Other markets have more established EV infrastructure.
“If you drive around Europe, it’s very easy,” said Jay Joseph, American Honda’s vice president of sustainability and business development. “There are apps that direct you to big or small charging stations, and there are certain corridors that are well supported. Like getting from Germany to Italy — it’s effortless.
“Their access to DC fast charging is comparable to access to gasoline, and that’s completely lacking in United States,” Joseph said, noting that consumers will not be able to “get over the hump” to buy an EV until they are confident they can get around.
“Anything that supports development of charging infrastructure to give people confidence is critical,” he said.
Tesla’s formula for infrastructure is winning fans.
“When you see a Tesla Supercharger network, you know what it is. You see it along the route and you have a little more confidence,” Joseph said.
But where Tesla’s network really excels, he said, is the maintenance.
“They’ve got somebody on-site monitoring the equipment, they’re monitoring it electronically and remotely, and they fix it fast.”
