50 kWh DC Fast Chargers popping up all over Wisconsin

[RedLightning86]

The one with a 3.5 rating on plug share with reviews that all stations are shut down. Nah I'll pass.

yeah, the Dells casino fast charger worked for about a month, then when they tried to go pay instead of free, it broke. And has been on the repair list for months. Sigh...

Sponsored

 

[Bills R Electric]

The last year has seen these DC chargers popping up everywhere. But all I see or hear is “There’s no chargers yet!”

I say let’s give credit where it’s due to all the rural co-ops who are quietly opening up states to responsible, low-polluting EV’s!

I’m kind of venting here. When I got my Lightning a year ago, DC fast chargers were few and far between. But not now. I work all over south Wisconsin, and camp up North. And anymore, I am never more than about half an hour from a 40 or 50 kWh charger. And they all WORK. Unlike the big-brand super duper fast #’s listed above their broke chargers (Charge Point, Shell, and EA!)

shout out JacksonElectric Coop and all the others like them - rural Wisconsin is rocking EV’s! How bout we all post our favorite rural chargers?

Nice there are more chargers, but dang I sure do like 350Kwh chargers, or 150s, when I am traveling. 50's are a bit slow.

 

[WoodduckMN]

I’m also glad to see them. We drive to Marquette Michigan from Minneapolis and the one in Prentice is about perfect. There are a couple of new high speed chargers in Marquette next to the Tesla super chargers at Mejiers.

 

[mb0220]

Nice there are more chargers, but dang I sure do like 350Kwh chargers, or 150s, when I am traveling. 50's are a bit slow.

If the 50kW are significantly cheaper and easier to install, then I would be happy seeing these at 50-mile intervals along major roads. At least then you don't have to ever worry about being stranded.

 

[Bills R Electric]

If the 50kW are significantly cheaper and easier to install, then I would be happy seeing these at 50-mile intervals along major roads. At least then you don't have to ever worry about being stranded.

Very good point.

I was literally close to being stranded in Southern Central New York going into Pennsylvania. It is very sparse along there and the one charging location was completely dead. All 4 stations. I couldn't make it to the next charger on my route ahead (150 miles), so I had to divert West 50 miles out of the way, charge, and then come back those 50 miles. Grrrrr.

 

[Smokewagun]

Last week, I drove from Rockford Illinois to 35 NE of Chippewa Falls to hunt. All 150kW chargers. Added 45-60 Minutes to my normal ICE travel time. On the way home, I went thru Medford and down to Wausau and to Portage and back towards Rockford. All 6kW and 50kW chargers. It added 3-1/2 hours to my normal ICE travel time. No thanks. We took my son’s SUV up this weekend.
I can’t even chance going to Egg Harbor, because most chargers are at resorts where “you have to be staying” to use.
I know it’s a matter of time, but the latest trend to blast EV’s on the news, and the drop in sales, not to mention my Lighting value, I’m not sure we’ll see plentiful chargers for years.

 

[Calvin H-C]

There is a free fast charger at the casino in town.

While it is nice to have more fast chargers (especially if free!), is a casino the type of place where one stops in for only 30-60 minutes?

I suspect the typical visit to a casino involves a few hours and would be more suitable to L2 AC charging. Plus, the infrastructure costs would permit more units for the same cost, attracting more to go there.

I'm sure the typical casino would prefer that people stay longer anyways. All the more reason to install L2 charging.

I feel there needs to be a major re-think of what type of charging facilities are needed where. DC for good access to highways and a few other places, L2 for where people typically spend 2-4 hours and even L1 in a few places. A shopping mall would be best fit with a number of L2 chargers plus one or two 50 kW fast chargers for those making a quick visit.

The company I work for has two L2 units and a limited number of access cards for them. Added to that is a two-hour limit, so one must take the time to move their vehicle. For the cost of adding another unit, both in dollars and electric load, they could install six 120 V outlets and six cars can charge all day.

 

[GDN]

I didn’t get a pic but stopped at a park that had one of those 50kW Tritium chargers and right after I plugged it in, it made an awful buzzing noise. For the sake of caution I unplugged, went to move to a 7.2kW AC charger next to it, and noticed power was reduced to 94%.

After two hours of slower charging I left, drove home, and charged to 100% overnight - some Googling had informed me that Mach-e drivers that’d had a similar issue had resolved that this way - and it’s back to where it was… But I‘m not sure I’ll trust one of those again…

That said, seeing chargers at parks and in the (relative) wilderness is great! Now if they’ll only work without potentially frying cars…

I could see this type and speed of charger working in a metro area in a parking lot of a retailer and they expect you to come in and charge an hour or two while shopping. They should never be advertised as part of a DCFC network. I do know that most vehicles will show you level 1, 2 or 3 chargers and you can filter, but never do I want to be routed to one of these while on a long distance trip.

