My Road Trip Experiences

[Volund]

That’s interesting. Using an 80 amp Tesla Tap it did charge the Lucid for me on a Tesla destination charger. I wonder if the adapters on their Tesla chargers were the problem as the Lucid can definitely “speak Tesla” whether it’s L2 or Magic dock supercharger.

Can someone explain to me why "magic dock" is even necessary?

Why can't Tesla just accept other cars plugging in, then sell a CCS to NACS adapter?

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Can someone explain to me why "magic dock" is even necessary?

Why can't Tesla just accept other cars plugging in, then sell a CCS to NACS adapter?

There must be some hardware limitation related to the cable/station itself, as yeah it would be way cheaper to just flip a software switch and say “here buy our expensive adapter” than to retrofit existing stations with the magic dock. I’m sure if that was doable they would have done it ages ago because they would have made $$$$ off of it. I’d gather near 100% of CCS car buyers would have bought a Tesla supercharger adapter if they could.

 

[Volund]

There must be some hardware limitation related to the cable/station itself, as yeah it would be way cheaper to just flip a software switch and say “here buy our expensive adapter” than to retrofit existing stations with the magic dock. I’m sure if that was doable they would have done it ages ago because they would have made $$$$ off of it. I’d gather near 100% of CCS car buyers would have bought a Tesla supercharger adapter if they could.

Exactly and it honestly seems super counterintuitive and a poor design decision to have some type of authentication or check built into the cable itself rather than it be just a dumb evse and then just control the station with software to authenticate with whoever has the Tesla app and a car near the location to activate it.

Then they could've done exactly that, flip a software switch and sell an adapter.

I'm dumbfounded why they took that route. The hardware costs now are immense compared to what it could've been.

 

[MorganB]

I've managed to drive 290 miles in my Touring in blazing Texas heat at about 84 mph without stopping and made it home with 9% charge (started at 100%). I have driven to Houston from Dallas twice including last weekend and I didn't try to not charge but I didnt need more than 10 minutes charge in each direction and that was leaving with 91% again at about the same highway speed.

 

[DeaneG]

Can someone explain to me why "magic dock" is even necessary? Why can't Tesla just accept other cars plugging in, then sell a CCS to NACS adapter?

NEVI funding requires CCS compatibility without a separate adapter. Building it into the station like that may allow Tesla to bypass the language of that requirement without the cost and redesign of adding a second cable.

 

[Steveinarizona]

Found this thread after having a less-than-stellar experience on a road trip from Austin to Galveston.

The issue on my trip was an EA charger that flat out wouldn't work (worked ok on the way there, same charger flat out failed every time on the return trip, though other cars could charge there).

My range was about 2/3 as advertised, and that wasn't an issue for me - I expected the range would be much lower due to the 105+ degree heat and going 80-85 mph most of the way.

Primary thing I wanted to comment on, though, is folks saying "just go 70 MPH". I have a difficult time believing you've driven much in Texas. At 70 you'd likely be among the slowest cars (if not the slowest) on many stretches of highway in Texas - most of the highways I was traveling on the speed limit was 75 MPH, except a stretch near Austin where it's 85 (the highest speed limit in the country). When I go 80 in a 75 zone I'd say I'm normally average or a tad slower than the average rate of speed of other cars.

Physics is physics, and I fully understand and expect to get lower mileage the faster I go, but the common 65 max speed limit of other states doesn't apply to Texas, and it's usually safest to travel at the average rate of speed of other cars.

Ditto for Arizona.

 

[Daniel2022AT]

Great to see the machine dictate to the human how to live your life. I like to drive my cars the way I need them to work for me...... if they don't perform to expectations, I don't make excuses for the machine...... I recognize them as shortcomings - and areas for improvement. Like another poster here said, you will struggle to get through Texas if you drive like Ms. Daisy at slower than 80 mph.

That said, these super fast chargers are touted as adding 200 miles in 15 mins. DOES NOT HAPPEN guys! Did you actually get that much of a charge in 15 mins?

