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I like to use one of my trip ODOs (Trip2, for instance) to monitor my real-time mi/kWh to avoid surprises; reset it as often as you like, and in a couple miles of driving, it will calculate your current energy consumption. You can then adjust your driving as necessary to achieve your desired...

I’m right there with you, but I’m paranoid about skipping a recommended service by a Ford dealer, and then having some warranty dispute over a problem their inspection “would have found.” Better to have documented service at a Ford dealer on this revolutionary new vehicle, even if it means...

Well, from a Ford dealer’s Service Department’s perspective, we’re kind of a nuisance. At this small dealership, only a couple of technicians are EV-certified; and those are the best two they have, which means they’re in high demand on ICE vehicle repairs that produce more revenue. And the...

[local dealer] Ford Service Advisor:“What’s your truck here for today?” Me: 20,000mi service. “It needs an oil change, too.” Me: Nope. “At 20,000mi we’re supposed to change oil.” Me: I’ll bet you $100 it doesn’t need an oil change. “Have you ever changed it?” Me: Nope. Never. (worst...

OBDLink CX works great for me. Whatever you buy, be sure it’s BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), not older Bluetooth, for less power drain.

Unattended Bolts = bad pricing policy. Easily fixed.

Bolts won’t charge any faster at Tesla SC than they do anywhere else; it just costs them more to charge there, plus having to purchase a $200 adapter. I don’t see it becoming a problem, except in locations that only have Superchargers. At locations with people waiting to charge, raising the...

Just a thought: most EV charging is done at night, when the other demands on your panel are usually minimum. It may not be such a stretch to pull 48A at night; there are likely very few situations when all your high-current circuits would be maxed at once. Good luck!

Have two Teslas and a Lightning; the Lightning is our go-to favorite for long distance driving, as well as occasional hauling (but not towing), for reasons of comfort and ride quality. Sunbelt climate. However, if this would be your first EV, I wouldn’t even think about buying one without...

Thank Musk for the SC network, yes, but thank Jim Farley for our access to it. Talk about visionary, yet practical- Farley could see the benefit to Ford owners, put his ego on the shelf, and made a deal with a competitor. Farley is the grownup in a room filled with DEI-hire CEOs.

I’m sorry to hear that! In almost 20k miles, I don’t recall ever having that happen. Since the vast majority of USA miles are driven in speed zones at or under 75mph, I’m surprised the system can even automatically adjust speed to something that starts with “8”. I’d pursue servicing the front...

Do you use One-Pedal Driving? While it’s wonderful for the driver (I’m a big fan of OPD), it can be miserable for passengers prone to motion sickness. The abrupt changes in velocity due to OPD seem to have that effect. Solution? Use adaptive cruise control wherever possible (eliminates the...

If you often drive a highway that passes thru small towns, with speed limit lowered 10mph at a time when entering a town, then increased 10mph at a time when leaving the town (classic speed trap scenario) Road Sign Recognition will save you from making a contribution to Deputy Fife’s pension...

We are bottlenecked by the CURRENT output of the charger (500A); it’s not the kW rating of the charger that determines how fast our Lightnings charge, it’s the maximum current output, which is 500A at an EA 350 or Tesla SC. The relatively low voltage of our Lightning’s battery pack (mid-300V)...

If a Tesla backs into the open space to your left, they still can’t charge, so it really doesn’t help them. The worst part about needing two spots is when a SC location is full, with cars waiting to charge. It’s nearly impossible to get two adjacent spaces- when SC is full, waiting for the...

$55k actually becomes $37.5k when “the taillights cross the curb” ($55k less 20%, less the $7500 that actually lowered the original price to begin with).

If your adapter is already at 110deg (from storing in a hot place in the truck) in ambient 95-100deg before you start DCFC, it’s more likely to overheat once you start running 500A through it. The thermal problem is not the heat of charge current flow, but the high ambient temperature conditions.

The problem with a hot adapter is not damage, but simply tripping its thermal “circuit breakers.” If the adapter gets too hot, it thinks there’s a charging problem and doesn’t allow current to flow. OP might not have realized this, if he stores his adapter in the frunk or other hot place. In...

It doesn’t work, to “charger hop,” if you have to wait in line at the next hop.

Carplay.