Nightmare: Man Tries Driving His EV Through Montana, Plugs in for 10 Hours and Only Gets 20% Charged
CORRECTION, Sept. 7, 2022: We have corrected the headline of this story, which erroneously claimed that the electric vehicle in question was a Tesla. As one sharp-eyed reader commented: “He was, in fact, driving a Hyundai, which does not have a reliable charging network in place. So, yes, driving a non-Tesla across the country can be a nightmare. Driving a Tesla across the country is simple.”
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
The founder of an electric car subscription service called Evoke tried to drive his electric vehicle through the state of Montana, but he learned the hard way about the drawbacks of electric vehicles in certain states. He shared some of his findings in a video on TikTok.
“Finding charging stations in Bozeman, MT has been challenging,” the man wrote in the caption for one of his videos.
The footage began with a clip of the man standing in a parking lot with a cup of coffee.
“The car has been charging overnight, 10 hours, and it’s only moved up about 20 percent,” he explained.
The video then cut another clip in which the sky appeared to be getting dark. It was unclear whether the second clip was taken on the same day as the first one.
“So the Audi dealership fast charger that we’re at, the only fast charger in the entire town, [is] the most expensive one we’ve hit to date: $25 an hour.”
@evokeautoFinding charging stations in Bozeman, MT has been challenging. The Audi dealership is about 5-6x more expensive than previous charging stops, but it’s still cheaper than gasoline.♬ original sound – Evokeauto
In the caption, he explained the price was “5-6x more expensive than previous charging stops,” but he said it was still cheaper than gas.
The video was just one in a series of videos on the TikTok account with the handle “evokeauto.” In the first video of the series, the Evoke founder explained he and another woman were taking a “2,000-mile road trip through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and back in a 2022 Hyundai Kona EV.”
@evokeautoWe’re leaving Portland on our first electric vehicle road trip! Follow along our 2,000-mile journey across the states.♬ original sound – Evokeauto
Towards the beginning of the trip, the couple did not seem to experience any major issues with charging stations. In one video from the second day of the trip, the Evoke founder even poked fun at people who drove gas-powered cars.
“Day two begins, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, waking up at our hotel to a full charge,” he said. “All you out there that don’t drive EVs, when’s the last time you woke up and had a full tank of gas when you were empty in the morning?”
But he quickly learned not every state has as many charging options for electric vehicles. The disaster he and the woman with him faced in Bozeman occurred on the fifth day of the trip.
The experience of this electric car fanatic proves a point conservatives have been making for months. While some areas of the United States may have the infrastructure necessary to support a shift to electric cars, others most certainly do not.
Electric cars themselves are not a problem. Instead, the problem comes with the Biden administration’s attempts to force Americans to switch to electric vehicles rather than determining for themselves what kind of vehicle they wish to drive. Even the Evoke founder admitted this in the comments of one of his videos.
In the clip, the man was explaining how much money he spent at the aforementioned Audi dealership charger. He said while it was $25 an hour, they spent just about 30 minutes charging, which brought their total price to approximately $12.
@evokeauto Replying to @_Brian_Cali Just ran the numbers: we spent about 30 minutes charging at the Audi dealership for $25/hour, with our total cost being $11.66. This being our most expensive charging stop yet, it still works out to be cheaper than the alternative. #evroadtrip ♬ original sound – Evokeauto
“So your time is worth nothing to you?” one user commented.
“We’re in Bozeman for 5 days, so it isn’t adding time to our trip,” the man responded. “I don’t mind taking 30 minutes to go charge, but I understand it’s not for everyone.”
Despite his bias towards electric cars, even this man admitted they are not for everyone. Instead of attempting to dictate Americans’ personal decisions, the Biden administration needs to let Americans make their own determinations regarding what is best for them.
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