EA Megathread

[hellolucid]

187 miles each way? Seems like you could have done this trip without charging no?

how? 374 miles total with a ~30% vaporized, you would need 534miles. unless you drive at 55mph

 

[borski]

how? 374 miles total with a ~30% vaporized, you would need 534miles. unless you drive at 55mph

He has a DE and lives in FL where it isn’t cold. I have driven Cupertino to San Diego on a single charge, which is 466mi; it just wasn’t fun to drive that way.

 

[TakeDuo]

how? 374 miles total with a ~30% vaporized, you would need 534miles. unless you drive at 55mph

Just because you can’t imagine it being possible doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Driving at 55mph would have saved more time than waiting for a charger for over an hour. Although in the video they show 65mph.

 

[hmp10]

187 miles each way? Seems like you could have done this trip without charging no?

Not if I drive the way I like to. We average just over 3.0 mi/kWh on road trips, which would have required ~124 kWh. Plus it was raining part of the way, which reduces range a bit, and I got tied up in two prolonged traffic snarls due to accidents (one on Route 27 and one on I-4) with lots of stop-and-go driving.

Also, since this shortest route was on back roads through rural farmlands and small towns well past midnight (we got home at 3:48 a.m.) with no charging options at all, it was not a place I would have wanted to run out of battery charge.

 

[EZEVDriver]

EA upgraded a station ~5 minutes from my house. So I confess to always charging there while it is free. But the trick is to use Google Maps, which has a "live" view of how busy it is. So when it isn't busy, I sneak in and wait maybe 5 minutes and charge up to 80% in the winter, 75% in the summer. My degradation isn't bad, maybe 4% over 20+ months.



I don't think Google Maps is calculating the extra wait time when one of the four chargers are down, but it still gives you a good relative wait time.

 

[TakeDuo]

EA upgraded a station ~5 minutes from my house. So I confess to always charging there while it is free. But the trick is to use Google Maps, which has a "live" view of how busy it is. So when it isn't busy, I sneak in and wait maybe 5 minutes and charge up to 80% in the winter, 75% in the summer. My degradation isn't bad, maybe 4% over 20+ months.

View attachment 25233

I don't think Google Maps is calculating the extra wait time when one of the four chargers are down, but it still gives you a good relative wait time.

I use Google popular times for a lot of other businesses but never thought for EA. Is this the only destination there? My local EA is in a Target parking lot. I’m not sure how Google would differentiate between people in the parking lot for Target vs waiting for EA charges. Regardless, there is always a line of 8-10 cars waiting anyway lol.

 

[hmp10]

Just because you can’t imagine it being possible doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Driving at 55mph would have saved more time than waiting for a charger for over an hour. Although in the video they show 65mph.

There was no feasible way to make this trip without a charging stop. The route along interstates which have numerous charging options was 246 miles each way.

The backroads route I took had no charging options outside the Orlando area, and I was traveling in the wee hours of the morning through small farm towns part of the time with no help available if anything went amiss. I was simply not willing to cut it so close that any weather or other traffic issues could have left us stranded. And we actually did encounter rain.

And if you think driving on Florida highways anywhere at 55 mph for sustained periods wouldn't be absolutely frightening, then you haven't driven in Florida. If I had to drive an EV that way to go long distances, I wouldn't own one.

The Lucid does its job of providing more real-world range for the way I like to drive than any other EV. But the charging infrastructure in this country sucks for people who don't live along the Pacific seaboard.

My partner sent me pictures during his trip of the charging situation in Iceland. Almost every gas station also had DC fast chargers, and they are scattered along the roads (although these appear to be Level 2 chargers):

And he found them in some truly weird places, one being a greenhouse tomato farm on a gravel road:

It's the main reason that, even in Iceland's cold climate, you see EVs everywhere. And they aren't just Teslas. When I was there two years ago, I saw more Hyundai, Kia, and Ford EVs than I've seen anywhere in the U.S.

And what fledging attempts we were seeing at government encouragement of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. will soon be shut down. We are an oil-burning society and intend to stay one as long as possible.

 

[hmp10]

I'm expecting that Tesla superchargers will be available to Gravity later in 2025. It should make a huge difference.

I should have saved the site I was on, but I saw a podcaster yesterday who said that Erich Bach told him Lucid would have the deal for access to Superchargers wrapped up before the first Gravities were delivered.

Color me skeptical.

 

[EZEVDriver]

I use Google popular times for a lot of other businesses but never thought for EA. Is this the only destination there? My local EA is in a Target parking lot. I’m not sure how Google would differentiate between people in the parking lot for Target vs waiting for EA charges. Regardless, there is always a line of 8-10 cars waiting anyway lol.

Here's one near a large mall, close to Nordstrom's. But, yes, all EA stations seem to be listed in Google Maps.

I didn't notice the "Tesla being removed" photo, but that's hysterical.

