Air Touring 2024: Abnormally Slow Charging at Electrify America Fast Chargers

[joecrna]

A little clarification; Pragmatic- the 180 mile commute is just the commute, no other quick stops nor the few extra miles to the DC charger. I get home about 8pm and leave the next morning at 4:15. That first hour would be at peak rate ( grandfather at a comparatively low rate for San Diego gas and electric $0.56/Kwh) and leave no time for my wife to charge her EV. The house, 200A, is already maxed out according to building code and required an alternate calculation method to get approval on the last update. During the summer it has a peak load of 32 kwh overnight. This will soon become a part of our electric bill. That's before our great Governor gets his way and raises my electric rate as part of his bill by users income scheme. The SDG&E website indicates the new rates for those who don't get grandfathered will have peaks in the 80-95 cents per Kwh range. By far the most expensive in the US.

Hydbob- I only used that Ionic 5 story as an example since our SOC was so close as was our start of charging. When he left, he had actually pulled18 more Kwh then my Lucid. Its even more frustrating watching the Kwh received by comparably priced EVs.

Lucken- yes it is an AWD Pure. One I ordered at the same time I ordered the GT. A few years before delivery. I actually saw a Lucid on the road near my house before COVID and started my pursuit to get one.

Knucklehead- the Wunderbox handles all of this for Lucid. Its at the center of their fast charging claims constantly adjusting for optimal voltage, all variables considered. In the case of my Pure it has 700v architecture.

 

[Pragmatic]

Unless your wife is also covering long distances, charge yor car until you leave at 4:15 and have her's start charging hers at 4:16.
If that's you electrical usage then pay for the service upgrade, you'll want it for the future with or without charging the Lucid.

 

[joecrna]

She leaves at 6am, gets home about 730. 135 miles round trip plus about 7 more to pick up the dog. I know we are not typical users. Add in the commutes go through the heart of LA and its a torcher test. That's the very reason we started this 3 years experiment. I think the best answer until a significant change in battery technology comes is to treat the battery as a consumable like tires or windshield wipers. Of coarse I'd still need the ability to make those decisions myself instead of having the car do it automatically.

 

[scal_air]

She leaves at 6am, gets home about 730. 135 miles round trip plus about 7 more to pick up the dog. I know we are not typical users. Add in the commutes go through the heart of LA and its a torcher test. That's the very reason we started this 3 years experiment. I think the best answer until a significant change in battery technology comes is to treat the battery as a consumable like tires or windshield wipers. Of coarse I'd still need the ability to make those decisions myself instead of having the car do it automatically.

Holy Cow that's alot of driving. Have you considered just installing a 240v outlet? This would allow a charging rate of about 35 miles/hour using your supplied Lucid charger. Alternating days for charging and assuming longer weekend charging - you may be able to make it work!

 

[joecrna]

Currently we use a 240v 50a circuit and the charger from Ford. The Lucid supplied charger and the portable from Ford are stored in the trunks for "emergency" use. The only way we have been able to calculate an acceptable charge for both is with the Lucid home charger but that requires a 100A circuit. Plus the required upgrade to a 400A service for the house (cost prohibitive). Thanks for trying to help.

 

[scal_air]

Hmm...still think it will work but requires plugging /unplugging each car everyday. Your drive is 180/day and your wife is 142/day for a total of 322 miles per day. Let's just say 350. If the Ford charger can give you and your wife 35miles/hr, 10 hours a day is what is needed...

Anyway, I understand and wish the Lucid would charge faster too.

 

[hydbob]

Currently we use a 240v 50a circuit and the charger from Ford. The Lucid supplied charger and the portable from Ford are stored in the trunks for "emergency" use. The only way we have been able to calculate an acceptable charge for both is with the Lucid home charger but that requires a 100A circuit. Plus the required upgrade to a 400A service for the house (cost prohibitive). Thanks for trying to help.

They do make those splitters that allow charging both or one at a time. I'm sure @DeaneG has more info about this

 

[Knucklehead]

Knucklehead- the Wunderbox handles all of this for Lucid. Its at the center of their fast charging claims constantly adjusting for optimal voltage, all variables considered. In the case of my Pure it has 700v architecture.

Yes, that is correct. But the Wunderbox has a power limit that I believe is less than 100 kW. So if the DCFC is a 400V unit, charging speed in the Air is significantly reduced. To get full speed, you need a 1000V charger. And you can confirm the voltage of the charger by looking for the rating plate on the unit.

Not all EA chargers are 1000V. The newer ones are, but not the older ones. When EA first started installing DCFC stations, there were zero 1000V capable vehicles and zero reason to produce a 1000V charger. In fact, Tesla has very few of their V4 1000V chargers installed. All the V3 chargers are 400V. I don't know the percentage of 350 kW EA chargers that are 400V. Maybe very few. Maybe zero. Not sure. But I know there are still 400V EA chargers out there, and that could be the reason why people see a slow charging speed. When you have this issue, check the cabinet and look for the voltage rating. If it says 1000V, then there is another issue. If it says 400V, then that is your issue. Find another station with newer units.

 

[Pragmatic]

When charging at a 400v station Lucids are limited to 50kw.

AFAIK There are few if any truly 900 v Tesla station installed. There are some v4 stations but most still use some v3 hardware limiting them to 400v.

All EA 350kw chargers are 800v (nominal) and most (if not all) 150kw chargers are also 800v. If a Lucid is accepting more than 50kw it is connected to a higher voltage dispenser.

 

[DeaneG]

There are zero 1000V tesla superchargers installed worldwide. So far just 1000V V4 cable stations with 500V V3 power conversion cabinets feeding them. It's been a few years and no one outside Tesla knows what the holdup is.

You can share a single 14-50 receptacle using either of these. They won't intelligently power split. One of the units' output receptacles has priority and will turn off power to the other receptacle when in use.

NeoCharge Smart Splitter

Explore how to save money on home EV charging installation with the NeoCharge Smart Splitter. Get easy EV charging access by sharing your 240V dryer outlet and EV charger or two EVs without needing an electrician. Avoid expensive panel upgrades for Level 2 home EV charging.

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Lectron NEMA 14-50 Socket SplitterDefault Title

Lectron NEMA Socket Splitter - Power Your EV Charger and High-Powered Appliance From the Same Outlet (NEMA 14-50 to NEMA 14-50 / NEMA 14-50 Splitter)

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Or you could buy a couple identical wall chargers that are capable of power splitting and thus share a single circuit. In this case, you'd want to pull out that 14-50 receptacle circuit you have now and put in as a replacement the highest-power circuit your panel can handle without an upgrade, and suits your chosen charging stations. Maybe it's a 60-amp breaker rather than 50-amp, or something larger.

I agree with the OP that if you for whatever reason you can't satisfactorily charge at home, now isn't the time to buy an EV. Maybe in 5-10 years.