58 MPG was possible in the early 1990's, without being hybrid.
VW made a hybrid with an
eye popping MPG of 120 to 240 miles (!!!!).
but people wanted BIG.
Heck, my 1977 Thunderbird managed 21 MPG on the highway, about the same as todays trucks, without all the DOHC, SFI, etc etc.
IOW, ICE auto tech regressed 20 years from its peak, and the auto industry and most consumers seem to have no interest in going back.
That high MPG concept car is a plug-in series hybrid. It's basically an EV that happens to have an onboard diesel generator. The ICE engine there is not connected to wheels at all, in terms of making it go it's all EV.
I think it sort of proves the point. The only way we can get big improvements to efficiency is with EV technology.
Also, ICE auto tech did not regress. Rather, we expect cars to be a lot safer today, and that safety tech is heavy. Also emissions controls add some weight.
The 80s Honda CRX could get 60-80mpg in optimal conditions. It weighed 1700lbs. But it was also death trap in even lower-speed accidents. Look up some of the crash tests, that thing has the structural support of a Kleenex. The Honda CRZ was supposed to be it's modern spiritual successor. Similar dimensions, it weighed 2700lbs, but it was much much safer. It had well-designed crumple zones, strengthened passenger compartment, air bags, and sensors. That extra 1000 pounds is pretty much all safety and tech.
That's what changed. ICE just cannot keep up with our increasing safety, tech, and emissions demands.
What Level a driver needs depends on daily usage.
For me, Level 1 is more than enough, I could go 4~5 days with out needing a charge, and get to 80% (local drive settings) in 12 hours of charge.
Those who drive over 20 miles a day benefit from Level 2. You are correct if there is a billing service there is cost of service, but if not, then the price I quote is sufficient.
Some retail locations will pay for the $1 of electricity to have a customer spend and hour at their location, cheap advertising. In this case a simple timer on a low cost charge will do the job just fine.
As to locations at a complex, yes, how it is billed can vary greatly, all depending on layout.
I can get by with level 1, but around here a level 2 charger is quite subsidized so I figured might as well get it. I think total cost with installation and everything was under $1000. Plus it has the benefit of better being able to take advantage of variable electricity pricing (being able to juice-up during the exact hours when cost is lowest).
