Comparison: EA vs CP vs EVgo trip charging

[hturnerfamily]

just an observation on my current camping trip: some comparisons between some brand-name fast chargers along the way...

this was a good way to start...

WHERE you stop to charge matters, for many reasons:
1) Speed
2) Cost
3) Logistics and 'space'
4) Number of units per location

A) Chargepoint, Spence Chevrolet, Thomasville, GA... brand new Fast Charger advertised at 62.5kwh speed, and $6 'per hour' fee - a single unit.

1) SPEED: I arrived with about 40% SOC, and the unit ramped up to ~52 for most of the charge, but no higher, no matter what CP advertises when the truck reached 80%, the speed immediately dropped to ~41kwh, which is a design by Ford, itself.

2) COST: $6 per hour is eye-catching, and it is probably one of the lowest cost units I've seen since ownership, BUT, the amount of time you need to charge, versus the max speed of the unit at only 52kwh, like in this situation... you may be there a while. Total of 12cents p/kwh, though : )

3) LOCATION: this is at a chevy dealership, on the right side, and while a relative easy charger to get to, it is, unfortunately, in a fairly restricted parking 'area', built out nicely, but not with much thought to large EVs, and certainly NOT for those of us towing. Other dealer cars are parked right up next to the only two parking spaces in front of the unit, leaving little room for maneuvering. While I arrived very late at night, after the dealership had been closed for hours, I still had to pull past the unit, around the back of the building, and carefully 'turn around' the whole truck and camper train in order to get back to the unit on the correct 'charge port' side, where the charge cord would then reach. If this were the case during a day when the dealer is open, I would doubt this might even be doable.

*) I APPRECIATE greatly this dealer providing a fast charging option in an area of south Georgia where there is relatively few options at all. They have made a big investment, and I'm sure their BOLT and coming EV owners will appreciate it, and travelers as well. Thanks. I am not complaining!
I wish I saw FORD dealers with these same fast chargers.

B) ELECTRIFY America, N Tallahassee large shopping area parking lot, next to Tesla Superchargers - 4 units, with one on the perpendicular. 350kwh units.

1) SPEED: YES! These are fast, and give my truck the max - ~152 to ~132 variable during the majority of the short charging time, starting from 65% SOC, until the dreaded Ford 80% 'slow down' mandatory restriction - ~41kwh, just like with the Chargepoint. FAST, though.

2) COST: a fixed 48cents per kwh. No matter the speed, you pay by the KWH - which seems fair....BUT, the same fee compared to the low $6 per hour CP unit is many times higher. Most folks might not argue since the speed gets you there much quicker... TAX is also added into the total of 50cents p/kwh.

3) LOCATION: fairly good location right off the main road, with lots of parking area nearby, spaces between EA and Tesla, and even room for me to pull in perpendicular easily to the #4 far left unit. LATE AT NIGHT is the easy time to charge. This might not be so convenient at 1pm in the afternoon. With these units being in a rather 'open' large parking lot, there are plenty of places for those waiting to 'stage' their vehicles.

*) These units were recently upgraded to the 350kwh speed units, but #1 'perpendicular' unit was not operational. That seems to be common for EA.

C) EVgo, S Atlanta(below the airport), in a vacant parking area, not well lit, not well visited, and, unfortunately, not somewhere I might stop after dark. FAST units, and 'dual' units that can power TWO evs at once from the same 'unit' - via two different charge cords. While this is 3 units, it is for up to 6 vehicles at once. Tesla adapter, and Chademo included.
1) SPEED: yes, good speeds. Take your pick for 150kwh, 100kwh, or 50. My 'sharing' with another vehicle, a Bolt EUV, resulted in slower speeds than if I was there
by myself, but still usable. 62kwh during most of the charging curve, while the Bolt used 50kwh. This was still less than the advertised 150kwh speed, but there
may be some reason why 'sharing' creates a lower output, versus a single vehicle's max output.
2) COST: total of 31cents p/kwh.
3) LOCATION: as stated, not great - room to maneuver, and ability to pull up next to the charge perpendicular, if needed, but nothing close by when it comes to a restroom or other option - a very long walk, if so, and probably not the area you might want to do that, unfortunately.

