Why you might be charging your EV wrong – and what to do instead
Many EV drivers carry over habits from driving gasoline cars when they charge EVs, but that leads to wasted time, inconvenience, and range anxiety, according to a new study.
Professors Frances Sprei of Sweden’s Chalmers University and Willett Kempton of the University of Delaware are EV technology and usage experts. They interviewed EV users in both Sweden and the US and found unanticipated and previously unreported EV charging habits and ideas.
Their study, “Mental models guide electric vehicle charging,” in April’s edition of the peer-reviewed journal Energy, found that novice EV drivers, and even those who had months of EV driving experience, use a “monitor gauge” mental model: They monitor the battery charge gauge while driving, and when the gauge is low, head to an EV charging station to recharge, as a gas car driver would at a gas station.
In contrast, the study found that a few experienced EV drivers had developed a strategy of
using a trigger event to spur them to plug in their EV.
Kempton said:
Some of the more sophisticated EV users had picked a repeating event that happens at a place they can plug in and at a time or event lasting several hours. This is commonly when returning home at the end of the day or arriving at work.
A few people had selected unexpected triggers, such as shopping, and for one, when walking his dog in the evening.
Users with the “event-triggered” mental model respond to their selected event by plugging in without the need to make decisions on a daily basis. This model means that the driver will likely plug in even if it’s not needed, but interviewees’ feedback suggested that’s worth it not to have to make charging decisions:
“Which trips do I need to take tomorrow?”
“Are tomorrow’s trips less than the miles shown on the gauge now?”
“How likely is an unexpected trip tomorrow?”
The researchers also found a “planning” mental model for taking road trips in an EV. This third model is used only when a driver needs to take a trip longer than their battery range, so they have to plan for DC fast charging availability. Most drivers take longer road trips just a few days a year, but, the authors note, DC fast charging consumes most of the attention in planning EV charging station infrastructure.
The article points out that the problem with using the old “monitor gauge” model is that EV recharging and gasoline refueling require different strategies.
Refueling with gasoline takes only a few minutes, and one has to drive to or stop at a gas station.
By contrast, it can take hours to charge an EV with a Level 1 or 2 charger, and that can be done at home, work, or other places where one is parked anyway. If recharging is started at the right time and place, it takes only seconds to plug in.
Thus, each mental model is well adapted for one fuel but not the other.
Experienced EV drivers who had developed the “event-triggered” model didn’t complain
about range anxiety, inconvenience, or waiting to charge. Rather, the study quotes them saying the following about charging:
“[Recharging] is very practical … Even if you do it every day, it’s a routine thing.”
“The EV is much more convenient … You just put a cord in the wall instead of having to drive to a gas station and refuel and so on.”
“It was pretty nice not to have to refuel. Or rather, one refuels every evening. But one doesn’t have to think about it other times, somehow.”
Sprei said, “One of the implications of our results is that prospective EV buyers, as well as policymakers, should focus on securing access to charging close to home. If you are an EV buyer, you are not just buying a car.”
She added, “The old ‘monitor gauge’ mental model may also lead to a suboptimal oversizing of batteries that causes higher purchasing costs and excess vehicle weight.”
Read more: Volvo Cars says its new partner will reduce its EVs’ charging time by 30%
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Environment
Tesla is now buying ads on Elon Musk’s X to get people to vote for his $1 trillion compensation
Tesla is now buying advertising on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) to get Tesla shareholders to vote for his CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion in stock options.
Tesla, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has famously been against advertising. The CEO is even on the record saying that he “hates advertising” and that “other companies spend money on advertising and manipulating public opinion, Tesla focuses on the product.”
However, that was before he acquired Twitter, now X, which relies heavily on advertising.
After that, he started to push Tesla to do some advertising, but the company quickly stopped or greatly reduced its advertising efforts.
We reported that Tesla’s advertising effort picked back up last week, starting with a few Google ads to encourage Tesla shareholders to vote for Musk’s new unprecedented CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion.
The automaker is in a full-on marketing blitz to convince shareholders to vote for the package and to allow Tesla to issue more shares in exchange.
Now, Tesla is even buying social media ads to push shareholders to vote for Musk’s compensation package and they are even buying ads on Musk’s privately owned platform, X:
They are also buying ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit.
As we previously reported, Tesla’s board has claimed that voting for the compensation package will determine the future of Tesla.
Musk went even further and linked his compensation package to the future of the world.
