Electrify America Sucks

[skiingj]

Not sure how many of these new chargers are out there. I was very pleased to see the ability to extend the cord to either side of the car. EA did a good job with these. Hopefully they can maintain them.

 

[gvjim]

New charges installed in my area.

That's a nice looking charger, I haven't seen those yet. But I haven't been on a road trip since June. The cable management looks good.

 

[skiingj]

This past weekend I did a 300 mile road trip with two charger stops. The EA at Valley Fair in San Jose is the best I have seen. There is actually a queue line. It is to the left of the picture. Charger was not that fast.

Livermore Outlets is an absolute nightmare with EA. They are in the same row as Tesla. Free for all and all sorts of congestion in the isle because there is no line up and way too many cars. Worst EA station I have seen in over a year.

 

[Jeffdawgfan]

They need to maintain the chargers they have as well as installing new ones. All the charging companies really need to plan out the charger sites. When they just stick some chargers out in a parking lot, there are bound to be arguments and fights about who got there first. A definite entrance and exit to the site would go so far to ease these issues.

 

[steveinarizona]

They need to maintain the chargers they have as well as installing new ones. All the charging companies really need to plan out the charger sites. When they just stick some chargers out in a parking lot, there are bound to be arguments and fights about who got there first. A definite entrance and exit to the site would go so far to ease these issues.

While that is true, I don't see fights at Tesla charging stations. Perhaps instead of creating line markers, it might make more sense to create more chargers similar to what Tesla has done.

 

[Artie Shane]

Oops... never mind. Tried to delete post.

 

[EVsquatch]

While that is true, I don't see fights at Tesla charging stations. Perhaps instead of creating line markers, it might make more sense to create more chargers similar to what Tesla has done.

You apparently haven't been to a Tesla SC station recently. Non-Teslas that have access to Tesla charging with an adapter (Ford, Rivian etc.) have to take up two spots (or more depending on how much of a jerk they want to be) because the Tesla cables aren't long enough since they were only designed for Tesla.

I witnessed someone in a Ford Lightning park across 3 spots to charge which was a completely d*ck thing to do and it sparked an inevitable shouting match.

The thing that we need at charging stations is simple education and charging etiquette posted somewhere. At EA chargers, I keep encountering people charging on a free plan who are trying to charge to 100% and they don't understand that the last 10-20 % will charge much slower so they are taking up a charger while folks who desperately need to charge are waiting for these people to charge to 100% which is not what a fast charger is designed to do.

 

[steveinarizona]

You apparently haven't been to a Tesla SC station recently. Non-Teslas that have access to Tesla charging with an adapter (Ford, Rivian etc.) have to take up two spots (or more depending on how much of a jerk they want to be) because the Tesla cables aren't long enough since they were only designed for Tesla.

I witnessed someone in a Ford Lightning park across 3 spots to charge which was a completely d*ck thing to do and it sparked an inevitable shouting match.

The thing that we need at charging stations is simple education and charging etiquette posted somewhere. At EA chargers, I keep encountering people charging on a free plan who are trying to charge to 100% and they don't understand that the last 10-20 % will charge much slower so they are taking up a charger while folks who desperately need to charge are waiting for these people to charge to 100% which is not what a fast charger is designed to do.

I agree with your last paragraph but I have been by a number of Tesla charging stations including one last night that had around 8 open bays and several Teslas charging. The superchargers are fairly new so there is not the large quantity of them. But my point is that there were always plenty of open bays at Tesla charging stations at least until they started allowing other brands to come in. Now, if as I suggested we have to emulate what Tesla did, that means building a whole lot of additional charging stations (or converting current gas stations).

But...I am not against courtesy. The Aholes you describe would probably attempt to ignore the official line anyway but lets go ahead and put in some systems; lets just remember that ultimately we need more fast chargers.

 

[brucek]

I witnessed someone in a Ford Lightning park across 3 spots to charge which was a completely d*ck thing to do and it sparked an inevitable shouting match.

I charged next to an F150 lightning today, and the port was on the front driver's side. I would think that it could pull into a Tesla supercharger nose in and easily have the cord reach.

 

[Jeffdawgfan]

Pardon me for being a retired engineer, but I had a radical design for future charging stations that I have emailed Tesla and all the other major players about. My stupid idea is why aren't charging stations pull through? For example, I pull into an empty stall, charge and then pull out. The next person in line that is behind me merely pulls up and starts their charge. For people with EV trucks that are pulling a trailer, this also works very well. They pull in, charge and pull straight through. The charging cable could be long enough to reach over the car so that no matter where the charging port is, it will reach. Guess how many companies even acknowledged my idea.............you got it. Nil, Nada, None.

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[Jeffdawgfan]

Pardon me for being a retired engineer, but I had a radical design for future charging stations that I have emailed Tesla and all the other major players about. My stupid idea is why aren't charging stations pull through? For example, I pull into an empty stall, charge and then pull out. The next person in line that is behind me merely pulls up and starts their charge. For people with EV trucks that are pulling a trailer, this also works very well. They pull in, charge and pull straight through. The charging cable could be long enough to reach over the car so that no matter where the charging port is, it will reach. Guess how many companies even acknowledged my idea.............you got it. Nil, Nada, None.

 

[ljnelson109]

Pardon me for being a retired engineer, but I had a radical design for future charging stations that I have emailed Tesla and all the other major players about. My stupid idea is why aren't charging stations pull through? For example, I pull into an empty stall, charge and then pull out. The next person in line that is behind me merely pulls up and starts their charge. For people with EV trucks that are pulling a trailer, this also works very well. They pull in, charge and pull straight through. The charging cable could be long enough to reach over the car so that no matter where the charging port is, it will reach. Guess how many companies even acknowledged my idea.............you got it. Nil, Nada, None.

