[somethoughts]

In the ideal world we'd turn the existing gas stations into solar powered super charger stations (which do sort of look like current gas stations [1]). Existing gas stations are often found near useful places like grocery/restaurant/business areas.

But as you say, there are less needs for equipment and regulation, so we could potentially have existing gas station locations converted AND new sites even closer and even more liberally sprinkled about providing even more convenience.

[1] https://electrek.co/2017/04/24/tesla-new-supercharger-statio...

[kortilla]

That’s sort of pointless though unless the gas station is in the middle of nowhere. There is no point in wasting valuable real estate with solar panels covering a parking place in front of a building nobody has a reason to visit.

The grid functions with renewable energy so I would rather use the super charger at the grocery store than the one at a previous gas station.

[Corrado]

There are a bunch of out-of-the-way gas stations in the US South that would benefit greatly from adding electric "pumps". They are generally located on vacation friendly roadways and are frequented mostly by travellers on their way to the beach.

Adding several electric recharge slots would be a great way to bring people and keep them there for 10-20 minutes. Restroom and snacks (or even meals) for 4-5 people plus you get to clean the bugs off of your windscreen. I personally make this trip every year (sometimes twice a year) and would love to see more electric refueling stops.

[bluGill]

Middle of nowhere is a good place for a charger. mmost people will charge at home 95 % of the time. It is only the 5% trips where you don't get back home that you need a charger. Middle of nowhere is where that is likely to be. Look at truck stops, they are all stores and restaurants, everything someone going a long distance needs. They are never inside a city because land is too expensive and anyone in the city for the night has a parking space.

[Aerroon]

Maybe in the US. House ownership isn't that common in every country. It's rather difficult to charge your car at home in an apartment building.

I wonder whether the charging cables will start getting stolen like rims have been.

[elihu]

I think it's largely a matter of just getting charging stations in more places. People who own cars must park them somewhere, and all those somewheres can have utilities installed if someone's willing to pay for it, it's just a matter of figuring out how to make it happen (whether via mandates or incentives or just market forces).

They don't have to be superchargers, either, just good enough for overnight charging.

The transition will probably take a while, but I expect that eventually people will stop calling them "electric cars" and just call them "cars" and charging stations will become part of the ubiquitous infrastructure of cities, like sidewalks and fire hydrants.

I don't know if people stealing charging cables is a common problem now. People complain where I live about catalytic converter thefts. There are probably ways to solve the issue of people stealing expensive charging equipment and re-selling them, but if people steal cables simply to recover ten dollars or thereabouts of copper, I don't know how to fix that (aside from "move to a nicer neighborhood"). Maybe use less valuable metals like aluminum, if that can be made to work in this application?

[bluGill]

I expect apartments will start installing chargers for residents. They just need a way to ensure that they don't lose money giving free power away. The early ones will do it for a direct profit. The later ones will do it because potentialnnew residents will start saying "nice place, but no placeto charge my car", after a while they will get the message and add them to compete. (where needed)

Event though youcan charge in minutes, that doesn't mean you should.