LightningShow
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New England. Primarily MA/NH/ME.
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Electricity America and overall charging Epic Fail
- Thread starter antimatterparticle
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LightningShow
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Just look at EA’s own map. If you filter for “coming soon” they only show 7 new locations “coming soon” in the entire US. One east of the Mississippi. That one east of the Mississippi is in Hartford where they already have a station. From what i can tell EA has pretty much given up on expanding their network.
thecoloradokid
Well-known member
Not trying to rip on you, but your blanket statement is not accurate. I have driven large swaths of the American west, American midwest, and American southwest in an CCS compatible EV and have NEVER been stranded. For the past 3 years I have done a once ever other month drive between Denver and Scottsdale in either an Audi e-Tron or a Porsche Taycan have never had an issue. I am on a current trip right now and had the best charging experiences to date on Electrify America. While I have had my Lightning Lariat for 3 months now, I have used it primarily as a side hustle vehicle. When the weather warms up a little, and I put on different tires, I am looking forward to road tripping in the rig.
This picture below was taken last Saturday in Trinidad, CO and is the best charging experience I have had in three years on the EA network. I will not see these charging speeds in my Lightning, but the picture below is a testament to how well Electrify America can work. Obviously, Electrify America is not perfect, and we need greater map coverage, but it is not as bad as people claim it to be. This picture was taken last Saturday in Trinidad, CO and is the fastest charging experience I have had in three years on the EA network.
RickLightning
Well-known member
EA is going to install 200 locations over the next 5 years with TA.
EA is going to double the stations at Bank of America locations. Last year they had 46 locations, by the end of 2023 will have 90 locations.
EA is going to install charging at 25 IKEA locations.
They raised $450 million from Siemens and VB added more cash to double the system between 2022 and 2026.
LightningShow
Well-known member
The press releases are super exciting. Kind of like Cybertruck.
EA is going to install 200 locations over the next 5 years with TA.
EA is going to double the stations at Bank of America locations. Last year they had 46 locations, by the end of 2023 will have 90 locations.
EA is going to install charging at 25 IKEA locations.
They raised $450 million from Siemens and VB added more cash to double the system between 2022 and 2026.
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cwstnsko
Well-known member
Why do we try to hang the entire EV infrastructure on EA? Their primary business objective is to satisfy the obligations spelled out in the VW group “dieslegate” fiasco.
The Blue Oval Network has partner agreements with at least 7 different charging networks. EA is the largest, but not the only one. I would like to see EVGo, ChargePoint and Shell Recharge step up and try to compete with EA so there is competition. We don’t need EA to be bigger and more dominant, we need there to be choices in charging so we can vote with our $$$
Right now EVGo seems to be stepping it up on a regional basis. I’m hoping their partnership with GM will drive that to be a more national approach. It’s also promising that Shell recharge is buying up some smaller networks to expand their presence, they just need to step up their standard station from 50 kW to 150 kW. Chargepoint’s business model is a bit curious and doesn’t seem to ensure a uniform customer experience. They also seem to be plagued by The 50 kW station syndrome in most of the country
The Blue Oval Network has partner agreements with at least 7 different charging networks. EA is the largest, but not the only one. I would like to see EVGo, ChargePoint and Shell Recharge step up and try to compete with EA so there is competition. We don’t need EA to be bigger and more dominant, we need there to be choices in charging so we can vote with our $$$
Right now EVGo seems to be stepping it up on a regional basis. I’m hoping their partnership with GM will drive that to be a more national approach. It’s also promising that Shell recharge is buying up some smaller networks to expand their presence, they just need to step up their standard station from 50 kW to 150 kW. Chargepoint’s business model is a bit curious and doesn’t seem to ensure a uniform customer experience. They also seem to be plagued by The 50 kW station syndrome in most of the country
thecoloradokid
Well-known member
Bwhahahahha. That is pretty funny.
I guess the trick is that if you live in a state that is not on board for EV adoption - like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, Wyoming, or Louisiana - or live in a remote part of the US like the eastern Montana or the Dakotas, then you should really do your research on whether an EV is the right vehicle for you at this point in time.
On top of that, if you cannot understand how to use the tools at hand to figure out charger status, then an EV maybe not the right vehicle for you. Plugshare should be your best friend if you own an EV. A person should rarely, if ever, be surprised to know the working status of a charger in advance of arrival.
At the end of the day, charging networks place chargers in locations where they will make money. If you live in Lubbock, TX, which has extremely low EV adoption and is off any major highway, then maybe an EV is not the right car if you road trip a lot. Pretty simple.
RickLightning
Well-known member
You have nerve. Expecting people to research things before buying, understand pros and cons, make intelligent, or at least informed decisions? Who the hell do you think you are?
cwstnsko
Well-known member
As an example, this is the area I primarily travel in. This picture is EA stations only
This picture is every other network EXCEPT EA.
As I see it, the problem is not what EA is doing as much as it is what every other network is NOT doing. There is no competition and therefore no incentive for any of them to improve.
thecoloradokid
Well-known member
You have nerve. Expecting people to research things before buying, understand pros and cons, make intelligent, or at least informed decisions? Who the hell do you think you are?
Exactly!
"What do you mean I should have a NEMA 14-50 plug installed in my garage to get faster charging speeds at home? No one told me that before I bought the truck!"
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GoodSam
Well-known member
When will charging stations offer air for tires? trash & recycle bins? and restrooms, especially when restaurants are not available. Restrooms should be part of the charging station anyway. Should be a law...
LightningShow
Well-known member
I don’t have a problem with charging, i have a problem with EA’s poor (and declining) reliability and seeming lack of interest to expand their network. Around here EA is the best and only option for DCFC. There are no other operators with stations over 62.5kW. I want EA to do better.
Maybe Shell or EVgo can jump in and fill the gap but that still hasn’t started happening yet.
Yellow Buddy
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What do people generally think of EVGo’s system? I’ve primarily used EA and the reliability sucks, the lockouts happen and are frustrating, but the pricing structure is dead simple to understand.
I tried to use an EVGo and…I’m not good enough if at math to figure out which plan I need to be on. So despite downloading the app, I just continued on to the nearest EA.
Ventorum94
Well-known member
Get politicians involved? Seriously?
Ventorum94
Well-known member
Fast DC charging (non-Tesla) is the “illegitimate child” of the EV industry- no one loves it, and no one will accept responsibility for it!
The solution is simple, really: if fast dc charging was offered at $1/kWh, no operator could afford to have a charger down, and there would be a waiting list, if not a bidding war, for new installations. Until serious money can be made in fast dc charging (that’s the American way, works every time it’s tried), the problems aren’t going away.
Tesla Supercharging works because people were pouring capital into Tesla stock faster than Tesla knew how else to use it- so they vertically integrated, and gambled on capitalizing the world’s best dedicated charging infrastructure- to sell more cars, and make more money.
The solution is simple, really: if fast dc charging was offered at $1/kWh, no operator could afford to have a charger down, and there would be a waiting list, if not a bidding war, for new installations. Until serious money can be made in fast dc charging (that’s the American way, works every time it’s tried), the problems aren’t going away.
Tesla Supercharging works because people were pouring capital into Tesla stock faster than Tesla knew how else to use it- so they vertically integrated, and gambled on capitalizing the world’s best dedicated charging infrastructure- to sell more cars, and make more money.
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