Earlier today, the CEO claimed that his compensation plan is not about money, but about control over Tesla:
It’s not about “compensation”, but about me having enough influence over Tesla to ensure safety if we build millions of robots. If I can just get kicked out in the future by activist shareholder advisory firms who don’t even own Tesla shares themselves, I’m not comfortable with that future.
The CEO previously threatened Tesla shareholders not to build AI products at Tesla, despite claiming they were critical to the company’s future, if he doesn’t get 25% control over the company.
Electrek’s Take
The CEO of a publicly traded company threatens shareholders to gain control over the company and uses company funds to purchase ads that benefit his privately held company, with the goal of persuading the shareholders of the publicly traded company to give him more money.
If that’s not late-stage capitalism, I don’t know what is.
Also, I know I won’t shock anyone here, but Elon is lying about this not being about money.
If he wants to increase his percentage of Tesla shares, he could do exactly what his friend Larry Ellison did with Oracle and do long-term buybacks. It would benefit everyone, but it’s not what he wants. He wants the shiny new stock options.
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Voltpost just rolled out the Voltpost Air, its next-gen lamppost EV charger in New York City, and this one comes with a key twist: it’s mounted 10 feet above ground.
The Voltpost Air uses that elevated design with a retractable cable system to protect against weather damage and vandalism, setting it apart from Voltpost’s original curbside charger. It’s also built for faster installation, broader pole compatibility, and better reliability.
It can be installed on both wooden and metal lampposts and utility poles, curbside or in parking lots. Site hosts can deploy one or two chargers per pole, making it a flexible option for cities and property owners. Drivers can pay with the app or by tapping with a credit card. Voltpost Air supports Level 2 charging, up to 9.6 kW per charging port.
Luke Mairo, COO and cofounder of Voltpost, said that “the modular design and quick installation reduce costs and complexity, making it easier than ever to expand charging infrastructure.” Voltpost is already operating chargers in Oak Park, Illinois, and at the American Center for Mobility near Detroit. The company has projects underway in New York, California, Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Former US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation executive director Gabe Klein, now a Voltpost board advisor, said, “The transition to renewable transportation requires bold, scalable solutions that can integrate seamlessly into existing urban infrastructure. Technologies like Voltpost’s lamppost chargers are vital because they unlock new opportunities to deploy EV charging.”
The Brooklyn installation is part of New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) Pilots at Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) program, which supports climate-tech companies in scaling new solutions. It’s expected to be available to the public by the end of the year. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) president and CEO Doreen M. Harris called the model “highly replicable” and said it could be adopted across New York State.
Voltpost Air is now available for deployment at public and private sites.
Read more: Voltpost just flipped the switch on its first public lamppost EV charger
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Environment
Kia’s electric van was spotted in the US again, but this time it looks a little different
Is Kia’s electric van finally coming to the US? The Kia PV5 was caught testing with a unique design, hinting it’s destined for the US.
Is Kia’s electric van coming to the US?
Although Kia has yet to announce it publicly, all signs point to the PV5 launching in the US. In February, the electric van was first spotted charging at a station in Indiana.
A few photos and a video sent to Electrek confirmed it was indeed the Kia PV5. The sighting came somewhat as a surprise, as the only official statement from Kia said the PV5 would arrive in Europe and South Korea this year, followed by “launches in other markets” in 2026, but no mention was made of the US.
After another PV5 was spotted in Arizona, rumors that Kia’s electric van was coming to the US began to surface again.
Kia still has yet to confirm or deny a US launch, but another sighting hints at the PV5’s imminent debut. The latest spotting, by KindelAuto, appears to be of the US-spec 2026 Kia PV5.
It looks about the same as the Kia PV5 Passenger, which is already available in parts of Europe and South Korea. However, although it’s not very clear, Kia’s electric van appears to have added side marker lights, a requirement in the US.
Following its launch in the UK earlier this year, the Kia PV5 Passenger is now being introduced to new European markets.
In the UK, it starts at £32,995 ($44,000) on the road. In Germany, the PV5 Passenger is priced from €38,290 ($45,000) or €249 per month.
Kia’s electric van is available in two variants: Passenger, for everyday driving, and Cargo, for business use. The PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 183 miles and 256 miles, respectively. Meanwhile, several more variants are on the way.
During its PV5 Tech Day in July, we learned that Kia plans to launch seven PV5 body types, including a Light Camper, a premium “Prime” Passenger model, and an open bed version.
We’ll have to wait for the official word, but there’s still hope Kia’s electric van will make it to the US. We should find out soon. Can we get the EV5 too? That might be pushing it.
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