# How does public-available charging of electric vehicles work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-public-available-charging-of-electric-vehicles-work/999613>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 30, 2024, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-public-available-charging-of-electric-vehicles-work/999613 "2024-03-30T19:19:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-public-available-charging-of-electric-vehicles-work/999613/161 "2024-06-24T17:16:11Z")

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I’m in London, UK, and I’m seeing lots of EVs. Mostly Tesla, but other brands as well. They are all over, and I’m consistently seeing them parked on the street. That includes some on the route I walk to get where I’m staying, which are consistently parked along the same street, without any charging.

The much higher price of petrol compared to gas might make the inconvenience of no home charging more tolerable, because clearly lots of people are putting up with it.

Below is the only street charging station I’ve seen. A look in plugshare shows that there are level 2 and level 3 charging stations all over, though.

[[Album] Street charging in London ![](https://i.imgur.com/dXMKtGu.jpeg?fb "Street charging in London") ](https://imgur.com/a/gjt0J8I)

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-public-available-charging-of-electric-vehicles-work/999613/162 "2024-06-25T07:16:03Z")

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> [@echoreply](#):
>
> The much higher price of petrol compared to gas might make the inconvenience of no home charging more tolerable, because clearly lots of people are putting up with it.

I’m confused; doesn’t petrol = gas[oline]?

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**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-public-available-charging-of-electric-vehicles-work/999613/163 "2024-06-25T11:02:40Z")

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> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> doesn’t petrol = gas[oline]?

That’s what I thought, too, but after a bit of math, petrol is about $8.50/gallon, while gas is $3.30/gallon. Must be special stuff.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-public-available-charging-of-electric-vehicles-work/999613/164 "2024-06-25T11:15:38Z")

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Those extra three letters cost dearly. 😉

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