EA Megathread

[DeaneG]

I certainly see the logic of this, but there are some downsides. For one thing, fast charging puts more stress on the battery pack. A charging strategy that means doing all DCFC charging on the most aggressive part of the charging curve is something I would prefer to avoid as much as I can, for the same reason that I never charge up to 100% even on a road trip.

The car's charging curve is designed to keep stress on the battery pack at a reasonable and constant level throughout the range of SOC. I don't think charging at 250kW at 20% SOC is more stressful to the battery than 150kW at 50% SOC.

 

[hmp10]

The car's charging curve is designed to keep stress on the battery pack at a reasonable and constant level throughout the range of SOC. I don't think charging at 250kW at 20% SOC is more stressful to the battery than 150kW at 50% SOC.

I'm sure the charging curve will manage the stress on the battery to keep battery degradation within acceptable limits. However, "acceptable" and "optimum" are different. The charging curve will also allow you to charge the battery to 100% repeatedly, but routine charging to 100% -- especially when then letting the battery sit at full charge -- is quite hard on the battery.

Take Tesla, for instance. Even though Tesla says it is acceptable to charge regularly to 80% or even 90%, they also say that routine charging to 70% is optimal for long battery life.

I don't want to overstate this. I'm pretty sure that using the Kyle Conner "short charging" method on an occasional trip will make no significant difference on the life of the battery pack. It's just one of those things I obsess about that probably would increases degradation in any meaningful way only when pursued to excess.

 

[Brown Eyes]

These may solve connection issues? My issue is it will start charging for like 2 seconds then say charging error. Authentication works fine, it’s after it tries to start charging that it fails.

Recently, another EV owner saw me struggling with this same situation. However, the charging would last more like a minute before it would stop. He recommended that I press the "continue" icon on the bottom of the EA charger screen. It has worked flawlessly ever since. Not sure if it will work for you, but it's worth a try. I always thought the connection was supposed to be immediate when the charger was inserted in the Lucid, but now I know I need to select an icon on the charger.

 

[pam4_AGT]

Recently, another EV owner saw me struggling with this same situation. However, the charging would last more like a minute before it would stop. He recommended that I press the "continue" icon on the bottom of the EA charger screen. It has worked flawlessly ever since. Not sure if it will work for you, but it's worth a try. I always thought the connection was supposed to be immediate when the charger was inserted in the Lucid, but now I know I need to select an icon on the charger.

I had posted this in another thread. I have always pressed the "Continue" button.

I have used EA exactly five times (across three different locations in the Bay Area) since I received my GT in early May. I have not had a single issue. Plug-and-charge worked exactly the way it was supposed to. I had to hit the "Continue" button on the charger every single time.

On a related note, I tried charging today at the same EA location I had used multiple times before (even the same charger itself) and today I had to initiate charging from within the Lucid app. There was a message on the EA screen that said something about "initiating charge from app". The only difference I can think of is that I now have version 2.0.25. Or, the EA charger firmware was updated.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Recently, another EV owner saw me struggling with this same situation. However, the charging would last more like a minute before it would stop. He recommended that I press the "continue" icon on the bottom of the EA charger screen. It has worked flawlessly ever since. Not sure if it will work for you, but it's worth a try. I always thought the connection was supposed to be immediate when the charger was inserted in the Lucid, but now I know I need to select an icon on the charger.

Thanks for the tip, I’ll try that. You mean the actual button on the charger itself? For me it doesn’t charge long enough to do much, lasts maybe 1-2 seconds and I get 0.3kw and the Lucid tells me charging has stopped before the EA station even realizes it.

 

[larry]

Reviving this thread for a problem to see if anyone else has seen this:
When I precondition the battery and hook up to a 350kw charger the car gets a critical error and will not do anything until you reboot. I reported it to service but they said it was not a common or known issue. Charge rates are decent without precondition so I just don't precondition before charging.

This is what the owner is telling me, anyone else see this or heard about it?

This happened to me--once (a week ago). Preconditioned, which I always do. 350kw unit, which I always try to use. Charged for ~5 seconds and then gave a critical error. Cleared on reboot. Repeated whole thing once.

Yesterday I hit another 350kw unit at the same station and had no problems aside from a max speed of ~160kw (starting at 20% SOC), with preconditioning.

There's at least one other forum member that had this happen, too.

 

[Volund]

This happened to me--once (a week ago). Preconditioned, which I always do. 350kw unit, which I always try to use. Charged for ~5 seconds and then gave a critical error. Cleared on reboot. Repeated whole thing once.

Yesterday I hit another 350kw unit at the same station and had no problems aside from a max speed of ~160kw (starting at 20% SOC), with preconditioning.

There's at least one other forum member that had this happen, too.

I'll call service and have them look at it

 

[Adnillien]

I went to EA at Wildhorse Pass Outlet Mall today. All four 150kW stations were available and none in use. No issues, plug and charge as it was intended. I was only at 40% SOC when starting but still charged to 90% faster than my wife and I could finish shopping.

 

[Volund]

I went to EA at Wildhorse Pass Outlet Mall today. All four 150kW stations were available and none in use. No issues, plug and charge as it was intended. I was only at 40% SOC when starting but still charged to 90% faster than my wife and I could finish shopping.

