Twitter poll results: More electric cars get charged at work than at public chargers

Electrify America 350 kw chargers at Home Depot in Chicopee, Mass.

Electrify America 350 kw chargers at Home Depot in Chicopee, Mass.

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Electric-car charging is going through a growth spurt.

Volkswagen is spending big money through Electrify America to set up high-speed charging stations, as a result of the settlement terms of the Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal.

Northeastern states are banding together to coordinate a rollout of electric car chargers. New York and Maryland have passed new charging initiatives, and California has passed a record incentive for utilities to expand charging infrastructure. 

What type of charging do you rely on for your electric car?

— Green Car Reports (@GreenCarReports) May 29, 2018

And yet, statistics still show that 80 percent of all charging for electric cars is done at home.

Last week in our Twitter poll, Green Car Reports asked our own Twitter followers, many of whom already own electric cars, where they charge them. 

Not surprisingly, 82 percent our our respondents also  said they rely on home charging for their cars.

READ THIS: Electrify America maps out charging network to rival Tesla Superchargers

What was especially surprising is that as many of our respondents are able to charge at work as those who rely on any kind of public charging. Unfortunately, due to Twitter restrictions, we were not able to ask how many of those who charge at work have to pay for the privilege, or how many have access to Level 2 charging at work, rather than simple 110-volt outlets. 

In total, 9 percent of our respondents said they rely on charging at work.

CHECK OUT: California utilities commission passes record incentives for chargers

Only 5 percent said considered themselves dependent on public DC fast charging of the kind that Electrify America, California, and other states are working to build.That small number is less surprising, since public DC fast charging is not yet prevalent in public places.

Among our Twitter followers, only 4 percent rely on public Level 2 chargers. Perhaps that’s because many public Level 2 chargers have not been reliable, frequently do not work, or have their parking spaces occupied by non-electric cars.

As always remember that our Twitter polls are not scientific and may not reflect wider national trends among electric-car drivers (or otherwise), because of their low sample size and the fact that the audience is self-selected from our audience of early electric-car drivers.