Staff Reports
A short TikTok from a California influencer exposed a truth politicians and EV marketers don’t like to talk about: public fast charging can be expensive and slow. The clip shows a Rivian R1S at a Costco Electrify America station. After roughly an hour the truck read 94% charged and the bill sat near $64. That little screen set off a firestorm of online laughs, warnings, and a very plain question—why are we being told gas is obsolete when charging looks like this?
What the video actually shows
The influencer, posting as @icookutry, plugs her Rivian into a DC fast charger while she pops into Costco. The car’s display estimates about 70 minutes to full from roughly 27%. Later the screen shows 94% and a session total of about $62–$65 for roughly an hour. That’s a big chunk of cash and a long stop for someone who just wanted to grab groceries. The numbers on the screen are the primary evidence. No spin, no guesswork—just a customer and a receipt you can see with your own eyes.
Why the cost and time matter
There are two real tradeoffs people keep pointing out: time and cost. Filling a gas tank still takes minutes; public DC fast charging can take tens of minutes to an hour depending on how full the battery already is and how the charger behaves. Add in that public fast prices in many parts of the country—especially California—run well above what you pay at home per kilowatt-hour, and that $60 session becomes easy to understand. Membership plans and smart charging habits cut costs, but most drivers don’t think about memberships when they need power now.
Practical advice and a note to policymakers
If you own or are thinking about an EV, plan like a practical person: charge at home when you can, avoid topping to 100% unless you must, and look into network passes before you tap a public charger. For folks who rent, live in apartments, or can’t install chargers, the current public network still feels like a second‑class option. Policymakers pushing blanket EV mandates should answer one simple question first—have you built fast, cheap, and reliable charging for everyone, not just people with garages?
Bottom line
EVs have real benefits, but this TikTok clip is a reminder that the rollout is messy. Public fast charging is a market in transition: price models vary, charging speeds taper, and many drivers will keep preferring cheap, five‑minute gas stops until the public network gets simpler and cheaper. So enjoy the electric hype if it suits you, but don’t be surprised when your roadside reality looks nothing like the marketing brochure.