 

[hmp10]

I should have saved the site I was on, but I saw a podcaster yesterday who said that Erich Bach told him Lucid would have the deal for access to Superchargers wrapped up before the first Gravities were delivered.

Color me skeptical.

I just found the same clip in another video. The remark about not starting Gravity deliveries until Superchargers are open to Lucid was at 4:30:

Did anyone hear the earnings call in which Bach supposedly said this?

 

[TakeDuo]

Here's one near a large mall, close to Nordstrom's. But, yes, all EA stations seem to be listed in Google Maps.View attachment 25236
I didn't notice the "Tesla being removed" photo, but that's hysterical.

Ahh you are close to me! I enjoy Spectrum charging in the early morning myself. Before the madness . Yeah I just compared Google live times to EA and sure enough it says not busy and there are two stalls open. Great tip, thanks!

 

[hydbob]

I just found the same clip in another video. The remark about not starting Gravity deliveries until Superchargers are open to Lucid was at 4:30:

Did anyone hear the earnings call in which Bach supposedly said this?

Maybe that's why deliveries have been vague...

 

[borski]

There was no feasible way to make this trip without a charging stop. The route along interstates which have numerous charging options was 246 miles each way.

The backroads route I took had no charging options outside the Orlando area, and I was traveling in the wee hours of the morning through small farm towns part of the time with no help available if anything went amiss. I was simply not willing to cut it so close that any weather or other traffic issues could have left us stranded. And we actually did encounter rain.

And if you think driving on Florida highways anywhere at 55 mph for sustained periods wouldn't be absolutely frightening, then you haven't driven in Florida. If I had to drive an EV that way to go long distances, I wouldn't own one.

The Lucid does its job of providing more real-world range for the way I like to drive than any other EV. But the charging infrastructure in this country sucks for people who don't live along the Pacific seaboard.

My partner sent me pictures during his trip of the charging situation in Iceland. Almost every gas station also had DC fast chargers, and they are scattered along the roads (although these appear to be Level 2 chargers):

View attachment 25234

And he found them in some truly weird places, one being a greenhouse tomato farm on a gravel road:

View attachment 25235

It's the main reason that, even in Iceland's cold climate, you see EVs everywhere. And they aren't just Teslas. When I was there two years ago, I saw more Hyundai, Kia, and Ford EVs than I've seen anywhere in the U.S.

And what fledging attempts we were seeing at government encouragement of EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. will soon be shut down. We are an oil-burning society and intend to stay one as long as possible.

I love that farm. It is one of the best things to do and see in Iceland, imho, and has the most incredible tomato soup and beer

 

[tonybot]

I just found the same clip in another video. The remark about not starting Gravity deliveries until Superchargers are open to Lucid was at 4:30:

Did anyone hear the earnings call in which Bach supposedly said this?

I don’t think Bach was on the last two earning calls in a speaking role. I listed to both live and it was Peter and Gagan, the acting CFO doing the talking.

 

[tonybot]

He has a DE and lives in FL where it isn’t cold. I have driven Cupertino to San Diego on a single charge, which is 466mi; it just wasn’t fun to drive that way.

Sorry silly point. I assumed @hmp10 was a she. Sorry if I assumed wrong.

 

[DeaneG]

...I don't think Google Maps is calculating the extra wait time when one of the four chargers are down, but it still gives you a good relative wait time.

It's hard to beat Google for accurate realtime information <<cough Hey Lucid>>

 

[Negan1000]

I really wish EA would start imposing fees for over 85% charging. I rarely have to wait to charge at EA stations. When I do I walk the line to see how long the wait will be. Usually 2 of the stalls are occupied by vehicles that started at 50% or better and are at 95% or better when I arrive. They usually stay until they are at 100% which can take another 20 minutes. Worst was an unattended vehicle that shortly after reaching 100% (and before the charges began) the owner returned to, packed their shopping in, unplugged the car and walked away. They returned 15 minutes later with their whole family. Got in the car and left.

EA limits to 85% at a number of stations. This is disclosed in their app

 

[hmp10]

I love that farm. It is one of the best things to do and see in Iceland, imho, and has the most incredible tomato soup and beer

So I'm told. His daughter is a vegetarian -- and a picky one -- and the past week was a lot about tomatoes, beer, and Icelandic sushi.

 

[DeaneG]

So I'm told. His daughter is a vegetarian -- and a picky one -- and the past week was a lot about tomatoes, beer, and Icelandic sushi.

I think we visited the same farm. All I remember is rows and rows of trellised tomatoes in greenhouses.

 

[hmp10]

I don’t think Bach was on the last two earning calls in a speaking role. I listed to both live and it was Peter and Gagan, the acting CFO doing the talking.

I'm wondering if that video got its sources crossed. Here's an "Inside EVs" article about an interview with Bach that says:

"Lucid hasn’t officially announced access to Tesla’s charging network for its owners, but Bach says that will happen in advance of the first Gravity deliveries."

https://insideevs.com/news/744393/lucid-gravity-production-eric-bach/