Seriously, sometimes charges so fast that you're not even done with whatever you wanted to do before you are charged and ready to be charged idle fees

Now I want a feature request to control state of charge so that it finishes by a specified set time

Jk, I can see how that will be bad because then people will hog chargers for hours

 

[Slam08]

Seriously, sometimes charges so fast that you're not even done with whatever you wanted to do before you are charged and ready to be charged idle fees

Now I want a feature request to control state of charge so that it finishes by a specified set time

Jk, I can see how that will be bad because then people will hog chargers for hours

Maybe we could artificially cap the charging rate to avoid idle fees? Lol. Good problem to have

 

[Volund]

Maybe we could artificially cap the charging rate to avoid idle fees? Lol. Good problem to have

Haha, well when you're like a 15 minute walk away from the car and you're in a mall charging, sucks having to run out to unplug
But yeah Yada Yada first world problems

It's only a temporary problem for me because I can't use the app yet, so I am having to manually set timers on my phone

 

[Volund]

In Denver Colorado now, still going 12/12 on EA Chargers, they've been solid.

Only issue thus far is not being able to precondition, so my charging times have been averaging 35-40 minutes for about 20 percent to 84 percent

 

[Negan1000]

I went to EA at Wildhorse Pass Outlet Mall today. All four 150kW stations were available and none in use. No issues, plug and charge as it was intended. I was only at 40% SOC when starting but still charged to 90% faster than my wife and I could finish shopping.

What software version are you running? Does mobile app send you alert when charging is done?

 

[Adnillien]

What software version are you running? Does mobile app send you alert when charging is done?

I was on 2.0.25 and yes the app notifies you when charging is complete. The notification is not new, my car has always sent notifications even on the 1.x software.

 

[Brown Eyes]

Thanks for the tip, I’ll try that. You mean the actual button on the charger itself? For me it doesn’t charge long enough to do much, lasts maybe 1-2 seconds and I get 0.3kw and the Lucid tells me charging has stopped before the EA station even realizes it.

Hello, on the charging station screen, an icon on the lower left appears that states: "continue."

 

[Brown Eyes]

I had posted this in another thread. I have always pressed the "Continue" button.



On a related note, I tried charging today at the same EA location I had used multiple times before (even the same charger itself) and today I had to initiate charging from within the Lucid app. There was a message on the EA screen that said something about "initiating charge from app". The only difference I can think of is that I now have version 2.0.25. Or, the EA charger firmware was updated.

Sorry, I missed your earlier post because it would have saved me a lot of frustration. I didn't realize the charging process had changed from the charging station immediately recognizing my Lucid to having to press the "continue" icon.

 

[jcook3s]

Yeah I would much prefer Kyle’s method as you’d get there faster, but you just can’t trust the charging infrastructure, so I’ll find I’m charging to 95% for road trips now just in case I get screwed. Don’t charging networks recognize they could fit in more customers if they were more reliable? The downtime on them combined with others leaving cuz there was a wait must make these DCFC even bigger money losers than they were before.

Yes, My strategy also….lots of walks around and through large Walmarts while the charging happens. The Charging Infrastructures and technology are being imagined as we are driving. According to Kyle Connor, the EA chargers are being replaced with updated versions and with new partners (Siemens) it should be more reliable.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Yes, My strategy also….lots of walks around and through large Walmarts while the charging happens. The Charging Infrastructures and technology are being imagined as we are driving. According to Kyle Connor, the EA chargers are being replaced with updated versions and with new partners (Siemens) it should be more reliable.

I got to charge on one of the new updated chargers today, at the Albany WalMart, they’d only been up and running for one day. Plug and charge worked great, but at 30% SOC on preconditioned battery on a 350kw I maxed out at 124kw. EA is making their own problems worse by not being able to deliver close to the speeds they advertise. Before this charging session I was at an ABB Unit, 2 out of the 4 weren’t working and one wouldn’t authenticate any payment from anyone, and there was a line of very pissed off EV drivers waiting their turn for the ONE and only functional DCFC in that area for 70 miles. Before that I went to another EA that got a 10/10 PlugShare score but it wouldn’t authenticate the car no matter the method so then I just paid for it with my credit card and it worked. And once again it was on a 350kw charger at 30% SOC and this unit maxed out at 130kw then quickly dropped to 110. I’m basically going to avoid all 350kw units from now on, I usually pull 172kw off the 150kw units. EA is just continuing to be mediocre even when it works.

 

[hydbob]

I got to charge on one of the new updated chargers today, at the Albany WalMart, they’d only been up and running for one day. Plug and charge worked great, but at 30% SOC on preconditioned battery on a 350kw I maxed out at 124kw. EA is making their own problems worse by not being able to deliver close to the speeds they advertise. Before this charging session I was at an ABB Unit, 2 out of the 4 weren’t working and one wouldn’t authenticate any payment from anyone, and there was a line of very pissed off EV drivers waiting their turn for the ONE and only functional DCFC in that area for 70 miles. Before that I went to another EA that got a 10/10 PlugShare score but it wouldn’t authenticate the car no matter the method so then I just paid for it with my credit card and it worked. And once again it was on a 350kw charger at 30% SOC and this unit maxed out at 130kw then quickly dropped to 110. I’m basically going to avoid all 350kw units from now on, I usually pull 172kw off the 150kw units. EA is just continuing to be mediocre even when it works.

The new units are all power share. The only way you will get near 350 is if you are the only car charging. Just a FYI!

 

[HariK]

In Denver Colorado now, still going 12/12 on EA Chargers, they've been solid.

Only issue thus far is not being able to precondition, so my charging times have been averaging 35-40 minutes for about 20 percent to 84 percent

Downhill to slc? Hope to see the summary of your trip. Hope one of the savvy guys who did the delivery trackers comes up with a way to track long distance drives so that we can see them on a map before we plan the same segment. I will try to maintain a log of a few trips in a spreadsheet once I get my car.