I read that charging at freeway rest stops is not allowed at the U.S. because commercial activity is prohibited by federal law at these locations. This is such a huge missed opportunity- rest stops are already at regular intervals on common travel corridors. This law should be ammended to create an exception for ev charging.
Most state DOTs don’t want to own and operate fueling stations for a number of reasons. They’re not set up to do this. The NEVI program will deploy fast charging g every 50 miles near places with amenities. Many at existing fuel retailers from the awards we have seen so far.
Have you been to rest stops in the US? Most of them are pretty terrible. I’d much rather drive another mile off the interstate to somewhere with actual amenities and less chance of being murdered.
Ive never felt unsafe at the mass pike rest stops, but you pay a premium for the convince.
There are a handful in California. They’re slow and unreliable so almost worse than not having them at all…
There are chargers at some of the rest stops in California. I came across a number of them on a road trip from NorCal to SoCal.
They are free. No commerce. Gov hand out.
They are also slow. Unless you need to sleep, they are rarely worth it.
I wouldn’t know, they were all being ICEd by gas cars because they were a few feet closer to the restrooms than the other spaces.
Yes, this makes sense. It makes more sense than NEVI, and would have been cheaper than NEVI.
Which is why it didn’t happen.
All my DCFC charging occurs at rest stops, in the US.
The mass pike had a bunch of rest stops with chargers that got decommissioned. Now some have supercharges. They all have gas stations and fast food. Ct has at least one rest stop with a gas station.
not true. i do this at least 2x weekly.
Florida Turnpike rest stops have chargers. Delaware Turnpike and Maryland / Chesapeake house too.
Not all freeway rest stops are on federal land. Ones on state/tribal land can have whatever they want.
I wondered why they don’t charge for the DCFCs at rest areas in California. I can drive to Vegas, Reno, Mexico, or Oregon for free using them
DCFC? F? Where?
I think a lot of highway rest stops have Tesla Chargers. The one near me in Delaware does.
In Ohio at least, the rest stops along the turnpike all have L3 charging.
Different rules because it’s a turnpike with fees.
I have used the EA station along one, kind of a weird setup.
Florida Turnpike rest stops have both Tesla and FPL chargers. I95 rest stops do not.
Stop and think about why this law was created in the first place. Local businesses don’t want to be shut out of an enormous customer base. This isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
Didn’t help them…
The chain gas stations and fast food places (and chargers) are right next to the freeway.
Few people drive to town to find local businesses. And the locals now drive to the freeway to fuel up - which they wouldn’t do if they had to go all the way to the rest station.
The gas station at the exit is not much less inconvenient than one at a rest stop, there are many more of them, and there is more choice than a rest stop would allow.
That law didn’t do anything, and repelling it would be better for everyone.