Taken in reverse order:

In the first 15 minutes, starting at 15-20% SOC, charging probably averaged about 150KW. Doing the math, 150/4 = 37.5 KWH. At 3.9 mi/KWh that equals 146 miles. Less than 200 miles but not bad.

Your comments about speed are incredibly rude, arrogant, and uninformed. The machine does not dictate anything. Traffic conditions, congestion, truck traffic, and my personal preferences do. With those conditions on I-65, I-24, and I-75, there are significant stretches where it is difficult to achieve even 74-75mph.

 

[borski]

Great to see the machine dictate to the human how to live your life. I like to drive my cars the way I need them to work for me...... if they don't perform to expectations, I don't make excuses for the machine...... I recognize them as shortcomings - and areas for improvement. Like another poster here said, you will struggle to get through Texas if you drive like Ms. Daisy at slower than 80 mph.

That said, these super fast chargers are touted as adding 200 miles in 15 mins. DOES NOT HAPPEN guys! Did you actually get that much of a charge in 15 mins?

Feel free to charge more often. You dictate how often you charge based on how heavy your foot is and how much HVAC you use. Those are the variables you can control. Enjoy.

And yes, I have “really gotten that much charge” in 15 minutes on road trips.

 

[austinlucid]

Your comments about speed are incredibly rude, arrogant, and uninformed. The machine does not dictate anything. Traffic conditions, congestion, truck traffic, and my personal preferences do. With those conditions on I-65, I-24, and I-75, there are significant stretches where it is difficult to achieve even 74-75mph.

Not sure why Internet forums always seem to devolve into this kind of "shouting past each other", but I think that what you and vaznayak said regarding speed is basically the same thing: traffic conditions largely dictate your speed. That is, in Texas, there are large stretches of highway where if you travel consistently at 70 MPH that you are likely to be the slowest car on the highway, and you'll be getting constantly passed by big rigs, which is not exactly the most pleasant, nor safest, driving experience. Similarly, on other stretches of highway in other parts of the country, you'll rarely see cars traveling faster than 75 MPH, as you point out.

But for those of us in Texas:

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Yeah, it's totally justified to drive faster to match traffic speed, and 100% of EVs lose efficiency the faster they go, and 100% of charge dispensers, whether Tesla or CCS, perform worse under high temperatures, so I'm perplexed as to why there's any consternation in this thread. I myself have achieved 301kw peak at the Chicopee Mass EA in 88 degree temps, but that was on an ABB unit before they redid the site with the El-crappo Signet stations. I'm totally content to get 173kw off of 150kw ABB units and call it a day, but psyched on the rare occasion the car hits the high 200s. The Lucid always asks for the max it can handle, if there's a problem it's that the stations and car don't talk to eachother perfectly all the time, and also that EA are doing a bad job at reliable charging experiences for all drivers, not just Lucid. We live in a messy time of EV implementation which is far from perfect, which isn't apologizing for Lucid or anyone else, just merely the state of the tech at this point in time.

 

[victoryroad]

Yeah, it's totally justified to drive faster to match traffic speed, and 100% of EVs lose efficiency the faster they go, and 100% of charge dispensers, whether Tesla or CCS, perform worse under high temperatures, so I'm perplexed as to why there's any consternation in this thread. I myself have achieved 301kw peak at the Chicopee Mass EA in 88 degree temps, but that was on an ABB unit before they redid the site with the El-crappo Signet stations. I'm totally content to get 173kw off of 150kw ABB units and call it a day, but psyched on the rare occasion the car hits the high 200s. The Lucid always asks for the max it can handle, if there's a problem it's that the stations and car don't talk to eachother perfectly all the time, and also that EA are doing a bad job at reliable charging experiences for all drivers, not just Lucid. We live in a messy time of EV implementation which is far from perfect, which isn't apologizing for Lucid or anyone else, just merely the state of the tech at this point in time.

