Members are debating the recent milestone that California now has more public EV charging stations than gas stations, but many argue the headline is misleading. The main concern is that chargers are heavily concentrated in urban areas like Sacramento, leaving large rural stretches—such as the 80-mile gap between Reno and Susanville—without any charging options. Several RVers point out that the definition of a “charge station” can be misleading, as each cable or pedestal is often counted...
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Members are debating the recent milestone that California now has more public EV charging stations than gas stations, but many argue the headline is misleading. The main concern is that chargers are heavily concentrated in urban areas like Sacramento, leaving large rural stretches—such as the 80-mile gap between Reno and Susanville—without any charging options. Several RVers point out that the definition of a “charge station” can be misleading, as each cable or pedestal is often counted separately, inflating the numbers compared to how gas stations are tallied.
The discussion highlights that while some areas, even remote ones like Everglades National Park, have EV chargers but no gas stations, many small towns still lack any charging infrastructure. Members with electric motorcycles emphasize the need for more widely distributed, even if slower, chargers to support longer trips. The conversation also shifts to the cost of road taxes for EVs, with some noting that annual fees can be higher than what many pay in gas taxes, especially for those owning multiple EVs.
Overall, the consensus is that the raw number of charging stations is less important than their geographic distribution and accessibility. Members recommend that anyone considering an EV for travel should carefully research charging locations along their intended routes and be prepared for gaps, especially in rural or mountainous regions.