Tesla Supercharger first experience

[CrashDummy]

Pulled into a Tesla Supercharger station next to a Wawa today to test out the Lucid/Tesla charging experience. I bought the Lucid NACS adapter and wanted to find out if I needed to pull out a credit card or double-park and what the whole interaction was like.

Thankfully, the station had a lane parallel to the chargers so you could pull in "behind" them and not take up two stalls. I plugged the cable into the adapter, plugged the whole works into the car and got a message that "another step is required". You have to go to the Lucid app on your phone and identify which charger you're using. Took a few moments to find that Tesla places that number at the base of the charger, but once I saw which one I was plugged into, I just selected it in the app, away it went.

Right off the bat it pulled 47 kW and stayed there for the 15 minutes I tested. I don't know what it's like where you might be, but here in coastal Virginia, it was $0.57 per kWh.

Relatively seamless, no issues and a great backup if you can't find a proper fast charger. Yes it's slower, but there's way more of them.

 

[chork]

Pulled into a Tesla Supercharger station next to a Wawa today to test out the Lucid/Tesla charging experience. I bought the Lucid NACS adapter and wanted to find out if I needed to pull out a credit card or double-park and what the whole interaction was like.

Thankfully, the station had a lane parallel to the chargers so you could pull in "behind" them and not take up two stalls. I plugged the cable into the adapter, plugged the whole works into the car and got a message that "another step is required". You have to go to the Lucid app on your phone and identify which charger you're using. Took a few moments to find that Tesla places that number at the base of the charger, but once I saw which one I was plugged into, I just selected it in the app, away it went.

Right off the bat it pulled 47 kW and stayed there for the 15 minutes I tested. I don't know what it's like where you might be, but here in coastal Virginia, it was $0.57 per kWh.

Relatively seamless, no issues and a great backup if you can't find a proper fast charger. Yes it's slower, but there's way more of them.

I had a similar experience in Santa Rosa, CA @ $0.64/kWh. Just had to pull up as close as possible to the charger fortunately the curb was very low and was able to pull the nose over the curb for the last few inches so the cable would reach. Yes, just have to go into the Lucid app and tell it which charger # you are using after that it started charging.

I also had a totally unexpected positive experience at a Tesla Level 2 charger at Olema, CA at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. I did not realize there were chargers there but there are slower Tesla Level 2 chargers. I will pat myself on the back on this one as I had bought a Level 2 NACS to CSS adaptor from Lechtron just in case and had already signed up on the Tesla app (w/ credit card) so I could charge that way. Worked like a charm as we hiked for about 3 or so hours and got about 110 miles on the charge, sweet!!

Tesla has a site (darn if I can find or remember the URL) that listed all the Tesla chargers (Level 2 and Superchargers). Some of the Level 2 chargers are at places not near Superchargers and in more out of the way places which could help you get out of a snag, so it is helpful to have a Level 2 NACS to CSS adaptor (Lechtron has them) as well as one for the Tesla Supercharger.

 

[Miami_Lucid_Man]

I had a similar experience in Santa Rosa, CA @ $0.64/kWh. Just had to pull up as close as possible to the charger fortunately the curb was very low and was able to pull the nose over the curb for the last few inches so the cable would reach. Yes, just have to go into the Lucid app and tell it which charger # you are using after that it started charging.

I also had a totally unexpected positive experience at a Tesla Level 2 charger at Olema, CA at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. I did not realize there were chargers there but there are slower Tesla Level 2 chargers. I will pat myself on the back on this one as I had bought a Level 2 NACS to CSS adaptor from Lechtron just in case and had already signed up on the Tesla app (w/ credit card) so I could charge that way. Worked like a charm as we hiked for about 3 or so hours and got about 110 miles on the charge, sweet!!

Tesla has a site (darn if I can find or remember the URL) that listed all the Tesla chargers (Level 2 and Superchargers). Some of the Level 2 chargers are at places not near Superchargers and in more out of the way places which could help you get out of a snag, so it is helpful to have a Level 2 NACS to CSS adaptor (Lechtron has them) as well as one for the Tesla Supercharger.

FYI Lucid also just released their branded adaptor.

 

[hellolucid]

I had a similar experience in Santa Rosa, CA @ $0.64/kWh. Just had to pull up as close as possible to the charger fortunately the curb was very low and was able to pull the nose over the curb for the last few inches so the cable would reach. Yes, just have to go into the Lucid app and tell it which charger # you are using after that it started charging.

I also had a totally unexpected positive experience at a Tesla Level 2 charger at Olema, CA at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. I did not realize there were chargers there but there are slower Tesla Level 2 chargers. I will pat myself on the back on this one as I had bought a Level 2 NACS to CSS adaptor from Lechtron just in case and had already signed up on the Tesla app (w/ credit card) so I could charge that way. Worked like a charm as we hiked for about 3 or so hours and got about 110 miles on the charge, sweet!!

Tesla has a site (darn if I can find or remember the URL) that listed all the Tesla chargers (Level 2 and Superchargers). Some of the Level 2 chargers are at places not near Superchargers and in more out of the way places which could help you get out of a snag, so it is helpful to have a Level 2 NACS to CSS adaptor (Lechtron has them) as well as one for the Tesla Supercharger.

do you have to use both Tesla and Lucid apps? i thought you could initiate the charging session from just the Tesla app.

 

[chork]

do you have to use both Tesla and Lucid apps? i thought you could initiate the charging session from just the Tesla app.