Good perspective. Although at the Chicopee MA EA in the winter, I never got more than about 150 regardless of SOC and always with preconditioning before charging. That was also true cross country at 150 and 350 EA stations whether empty or with other cars charging.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Good perspective. Although at the Chicopee MA EA in the winter, I never got more than about 150 regardless of SOC and always with preconditioning before charging. That was also true cross country at 150 and 350 EA stations whether empty or with other cars charging.

Yeah not surprising, I feel like everyone gets one or two unicorn high kW sessions from a random EA site, then the rest are inexplicably slow or problematic for no apparent reason regardless of conditions. To be fair that 301kw session I got at Chicopee did quit 12 minutes in for no reason give and I had to reconnect, maybe it overheated.

 

[Tesla2.0]

You guys here driving in Texas are simply too modest! Are you kidding me with 70-80 mph?! That’s slower than most pickup truck speed. I go Dallas several times a year from west Houston. When I get to 45N freeway stretch of plain view, I do 90~120 mph. I make sure my radar detector investment is in good use. Efficiency?! 2.6~2.8 miles/kWh in full blown AC blast during the stretch. I will stop by Ennis EA station to get me 175kW EA ABB unit juice in 20~25 min for bladder relief and stretch in Walmart before get into Dallas with excruciating traffic. When I overnight in hotel, I do destination Charge Point for $2 per hr. I prefer not to go EA to wait under Texas sun.

Yes, you can get very fast charge in 15 minutes, but that would be starting under 5~10% and no Signet surge, I’m driving this car as road tripper for comfort relaxation, not as doing scientific lab experiment like those guys in YouTube Out Of Spec Studio channels. My first 6 months ownership, I did many experiments to get to understand my AGT behavior, now I just carefree and enjoy this best EV ride.

Tesla lost me as a customer bc several Turo tryouts showed every 120 miles real world range in Texas heated highway needs a charge despite EPA at 230~260. It took 7.5 hours to go from Dallas-Houston one way which ignited domestic quarrels. And each time waiting at TSCN, there were long line. But now I see Tesla has improved with Bucee stations all have 25+ stalls to fulfill abundant Tesla drivers. Currently, we are waiting for EA, ChargePoint, EVGo, EVConnect, RAN, 7-Eleven, Circle-K, IKEA, Walmart, Shell and that upcoming 7-auto consortium brand and Tesla MagicDock to ramp up CCS DCFC infrastructure with new upcoming Fed subsidies.

Here is old charging curve reference for ADE by YouTube State Of Charge Channel.

 

[Tesla2.0]

Btw, @vaznayak or any Texan reading this thread, if you are in Houston area, we are organizing a Lucid owner get together this Sunday morning. Post here or DM me for details.

 

[borski]

100% of EVs lose efficiency the faster they go

100% of cars*

 

[Bunnylebowski]

100% of cars*

A car in 2nd or 3rd gear going 30mph is more efficient than in 5th gear going 65mph? Maybe that’s true but at least with MPG I thought highway efficiency was better than city efficiency? That was one big selling point to my wife for switching out her Subaru which got 24mpg city for the Volvo XC40 recharge which will save us $1700 a year in fuel costs vs charging when you factor in the $10K off MSRP for leasing, making a new nice EV cheaper to own than a 2019 gas car.

 

[Rogue]

Most cars follow a "hill" for energy consumption. Low speeds are typically inefficient for all cars before reaching the peak. I suspect gear ratio to speed is the culprit as Taycan has a dual gear setup if I remember review videos correctly (Tesla did too for a short while).

A group did a test with the Lucid achieving 600+ miles at ~30mph as a *nudge nudge* from Lucid for optimization speed. Gas cars will sit a bit higher for speeds at that 55-60mph, highway cruising gear.

 

[borski]

A car in 2nd or 3rd gear going 30mph is more efficient than in 5th gear going 65mph? Maybe that’s true but at least with MPG I thought highway efficiency was better than city efficiency? That was one big selling point to my wife for switching out her Subaru which got 24mpg city for the Volvo XC40 recharge which will save us $1700 a year in fuel costs vs charging when you factor in the $10K off MSRP for leasing, making a new nice EV cheaper to own than a 2019 gas car.

