A photograph of a “tangled mess” of extension cords draped over a wet public walkway on a rainy day illustrates the lengths Australian Tesla owners must travel to charge their vehicles.
The unsettling shot, captured at Sydney’s Millers Point, reveals the potential safety concerns raised by charging electric vehicles for some drivers – a problem that will only worsen as electric vehicle adoption expands.
The improvised charging setup consists of a yellow extension cord dangling from an upper-level balcony, twisted around a tree branch, and plugged into a powerboard.
A photograph of a “tangled mess” of extension cords draped across a damp public walkway on a rainy day illustrates the lengths Tesla owners must travel to charge their vehicles.
Ben Fordham argued that the “bizarre” street situation posed the question of whether the infrastructure exists for people without garages or dedicated parking areas to purchase electric vehicles.
From there, another wire is concealed in shrubs and a gutter before being connected to the Tesla.
Ben Fordham of 2GB uploaded the image on his Facebook page, describing it as a “plate of spaghetti” and arguing that such improvised structures are “accidents waiting to happen.”
The ‘bizarre’ scenario, according to Fordham, raises the question of whether the infrastructure exists for those without garages or dedicated parking areas to buy electric vehicles.
The man informed Fordham that the image resembled a situation from a third-world country.
“As I walked down the street to work, I couldn’t believe what I saw.”
Even when the electric vehicle is not parked there, the power chord extensions (shown) remain on the road and over the sidewalk, according to locals.
The radio host stated that a pattern is emerging of people attempting to join the EV “revolution” but encountering “roadblocks.”
Among these individuals are those who lack off-street parking to charge their vehicle overnight.
When millions of EVs are on the road, images similar to the ‘bizarre’ scene in the photo will become even more common, according to Fordham.
Power cables from people’s homes are tangled, dangling along fences and down trees.
It is something one would anticipate in a third-world country.
Fordham stated that even when charging stations are mounted to electricity poles, demand for access would present problems.
Environment Minister of New South Wales, Matt Kean, commented to the photo by stating that “rapid charging infrastructure” will prevent owners from taking such severe steps.
Additionally, Fordham claimed that electricity supply would be a difficulty.
With the closure of coal-fired power plants, the already overburdened infrastructure may not be able to accommodate millions of EVs simultaneously charging.
The charging cables for the electric vehicle enter the property from the road and loop over the front gate.
Last week, 2GB listeners emailed in photographs of dangerous charging setups they had observed.
In one instance, an electric car parked on a roadway in Manly, on the northern beaches of Sydney, was observed being charged by a lengthy power cord.
The cable wound over the front fence, which snakes from the street up a driveway and into a nearby residence.
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