GM & Pilot to build 2000 EVgo charging stations at 500 locations along US highways

[roamtheworld]

There's an EA station just north of Waco (and then an EV charging wasteland until you get just south of Dallas) and last weekend while I was charging from 18% at a blitzing fast 35Kw I got to watch a half dozen other Mach-E owners struggle to get a charge to even initiate. 2 of the 6 or 7 towers were completely down and at one point every parking spot was taken and there were 4 more cars waiting. A few people eventually gave up and drove off.

We were there for 75 minutes to get enough charge to make it home to North Dallas, but I had good road tripping company so it wasn't bad.

It was a Walmart stop with a long hot walk to use the bathroom where I'm pretty sure a drug deal went down in the stall next to me.

I'll take charging at a Pilot station any day.

That STINKS! This location was our first ever DCFC experience after purchasing our Mach E and bringing it home from Dallas. Only one other car was using a charger (Volvo) and it was trouble free other than we didn't have PnC active yet so we paid for the session. 30 minutes was the total time spent allowing for bathroom break. 165 kW ish was our peak

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[ponEpwr]

Just went and tried the evgo chargers at oak park mall (for the Kansas City people). They have two 350's and two 100's. One 350 was down and I tried the working one and couldn't get it to connect. Moved over to the 100 and it connected right away but only charged at 25kw... And they charged by the minute.

Guy in an ev6 pulled up and was able to connect to the 350 and it was charging in the 220-230 range.

 

[Logal727]

Just went and tried the evgo chargers at oak park mall (for the Kansas City people). They have two 350's and two 100's. One 350 was down and I tried the working one and couldn't get it to connect. Moved over to the 100 and it connected right away but only charged at 25kw... And they charged by the minute.

Guy in an ev6 pulled up and was able to connect to the 350 and it was charging in the 220-230 range.

Do you know what they looked like? Were they the "Fat Boy" chargers? They are squat-looking ones, very aptly named unfortunately lol.

 

[devmach-e]

Because truck stops are exactly where I want to charge...

Actually, for F-150Ls, this MAY be ideal.

The Pilot and Flying J truck stops along I-5 in California provide regular motorist services as well as catering to semis. The ones I use when traveling between the SF Bay Area and Southern California are already in ideal locations, and will make traveling in the MME a lot easier.

 

[Logal727]

Do you know what they looked like? Were they the "Fat Boy" chargers? They are squat-looking ones, very aptly named unfortunately lol.

Reading reviews on PlugShare for this one, I don't see any Mach-Es having issues usually. Someone reported Elmo, which is one of the 350kw ones is charging fine on MME.

 

[DevSecOps]

Just went and tried the evgo chargers at oak park mall (for the Kansas City people). They have two 350's and two 100's. One 350 was down and I tried the working one and couldn't get it to connect. Moved over to the 100 and it connected right away but only charged at 25kw... And they charged by the minute.

Guy in an ev6 pulled up and was able to connect to the 350 and it was charging in the 220-230 range.

That's basically my experience with every EVGO charger. Let's hope these new ones are better.

 

[RedDeadRegen]

When I tried last week I was unable to get any of the 350Kw signet units to work. The 100Kw units do work, but the units I used max out at 200 amps which means the Mach E was only able to charge at 68-72Kw.

Hopefully ford has a software update that can fix communication with the Signet units, but the game of telephone from me to the service advisor to the tech didn't work too well last time I tried to get some updates.

 

[DevSecOps]

When I tried last week I was unable to get any of the 350Kw signet units to work. The 100Kw units do work, but the units I used max out at 200 amps which means the Mach E was only able to charge at 68-72Kw.

Hopefully ford has a software update that can fix communication with the Signet units, but the game of telephone from me to the service advisor to the tech didn't work too well last time I tried to get some updates.

I don't think it's the cars compatibility with the signet units. EA uses them as well and most of the EA stations I use are signet. EVGO just released a software update to make the fat ones more compatible with the MME. I bet it's in the software version that EVGO uses.

 

[dbsb3233]

Yeah I DCFC a lot ... probably close to 100-200kw of juice each week. EA stations are by far the most reliable and fastest with the MME. I really refuse to use anything else.

Last week I decided to give the Shell Recharge station (rated at 150) in Santa Nella a go again and again I just got 50kw delivered from it.

A lot of people bash on EA, but take it from someone who uses these things on the road all the time, stick with EA and you'll be much happier. Hopefully EVGo's new network will be just as good. Time will tell.

I use mostly EA too (largely due to coverage in the right spots), but even more dependable for us have been the ChargePoint 125's. Done roughly a dozen charges on them and they've been highly dependable. CO and UT use those for their state-sponsored charger locations spread around the state. Kyle Connor uses the ones in Wellington CO all the time for his range tests (just north of his office and home in Ft Collins). He rarely seems to have any issue with them.

 

[dbsb3233]

However, I just joined the new Ford discounted P&C beta so I'll be trying that out next Wednesday where I should be able to just plug in and get the discounted rate at the same time.

I did 16 EA charges on a trip the last 2 weeks and the BOCN EA discount worked like a charm. P&C seems to be initiating a bit faster now than it did in the past too. It still varies between roughly 30-60 seconds, but it now seems to be on par with starting via the EA app (for Pass+), which is what I had previously been using (with NFC phone tap).

Saves that step now. Don't even need the phone.

 

[Tampamike]

Fast charging desert continues for NH. Never heard of these stations and still no fast chargers north of Manchester NH to the Canadian border (155 miles) and only a few north of Massachusetts. Don't plan a trip to the NH White Mountains unless you have other options. (York Maine has some and in VT)

Live free or die, eh?

 

[DevSecOps]

I use mostly EA too (largely due to coverage in the right spots), but even more dependable for us have been the ChargePoint 125's. Done roughly a dozen charges on them and they've been highly dependable. CO and UT use those for their state-sponsored charger locations spread around the state. Kyle Connor uses the ones in Wellington CO all the time for his range tests (just north of his office and home in Ft Collins). He rarely seems to have any issue with them.

I have yet to use chargepoint on my routes because they are all 50s... So admittedly I don't have experience with them. But on my previous EV they were all reliable.

 

[dbsb3233]

I have yet to use chargepoint on my routes because they are all 50s... So admittedly I don't have experience with them. But on my previous EV they were all reliable.

I should have added... the reliability has been great, but the CP125's are usually paired/shared and only peak at about 72 kW for the Mach-E (in part because the way the power sharing setup works, and in part because the MME only runs at about 88% of rated max kW (if below 150) because of lower pack voltage than normal.

So while dependable, it's a slower option.

 

[mkhuffman]

You traveling people who have not had a HVBJB failure are embarrassing. I still have 103 kWh remaining on my charging bundle.

I don't have a HVBJB failure either, but seriously. You should have killed them by now. I know, you are not doing enough WOTs. Next time you DCFC, do 3 WOTs and see what happens.

?

 

[dbsb3233]

You traveling people who have not had a HVBJB failure are embarrassing. I still have 103 kWh remaining on my charging bundle.

I don't have a HVBJB failure either, but seriously. You should have killed them by now. I know, you are not doing enough WOTs. Next time you DCFC, do 3 WOTs and see what happens.

?

No WOTs for me. I treat it like the semi-luxury crossover it is, not a sports car. (Or dare I say... #notamustang.) ?

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