The Nightmare Is Over (For Some)

When the Subaru was delivered, we asked the driver to bring it to us with the lowest SOC possible, giving us ample opportunity to test out the Lectron charger. The drivers typically make one final charging stop at an Electrify America station, adding time to their day to deliver the car with around 80% charge. This time, the Solterra showed up with 13%, which is not an issue now that we have a home charger. After plugging the charging cable into the wall, the extension cable into the charger, the J1772 adapter into the extender, and the adapter into the car, the Solterra took just over nine hours to hit 100% SOC. Unfortunately, the Subaru does not display how quickly it is AC charging, so we estimate that the charger was outputting just under seven kW. Though this is not as fast as the car can go, it's pretty close and plenty for an overnight session. At approximately $0.16 per kWh (in the state of Florida), charging the Solterra from empty to full would cost around $10.24, far cheaper than filling a tank with gasoline in a similar Subaru Forrester.

While the Subaru charged, we sat inside and worked with virtually no intrusion to our daily routine; charging our test vehicles used to require a trip to a local charger in the next town over, which required at least an hour out of the day, including travel time. We say "virtually" no intrusion because although Lectron helped solve the distance issue between the breaker and the driveway, we stumbled upon another minor annoyance. Our WiFi-enabled garage door opener won't close over the cable, meaning we can't close it while charging. To resolve this issue, we had to unhook the garage door, close it manually, then latch it closed. It's not ideal, but it's a workaround.

Once you have a home charger, your entire outlook on electric vehicles changes; they are no longer a nuisance that you frequently need to devote time to charging. Instead, they free up time because you only have to visit a gas station or public charger for longer trips. Sadly, having an EV charger at your home still has hurdles to overcome. First, there's owning a home: an accomplishment that is becoming ever-more unobtainable for a vast swath of Americans. Renters and apartment dwellers have their work cut out to own an EV unless their building or landlord happens to install a charger they can use. Even if you do own a home, many will require far more than the $650 we spent to install a NEMA 14-50 due to age or layout, if they can even have one at all. Be sure to consult a local electrician to determine how much a home charger will cost before pulling the trigger on a new EV purchase. You'll never want to go back after you get into the routine of charging at home.