*) I appreciate this fast charger option south of the metro, before you drive thru the city - but, the area makes it a toss-up as to whether you'd want your son or daughter to go there alone. When we talk about being 'held hostage' to the charge port LOCK while charging, making a 'quick' escape impossible, you'll start to understand my concern.
No photos for this one...

D) SHELL Recharge/GreenLots(?) Wakulla Florida area, in a hotel parking lot - two 'fast' chargers, although two different 'brands', and 4 Level 2 options, all hosted from Duke Energy:
1)SPEED: not great, but since there is basically NO OTHER FAST CHARGER option anywhere near this 'coastal' area of Florida's 'bend', you take what you can get. 41kwh is not terrible, but for the whole charge curve, it requires some patience. I did not try the 'second' fast charger, with a tag that branded it as a 'efaces', operated by GreenLots, although it did not necessarily give me the impression it was operational, but who knows. The left unit looked more 'recent', and while it took me a while to get my card to go thru, having to 'tap' it instead of swiping, it worked. I've read reviews on plugshare that these units are VERY hit-and-miss, and no one had charged here for some time. Also, interestingly, these DC units show up NOWHERE on my FordPassApp search, but only as "6 of 7 available" and then only lists the 4 Level 2 chargers on the app. Strange.
These don't show up even on GOOGLE MAP search, only on plugshare.
2)COST: so far, I couldn't tell you. There is nothing on the unit or the screens mentioning a price, and when I swiped my card to activate several times, it asked me if I wanted a 'receipt', which I said yes. When the unit would not activate with a swipe several tries, I then noticed that you could 'tap'. The tap, though, is on a separate 'pad' next to the 'swipe' area, and not clearly defined as 'where' to tap. I also had then said 'no' for a receipt, so I never received one at the completion of charging, and have YET, 12 hours later, to receive a hit on my card, which texts me immediately for any charges, and NOTHING shows on the card website to allude to any charge from this DC Fast Charger. Could it be free?? Maybe, but when the charge shows up, maybe in several days, I'll find out how 'much' it cost me.
3)LOCATION: well, right off the highway, yes, but if you are towing, it might be not so friendly a spot. The two DC chargers are all the way to the right side of the parking area, and not even seen from the roadway. I had to park, turning hard right, with my camper still in the entry way, but out of the lane enough to let anyone pass. That also created a nervous situation when back out, since the truck and camper were at 75degrees, but I barely made it. For simple small EVs, these are fine, but today's truck EVs, and even future larger SUV EVs, especially if towing, will find this an appreciated option, even if a little difficult to maneuver thru.

Google Maps.... nothing.

Plug share: thank you.

FordPassApp: no help.

no pricing data, or on-screen receipt when complete...

When we travel, and consider fast charging, it seems to be the wild west out there right now, not only cost-versus-cost, which swings WILDLY between charge options, but just the shear consideration to make, especially while towing, of 'where' your fast charger is located, and whether you can easily access it.

Maybe, in the future, we'll have dedicated 'gas station' type 7-Eleven EV Charging Stores where you can rest assured you have the cost, entry and exit, maneuverability, speed, reliability, amenities, restrooms, and location options, in a known 'brand' setting.

 

[hturnerfamily]

and, to add to these observations, I understand, that like gas pricing, DC Fast Chargers are NOT necessarily the 'same' cost, even within the same brand and in seemingly 'similar' locations, states, cities, etc.
Some will use 'time' to charge you for, some are 'per kWH' provided, some add 'tax' afterwards, some may have a minimum charge, and some may charge you 'extra' if you surpass a certain timeframe, or otherwise 'idling' fees.

I've seen some CHARGEPOINT fast chargers hosted by government entities(Tallahassee), where your cost is FREE! I've seen other CHARGEPOINTs where the cost is only 7cents p/kwh(Dothan, AL), hosted by a local Utility. I've seen one at a Mercedes dealer, also in Dothan, AL, where the cost is a crazy $1.00 p/kwh!
There is no rhyme or reason that makes much sense for us drivers to understand, or sometimes to even KNOW ahead of time. Sometimes even apps that supposedly report these cost or fees admit that they don't even know, and you won't until you arrive.