To use the Level 2 charger I had to use the Tesla app, Lucid did not recognize the Tesla Level 2 charger. The Lucid app DID recognize the Tesla supercharger. Yes you want both apps handy for charging as well as adaptors (just my opinion). Also, Electrify America still is recognized by the Lucid App, so you can use those chargers as well. For Charge Point and EZ-Go you have to have their apps with account and CC to use them. Personally I am good with Tesla and Electrify America so far, using the others maybe who knows.

 

[coupedncal]

Could someone remind me this 50kW limit on charging rate when using the NACS adapter on a Tesla supercharger is on all supercharger versions or a subset? I believe Tesla supercharger version 1 and 2 have a different architecture compared to V3+

 

[Tâm]

Could someone remind me this 50kW limit on charging rate when using the NACS adapter on a Tesla supercharger is on all supercharger versions or a subset? I believe Tesla supercharger version 1 and 2 have a different architecture compared to V3+

The Air 50kw DC limit is an intentional design when a charging station is not 800V and above, not just because it's "Tesla".

Lucid re-designed that with Gravity.

As for compatibility, a charging station must be CCS compatible, not just "Tesla."

Tesla Superchargers are CCS compatible from versions 3 and up.

 

[coupedncal]

A quick chat with ChatGPT confirmed what @Tâm has stated. Tesla V3+ chargers are 800V architecture. Our Airs are also 800V architecture.

Tesla V1 and V2 superchargers are 400V.

 

[Tâm]

A quick chat with ChatGPT confirmed what @Tâm has stated. Tesla V3+ chargers are 800V architecture. Our Airs are also 800V architecture.

Tesla V1 and V2 superchargers are 400V.

My robot says differently:

Is Telsa Supercharger version 3 800v architecture?

No, Tesla's Supercharger version 3 (V3) does not use 800V architecture; it uses a 400V architecture, but can support higher voltages in some cases. V3 chargers are designed to deliver up to 250 kW of power through high amperage and liquid-cooled cables, even though they primarily operate on a 400V system. While newer V4 chargers are being developed and some are being installed with 800V capability to support newer 800V vehicles like the Cybertruck, V3 stations are still a widely used 400V infrastructure.

 

[DeaneG]

All

A quick chat with ChatGPT confirmed what @Tâm has stated. Tesla V3+ chargers are 800V architecture. Our Airs are also 800V architecture.

Tesla V1 and V2 superchargers are 400V.

ChatGPT is completely wrong. But it did certainly generate plausible sentences, as it was developed to do.
There is only one 1000V V4 Supercharger operating in the USA, and it is not open to non-Tesla vehicles.
All V3 and V3+ (V4 stand with V3 power cabinets) stations are 450V max.

 

[coupedncal]

Yes, this is yet another case of getting incorrect data from these LLM based data collectors. I am sure their grade of hallucinations will level off over time but we are not there yet.

I stand corrected.

 

[PureAirTouring]

Is it’s possible to supercharge Lucid Air directly from the Tesla app? Or is the handshake via the Lucid app a mandatory step ?

 

[st50maint]

Is it’s possible to supercharge Lucid Air directly from the Tesla app? Or is the handshake via the Lucid app a mandatory step ?

Yes, you can charge using only the Tesla app.

 

[BrianBigNFun]

Pulled into a Tesla Supercharger station next to a Wawa today to test out the Lucid/Tesla charging experience.

Hope you got yourself a Gobbler

 

[DeaneG]

Is it’s possible to supercharge Lucid Air directly from the Tesla app? Or is the handshake via the Lucid app a mandatory step ?

You can supercharge a Lucid Air directly from the Tesla app:

- drive to the supercharging stall
- authorize charging using the Tesla app for that stall
- plug in

You don't need Lucid's app at all

 

[coupedncal]

The Air 50kw DC limit is an intentional design when a charging station is not 800V and above, not just because it's "Tesla".

Lucid re-designed that with Gravity.

As for compatibility, a charging station must be CCS compatible, not just "Tesla."

Tesla Superchargers are CCS compatible from versions 3 and up.

(1) Does this above mean we Air owners cannot charge on Tesla Superchargers v1 and v2?
(2) V3 and V3+ will also have the 50kW charging rate limitation?
(3) Once Tesla broadly installs the 800V charging stations, would we Air owners be able to charge at higher than 50kW charging rate using the current CCS <--> NACS adapter?

 

[borski]

(1) Does this above mean we Air owners cannot charge on Tesla Superchargers v1 and v2?
(2) V3 and V3+ will also have the 50kW charging rate limitation?
(3) Once Tesla broadly installs the 800V charging stations, would we Air owners be able to charge at higher than 50kW charging rate using the current CCS <--> NACS adapter?

1. No non-Tesla can. Those use the property Tesla charging standard.
2. v3/V3*, yes. V2, no.
3. Yes.

 

[Macgreiner]

Any ideas as to when the 50 kW level limit on Airs with Tesla chargers will change? There are only a couple of V4 superchargers around but they will ramp. That is the limitation correct?

 

[Miami_Lucid_Man]

Any ideas as to when the 50 kW level limit on Airs with Tesla chargers will change? There are only a couple of V4 superchargers around but they will ramp. That is the limitation correct?

There are v3.5 which are v4 cabs but v3 internals and I’m only aware of 1 true v4 so far. There was a thread about it. I think we’ll be able to exceed the 50 kW on the full V4 once that’s enabled

 

[borski]

Any ideas as to when the 50 kW level limit on Airs with Tesla chargers will change? There are only a couple of V4 superchargers around but they will ramp. That is the limitation correct?

Correct. The wait is on Tesla to produce more v4 stations.