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apparent • today at 12:08 AM • 3 replies • view on HN

If there's a charging station with power within 200 miles it will be overloaded by everyone freeing. There are way more gas stations than charging stations, and they only take a few mins per person, so they would not be nearly as overloaded. Also, there would not be a "run on the bank" mentality since everyone knows gas is pretty available, even in emergencies.

As for powering critical appliances, I'd need a super long heavy duty extension cord to power my fridge, and I don't even know if my vehicle is capable. I'd also have to have my garage door open while it's plugged in, which is not ideal to say the least.


Replies

rootusrootus • today at 12:22 AM

In real world examples (places that get hurricanes, for example), the charging stations generally come back online before the gas stations. And an EV is way better in stop-and-go evacuation traffic, too.

> need a super long heavy duty extension cord to power my fridge

Why on earth would you need a heavy duty extension cord for something which pulls so little power?

I otherwise agree with the sentiment, however, it is way more convenient to set up your panel so you can backfeed it to power the whole house (or a nice chunk of it, at least). My Lightning will power all the important bits of my house for the better part of a week, all from the plug in the bed of the truck.

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stetrain • today at 12:57 AM

I have absolutely experienced the “run on the bank” effect on gas in areas under hurricane warning, as well as weeks afterwards.