 

[Firestop]

and, to add to these observations, I understand, that like gas pricing, DC Fast Chargers are NOT necessarily the 'same' cost, even within the same brand and in seemingly 'similar' locations, states, cities, etc.
Some will use 'time' to charge you for, some are 'per kWH' provided, some add 'tax' afterwards, some may have a minimum charge, and some may charge you 'extra' if you surpass a certain timeframe, or otherwise 'idling' fees.

I've seen some CHARGEPOINT fast chargers hosted by government entities(Tallahassee), where your cost is FREE! I've seen other CHARGEPOINTs where the cost is only 7cents p/kwh(Dothan, AL), hosted by a local Utility. I've seen one at a Mercedes dealer, also in Dothan, AL, where the cost is a crazy $1.00 p/kwh!
There is no rhyme or reason that makes much sense for us drivers to understand, or sometimes to even KNOW ahead of time. Sometimes even apps that supposedly report these cost or fees admit that they don't even know, and you won't until you arrive.

I haven’t had the need to DC fast charge since completing the last related update. Have you completed the update, and if so, noticed any change in fast charging behavior?

 

[Zap]

.
. I've seen one at a Mercedes dealer, also in Dothan, AL, where the cost is a crazy $1.00 p/kwh!
.
.

And, according to Plugshare, $10/hr parking fee after the first hour!. Sheesh

 

[Maquis]

The Chargepoint I use occasionally has 2 units. They’re supposed to share 125 KW, meaning one unit is supposed to be capable of 125 if the other one is vacant. There’s never been anyone else there when I charge, but I’ve never seen over 60 KW. If I look at the reviews on PlugShare, only one person ever reported over 70 KW. That was a Rivian who claimed he got exactly 125….yeah, right!

 

[Calvin H-C]

That was a Rivian who claimed he got exactly 125….yeah, right!

While I find PlugShare is excellent for finding charging locations and finding how likey they are working or not, I don't put much faith in the rate that some comments have.

I suspect that a number simply report the "up to" figure displayed for the site, including the Rivian driver mentioned in the quote.

Others may observe the rate at or near its peak, but don't realize it was only sustained for 20% of their use.

When doing a check-in on PlugShare, I will enter the peak in the rate field but will qualify it with a comment indicating the overall experience.

 

[Bills R Electric]

You say

".....Maybe, in the future, we'll have dedicated 'gas station' type 7-Eleven EV Charging Stores where you can rest assured you have the cost, entry and exit, maneuverability, speed, reliability, amenities, restrooms, and location options, in a known 'brand' setting...."


There is no plan right now, and without a plan, we will still be in the Wild West for the time being.

 

[hturnerfamily]

I've updated and added PHOTOS and some more comments...

 

[FirstF150InCasco]

just an observation on my current camping trip: some comparisons between some brand-name fast chargers along the way...

this was a good way to start...

WHERE you stop to charge matters, for many reasons:
1) Speed
2) Cost
3) Logistics and 'space'
4) Number of units per location

A) Chargepoint, Spence Chevrolet, Thomasville, GA... brand new Fast Charger advertised at 62.5kwh speed, and $6 'per hour' fee - a single unit.

1) SPEED: I arrived with about 40% SOC, and the unit ramped up to ~52 for most of the charge, but no higher, no matter what CP advertises when the truck reached 80%, the speed immediately dropped to ~41kwh, which is a design by Ford, itself.

