EA v Supercharger Network

[Pax]

Just want to get everyone's thoughts on superchargers versus EA. We all know a huge selling point of Tesla's is their Supercharger network, which has many locations as well as stalls (which actually work). I wanted to ask how has your EA experience? Were you able to find a charger here and then? How does the increased range of the Air compare to the reliability Supercharger network when you need it?

Bonus if you have experience in bay area, and trips down to LA & SD as I'm looking to make that trip too

 

[DeaneG]

Many people aren't aware that there are over three times as many CCS charging locations as there are Supercharger locations. Only about 0.6x as many CCS stalls as Supercharger stalls though, and CCS reliability is still a work in progress. BTW no need to limit yourself to EA. There are about a dozen CCS charging vendors in the USA.

I owned a Tesla for four years, and even with the relative ease of supercharging, we chose to take our CCS EV instead of the Tesla both on long trips and for daily in-town use. Our CCS EV is just a better car, and has features, amenities, and safety aids not available on any Tesla. We sold the Model 3. Our tradeoff was to accept a little more trouble or effort on occasional long-distance road trips in order to be able to drive a more pleasant and functional car every day.

 

[hydbob]

Just want to get everyone's thoughts on superchargers versus EA. We all know a huge selling point of Tesla's is their Supercharger network, which has many locations as well as stalls (which actually work). I wanted to ask how has your EA experience? Were you able to find a charger here and then? How does the increased range of the Air compare to the reliability Supercharger network when you need it?

Bonus if you have experience in bay area, and trips down to LA & SD as I'm looking to make that trip too

Please browse the topics here...

Charging Stations / Infrastructure

lucidowners.com

 

[HC_79]

Bonus if you have experience in bay area, and trips down to LA & SD as I'm looking to make that trip too

I do many trips from LA to SF and all I can say is brace yourself for complete frustration with EA. The chargers are unreliable, full on weekends and just gives you overall charger anxiety. You want to see all the issues with EA just check out the EA Megathread post in the forum. Your best bet is to stop at the new Kettleman City location as it has 10 of the new chargers but even with those, people have been reporting issues. The network is a complete joke and EA can do what they like because they have no competition.

 

[scharnhorst]

The other part is EA just got like all that free money from the VW stuff. No competition + free money = bad quality

 

[Slam08]

The other part is EA just got like all that free money from the VW stuff. No competition + free money = bad quality

Many people aren't aware that there are over three times as many CCS charging locations as there are Supercharger locations. Only about 0.6x as many CCS stalls as Supercharger stalls though, and CCS reliability is still a work in progress. BTW no need to limit yourself to EA. There are about a dozen CCS charging vendors in the USA.

I owned a Tesla for four years, and even with the relative ease of supercharging, we chose to take our CCS EV instead of the Tesla both on long trips and for daily in-town use. Our CCS EV is just a better car, and has features, amenities, and safety aids not available on any Tesla. We sold the Model 3. Our tradeoff was to accept a little more trouble or effort on occasional long-distance road trips in order to be able to drive a more pleasant and functional car every day.

Perhaps there is more competition on the west coast. For me when I travel in Indiana or Michigan it is pretty much EA for fast charging (or Tesla of course) I wish there was more competition but we don’t have people traveling with EVs as much outside of California.

 

[scharnhorst]

Perhaps there is more competition on the west coast. For me when I travel in Indiana or Michigan it is pretty much EA for fast charging (or Tesla of course) I wish there was more competition but we don’t have people traveling with EVs as much outside of California.

Yeah I think the network in california though hardly perfect, is definitely better than most places. I would also say the weather probably supports an EV a bit better on average in CA too.

 

[Volund]

Just want to get everyone's thoughts on superchargers versus EA. We all know a huge selling point of Tesla's is their Supercharger network, which has many locations as well as stalls (which actually work). I wanted to ask how has your EA experience? Were you able to find a charger here and then? How does the increased range of the Air compare to the reliability Supercharger network when you need it?

Bonus if you have experience in bay area, and trips down to LA & SD as I'm looking to make that trip too

I have a review where I did a 2500+ road trip from DC to Utah, and I had 17/17 chargers work flawlessly.
Only the last charger, I had to pay because plug and play didn't work, but that has now been fixed as I've been to that same location just recently.

So I'm at 100% success rate with Electrify America so I'm a happy camper!

But I have no range anxiety, and no problems with road trips, I'd honestly say that the whole CCS infrastructure is on par or if not better than the super charger network right now if you consider all of them, and they're close enough too that you'll always have options if 1 doesn't work.

