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Will EA be the death of EVs?

mardin said:
On YouTube, search Cannonball Lucid and watch 3 hr video clearly demonstrating how Electrify America sank their carefully played cross country time race. Electrify America is beyond recovery!
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Interestingly, he said that EA had a software fix for this and it would be released soon.
 
Bobby said:
I’ve had good luck with the Rancho Penasquitos/Carmel Mountain EA station.
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I have had slow charging speeds recently there. Was at 35% with a preconditioned battery and only pulled 80kW the last time.

EA will have to get better or they will lose their business once people are done with free charging. My experience with EVgo several years ago was similar to EA today. However, they have massively improved their network - higher charging speeds (the older ones were only 50kW) and, from what I hear, much better reliability. The free market will sort this all out over the years.
 
stratus said:
Unsurprisingly , the EV has turned into a political symbol and one that cause absolute rage in a certain subset of the population. The phenomenon is consistent with other rage instigators in this country, like science in general. We live in a country where a huge portion of the population considers ignorance a source of pride and knowledge is” woke” , whatever the hell that word means. It’s disheartening, to say the least.
I get dirty looks, aggressive driving encounters and smoke blown in my face very frequently here, just because I chose to purchase and drive a really fun machine.
I can’t wait to cut my grass with my new EGO mower and see my neighbors get irritated because it’s so quiet.
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I have 2 whimsical vanity plate, “I❤️ELTRC” and “❤️TSLA2.0”. I got more than my fair share of big pickup cut me off in tight traffic and blows a big black smoke in my face like squid squirt ink.”
 
JJ_5 said:
I was listening to a Science Friday program on EVs last year. Several people called in and were critical of the vehicles. It was surprising how uninformed they were. One person stated that the problem with EVs is that you have to spend as much time charging as you do driving.
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With the amount of time some of us waste poking around for EA chargers that work, only to find that they’re at “reduced power by provider, blah, blah, blah…”, therefore increasing charging times beyond anticipated, they’re not half wrong.

I’m joking, of course. Kinda…
 
Lucken said:
We shouldn't kid ourselves, this is a real issue. When people see the reality, whether they've researched or not, it's going to put a damper on their EV travel plans.

I always get asked the question, "Can you drive from here to ____". I've usually answered 'yes' depending upon the location, but I've done that based on the fact that my local EA experience has generally been good and the map of EA locations for some of the places I've been asked has been sufficient.

However what appears to me to be the deteriorating reliability of the EA network (I don't know how reliable the EVGo chargers are), and my recent experiences in NJ, seeing how disgusted EV owners are getting, it does make you stop and think.
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I have learned why people says Tesla's "secret sauce" is in the battery technology and super charging infrastructure. I drove a Tesla MS for 9 years. Loved it and gave to my son. I absolutely love my AT, but the available charging infrastructure is very disappointing. Fewer chargers and even fewer that can reliably deliver 100+ Kw. As mentioned in another thread, free market capitalism will eventually sort this out...but not soon enough for a long-time Tesla fan.
 
Tritouring said:
I have learned why people says Tesla's "secret sauce" is in the battery technology and super charging infrastructure. I drove a Tesla MS for 9 years. Loved it and gave to my son. I absolutely love my AT, but the available charging infrastructure is very disappointing. Fewer chargers and even fewer that can reliably deliver 100+ Kw. As mentioned in another thread, free market capitalism will eventually sort this out...but not soon enough for a long-time Tesla fan.
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I'm actually surprised at how often this gets mentioned. Is everybody always on a road trip? One of my favorite benefits about having an EV is charging at home. Since the range is so ridiculously high, it is extremely rare that I need to charge away from home. I think a lot of people are doing it just because it's free, which is a shame. It degrades the battery more quickly and gets in the way of people who are truly on a road trip.
 
I see a lot of excuses for this problem but is there something wrong with expecting to get what you paid for with hard earned money? So far the whole experience has been a nightmare for me.
 
Bobby said:
I'm actually surprised at how often this gets mentioned. Is everybody always on a road trip? One of my favorite benefits about having an EV is charging at home. Since the range is so ridiculously high, it is extremely rare that I need to charge away from home. I think a lot of people are doing it just because it's free, which is a shame. It degrades the battery more quickly and gets in the way of people who are truly on a road trip.
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No, people aren’t always on a road trip. But road tripping in an EV can be one of the most relaxing, and most enjoyable experiences imaginable - for as long as you’re not in a hurry, and for as long as you can be certain that your next charging stall will work.

Tesla road-trippers have that assurance in spades. Lucid road-trippers on the other hand, or anyone EV-road-tripping in anything other than a Tesla, just don’t have that assurance. They’re denied that peace of mind.

I think that’s the point of all this moaning about the general inadequacy of the DCFC networks that are not Tesla. When people do road trip, I’d wager that they’d prefer to do it in their EVs. But they’re dissuaded from doing so because of networks like EA, who, because of their unreliable and inadequate charging facilities, can scupper your road trip at any point.