2) COST: $6 per hour is eye-catching, and it is probably one of the lowest cost units I've seen since ownership, BUT, the amount of time you need to charge, versus the max speed of the unit at only 52kwh, like in this situation... you may be there a while. Total of 12cents p/kwh, though : )

3) LOCATION: this is at a chevy dealership, on the right side, and while a relative easy charger to get to, it is, unfortunately, in a fairly restricted parking 'area', built out nicely, but not with much thought to large EVs, and certainly NOT for those of us towing. Other dealer cars are parked right up next to the only two parking spaces in front of the unit, leaving little room for maneuvering. While I arrived very late at night, after the dealership had been closed for hours, I still had to pull past the unit, around the back of the building, and carefully 'turn around' the whole truck and camper train in order to get back to the unit on the correct 'charge port' side, where the charge cord would then reach. If this were the case during a day when the dealer is open, I would doubt this might even be doable.

*) I APPRECIATE greatly this dealer providing a fast charging option in an area of south Georgia where there is relatively few options at all. They have made a big investment, and I'm sure their BOLT and coming EV owners will appreciate it, and travelers as well. Thanks. I am not complaining!
I wish I saw FORD dealers with these same fast chargers.

B) ELECTRIFY America, N Tallahassee large shopping area parking lot, next to Tesla Superchargers - 4 units, with one on the perpendicular. 350kwh units.

1) SPEED: YES! These are fast, and give my truck the max - ~152 to ~132 variable during the majority of the short charging time, starting from 65% SOC, until the dreaded Ford 80% 'slow down' mandatory restriction - ~41kwh, just like with the Chargepoint. FAST, though.

2) COST: a fixed 48cents per kwh. No matter the speed, you pay by the KWH - which seems fair....BUT, the same fee compared to the low $6 per hour CP unit is many times higher. Most folks might not argue since the speed gets you there much quicker... TAX is also added into the total of 50cents p/kwh.

3) LOCATION: fairly good location right off the main road, with lots of parking area nearby, spaces between EA and Tesla, and even room for me to pull in perpendicular easily to the #4 far left unit. LATE AT NIGHT is the easy time to charge. This might not be so convenient at 1pm in the afternoon. With these units being in a rather 'open' large parking lot, there are plenty of places for those waiting to 'stage' their vehicles.

*) These units were recently upgraded to the 350kwh speed units, but #1 'perpendicular' unit was not operational. That seems to be common for EA.

C) EVgo, S Atlanta(below the airport), in a vacant parking area, not well lit, not well visited, and, unfortunately, not somewhere I might stop after dark. FAST units, and 'dual' units that can power TWO evs at once from the same 'unit' - via two different charge cords. While this is 3 units, it is for up to 6 vehicles at once. Tesla adapter, and Chademo included.
1) SPEED: yes, good speeds. Take your pick for 150kwh, 100kwh, or 50. My 'sharing' with another vehicle, a Bolt EUV, resulted in slower speeds than if I was there
by myself, but still usable. 62kwh during most of the charging curve, while the Bolt used 50kwh. This was still less than the advertised 150kwh speed, but there
may be some reason why 'sharing' creates a lower output, versus a single vehicle's max output.
2) COST: total of 31cents p/kwh.
3) LOCATION: as stated, not great - room to maneuver, and ability to pull up next to the charge perpendicular, if needed, but nothing close by when it comes to a restroom or other option - a very long walk, if so, and probably not the area you might want to do that, unfortunately.

*) I appreciate this fast charger option south of the metro, before you drive thru the city - but, the area makes it a toss-up as to whether you'd want your son or daughter to go there alone. When we talk about being 'held hostage' to the charge port LOCK while charging, making a 'quick' escape impossible, you'll start to understand my concern.
No photos for this one...

