Phillip Stafford has been converted. After two years driving a Tesla, he says there’s no going back to gasoline — the money he saves on fuel alone makes that clear. And since his work as a crisis counselor takes him all over Richmond, Virginia, he charges often.

That’s made him picky about where he buys electrons. On a crisp fall afternoon last month, Stafford had his Model 3 plugged in at a Sheetz. A red and white Wawa sandwich wrapper on the seat hinted at where his heart lies in that convenience store rivalry. Still, brand loyalty only goes so far when the battery is running low. Given a choice between the two, Sheetz wins. “It has more watts, so it charges a little faster,” he said. Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. All donations

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