by Eric Cohen
“I was visiting my parents and needed to charge a Porsche Taycan,” explained Kristen Lee, Deputy editor of The Drive. “My parents don’t have a home charger, so I went to the app, found a charger, and drove to the local mall. Unfortunately, it was super dark and the location looked very shady. I didn’t feel safe charging there.” As a result of that experience, Kristen put a call out to social media to see how others feel about EV charging; she was stunned by the responses she received from both men and women who have faced the same situation. Overwhelmingly, people won’t use chargers if it’s not in a safe location.
When told about wireless charging, Kristen’s sigh of relief said it all. “Really?” More about that after we get to know about Kristen’s EV journey and why she was driving a Porsche Taycan.
Kristen has the unique opportunity to marry her two passions – writing and cars — as Deputy Editor of The Drive. “I’ve been interested in cars since I was 10 years old,” Kristen related. “The Drive is my dream job. We’re an automotive news and culture site so it’s not just car reviews and industry information. We work to create a unique voice and report on what others don’t. And I get to test cars. It doesn’t get better than that.”
With EV test drives comes public charging. Not always a great experience. “I was charging a Rivian R1T in upstate New York. I located a fast charger outside a nearby hotel. Like many other chargers it was behind the building in a not-so-safe location. If it had been the middle of the night, I definitely would have passed. Why can’t chargers be in safe, well-lit locations? And why are there so many plug-in chargers that just don’t work? It’s very frustrating.”
Back to the Taycan … yes, it was a test drive. “The Taycan is a very nice car, but I really like the Nissan Leaf. It’s comfortable, fits well in city traffic, and is quiet and comfortable.” What’s the one thing that would make the EV experience better? Wireless charging. “For safety and security, alone, wireless charging is a better experience than plugging in,” Kristen commented. “But for so many other reasons, as well. Less moving parts so less chance of vandalism. Not having to get out of the car to charge in bad weather. Easier accessibility for disabled people. Just pulling up to park and charge is so much easier.”
Totally agree, Kristen!