D) SHELL Recharge/GreenLots(?) Wakulla Florida area, in a hotel parking lot - two 'fast' chargers, although two different 'brands', and 4 Level 2 options, all hosted from Duke Energy:
1)SPEED: not great, but since there is basically NO OTHER FAST CHARGER option anywhere near this 'coastal' area of Florida's 'bend', you take what you can get. 41kwh is not terrible, but for the whole charge curve, it requires some patience. I did not try the 'second' fast charger, with a tag that branded it as a 'efaces', operated by GreenLots, although it did not necessarily give me the impression it was operational, but who knows. The left unit looked more 'recent', and while it took me a while to get my card to go thru, having to 'tap' it instead of swiping, it worked. I've read reviews on plugshare that these units are VERY hit-and-miss, and no one had charged here for some time. Also, interestingly, these DC units show up NOWHERE on my FordPassApp search, but only as "6 of 7 available" and then only lists the 4 Level 2 chargers on the app. Strange.
These don't show up even on GOOGLE MAP search, only on plugshare.
2)COST: so far, I couldn't tell you. There is nothing on the unit or the screens mentioning a price, and when I swiped my card to activate several times, it asked me if I wanted a 'receipt', which I said yes. When the unit would not activate with a swipe several tries, I then noticed that you could 'tap'. The tap, though, is on a separate 'pad' next to the 'swipe' area, and not clearly defined as 'where' to tap. I also had then said 'no' for a receipt, so I never received one at the completion of charging, and have YET, 12 hours later, to receive a hit on my card, which texts me immediately for any charges, and NOTHING shows on the card website to allude to any charge from this DC Fast Charger. Could it be free?? Maybe, but when the charge shows up, maybe in several days, I'll find out how 'much' it cost me.
3)LOCATION: well, right off the highway, yes, but if you are towing, it might be not so friendly a spot. The two DC chargers are all the way to the right side of the parking area, and not even seen from the roadway. I had to park, turning hard right, with my camper still in the entry way, but out of the lane enough to let anyone pass. That also created a nervous situation when back out, since the truck and camper were at 75degrees, but I barely made it. For simple small EVs, these are fine, but today's truck EVs, and even future larger SUV EVs, especially if towing, will find this an appreciated option, even if a little difficult to maneuver thru.

Google Maps.... nothing.

Plug share: thank you.

FordPassApp: no help.

no pricing data, or on-screen receipt when complete...

When we travel, and consider fast charging, it seems to be the wild west out there right now, not only cost-versus-cost, which swings WILDLY between charge options, but just the shear consideration to make, especially while towing, of 'where' your fast charger is located, and whether you can easily access it.

Maybe, in the future, we'll have dedicated 'gas station' type 7-Eleven EV Charging Stores where you can rest assured you have the cost, entry and exit, maneuverability, speed, reliability, amenities, restrooms, and location options, in a known 'brand' setting.

TL;DR. Can you give a two sentance summary?

 

[DennisM1]

just an observation on my current camping trip: some comparisons between some brand-name fast chargers along the way...

this was a good way to start...

WHERE you stop to charge matters, for many reasons:
1) Speed
2) Cost
3) Logistics and 'space'
4) Number of units per location

A) Chargepoint, Spence Chevrolet, Thomasville, GA... brand new Fast Charger advertised at 62.5kwh speed, and $6 'per hour' fee - a single unit.

1) SPEED: I arrived with about 40% SOC, and the unit ramped up to ~52 for most of the charge, but no higher, no matter what CP advertises when the truck reached 80%, the speed immediately dropped to ~41kwh, which is a design by Ford, itself.

2) COST: $6 per hour is eye-catching, and it is probably one of the lowest cost units I've seen since ownership, BUT, the amount of time you need to charge, versus the max speed of the unit at only 52kwh, like in this situation... you may be there a while. Total of 12cents p/kwh, though : )

3) LOCATION: this is at a chevy dealership, on the right side, and while a relative easy charger to get to, it is, unfortunately, in a fairly restricted parking 'area', built out nicely, but not with much thought to large EVs, and certainly NOT for those of us towing. Other dealer cars are parked right up next to the only two parking spaces in front of the unit, leaving little room for maneuvering. While I arrived very late at night, after the dealership had been closed for hours, I still had to pull past the unit, around the back of the building, and carefully 'turn around' the whole truck and camper train in order to get back to the unit on the correct 'charge port' side, where the charge cord would then reach. If this were the case during a day when the dealer is open, I would doubt this might even be doable.

*) I APPRECIATE greatly this dealer providing a fast charging option in an area of south Georgia where there is relatively few options at all. They have made a big investment, and I'm sure their BOLT and coming EV owners will appreciate it, and travelers as well. Thanks. I am not complaining!
I wish I saw FORD dealers with these same fast chargers.