I do want to reinforce your last sentence, because I wholeheartedly agree - the Tesla supercharger network was originally meant for roadtrippers primarily. Elon Musk and Tesla made quite a bit of noise about this, especially at the beginning when so many of the early Teslas came with FUSC - Free Unlimited SuperCharging. Tesla never intended to have Tesla owners visiting a supercharging station a few times a week in a manner similar to ICE car owners pulling up to a gas station. They were pretty insistent about that. In the last few years however, I’ve noticed Tesla at the corporate level making much less noise about the supercharging network being mainly for roadtrippers. There’s an almost tacit acceptance by Tesla these days that a Tesla owner will pull up to their local supercharger as part of their weekly routine.

I wish it wasn’t like this, because originally, that wasn’t Tesla’s intention at all. I wish Tesla owners would only use the supercharging network for roadtripping. I wish would-be Tesla owners would make some sort of provision for at home charging as part of their Tesla purchase decision. And lastly, I wish Tesla buyers wouldn’t buy a Tesla in the first place until and unless they could charge it at home. All of what I just said here applies to all EV buyers of all EV brands. If ever EA ever gets their act together, EV owners of any brand should still keep in mind that DCFC charging facilities are meant for drivers traveling long distances. They are not meant for daily or even weekly use.

But I fear I’m one of a few small voices crying in the wilderness. Already when I drive by my local supercharging station I tend to see the same owners in the same vehicles week after week, after week.
 
Bus Driver said:
No, people aren’t always on a road trip. But road tripping in an EV can be one of the most relaxing, and most enjoyable experiences imaginable - for as long as you’re not in a hurry, and for as long as you can be certain that your next charging stall will work.

Tesla road-trippers have that assurance in spades. Lucid road-trippers on the other hand, or anyone EV-road-tripping in anything other than a Tesla, just don’t have that assurance. They’re denied that peace of mind.

I think that’s the point of all this moaning about the general inadequacy of the DCFC networks that are not Tesla. When people do road trip, I’d wager that they’d prefer to do it in their EVs. But they’re dissuaded from doing so because of networks like EA, who, because of their unreliable and inadequate charging facilities, can scupper your road trip at any point.

I do want to reinforce your last sentence, because I wholeheartedly agree - the Tesla supercharger network was originally meant for roadtrippers primarily. Elon Musk and Tesla made quite a bit of noise about this, especially at the beginning when so many of the early Teslas came with FUSC - Free Unlimited SuperCharging. Tesla never intended to have Tesla owners visiting a supercharging station a few times a week in a manner similar to ICE car owners pulling up to a gas station. They were pretty insistent about that. In the last few years however, I’ve noticed Tesla at the corporate level making much less noise about the supercharging network being mainly for roadtrippers. There’s an almost tacit acceptance by Tesla these days that a Tesla owner will pull up to their local supercharger as part of their weekly routine.

I wish it wasn’t like this, because originally, that wasn’t Tesla’s intention at all. I wish Tesla owners would only use the supercharging network for roadtripping. I wish would-be Tesla owners would make some sort of provision for at home charging as part of their Tesla purchase decision. And lastly, I wish Tesla buyers wouldn’t buy a Tesla in the first place until and unless they could charge it at home. All of what I just said here applies to all EV buyers of all EV brands. If ever EA ever gets their act together, EV owners of any brand should still keep in mind that DCFC charging facilities are meant for drivers traveling long distances. They are not meant for daily or even weekly use.

But I fear I’m one of a few small voices crying in the wilderness. Already when I drive by my local supercharging station I tend to see the same owners in the same vehicles week after week, after week.
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And I think that has a lot to do with “free charging.” If we want government to intervene, what they could do is require new homes be properly wired for home chargers. Offer rebates for retrofitting existing homes with such wiring. Instead, the primary focus is on charging stations.
 
Bobby said:
And I think that has a lot to do with “free charging.” If we want government to intervene, what they could do is require new homes be properly wired for home chargers. Offer rebates for retrofitting existing homes with such wiring. Instead, the primary focus is on charging stations.
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I tend to be guilty of taking advantage of the free EA charging for now. I'm doing that much more often than using my home charger. Free is just very tempting.
But I think that's a good idea. Getting set up with a level 2 charger is fairly expensive if your house isn't wired for it, and rebates would really help.
 
