DCFC Virgin Here

[John Becker]

I got devirginized today.
Due to my failure to properly plan my day, (Didn't plug it in last night.) I didn't have enough juice to meet my schedule.
I could have made it back home and then switched to ICE, but an EA was nearby. Seemed like a good opportunity to test it out and use some of those free 250 kWh Ford gave me upon purchase.
The results were fabulous. I plugged in the 350 kW charger and pushed its start button. Within about 30 minutes or so, my SOC jumped from 23% to 80%. It was cooking along at about 170 kWh for a while and then backed off to 22 kWh. I let it charge to 89%, but then another car was waiting to use the charger. Not wanting to be rude, I stopped the session and continued on my way.
Frankly, I was surprised that there were no surprises. And Ford emailed me my receipt.
What's not to like?

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[jamelski]

All that wasted time from 80-89

 

[Henry Ford]

Yeah, that's how it goes most of the time. People don't tend to go on the internet to talk what goes right with vehicles. Thanks for posting something positive!

 

[MaintGrl]

All that wasted time from 80-89

Good to know. .

 

[davehu]

I'm now at 13k miles on my 23 Lariat ER. all but a few thousand miles from charging at home. Have taken two trips to Dallas (300 miles each way), one to near Houston (400 miles and back) and am about to take a 277 mile RT jaunt to East Texas. I still have trepidations so I over plan. But the addition of Tesla chargers has been a huge bonus and my anxiety level before each trip eases more each time I do it because it becomes easier each time and the Tesla chargers just work. plug in and your charging within a few seconds.

 

[Brons2]

All that wasted time from 80-89

Fold down the work surface and do some work?

I let mine go to 100% when I L2 in the parking garage at work. I do this because I am L1 only at home and when I get home from the office starting at or near 100%, I'm in the low to mid 80s, making it pretty easy to get back to the 90% charge limit overnight. I only go to the office 2 days a week and it's about 30 miles each way. With relying on L1 only I try not to get too far into the battery if I can avoid it. Weekends are the worst because we live in the far out exurbs and if I use my truck for family duty I might end up in the 30s or 40s by Sunday night, but then it will have 36 hours of L1 before I have to go to th eoffice.

Other info: My wife does have an L2 in the garage for her Mach-E but the Lightning doesn't fit in the garage with the door closed. If I really really need L2, I will pull the Lightning in the garage but then I end up working from the work surface in the truck in order to make sure my tools don't walk off with the garage door open. My 15.4" laptop screen is definitely less optimal for work than using my 45" OLED curved gaming monitor inside (that I never game on). But if I really really need the L2, it is what it is.

Other other thought: I need to get off my arse and put in another 14-50 plug near the front of the garage for the Lightning.

 

[jamelski]

I was joking about the time wasted charging over 80% at a DCFC. I charged 100% daily at home on my level two but I wouldn’t ever charge over 80 at a DCFC unless needed to get to the next location, you literally waste time you’re better off charging to 80 driving to the next location charging to 80 etc..

 

[Grumpy2]

But if I really really need the L2, it is what it is.

Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for a extension charging cable.

 

[Nikos]

I got devirginized today.
Due to my failure to properly plan my day, (Didn't plug it in last night.) I didn't have enough juice to meet my schedule.
I could have made it back home and then switched to ICE, but an EA was nearby. Seemed like a good opportunity to test it out and use some of those free 250 kWh Ford gave me upon purchase.
The results were fabulous. I plugged in the 350 kW charger and pushed its start button. Within about 30 minutes or so, my SOC jumped from 23% to 80%. It was cooking along at about 170 kWh for a while and then backed off to 22 kWh. I let it charge to 89%, but then another car was waiting to use the charger. Not wanting to be rude, I stopped the session and continued on my way.
Frankly, I was surprised that there were no surprises. And Ford emailed me my receipt.
What's not to like?

