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Get charged up without zapping your wallet

Autoweek- Car News -- People, hear me--you don't need a $2,000 charging dock to recharge your electric car!

Building owners, listen to my words--you don't need to go through some charging-infrastructure contractor to provide electricity for your tenants and customers who have EVs!

Municipalities currently being sweet-talked by various entities, lend me your ears! Save everybody money!

Electricity is electricity. It comes out of the wall and goes into your car. It is not complicated and it doesn't need a box with five different-colored lights that blink, and you don't need anything that makes a bleep sound at different times. All you need is a plug, and you get one with your car when you buy it.

I just bought a Mitsubishi i, the least expensive, freeway-ready EV in America. It came with a charge cable th

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Submitted Feb 08, 2012 By: NHLiveFree

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PDQBlues Champion Author San Diego Posts:5,242 Points:1,086,275 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 11:32:52 PM Ignore PDQBlues Report Abuse Thanks for posting, NHLiveFree.
Cashless Champion Author Akron Posts:1,688 Points:373,075 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 11:29:43 PM Ignore Cashless Report Abuse Information I didn't have before now.
Norm10 Champion Author British Columbia Posts:1,843 Points:90,320 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 10:49:06 AM Ignore Norm10 Report Abuse Small benefit after your wallet has already been zapped when you bought the overpriced boat anchor in the first place.
cmptrmush Champion Author Detroit Posts:1,764 Points:377,845 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 7:49:28 AM Ignore cmptrmush Report Abuse This sounds a bit over simplified, but the overall concept is correct. It would be cheaper to make the modificiations than to install a seveal thousand dollar charger.
esq262 Champion Author Asheville Posts:1,191 Points:297,590 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 7:09:49 AM Ignore esq262 Report Abuse Everybody is going to try to profit off of EVs. You should be able to plug them in any standard home outlet.
99dakota Champion Author Providence Posts:6,252 Points:1,811,175 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 6:03:55 AM Ignore 99dakota Report Abuse Some one has to pay for the electricity used.
mike1881 All-Star Author Fayetteville Posts:709 Points:259,855 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 5:23:45 AM Ignore mike1881 Report Abuse Great, now the cost of 240 volt plugs are going to go up since some one exposed the truth.
Luckylindy Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:2,682 Points:770,270 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 5:03:52 AM Ignore Luckylindy Report Abuse Use your neighbors outlet.
eromitlab Champion Author Huntsville Posts:7,211 Points:1,431,935 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 2:58:41 AM Ignore eromitlab Report Abuse A lot of it is green marketing. "Hey, look at us, we put in an EV charging station! We're, like, eco-friendly and stuff!"
djgunrunner Champion Author Salt Lake City Posts:8,149 Points:1,990,670 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 2:49:25 AM Ignore djgunrunner Report Abuse Is the fact that you get a power cord with an electric car supposed to be a secret? I hope it is a long one on a cold dark windy night or a hot summer day when the heater, a/c, lights and you get to fight a head wind are knocking the top off your battery charge. Maybe you could by a small generator instead of a spare tire. With the storage space in some of these jewels it would have to be very small.
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:8,043 Points:1,273,065 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:41:06 AM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse Very well stated GRCummins... You definitely get an 'A' and go to the head of the class. This author was definitely a dollar or two short. His intent was good, but I would never recommend "splicing" two power lines together to get the higher voltage. His point was really that no one needs the $2000 to $5000 home charging stations that are, indeed, a total ripoff. As you ably suggest, a good local and licensed professional electrician should be used. It would be extremely simple and low cost to just extend electric dryer or cooking range connections to a garage or exterior outlet, as long as the home appliances aren't used at the same time as a high voltage quick charge is being applied to the car battery. For more than that an additional 240v circuit out of the breaker panel is necessary at a little more expense. I think the author was exagerating just to make a point that is is not rocket science and no elaborate and expensive gadgets are necessary. The charging plugs of all EVs and hybrid plug-ins are standardized to make recharging a very simple task. That is the real point and intent here. Happy recharging!
Double_Golden All-Star Author San Francisco Posts:740 Points:243,805 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:35:04 AM Ignore Double_Golden Report Abuse ok
asog75 All-Star Author Indiana Posts:659 Points:171,195 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:14:58 AM Ignore asog75 Report Abuse just buy some cheap solar pannels