B) ELECTRIFY America, N Tallahassee large shopping area parking lot, next to Tesla Superchargers - 4 units, with one on the perpendicular. 350kwh units.

1) SPEED: YES! These are fast, and give my truck the max - ~152 to ~132 variable during the majority of the short charging time, starting from 65% SOC, until the dreaded Ford 80% 'slow down' mandatory restriction - ~41kwh, just like with the Chargepoint. FAST, though.

2) COST: a fixed 48cents per kwh. No matter the speed, you pay by the KWH - which seems fair....BUT, the same fee compared to the low $6 per hour CP unit is many times higher. Most folks might not argue since the speed gets you there much quicker... TAX is also added into the total of 50cents p/kwh.

3) LOCATION: fairly good location right off the main road, with lots of parking area nearby, spaces between EA and Tesla, and even room for me to pull in perpendicular easily to the #4 far left unit. LATE AT NIGHT is the easy time to charge. This might not be so convenient at 1pm in the afternoon. With these units being in a rather 'open' large parking lot, there are plenty of places for those waiting to 'stage' their vehicles.

*) These units were recently upgraded to the 350kwh speed units, but #1 'perpendicular' unit was not operational. That seems to be common for EA.

C) EVgo, S Atlanta(below the airport), in a vacant parking area, not well lit, not well visited, and, unfortunately, not somewhere I might stop after dark. FAST units, and 'dual' units that can power TWO evs at once from the same 'unit' - via two different charge cords. While this is 3 units, it is for up to 6 vehicles at once. Tesla adapter, and Chademo included.
1) SPEED: yes, good speeds. Take your pick for 150kwh, 100kwh, or 50. My 'sharing' with another vehicle, a Bolt EUV, resulted in slower speeds than if I was there
by myself, but still usable. 62kwh during most of the charging curve, while the Bolt used 50kwh. This was still less than the advertised 150kwh speed, but there
may be some reason why 'sharing' creates a lower output, versus a single vehicle's max output.
2) COST: total of 31cents p/kwh.
3) LOCATION: as stated, not great - room to maneuver, and ability to pull up next to the charge perpendicular, if needed, but nothing close by when it comes to a restroom or other option - a very long walk, if so, and probably not the area you might want to do that, unfortunately.

*) I appreciate this fast charger option south of the metro, before you drive thru the city - but, the area makes it a toss-up as to whether you'd want your son or daughter to go there alone. When we talk about being 'held hostage' to the charge port LOCK while charging, making a 'quick' escape impossible, you'll start to understand my concern.
No photos for this one...

D) SHELL Recharge/GreenLots(?) Wakulla Florida area, in a hotel parking lot - two 'fast' chargers, although two different 'brands', and 4 Level 2 options, all hosted from Duke Energy:
1)SPEED: not great, but since there is basically NO OTHER FAST CHARGER option anywhere near this 'coastal' area of Florida's 'bend', you take what you can get. 41kwh is not terrible, but for the whole charge curve, it requires some patience. I did not try the 'second' fast charger, with a tag that branded it as a 'efaces', operated by GreenLots, although it did not necessarily give me the impression it was operational, but who knows. The left unit looked more 'recent', and while it took me a while to get my card to go thru, having to 'tap' it instead of swiping, it worked. I've read reviews on plugshare that these units are VERY hit-and-miss, and no one had charged here for some time. Also, interestingly, these DC units show up NOWHERE on my FordPassApp search, but only as "6 of 7 available" and then only lists the 4 Level 2 chargers on the app. Strange.
These don't show up even on GOOGLE MAP search, only on plugshare.
2)COST: so far, I couldn't tell you. There is nothing on the unit or the screens mentioning a price, and when I swiped my card to activate several times, it asked me if I wanted a 'receipt', which I said yes. When the unit would not activate with a swipe several tries, I then noticed that you could 'tap'. The tap, though, is on a separate 'pad' next to the 'swipe' area, and not clearly defined as 'where' to tap. I also had then said 'no' for a receipt, so I never received one at the completion of charging, and have YET, 12 hours later, to receive a hit on my card, which texts me immediately for any charges, and NOTHING shows on the card website to allude to any charge from this DC Fast Charger. Could it be free?? Maybe, but when the charge shows up, maybe in several days, I'll find out how 'much' it cost me.
3)LOCATION: well, right off the highway, yes, but if you are towing, it might be not so friendly a spot. The two DC chargers are all the way to the right side of the parking area, and not even seen from the roadway. I had to park, turning hard right, with my camper still in the entry way, but out of the lane enough to let anyone pass. That also created a nervous situation when back out, since the truck and camper were at 75degrees, but I barely made it. For simple small EVs, these are fine, but today's truck EVs, and even future larger SUV EVs, especially if towing, will find this an appreciated option, even if a little difficult to maneuver thru.

