    Yes, it’s entirely possible. My across the street neighbors have 3 Bolts and no home charger. My next door neighbor has a Tesla on an L1 charger. Both primarily charge at work. I long ago offered to let both use my L2 charger if need be, neither have ever needed it.

  • shivaswrathBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    My buddy has had a M3 for now 2 or 3 years.

    We have a Tesla super charger between us (5 miles away). He trickle charges overnight and gets along just fine; before a long trip he goes there. They have done surprisingly ok.

    So it’s doable…but since I got a Taycan, I did an L2 at home mainly because my utility company and state reimbursed nearly 50% of the cost. And I top off that way since I have no EA charger near me.

  • NinerNationalBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    If you have some available at work you’re fine, if you don’t have anything available at home or work, I wouldn’t want an EV.

    I just plug mine into a 110v outlet at home and that’s enough to handle my day to day driving most days.

  • gotcha640BEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    Echoing others, there’s a 30 amp plug near my parking spot at work, and there are a couple people who plug in there during the week. It’s not a full charge, but it’s free miles.