Ahking Champion Author Orange County Posts:2,006 Points:329,095 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2012 1:08:49 AM Ignore Ahking Report Abuse The author is basing what he saw in this one car to generalize that a straight power cord could work for all various combinations of household outlets to different designs of EVs. This is an over-simplification.
Batdan Rookie Author Atlanta Posts:66 Points:18,300 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 11:24:34 PM Ignore Batdan Report Abuse Article author isn't well versed in electricity (splicing of the wires and calling outlets plugs) but he does have some good ideas.
txkrb All-Star Author Texas Posts:860 Points:314,655 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 11:16:36 PM Ignore txkrb Report Abuse I read where someone was making a cable that plugged into 2 120 volt outlets to get you 240 for charging an EV Most users would plug in every night so 120 would get the car charged by morning [Edited by: txkrb at 2/8/2012 11:17:46 PM EST]
bullman68 All-Star Author St. Louis Posts:596 Points:297,450 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 10:41:52 PM Ignore bullman68 Report Abuse Tab A into slot B = AC~ to DC +/-
lesndave Champion Author Texas Posts:1,251 Points:341,780 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 10:25:18 PM Ignore lesndave Report Abuse Well said GRCummins53
bandannaman Champion Author New Jersey Posts:1,144 Points:223,670 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 9:30:32 PM Ignore bandannaman Report Abuse Hmmmmm.
drpepperTX Champion Author Texas Posts:4,950 Points:393,370 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 8:45:46 PM Ignore drpepperTX Report Abuse This yahoo sounds like a lawsuit just waiting to happen! LOL. Splice together two 120v cords??? And badabing??? ROFL.
vtroger Veteran Author Vermont Posts:282 Points:290,905 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 8:38:06 PM Ignore vtroger Report Abuse Oh I can't deal with common sense. It has no place in this world.
Wanda127 Champion Author Florida Posts:1,497 Points:572,600 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 8:17:44 PM Ignore Wanda127 Report Abuse It might work but I have no plans to have an electric car.
MINIWINI598 Champion Author Washington Posts:1,038 Points:158,625 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 8:11:25 PM Ignore MINIWINI598 Report Abuse It might work - Time will tell!
Track79 All-Star Author Maine Posts:757 Points:406,685 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 8:05:18 PM Ignore Track79 Report Abuse Huzzah!
36_ACRES_4_SALE All-Star Author Appleton Posts:628 Points:164,570 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 7:47:42 PM Ignore 36_ACRES_4_SALE Report Abuse Nice
IwanFL Sophomore Author Gainesville Posts:224 Points:80,610 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 7:01:30 PM Ignore IwanFL Report Abuse good to know
GRCummins53 Veteran Author Stockton Posts:337 Points:141,010 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 6:54:28 PM Ignore GRCummins53 Report Abuse This is written buy someone who knows just enough about electricity to be dangerous. "Just splice together two 120-volt lines and voilà, you get 240 volts." Nice thought, but it doesn't work. Your house may be wired at the panel with 240 volts, but only appliances such as clothes dryers and electric ranges get circuits run for them (and electric water heaters, A/C compressors, etc.). Jury rigging something, as the author suggests, will get someone killed. Yes, you can get a skilled tradesman to install a 240 branch circuit for your EV for a few hundred dollars, depending upon if your service entrance panel has room or the capacity for another 240 volt circuit. The real problem with electric cars is not the distribution system. That can be solved. The real problem is time. It takes hours to recharge a pure electric vehicle. Several hours with 240 volts, at least twice as long with 120 volts. So, it you are out and get low on juice, you may have to spend awhile to get back home. It would be nice if batteries could be recharged in 3-5 minutes like filling a tank with gasoline or diesel.
paguy2012 Sophomore Author Pennsylvania Posts:109 Points:21,885 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 6:51:05 PM Ignore paguy2012 Report Abuse Save everybody money, that's NOT the way we do things in this country. Anyway they can stick it to the little guy they do..................
MidNJ Champion Author New Jersey Posts:5,476 Points:842,225 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 6:46:37 PM Ignore MidNJ Report Abuse "Electricity is electricity. It comes out of the wall and goes into your car. It is not complicated and it doesn't need a box with five different-colored lights that blink". Seems logical to me!
StArrow68 Champion Author Oakland Posts:1,427 Points:1,003,275 Joined:Apr 2003	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 6:44:42 PM Ignore StArrow68 Report Abuse Makes it sound almost free, not! They charge for the stuff even when you run 120V and the 220V lines for A/C and Pool Equip. are not cheap.
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:17,322 Points:2,009,320 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 6:12:06 PM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse too much common sense for most readers here
Venzadriver Champion Author Florida Posts:1,028 Points:290,150 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 8, 2012 6:04:27 PM Ignore Venzadriver Report Abuse Anything to make money.