I’m not sure if you know… But different charging infrastructure companies all have their own apps… Thankfully, there’s a lot of interoperability (I can use my Flo app to start a session at The Electric Circuit stations, and vice versa) so it’s already very much like the situation you described.
And as for Ford/GM… They’re highly motivated to move to electric. People want it, the government is pushing for it, and only when they reach a specific level of sales will they reach the economies of scale to make it profitable.
Funny thing – I got my GF’s Subaru repaired at a dealership, and when I picked it up, the sales guy tried to sell me a new one. I asked him what the waiting list was for their fully electric model, and he said “18 months to 2 years”. I told him he could call me back when delivery was under 90 days, and he said “Yeah, we get that a lot.” Car companies that don’t have electric models are suffering the consequence of lagging behind.
I know different charging companies have different apps, and I resent it. At least at Electrify Canada and Petro-Can (when they work) you can tap to pay, instead. It costs a little bit more, so you are incentivized to sign up for their app, but at least this is no worse than Petro-points and such. I can make accounts for a charging network I use often, but still be able to charge if I’m at an uncommon charger.
So yeah, Tesla isn’t out of line with requiring an account, and the plug to charge is convenient, but I still bemoan the absence of a tap-to-charge option.
As to GM, I don’t know what’s up with their EV strategy. Their Bolt is nearly a beloved low-cost, basic EV, and the EUV especially. Except I keep hearing stories of someone’s ordered Bolt EUV arriving, but oops! it’s got this extra package that’s $x000. We can wait 6 more months or you can pay more for this one. At least Ford tries to keep a lid on dealers upcharging, but I think it’s open season at GM. Plus, it sounds like they are killing the Bolt anyways, before a replacement is ready.
I’m not sure if you know… But different charging infrastructure companies all have their own apps… Thankfully, there’s a lot of interoperability (I can use my Flo app to start a session at The Electric Circuit stations, and vice versa) so it’s already very much like the situation you described.
And as for Ford/GM… They’re highly motivated to move to electric. People want it, the government is pushing for it, and only when they reach a specific level of sales will they reach the economies of scale to make it profitable.
Funny thing – I got my GF’s Subaru repaired at a dealership, and when I picked it up, the sales guy tried to sell me a new one. I asked him what the waiting list was for their fully electric model, and he said “18 months to 2 years”. I told him he could call me back when delivery was under 90 days, and he said “Yeah, we get that a lot.” Car companies that don’t have electric models are suffering the consequence of lagging behind.
I know different charging companies have different apps, and I resent it. At least at Electrify Canada and Petro-Can (when they work) you can tap to pay, instead. It costs a little bit more, so you are incentivized to sign up for their app, but at least this is no worse than Petro-points and such. I can make accounts for a charging network I use often, but still be able to charge if I’m at an uncommon charger.
So yeah, Tesla isn’t out of line with requiring an account, and the plug to charge is convenient, but I still bemoan the absence of a tap-to-charge option.
As to GM, I don’t know what’s up with their EV strategy. Their Bolt is nearly a beloved low-cost, basic EV, and the EUV especially. Except I keep hearing stories of someone’s ordered Bolt EUV arriving, but oops! it’s got this extra package that’s $x000. We can wait 6 more months or you can pay more for this one. At least Ford tries to keep a lid on dealers upcharging, but I think it’s open season at GM. Plus, it sounds like they are killing the Bolt anyways, before a replacement is ready.