 

[borski]

Just want to get everyone's thoughts on superchargers versus EA. We all know a huge selling point of Tesla's is their Supercharger network, which has many locations as well as stalls (which actually work). I wanted to ask how has your EA experience? Were you able to find a charger here and then? How does the increased range of the Air compare to the reliability Supercharger network when you need it?

Bonus if you have experience in bay area, and trips down to LA & SD as I'm looking to make that trip too

I live in the Bay Area and have road tripped to San Diego by way of Monterey, solvang and LA, and had zero issues with any EA stops. I charged twice on the way there (just because we had stopped to eat so why not do it near an EA) and once on the way back. I charged up again at Valley Fair before going home because it was free.

I’m like 15/15 for charging at an EA with no issues; but I don’t use it every day.

 

[dnb]

@borski do you find EA lacking in SF down area? Or I am missing misreading their map

 

[borski]

@borski do you find EA lacking in SF down area? Or I am missing misreading their map

Dno, I would never charge my car in SF, lol. I live in the South Bay and avoid SF unless strictly necessary, and when I do go there I either Caltrain or Uber, because there’s no way I’m parking the Lucid up there.

 

[dnb]

Dno, I would never charge my car in SF, lol. I live in the South Bay and avoid SF unless strictly necessary, and when I do go there I either Caltrain or Uber, because there’s no way I’m parking the Lucid up there.

Yes SF is scary now. No choice,,for me.. have to go there often

 

[borski]

Yes SF is scary now. No choice,,for me.. have to go there often

I grew up in Brooklyn so don’t really mind SF, and I actually like a lot of the culture feel, but tbh I prefer Oakland as it reminds me more of Brooklyn.

That said, vehicle crime in SF is just way too high (and it obviously has other issues too); it’s definitely gotten worse in the last decade or so.

The South Bay is spectacular though.

 

[HC_79]

I grew up in Brooklyn so don’t really mind SF, and I actually like a lot of the culture feel, but tbh I prefer Oakland as it reminds me more of Brooklyn.

That said, vehicle crime in SF is just way too high (and it obviously has other issues too); it’s definitely gotten worse in the last decade or so.

The South Bay is spectacular though.

SF is basically the real life Gotham City except London Breed has no interest in installing a bat symbol to save the city because she simply doesn't care..... That city has gone to the dogs and seeing people exchanging drugs and shooting up on Market Street in broad daylight with no consequences just shows how much the city officials simply don't care.

 

[borski]

SF is basically the real life Gotham City except London Breed has no interest in installing a bat symbol to save the city because she simply doesn't care..... That city has gone to the dogs and seeing people exchanging drugs and shooting up on Market Street in broad daylight with no consequences just shows how much the city officials simply don't care.

Not trying to turn this into a political thread. SF has some real problems, but “the mayor doesn’t care” is also not accurate; these problems are just hard to solve, and the old pattern of “throw them into jail” as if that’s somehow better also wasn’t great.

That said, let’s end the politics here; we can chat about in DMs (I’d love to) but no more politics on this thread.

 

[TCGT]

Well said @borski. You rep Brooklyn well...I grew up in, and left the Village after HS, but last 2 years were in Brooklyn Heights. Remember lots of time hanging with friends on the brownstone steps of Park Slope, too. Left SF 6 years ago for Twin Cities...anyone need some snow, we got you (us) covered.

 

[borski]

Well said @borski. You rep Brooklyn well...I grew up in, and left the Village after HS, but last 2 years were in Brooklyn Heights. Remember lots of time hanging with friends on the brownstone steps of Park Slope, too. Left SF 6 years ago for Twin Cities...anyone need some snow, we got you (us) covered.

Haha nice. I grew up in Brighton Beach / Coney Island, and all of my family is still there (minus my wife).

Stay warm.

 

[joec]

Not trying to turn this into a political thread. SF has some real problems, but “the mayor doesn’t care” is also not accurate; these problems are just hard to solve, and the old pattern of “throw them into jail” as if that’s somehow better also wasn’t great.

That said, let’s end the politics here; we can chat about in DMs (I’d love to) but no more politics on this thread.

Agreed. San Francisco has been “going to the dogs” according to the locals since I originally moved there in 2000, at least. Probably much longer than that.

Somehow, the city keeps humming along, despite the perception.

Also, the Bay Area has the Millbrae service center, which by all accounts is one of the best places on Earth to get your Lucid serviced. So there’s that advantage.

 

[nevadagame]

I’m not sure if this has been asked and answered, if it has, I’m sorry, but , Can anyone tell clear up something for me, can we use Tesla supercharger network? I’ve heard it’s going to be available soon and I’m confused about yes, no, waiting for a missing part? Anyone have knowledge or details?

 

[PCorkett]

Currently no. It’s up to Tesla to open up their network to non-Tesla EVs. They haven’t yet done so.