Electricity America and overall charging Epic Fail

[lakeguy55]

Most rave about the Tesla charging network, and I keep seeing allusions to Tesla opening up that network sometime soon. It seems this would solve a lot of the range anxiety. Any guesstimates on how soon, or if, this becomes a reality?

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[RickLightning]

How do you stop your charge session? Just curious, because 1) I haven’t had this happen - yet; and 2) I’d like to try and avoid it, if possible.

TIA

When you DC charge, you push the button on the car (next to the charging port, or on the center screen), to end a session. If you end it on the charger, the car can throw an error.

If you have a situation where EA still thinks you are charging (likely because the charger lost communication with their servers or your app did), then it can be frustrating. We had this during a trip back in 2021. Even opening the app on a different phone didn't solve it. At the next stop, we had to have EA initiate the charging session. And the one after that, we got tired of being on hold and used a credit card. Both of those sessions never showed up as billed. EA opened a ticket, and a few hours after the problem their IT staff fixed things with our account.

Since EA has no RFID tags you can get, if the app is hosed, and Plug and Charge doesn't work, and the credit card reader doesn't work, you're SOL unless they can activate the charger remotely.

Back in 2021, many of their locations still had 3G modems, but I believe they've all been upgraded since then.

 

[Maquis]

When you DC charge, you push the button on the car (next to the charging port, or on the center screen), to end a session. If you end it on the charger, the car can throw an error.

If you have a situation where EA still thinks you are charging (likely because the charger lost communication with their servers or your app did), then it can be frustrating. We had this during a trip back in 2021. Even opening the app on a different phone didn't solve it. At the next stop, we had to have EA initiate the charging session. And the one after that, we got tired of being on hold and used a credit card. Both of those sessions never showed up as billed. EA opened a ticket, and a few hours after the problem their IT staff fixed things with our account.

Since EA has no RFID tags you can get, if the app is hosed, and Plug and Charge doesn't work, and the credit card reader doesn't work, you're SOL unless they can activate the charger remotely.

Back in 2021, many of their locations still had 3G modems, but I believe they've all been upgraded since then.

I always end the session by pressing the unlock button at the charge port. I’ll just keep doing it that way, thanks.

 

[RickLightning]

I always end the session by pressing the unlock button at the charge port. I’ll just keep doing it that way, thanks.

That, or the button on the center screen, have the same function. That is the recommended way to end the session.

 

[RickLightning]

Most rave about the Tesla charging network, and I keep seeing allusions to Tesla opening up that network sometime soon. It seems this would solve a lot of the range anxiety. Any guesstimates on how soon, or if, this becomes a reality?

Tesla has not stated any time frame. It may not even happen. People saw one location in the US possibly indicating adding CCS. Many, including myself, believe that this won't happen until Tesla gets access to some of the $7.5B, and believe that the US won't give them that access without ironclad assurances. I think right now they wouldn't qualify by simply adapting a station that already existed.

In short, don't hold your breath.

 

[Maquis]

That, or the button on the center screen, have the same function. That is the recommended way to end the session.

Most of the time, I’m away doing something and returning to the car anyway when it’s time to stop. I have a trip coming up where it’s going to really cold, so if I stay in the car, I’ll probably use the screen.

 

[RickLightning]

I usually use the button, because I like to write down particulars displayed on the EA screen before it starts the checkout. Also, I try to eek out the complete minute or kWh, although I think I always get charged for partial kWh but not maybe partial minutes in the per minute states.

 

[Maquis]

I usually use the button, because I like to write down particulars displayed on the EA screen before it starts the checkout. Also, I try to eek out the complete minute or kWh, although I think I always get charged for partial kWh but not maybe partial minutes in the per minute states.

Interestingly, I don’t think fractional kWhs were deducted from the free 250, but they do get charged when paying.

 

[EVmeritus]

I found this youtube video interesting regarding this issue:



These are Tesla believers, but they discovered the Lightning GOM was more accurate than Tesla, but Tesla folks don't realize it, or have charging anxiety, because there are always reliable chargers along the way it isn't a problem.

I agree, a reliable public charging network must come ASAP.

Zach and Jessie are Tesla Fanboys that have decided to trash all non Tesla vehicles. Could they have been influenced by the 8 Tesla Roadsters that were rewarded by the Tesla referral program?

That being said, I do agree that the CCS DC fast charging network is a big problem. But hasn't Elon promised to open up the Tesla charging network to all EVs! So maybe Zach and Jessie can remind Elon about this promise.

 

[LightningShow]

If Tesla doesn’t open their network then i suspect it will be 3-4 years before the CCS network can even be described as passable. It’s already trying to play catch up and EV sales are far outstripping new charging capacity. They’re just falling further behind.

I'm not aware of any new EA stations installed in my region in the last year. That's truly mindboggling considering EV sales were up ~70% in 2022 over 2021. They're years behind this surge in EV sales.

 

[jk340]

Elon is today’s Henry Ford, thinking through the problems. Ford needs to fix charging infrastructure much like Henry had to figure out getting paved roads. Truck repairs aside, I love my Lightning, but hate public charging. So on a long trip, while I would prefer the Lightning we usually wind up taking the Tesla.

Exactly. Very few of us were around then, but in the 1910s to 30s there were Ford gas stations. Henry saw the same issues that Elon did. If Henry wanted to sell cars, he needed to make it easy for owners to keep them filled up and moving.

 

[Replika]

8 Tesla Roadsters that were rewarded by the Tesla referral program?

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha. How is that possible? Tesla dun screwed up. LMAO!!

 

[sen7inel]

The reality is road tripping in a non-Tesla EV is an early adopter unfortunate at this stage of the game. There are plenty of merits to the Lightning but with the current state EV charging infrastructure, taking long road trips is not one of them. This will of course improve over time, but will it outpace the amount of EVs coming out in the near future?

 

[queuewho]

How do you stop your charge session? Just curious, because 1) I haven’t had this happen - yet; and 2) I’d like to try and avoid it, if possible.

TIA

The time it happened, I didn't intentionally end it, I came back outside from the gas station and the truck was saying charger fault.

 

[RickLightning]

If Tesla doesn’t open their network then i suspect it will be 3-4 years before the CCS network can even be described as passable. It’s already trying to play catch up and EV sales are far outstripping new charging capacity. They’re just falling further behind.

I'm not aware of any new EA stations installed in my region in the last year. That's truly mindboggling considering EV sales were up ~70% in 2022 over 2021. They're years behind this surge in EV sales.

Your region would be the Northeast, right?

https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/173
https://media.electrifyamerica.com/en-us/releases/169

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