John……start planning your moves of how to use the Supercharging Tesla network, EV Go, Rivian network, whenever it becomes available and other networks in the Plug & Charge or PlugShare network, because those free 250KW will run out soon.
Get familiar with the process thru the apps in your phone. It will become second nature to you. Ask questions here for any issues you may encounter.
Good luck with your Lightning.

 

[Brons2]

Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for a extension charging cable.

Eh, the main outside panel is right by where I park my truck and I have Romex 6/3 left over from doing my wife's plug at the back of the garage. It's gonna be more cost effective to just put in another 14-50 plug, those extension cords are going to be expensive. Even with using the Hubbell plug it will probably cost in the $100-$120 range to put in another plug. My truck is on a 2 year lease so I will just use the Ford charger and take it back to the dealer if it breaks.

 

[Jimbalf]

I'm now at 13k miles on my 23 Lariat ER. all but a few thousand miles from charging at home. Have taken two trips to Dallas (300 miles each way), one to near Houston (400 miles and back) and am about to take a 277 mile RT jaunt to East Texas. I still have trepidations so I over plan. But the addition of Tesla chargers has been a huge bonus and my anxiety level before each trip eases more each time I do it because it becomes easier each time and the Tesla chargers just work. plug in and your charging within a few seconds.

I’ve done several 3000 road trips and now from Austin to SC. With the Tesla network open, my fastest way is to arrive at about 10% and charge to 60-70%, then drive 2.5 hours or so to the next charger and repeat. This keeps you in the sweet spot of the charging curve and barely gives you time to walk into Bucees and browse.

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

I was joking about the time wasted charging over 80% at a DCFC. I charged 100% daily at home on my level two but I wouldn’t ever charge over 80 at a DCFC unless needed to get to the next location, you literally waste time you’re better off charging to 80 driving to the next location charging to 80 etc..

As a veteran of over 155 billed EA sessions (and a countless number of failed attempts to charge), plus another 100+ on other networks (including a rapidly rising count on Tesla Superchargers) I don’t perfectly agree. The Lightning’s charging curve is ok to 85%, and I often let it go to 90%. But I have an SR Pro and those extra 20-25 miles can make a difference when crossing the wide-open West.

 

[carys98]

As a veteran of over 155 billed EA sessions (and a countless number of failed attempts to charge), plus another 100+ on other networks (including a rapidly rising count on Tesla Superchargers) I don’t perfectly agree. The Lightning’s charging curve is ok to 85%, and I often let it go to 90%. But I have an SR Pro and those extra 20-25 miles can make a difference when crossing the wide-open West.

If the extra 10% going to 90% means I get to the next charger at 30% instead of 20% then it’s a waste of time. If it means I get there at 15% instead of 5% it’s worth it.

 

[Tony Burgh]

“devirginized”?
look a what you paid for those kWhs.
you’ll use a shorter, more descriptive word.

 

[Brons2]

As a veteran of over 155 billed EA sessions (and a countless number of failed attempts to charge), plus another 100+ on other networks (including a rapidly rising count on Tesla Superchargers) I don’t perfectly agree. The Lightning’s charging curve is ok to 85%, and I often let it go to 90%. But I have an SR Pro and those extra 20-25 miles can make a difference when crossing the wide-open West.

I can definitely see this, I have an XLT SR, live in Texas but grew up in rural Oregon. It would be hard to get a lot of really rural places off the Interstate (and US97 & 101) in Oregon without going 90-100%.

Of course the Interstates are no problem and my parents have gone back home to Oregon from where we live now in Central Texas in their 2022 ID.4 no problem. The worst part was you had to avoid Lubbock at first, but it's getting better over there now with Tesla and some dealership chargers. The straightest line from here to there is via Lubbock, Albuquerque, Farmington, Moab, Salt Lake and then I-84 into Oregon. The easiest way with the most chargers is just to take I-10 all the way to LA and then I-5 north to Oregon.

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