Google Maps.... nothing.

Plug share: thank you.

FordPassApp: no help.

no pricing data, or on-screen receipt when complete...

When we travel, and consider fast charging, it seems to be the wild west out there right now, not only cost-versus-cost, which swings WILDLY between charge options, but just the shear consideration to make, especially while towing, of 'where' your fast charger is located, and whether you can easily access it.

Maybe, in the future, we'll have dedicated 'gas station' type 7-Eleven EV Charging Stores where you can rest assured you have the cost, entry and exit, maneuverability, speed, reliability, amenities, restrooms, and location options, in a known 'brand' setting.

Great post full of information. I have traveled extensively in the West and jave had similar experiences. We have 22,000+ miles on our Lightning and have gone from the Olympic Peninsula of Western Washington through Oregon, Nevada, Utah and California. As you would expect, Washington, Oregon and California have many more charging options than the interior West. The various charging costs are sometimes due to the charging company’s business model that allows property owners to set the rates and sometimes due to state utility regulations. We have supplemented our fast charging stops with using NEMA 14-50 outlets in campgrounds and even 120 in campgrounds when staying several days and that is all that is available. We recent
Y traveled from East Lake in the Lava Lands National Monument east of LaPine Oregon back to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington with only one charging stop alpng the way with our pop up camper on the back and nearly full rated load capacity of 1800 pounds. We have averaged about 2-2.1 miles per kWH for the life of the truck since early October, 2022. I have also traveled extensively in our Tesla and having Tesla SuperChargers available will make travel much better for fast charging. However, my Long Range AWD Model 3 is over twice as efficient at about 4.8 miles per kWH lifetime and a lot easier to find fast charging along the road trips we have taken. However, with big Tesla sales, even SuperCharger sites can be full at times now.

 

[hturnerfamily]

my 'two sentence' summary would be:

- CHARGING COSTS are all over the place, no continuity even in similar areas, and no 'standard' to speak of.

- Locations and Maneuvering are the wild west, also, as there is no 'standard' for a layout that makes practical sense for even most of us.


: )

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

When we travel, and consider fast charging, it seems to be the wild west out there right now, not only cost-versus-cost, which swings WILDLY between charge options, but just the shear consideration to make, especially while towing, of 'where' your fast charger is located, and whether you can easily access it.

Maybe, in the future, we'll have dedicated 'gas station' type 7-Eleven EV Charging Stores where you can rest assured you have the cost, entry and exit, maneuverability, speed, reliability, amenities, restrooms, and location options, in a known 'brand' setting.

Your post was an interesting read. I do a fair amount of road tripping in my 2023 SR Pro - about 8000+ miles on the open road (out of 15000+ total), including 10 trips of more than 500 miles, with four of 1600+ miles. A lot of DCFC charging sessions (60+ on ElectrifyAmerica alone). Your experiences (sans the trailer - I haven't towed yet) are similar to mine.

