Comments by "eDoc2020" (@eDoc2020) on "Tesla won the plug war - and that's good news!" video.

A "smart outlet" sounds a lot like an EVSE. In some areas (I think UK for instance) most public charge stations require you to bring your own (standardized) cable. Since the cable is the most prone to damage (both by accident and by vandalism) this should increase reliability.
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@robertpatterson5937 Maybe it's a bit cheaper to have an ordinary outlet and I guess if it's inside a garage you probably don't need to worry about rain. The benefit of a standard outlet is you could easily charge other things, like ebikes. The problem I see with what you described is the need for an app and presumably also Internet connectivity. I would hope that such systems also have provisions for standard payment methods, such as one kiosk serving many outlets.
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@robertpatterson5937 But why would the app not be an impediment for residents? Not everybody has an always charged smartphone with Internet access that they are willing to install third party apps on. If I were a resident I would rather have an NFC card or fob I could use instead. It is of course okay if they use a connected app as one authentication method but there should be other ways as well.
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@robertpatterson5937 The number might be vanishingly small but it includes me. And even among "normal" people phone batteries die or other glitches can occur. As to costs that their system is 20% off what an equivalent L2 charger costs, I call BS. It's easy to find L2 chargers which retail under $200. I even found a $99 one but it might omit required safety features. Unless the Orange system is under $40 per port they aren't being honest. A smart outlet requires GFCI and a contactor just like L2 chargers do. The signalling for L2 charging is super easy to implement. The main difference in cost is the connectors.
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