EDITORIAL: EV bafflers, surprises and ironies

Recently, Volkswagen graciously dropped off a new ID.4 electric SUV for me to live with for a few days. The delivery driver apologized for his unusually lengthy trip. No worries, I said - the previous night's intense, protracted thunderstorms had probably knocked out most of the traffic lights within a 40-mile radius, I surmised.

“Well, yes,” the driver replied. “And then I needed to give the ID.4 a quick charge before handing it over to you,” he said. “The closest charger was at the local Chevy dealer, so I stopped in there.” That dealer, who sells a lot of Bolt EVs, has a literal wall of chargers. But that day (and the next) he had no power. The electrical storm had knocked out chunks of the metro Detroit grid, killing his EV charging capability in the process.