I am new to DCFC (12 days in). I have been to 4 EA charging sites. All 3 have been very different. They haven't even been consistent with the width of the spaces. I noticed that they sometimes install the charges on the curb and in between spaces. It seems like they are trying to accommodate the wide range of charge port locations. But, the real issue is the length of the cords. The DCFC cords on the EA charges are crazy short. I wonder, though. Is this a function of initial cost or is there a theory that people are less likely to steal them if they are shorter? Our nearest shopping mall has 14 Volta lvl 2 chargers. One time I went there, I noticed at least 6 of them were missing the charge cables. Someone decided to try to cash in on the copper. These DCFC stations have much more copper per foot than then measly lvl 2 chargers.

 

[steveinarizona]

I am new to DCFC (12 days in). I have been to 4 EA charging sites. All 3 have been very different. They haven't even been consistent with the width of the spaces. I noticed that they sometimes install the charges on the curb and in between spaces. It seems like they are trying to accommodate the wide range of charge port locations. But, the real issue is the length of the cords. The DCFC cords on the EA charges are crazy short. I wonder, though. Is this a function of initial cost or is there a theory that people are less likely to steal them if they are shorter? Our nearest shopping mall has 14 Volta lvl 2 chargers. One time I went there, I noticed at least 6 of them were missing the charge cables. Someone decided to try to cash in on the copper. These DCFC stations have much more copper per foot than then measly lvl 2 chargers.

I was at the mall in Scottsdale yesterday where the Genesis store is located. There is a central area with a large splash pad and stores surrounding it. In one of the parking garages there is a gaggle of Tesla chargers. But on the street of the mall (it is an outdoor mall) by the central splash pad, there are two parking spaces with a tesla charger reserved for Tesla vehicles.

I don't like what Tesla does with its vehicles but it sure has been smart on the charging side!

 

[Alfer]

Unless you can afford to put in a really nice home charger(s), it seems to me if you are wanting into the EV world, TESLA is the only way to go.

Like mentioned above, they have their sh*t together when it comes to their cars and charging stations around the country.

All these other brands of chargers I see used on YouTube and read about here sound like a real cluster. Broken machines, cables not long enough, disorganized setups, slow machines etc. Why would you want to deal with that all the time just to stay on the road?

 

[steveinarizona]

Unless you can afford to put in a really nice home charger(s), it seems to me if you are wanting into the EV world, TESLA is the only way to go.

Like mentioned above, they have their sh*t together when it comes to their cars and charging stations around the country.

I agree regarding the charging stations but not the cars. Unless one goes to the old and expensive S or X, one has to buy into the so called "minimalist" approach to car design. No binnacle display. Almost no buttons or switches with just about everything on the info screens. Having to look sideways to see the speed at which the car is traveling. Full self driving that is anything but. Bad fit and finish. Etc.

A reasonable company would have at least offered an option for a HUD, but not Tesla. You either buy into the cult or you don't. Personally, I don't.

I do agree that if one is doing a lot of intercity driving so one needs to do fast charging, then Tesla is still a better way to go for another couple of years. But otherwise, I much prefer my GV60P to anything that Tesla offers. The cost of a garage charger is pretty incidental compared to the cost of the car and many car companies subsidize it and some electric utilities do so as well.

 

[gvjim]

The DCFC cords on the EA charges are crazy short. I wonder, though. Is this a function of initial cost or is there a theory that people are less likely to steal them if they are shorter?

If you think EA cables are short, you've obviously never been to a Tesla v2 or v3 station.

In general, cables need to be as short as possible because of the incredibly high current that is going thru them, hundreds of amps. Shorter cables = less resistance = less voltage drop and less heat.

That said, I've never had a problem with the length of a cable at an EA station. And the Tesla v4 stations have a good cable length also.

 

[EVsquatch]

I charged next to an F150 lightning today, and the port was on the front driver's side. I would think that it could pull into a Tesla supercharger nose in and easily have the cord reach.

It is extremely tight, and you have to park almost on top of the SC station. Depending on how the station is setup it may not reach. It is doable as evidenced by Tom from State of Charge in this video:

 

[Pulone]

This past weekend I did a 300 mile road trip with two charger stops. The EA at Valley Fair in San Jose is the best I have seen. There is actually a queue line. It is to the left of the picture. Charger was not that fast.

Livermore Outlets is an absolute nightmare with EA. They are in the same row as Tesla. Free for all and all sorts of congestion in the isle

because there is no line up and way too many cars. Worst EA station I have seen in over a year.

One in L A now limits max charge to 85%

 

[gvjim]

One in L A now limits max charge to 85%

It's actually over 3 dozen stations all over the country (though mostly in California). I think this is a great idea for congested stations in metro areas.

Congestion Reduction Effort | Electrify America

www.electrifyamerica.com

 

[EVsquatch]

It's actually over 3 dozen stations all over the country (though mostly in California). I think this is a great idea for congested stations in metro areas.

Congestion Reduction Effort | Electrify America

www.electrifyamerica.com

I think it is a great idea in general. Nobody should be charging to 100% at a DC fast charger. They aren't designed for that. The charge rate inevitably slows down to a fraction of the peak charge and the last 10-20% can take twice as long as the first 80-90 percent.

I love that EA is doing this and I hope they expand the pilot to their entire network.

I say this having been stuck waiting behind someone trying to charge to 100% and taking up a charger while there are a line of cars waiting far too often.