I hate - ABSOLUTELY HATE - EA. It is a worthless, shameless company. On one recent road trip, I made six EA stops; at EVERY ONE OF THEM I had to plug-hop to get a working charger. At one stop in New Mexico where there were ten dispensers, I had to move the Lightning FOUR TIMES to get a charge. Both J.D. Power and Rate-Your-Charge have EA at rock bottom, well behind its competitors. I am a testimonial as to why: Their chargers don't f@#king work. Add to that the cramped design of their diagonal layouts that might be ok for Kia crossovers, but not full-size trucks; the lack of sun/rain shades over the chargers; their multiple price increases this year; widespread down-rating of output (especially when it is hot), etc. etc. If I were the CEO of EA, I'd have to kill myself. But instead, he is just cheerfully doing the bidding of his deceitful VW overlords - which is clearly to do the minimum necessary to meet the requirements of the court-ordered consent decree for Dieselgate.

But there is hope. I think recent announcements by Circle K and Walmart are especially interesting - both are entering the branded DC fast charging station space. At Walmart, we will see the first truly national charging network, reaching rural locations now ignored. As for Circle K, they already have some locations open and people are reporting generally good experiences. Most folks don't know that Circle K is an international company, and they have a major presence in Norway, where EV uptake is the highest in the world. In Europe, they are rolling out combo EV/ICE travel centers that are very nice. The picture below is a real place - now they need to bring that to the United States:

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

The Chargepoint I use occasionally has 2 units. They’re supposed to share 125 KW, meaning one unit is supposed to be capable of 125 if the other one is vacant. There’s never been anyone else there when I charge, but I’ve never seen over 60 KW. If I look at the reviews on PlugShare, only one person ever reported over 70 KW. That was a Rivian who claimed he got exactly 125….yeah, right!

Disclosure: I am a ChargePoint stockholder.

Here is the thing about many ChargePoint installations: They are based on the company's very successful CPE-250 chargers that can do both paired and balanced charging when properly provisioned and programmed to do so. The thing is, not many site operators actually set up the CPE-250s to do that (it costs more in infrastructure and power, especially demand charges). This leads to frequent disappointment at charging speed.

That said, what is cool about the CPE-250s is their redundant modular design. There are multiple power modules in each dispenser; if one fails, the other still works and the charger will operate at a partial power level. And replacing the module takes only minutes. This is why you rarely see a ChargePoint DCFC completely dead, which sure beats the miserable ABB chargers that EA uses, which are often DOA, especially in hot climates.

 

[Maquis]

Disclosure: I am a ChargePoint stockholder.

Here is the thing about many ChargePoint installations: They are based on the company's very successful CPE-250 chargers that can do both paired and balanced charging when properly provisioned and programmed to do so. The thing is, not many site operators actually set up the CPE-250s to do that (it costs more in infrastructure and power, especially demand charges). This leads to frequent disappointment at charging speed.

That said, what is cool about the CPE-250s is their redundant modular design. There are multiple power modules in each dispenser; if one fails, the other still works and the charger will operate at a partial power level. And replacing the module takes only minutes. This is why you rarely see a ChargePoint DCFC completely dead, which sure beats the miserable ABB chargers that EA uses, which are often DOA, especially in hot climates.

Does that means that the electrical service can only max out at 62.5 KW and if both were in use, each station could only supply 31.25? If so, that’s even worse than I expected.

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

Does that means that the electrical service can only max out at 62.5 KW and if both were in use, each station could only supply 31.25? If so, that’s even worse than I expected.

No (well, theoretically possible, but I've never seen it - I think there would be electrical code issues with supplying less than 300 amps to two CPE-250s). Two CPE-250s should deliver up to 62 kW each if both are in use AND all of their modules (two apiece) are functioning. But again, the units are programmed according to the site operator's instructions (ChargePoint is a national network, but the individual sites are privately owned). It is possible for the programming to be set so the stations only do paired charging in the middle of the night when the utility customer can avoid demand charges. That allows the claim that they will do up to 125 kW to be technically true, but only rarely experienced.

Interestingly, another variable is which cable you are using on the CPE-250. There are a couple options - mostly to do with the cooling jacket - and if you put the lower power cable on the unit, it will simply refuse to deliver more than 62 kW.

Side note: I try to do a lot of my long distance travel at night. It helps me avoid congestion at the chargers and occasionally results in pleasant charge rate surprises.

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