Bobby said:
I'm actually surprised at how often this gets mentioned. Is everybody always on a road trip? One of my favorite benefits about having an EV is charging at home. Since the range is so ridiculously high, it is extremely rare that I need to charge away from home. I think a lot of people are doing it just because it's free, which is a shame. It degrades the battery more quickly and gets in the way of people who are truly on a road trip.
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I get your point. We are complaining about a 5% problem/frustration. I charge at home quite happily 95% of the time. But its that 5% when my charging relies on a purchased service that cant deliver. So aggravating. Tesla charges the same $0.50/kwh as AE, but the probability that the availability and charge rate will please the customer....tesla is night and day better. I'd be happy to pay for AE (currently free for 3 years), but I wish wish wish...it would just simply work right...at ANY price. :)
 
Tritouring said:
I get your point. We are complaining about a 5% problem/frustration. I charge at home quite happily 95% of the time. But its that 5% when my charging relies on a purchased service that cant deliver. So aggravating. Tesla charges the same $0.50/kwh as AE, but the probability that the availability and charge rate will please the customer....tesla is night and day better. I'd be happy to pay for AE (currently free for 3 years), but I wish wish wish...it would just simply work right...at ANY price. :)
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Actually, here in California, EA is cheaper than the Tesla supercharger. That's why I see a lot of Teslas at EA.
 
Bobby said:
Actually, here in California, EA is cheaper than the Tesla supercharger. That's why I see a lot of Teslas at EA.
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Interesting. In 14 months of ownership and 12000 miles I have NEVER seen a Tesla at any charger other than a Tesla station.. NEVER at EA. Where did you see that?
 
Bus Driver said:
No, people aren’t always on a road trip. But road tripping in an EV can be one of the most relaxing, and most enjoyable experiences imaginable - for as long as you’re not in a hurry, and for as long as you can be certain that your next charging stall will work.

Tesla road-trippers have that assurance in spades. Lucid road-trippers on the other hand, or anyone EV-road-tripping in anything other than a Tesla, just don’t have that assurance. They’re denied that peace of mind.

I think that’s the point of all this moaning about the general inadequacy of the DCFC networks that are not Tesla. When people do road trip, I’d wager that they’d prefer to do it in their EVs. But they’re dissuaded from doing so because of networks like EA, who, because of their unreliable and inadequate charging facilities, can scupper your road trip at any point.

I do want to reinforce your last sentence, because I wholeheartedly agree - the Tesla supercharger network was originally meant for roadtrippers primarily. Elon Musk and Tesla made quite a bit of noise about this, especially at the beginning when so many of the early Teslas came with FUSC - Free Unlimited SuperCharging. Tesla never intended to have Tesla owners visiting a supercharging station a few times a week in a manner similar to ICE car owners pulling up to a gas station. They were pretty insistent about that. In the last few years however, I’ve noticed Tesla at the corporate level making much less noise about the supercharging network being mainly for roadtrippers. There’s an almost tacit acceptance by Tesla these days that a Tesla owner will pull up to their local supercharger as part of their weekly routine.

I wish it wasn’t like this, because originally, that wasn’t Tesla’s intention at all. I wish Tesla owners would only use the supercharging network for roadtripping. I wish would-be Tesla owners would make some sort of provision for at home charging as part of their Tesla purchase decision. And lastly, I wish Tesla buyers wouldn’t buy a Tesla in the first place until and unless they could charge it at home. All of what I just said here applies to all EV buyers of all EV brands. If ever EA ever gets their act together, EV owners of any brand should still keep in mind that DCFC charging facilities are meant for drivers traveling long distances. They are not meant for daily or even weekly use.

But I fear I’m one of a few small voices crying in the wilderness. Already when I drive by my local supercharging station I tend to see the same owners in the same vehicles week after week, after week.
Click to expand...

There should be more incentives than subsidy of having EVSE at home. Perhaps extra bonus, that incentives outweighs 7500 EV purchase. imo.
 
Bobby said:
Actually, here in California, EA is cheaper than the Tesla supercharger. That's why I see a lot of Teslas at EA.
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In Texas, many Tesla road trippers on interstate freeway are flooding in queue in Tesla SCN stations waiting to be charged. Good thing they added Bucci to relieve that queue. It will add more load once GM Bolts are coming in.

Tesla SCN also charge higher than EA and currently accounts for 7% of 2022 Tesla revenues. I do see Tesla changing in EA station in Texas and Las Vegas to save $ and time which had me scratching my head bc non-Tesla EV cannot charge at Tesla SCN yet.
 
mardin said:
Interesting. In 14 months of ownership and 12000 miles I have NEVER seen a Tesla at any charger other than a Tesla station.. NEVER at EA. Where did you see that?
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I see Teslas at CCS stations (mostly Chargepoint, EVGo and EA) in New England all the time because they’re cheaper than Tesla ones. There’s a ton of free L2 Chargepoints in Rhode Island also so even though it’s slow, people will still choose that over home charging, because it’s free. I plug in at work on their horrendously slow Chargepoint (4kw) because it’s free and my car is going to be parked there for probably 10+ hours anyway.
 
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Bobby said:
Actually, here in California, EA is cheaper than the Tesla supercharger. That's why I see a lot of Teslas at EA.
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I’m a lousy consumer who spends too much for everything. What ARE the charging rates at EA versus Tesla Supercharging in CA? I’ve never paid any attention. Our Teslas came with FUSC, and I’m still within my 3-year free period with EA.
 
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