20% of EV early adopters have expressed regret over their choice and transitioned back to gas vehicles.

TikTok user Stephanie (@stephhaaniiiee) is one of them, and it seems that charging her car is her biggest gripe. She documented her disdain for the practice on TikTok, which may raise alarm bells for anyone thinking about going all electric.

Stephanie begins her video with a recording of a CCS plug inserted into the charging port of her EV. Playing over her video are shrill agonizing cries set to dramatic music. A text overlay in her clip denotes her sound selection: “My brain every time. Because I decided to get an EV,” she writes. Furthermore, a caption for her post bluntly states, “I regret it.”

The TikToker has documented the ire she has for her electric vehicle in other videos she’s posted to social media. In one clip shared on August 13th, 2025, she writes: “someone buy my car please,” after it only hit the 1,000 mile mark.

Furthermore, in another one of her TikToks, Stephanie gives viewers a more detailed view of her car’s cabin. The logo on her steering wheel indicates she’s driving a Ford Mach-E, which is clearly visible behind a Starbucks cup. Furthermore, she confirms this in a response to another user on the application who was intrigued by the car’s “fry holder” armrest cubby space.

Although any praise she has for EVs appears to be limited to just a single video on her social media page. In another, which shows someone enjoying self-driving on a Tesla, Stephanie decried all-electric cars again. “She doesn’t know it yet, but she will buy an EV and regret it after,” she pens in a caption.

EV Charging Frustrations

One of the biggest points of contention surrounding electric vehicles is the time it takes to juice up. Due to the massive size of EV battery packs, wait times, even for fast charging can be a bitter pill to swallow for folks who are used to just gassing up. A number of EV owners have cautioned folks interested in purchasing one to prioritize a home charging infrastructure. As one Reddit user shared in the site’s r/electricvehicles sub: “My advice: don’t buy an EV unless you have home charging.”

They detailed that they owned an EV for a full year without access to a home charger. According to them consistently providing power to their car’s battery was “a nightmare.” Furthermore, they penned: “My advice to all prospective buyers is to first make sure you have home charging set up before purchasing one.”

It’s hard to argue against their logic. Indeed, there are scenarios where EV-drivers have demonstrated not having a home charging set up work can work. However, this is largely dependent on one’s lifestyle and driving needs. Additionally, access to fast charging networks can also play a large role in charging. Furthermore, public charging spaces, along with local parking ordinances and proximity to one’s home can play a factor.

I.e., if you live near a space with public parking and free Level 2 chargers that are readily available, this means EVs can be a good daily driving option.

Fast Charging Wait Times

But there have been documented instances where EV drivers have had to wait interminable lengths just to plug their car in. For instance, InsideEVs reported that Tesla owners had to idle for 90 minutes at a New York City supercharger for stall access. Which is telling, as Tesla touts the world’s largest fast-charging network with over 70,000 active stalls as of September 2025.

Moreover, the brand has opened up these stalls to be used by EV models from other manufacturers, too. Which queues up a slew of other EV users who may be in dire need of powering their cars taking up precious spots. There’s a reason why Tesla has introduced peak pricing, and monitoring of Supercharger usage for drivers. This way, they can calculate whether or not the wait times to access a stall is worth a stop.

Of course, there are other electric car charging providers that have stalls folks can use. ChargePoint and Electrify America are constantly updating their terminals. Not to mention partnering with automakers to expand charging networks across the United States, too.

While the Mach-E Stephanie shows off in her clip sports a CCS plug, charging for new EV owners is about to get simpler. That’s because many automakers, like Hyundai have adopted the NACS charging standard in the US. Otherwise known as the “Tesla plug,” many new EV brands will come with this port, which goes by SAE J3400. Folks worried about having correct adapters may find themselves with more available charging solutions as a result of this transition.

Charging Can Get Pricey

Another argument for having charging solutions installed in your home is price. Car and Driver reports that “public fast-charging is often far more expensive” than simply filling up with gasoline. Not to mention, depending on how much juice you need, you can wait up to an hour to supercharge. So you’re effectively paying more money to waste more of your time.

This is especially true if you’re on a road trip that requires frequent stops. Controversy and frustration surrounding Tesla’s true range estimates on its vehicles presents worrying implications for road warriors. The brand’s been accused of suppressing real-world battery range estimates. Which means you may need to reroute and search for a supercharger on a long drive frequently.

So drivers are left stopping their trip for an additional 40 minutes or so to charge their batteries. Then, they must also factor in the time it takes to reach the supercharger for the charge. Not to mention the time it takes to get back on their original route. And add more time to that figure if there’s a wait time for a charging terminal. Some EV drivers, like an owner who posted on Tesla Motors Club, have shared the headaches they’ve dealt with while road-tripping in an all-electric ride. So keep that in mind if you plan on taking long trips before purchasing an EV.

The Case for Home Charging

Both Car and Driver and InsideEVs, however, have said EV drivers can save money opting for home charging. The former outlet says that “many people don’t realize how affordable EV charging is compared to gasoline.” The latter outlet thoroughly delineates what commuters can expect to pay for home charging versus filling up an ICE vehicle.

InsideEVs says that on average, home charging an EV comes out to around .04 cents per mile, as opposed to .14 cents per mile with gas. Of course, this depends on what one’s home electricity provider bills customers. And if you have solar-power in your home supplementing, or covering all your power needs, that can alter your cost-per-mile, too.

Commenters who replied to Stephanie’s video also urged her to get a home charger. One person penned, “Get a level 2 charger installed at your house if you rent or own one. Or use a regular wall outlet for level 1 charging. That should still give you 60 miles of range overnight with a regular wall outlet.”

Another wrote: “Yeah getting an ev without home charging or charging at work is not ideal. Look out for chargers at grocery stores or hangout spots that you can take advantage of being there 30-40 minutes.”

MotorBiscuit has reached out to Stephanie via TikTok comment for further information.