The Waffle House Moment

I noted a fun item in Green Car Reports: a new NEVI funded EV fast charger had opened two doors down from a Tennessee Waffle House. That, I thought, will be a great inflection moment when the history of electrification is written.

The Tennessee location is interesting too; a red state full of EV skeptics that is nonetheless benefiting from billions of new investment in EV and other green manufacturing facilities and jobs. No surprise the Volunteer state’s canny GOP Governor Bill Lee has refrained from volunteering to join other Republican Governors in EV bashing. Instead, like any smart pol Gov. Lee was all in to celebrate Ford’s new multi-billion dollar Blue Oval City complex.

More GOP Governors should join Lee and Georgia’s GOP Governor Brian Kemp in helping to lead the parade toward more U.S. manufacturing jobs, instead of complaining about it.)

Meanwhile, the happy new fact that you can now mix waffles and kilowatt hours in Tennessee also reminds us how important amenities are to DC Fast Charging stations. While a Level 2 charger at sit-down restaurants of any kind is a good idea, it is essentially a helpful add on to the shopping or dining experience.

When building a DC fast-charging station (which requires far more investment and time) your core commerical offer is a fast charging experience, so amenities are about giving you a competitive edge. A new study from researchers at AutoPacific, also cited in Green Car Reports, asked drivers interested in buying an EV what amenities they were most interested in. The data shows many people most want gas station style elements, practical stuff like good signage with clear pricing, indication of charging speed as well as things like good lighting and weather shelter. In other words, things that are just like the proven winners in regular gas retail. Makes sense to me. But then again, I’ll always take a waffle.