Charging an all-electric 2022 Kia Niro

I’m the sort of person who would be glad to own an electric car. I just need it to be affordable, fun to drive, and able to make 300 miles on a single charge. So I was excited when the guy at the car-rental desk offered me a spacious, crisp-white, all-electric 2022 Kia Niro crossover as an alternative to a homely econobox gasoline car.

Day one with the car was a dream. Then it came time for charging. The Kia offered three options: the main two involved connector ports inside a cute cubby compartment embedded in the car’s front grille. One worked with faster charging units, but I soon learned that you pay significantly more for the speed. Then, stowed in the back was a 120-volt, three-pronged plug at the end of a cord that proved too short to reach any of the outlets in my condo-complex home. Had it be a couple dozen feet longer, I might have avoided the troubles to come.

I found my first charging station via the interactive map on the Electrify America app, and the charging unit did its work quickly, easily, and inexpensively. I powered the car up to about 120 miles of range in about an hour. My confidence boosted, the next day I let the car fall to just under 40 miles remaining. Then I got a call from a publisher that I’d being trying to make happen for months. I chatted for a chunk of time, during which I drove stupidly and somewhat aimlessly around La Jolla.

Bong-bong. “-- miles remaining” read the message on the LED display. Not enough juice left to even estimate the range! Ending the call somewhat abruptly, I began what turned out to be an hours-log hunt for a nearby, functional charging station. First, I found a two-unit station behind a closed office complex not far from UCSD. It instantly began charging — but not my car. While the car continued losing power even as it was plugged in, the thing threatened to drain my bank account.

I got a zap worth eight miles at another unit before it inexplicably stopped charging and refused to start up again. That began my real wandering: Hillcrest to Rancho Bernardo and back, in search of precious electricity. Sometimes, I limped in with just a couple of miles left on the gauge. But I did learn something new: there are a handful of free charging stations in San Diego, one of them at the old DMV lot in Hillcrest. It even has two charger ports…but only one of them works. And when I arrived there, a very nice gentleman was using the other one. I turned back to my app, and it sent me to Whole Foods on University. Naturally, it boasted a bunch of the eco-friendly charge stations. And naturally, they were all occupied by Teslas, plus one Jaguar. I shopped. I ate. I entertained myself. I never did get my turn.

Joe Biden’s recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill includes $7.5 billion dedicated to installing 500,000 new stations. Until then, I’ll wait on my purchase — and maybe even my next rental.