Ford Motor Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jim Farley said that the length of time it takes to charge electric cars is still a barrier for consumers to switch to electrified vehicles.
In addition to waiting times, the charging stations provided are still inadequate.
“Current chargers are not very helpful. Electric car owners need fast chargers. But they haven’t got it,” said Jim Farley, quoted from Carbuzz.
The problem raised by the Ford boss seems to be in line with a study by David Rempel, a professor at the University of Berkeley.
This study looked at 657 charging connectors at 181 fast charging in the San Francisco Bay area, and the result was that 23 percent of them did not work.
“Charger functionality has to be at a high level for there to be large-scale EV adoption,” Farley said.
The study also concluded that charging problems not only have the potential to slow the adoption of electric vehicles. But it raises an important equity issue.
EV owners living in alternative living situations may find it difficult to install a charging system at home and rely on generic chargers. The study also notes it can have a significant impact on drivers on the road.