Sure, until you go faster. It’s a bell curve (roughly). Low speeds are inefficient. There is a sweet spot, typically 40-55mph, and then you lose efficiency again the faster you go due to additional wind drag and tire compression and a lot of other things. More aerodynamic cars handle this better, but physics is physics. You’re still cutting lots of air, faster.

As you enters the 40 mph range, each 1 mph increase requires significantly more power than the improvement in the engine's efficiency. To go from 45 to 46 mph costs much more than going from 3 to 4 mph.

The department of energy has said 35-60mph is the typical sweet spot. But the point is: there is a sweet spot.

Save money and fuel by driving efficiently.

Our fuel-saving tips can help you save both fuel and money!

www.fueleconomy.gov

 

[emoylv]

Lucid is my first EV (since December, 2022) so I am a noob. I find I'm learning stuff almost every day. Like Borski says, the faster you go, the less the mileage - for all vehicles, not just EVs. Temperatures matter, so does elevation changes, especially drastic ones like the drive from Vegas to Flagstaff (+/- almost 5K feet in elevation). I would surmise that the terrain in West Texas is flatter than Northern Arizona - that affects mileage. My friend who owns a Tesla says the heater zaps mileage more than A/C. He feels the range drop on his drives to Salt Lake City in winter. It doesn't get that cold here so I probably won't notice.

With the 3-year freebie, I'm kinda wedded to EA for another 2+ years. I'll be taking notes from this forum to see what chargers most of you have the best success; that will factor into which station or stations I'll use on my drives to California and Arizona in the future. The best charge I've ever gotten was in March at Cabazon near Palm Springs, about 270kW. Most of the time, I get around 125 but that tapers off rather quickly. The biggest challenge for me has been that the charge rates drop off rather quickly, even with preconditioning. I'll take some more notes when fall arrives to see if charge rates improve.

These are my personal impressions based on 5 Interstate trips, 1 in Spring and 4 in Summer. That said, I'm enjoying the Lucid immensely. That trumps any and all shortcomings to date.

 

[Volund]

Lucid is my first EV (since December, 2022) so I am a noob. I find I'm learning stuff almost every day. Like Borski says, the faster you go, the less the mileage - for all vehicles, not just EVs. Temperatures matter, so does elevation changes, especially drastic ones like the drive from Vegas to Flagstaff (+/- almost 5K feet in elevation). I would surmise that the terrain in West Texas is flatter than Northern Arizona - that affects mileage. My friend who owns a Tesla says the heater zaps mileage more than A/C. He feels the range drop on his drives to Salt Lake City in winter. It doesn't get that cold here so I probably won't notice.

With the 3-year freebie, I'm kinda wedded to EA for another 2+ years. I'll be taking notes from this forum to see what chargers most of you have the best success; that will factor into which station or stations I'll use on my drives to California and Arizona in the future. The best charge I've ever gotten was in March at Cabazon near Palm Springs, about 270kW. Most of the time, I get around 125 but that tapers off rather quickly. The biggest challenge for me has been that the charge rates drop off rather quickly, even with preconditioning. I'll take some more notes when fall arrives to see if charge rates improve.

These are my personal impressions based on 5 Interstate trips, 1 in Spring and 4 in Summer. That said, I'm enjoying the Lucid immensely. That trumps any and all shortcomings to date.

I live in SLC. And I've done road trips to Vegas California, Arizona, Chicago, ans then DC to SLC last winter.

Range will get to around a decent usable distance. You stop more often. I was around 2.8-3 mi/kw. Heater I think did use up more range, seat warmer with less heater usage is better.

But overall I had no issues road tripping in the winter and going Coast to coast. My charging experience was seamless because it was before signet surge and all the other problems (Nov 2022)

But Lucid range estimates and route planner that's built in does a better job with estimating % arrival so road trips should be more seamless now.

@HariK just got done with a pretty awesome road trip, I'm sure he has some great tips.