I guess they are likely free, you don't say, but why would you sit at a charger for hours, if you have level 2 at home in the garage?

Personally I avoid retailers that spend money on these types of chargers. I don't want to subsidize any one else's charging. It is already a drop in the bucket compared to gas prices. I'm just not subsidizing someone else's charging. The same with the 26 chargers we have at work. They cause nothing but bickering and fighting like kids because people don't plug in or don't move after their 4 allowed hours.

 

[Harvey mat]

While it is nice to have more fast chargers (especially if free!), is a casino the type of place where one stops in for only 30-60 minutes?

I suspect the typical visit to a casino involves a few hours and would be more suitable to L2 AC charging. Plus, the infrastructure costs would permit more units for the same cost, attracting more to go there.

I'm sure the typical casino would prefer that people stay longer anyways. All the more reason to install L2 charging. I generally prefer a different type of casino that might interest you, called no wager casinos. I can recommend look at this website if you want to find a list of the best ones. These are casinos that don't require players to fulfill any conditions to receive bonuses or withdraw winnings. I feel there needs to be a major re-think of what type of charging facilities are needed where. DC for good access to highways and a few other places, L2 for where people typically spend 2-4 hours and even L1 in a few places. A shopping mall would be best fit with a number of L2 chargers plus one or two 50 kW fast chargers for those making a quick visit.

The company I work for has two L2 units and a limited number of access cards for them. Added to that is a two-hour limit, so one must take the time to move their vehicle. For the cost of adding another unit, both in dollars and electric load, they could install six 120 V outlets and six cars can charge all day.

I have four Level 2 chargers at work with the same two-hour limit, so it doesn't really help the situation. Of course, they could install more 120V chargers, but if it only gains about 18 miles of charge throughout the entire day, I don't see much point in that. Unless it's an absolute last resort.

 

[Jseis]

50’s (or dual 50’s) are far cheaper to install compared to a multi port DCFC where the transformer infrastructure can kill a small municipality due to $$$ and lost time. A local housing project is delayed 24 months due to long wait times for 3 phase power. My project with a 12 meter base cabinet pulling 3000+ amps was delayed 54 weeks.

 

[Calvin H-C]

Of course, they could install more 120V chargers, but if it only gains about 18 miles of charge throughout the entire day, I don't see much point in that. Unless it's an absolute last resort.

While it doesn't suit everyone, there are plenty of people that this would provide at least a one-way trip between home and the office.

Also, that 18 miles is for the Lightning, and I don't suspect all the EVs at any given workplace are Lightnings.

Not a huge difference, but my FFE would see an increase of about 20 miles over an 8-hour stay (and an 8-hour day plus lunch is typically 9 hours, bumping that up to 22.5). If one is in a cold in winter area like I am, having the vehicle left plugged in is recommended even if it is not charging (or so says Ford's software on both my FFE and my wife's Lightning when you shut off in the cold).

Another solution would be level 2 chargers that load share. Many public chargers do this with dual units. You get about 6.6 kW when you're the lone EV charging, but when another plugs in, you share the 6.6 and get 3.3 kW each.

 

[Beans]

Until this is resolved, we’re not going to see many new 150 kW plus chargers In Wisconsin.

https://captimes.com/news/governmen...cle_68042aba-8d4a-11ee-adfb-bb89f0159d55.html

After having my lightning for a year, I feel our only hope is getting the Tesla network opened up ASAP. Sure hope the February rumor is true.

 

[queuewho]

If the 50kW are significantly cheaper and easier to install, then I would be happy seeing these at 50-mile intervals along major roads. At least then you don't have to ever worry about being stranded.

I hope the future is more 350kw obviously, but also every 7-11, every car wash, every pepboys, random fast food places should also have these slower 50kw-60kw ones. Since they are slower they could be cheaper, and if you have time you can save some money. Also, like someone else said, in a sea of nothing a 50kw is a huge difference maker.

 

[hturnerfamily]

while we all like 'Fast' charging, yes, the idea of building out a RELIABLE and LOCATION-BASED Charging Infrastructure will do wonders for 'range anxiety', or better yet, 'charging anxiety'... I like speed, but what I would like much MORE is the idea of simply jumping in my truck, or any EV for that matter, and simply traveling WITHOUT worry of 'where' to charge, even if the charging options are not as 'fast' as others... NUMBERS of chargers is way more important, in the long term, than speed.

note; Yes, I DID very much like the EA 157-168 charging speeds over the last 655 trip....great!
but, what I did not like is the PLANNING and 'barely squeeking out the miles' between fast chargers... THAT is the part that needs to change.

 

[ddimit]

All in, Slow charging is better than no charging, at least they are making the effort.

Sponsored