Greener Living
The Next Challenge for the US Charging Network: Congestion
As the US adds public chargers, Burning Man and other off-the-beaten-path events are now accessible by EV. But what happens when crowds pile in?
A Volkswagen ID.4 EV at a Rivian charging station in San Francisco.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
In Fernley, Nevada, east of Reno, there are 16 cords that rapidly charge electric vehicles — not bad for a city of just 24,000 people.
This weekend, that ratio will be upended. Roughly 30,000 vehicles are expected to roll through town en route to the Black Rock Desert 113 miles (182 kilometers) to the north, best known as the site of the annual art and music festival Burning Man. If even 1% of those cars are EVs whose drivers attempt to charge at the same time in Fernley, the stations will be staring down significant wait times.