It's the perfect blend of new technology and old-school cool.
One of the biggest arguments against EVs is the issue of recharging. Even though zero to 80% charging times have dropped significantly, EVs can't match the refueling efficiency of an ICE car. Get out, pump gas, pay, and drive away. That's five minutes, at the most.
But EV naysayers tend to forget about home charging, and now there's even a way you can make it feel more like old-school refueling. Instead of an antiseptic wall box, you can now get your own charging station mounted in a classic gas pump.
A Reddit user recently posted an image of an old Mobil pump repurposed to charge a Ford F-150 Lightning, and users went wild. It's only a matter of time before it turns into a business.
This is not the first time we've encountered an old-school gas pump EV charger. A Pennsylvania ice cream shop owner erected a 1950s pump for his customers last year. The only unfortunate thing is the cost of a decommissioned pump. An old pump is a lovely decorative piece for a man cave or a she-shed. People also like converting them into fridges, closets, and bookshelves.
The prototype you see here has several cool features, but it's not the fastest way to charge the EV truck. More on that in a second, but back to the concept for now. The builder went all out on this pump, giving the dials green backlighting and making them functional. As the truck charges, the dials turn as they would when pumping gas.
The numbers do not represent how much electricity the truck consumes or how much it costs, but the original poster stated that it was a work in progress. This could easily be a million-dollar idea. As we've seen with several car designs and trends in general, people love retro.
This pump also has another upside, which is purely psychological. Apparently, several EV owners miss their weekly trips to the pumps. One owner missed aimlessly wandering around finding the perfect candy bar to match their mood so much that GM built her a gas station mini-mart in her garage.
We hate pumping gas and gas stations. To us, that's one of the most attractive things about going electric, which brings us neatly back to home charging. The perfect combination is an EV with a home charger in a garage. You never have to visit a gas station again, which is the part naysayers don't seem to understand.
We'll use the Lightning as an example. With the Extended Range battery, you can go 320 miles on a full charge. The average daily commute in the USA is currently 32 miles. That's 10% of the driving range, but let's say 20% to keep everyone happy.
A Ford Connected Charge Station retails for $800 and can quickly charge the battery from empty to full overnight. Reclaiming 20% is nothing. Ford's Mobile Power Cord, as used in this old-school pump, retails for $500. It plugs into a home socket and can charge at 30 amps from a 240-volt system. It's a sort of last-ditch effort, as this method takes 19 hours to recharge a Lightning.
An old gas pump with a Ford Connected Charge Station would be the perfect combination. Hopefully, this concept will go from one prototype to a business quite soon.
Gerhard knew from a young age that he wanted to be an automotive journalist. He completely disappointed his parents by completing degrees in communication and English, as well as diplomas in graphic design and film and art appreciation. He later interned at various automotive publications, before landing a permanent position at a newspaper. He became the editor within two years, after which he landed a job as the deputy editor at a national publication, where he spent eight years traveling the world, driving, and writing. In his current role as senior editor, he writes news, reviews, scripts, and opinion pieces. When he’s not supposed to be working, you’ll probably find him working. When he’s forced to take a break, you’ll find him at the movies, or behind the wheel of a ‘92 NA Miata called Kimiko.
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