The major weakness of the MME (and all non-Tesla EVs) -- reliable, robust charging network doesn't exist

[nvabill]

I’ve had mine for 4 months now and have never had to public charge. You live in an apartment or something? Drive from rural area to rural area?

No, I should have clarified that the charging is a problem on trips. Local is just fine as I put a NEMA 1450 plug in my garage. But, with that said I'm not going to own such an expensive asset that does not meet my expectations. Once charging becomes better for road trips I may be back into the EV world.

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[nvabill]

EV charging needs to become as simple and ubiquitous as filling an ICE with gas, plain and simple.

Bingo, nuff said!

 

[dbsb3233]

EV charging needs to become as simple and ubiquitous as filling an ICE with gas, plain and simple.

Technically, 90% of it is much easier than gas (simply plugging in at home, on cheap rates). That's a huge improvement.

But yeah, DCFC needs to get easier, more plentiful, and more dependable for road trips.

That's part of why I put up with some DCFC inconvenience, because the local refueling is soooo much better.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

You are so right, I sold it today for a nice profit. The sad thing is I absolutely loved the car but the charging situation sucks! I admire you early adopters, I'm just not willing to be one.

Come back and take a look again in a few years and see if it makes sense for you. Only you get to decide what the right call is for you (at least so far as which car is best for you goes).

 

[nvabill]

Come back and take a look again in a few years and see if it makes sense for you. Only you get to decide what the right call is for you (at least so far as which car is best for you goes).

Absolutely, there really is nothing like the power and feel of all electric!

 

[newmme]

I really have no plans to sell my Mach E when I get it, I’ve been waiting way too long. Basically just speaking in generalities.

You are so right, I sold it today for a nice profit. The sad thing is I absolutely loved the car but the charging situation sucks!

Sorry you had a bad experience. You just got it a few months ago and loved the car. Maybe try another MME in the future.

 

[nvabill]

Sorry you had a bad experience. You just got it a few months ago and loved the car. Maybe try another MME in the future.

I absolutely would consider one when the charging network becomes better and more plentiful.

 

[TTF]

I bought my Mach E AWD ER Premium on April 7th and left the very next day on a 3 day round trip from Niagara Falls ON to Fredericton NB travelling more than 1 500 km each way and had no charging issues.. No waiting for a free charger. There were always a few open at least. Ivy Brand and Flo were sometimes slower than the rest but never did I need more than 30 minutes per stop, usually 20 to 25 or so. 18 000 km later, I still have had almost no issues charging. A few random times, a charger would stop and I would have to restart it, but that had been rare, 1 time in 20 or 30 charges. Definitely charging issues must be regional but here in my little patch of Canada, all is well with an EV. No regrets and never going back to ICE.

 

[devmach-e]

If you’re driving with battery alone, you’re needlessly hauling around the mass and weight of an ICE engine. You also have the added complexity of two very different system of providing power plus the additional maintenance that an ICE engine requires. Is it worth it? Only you can answer that for yourself.

Having owned 3 different Toyota hybrids, including a 2012 Plug-in Prius, I'd say that a RAV4 Prime would be an excellent choice. Maintenance is minimal and the design is rock solid reliable. Only maintenance I ever needed was oil & filter changes, and the occasional engine air filter.

 

[RickMachE]

you got it (211 miles in my GT at highway speeds at ~50 degrees would require a charge - the 167 mile route makes sense but I have to get back). I have not been super happy with the shell Recharge (those you suggested in Franklin, NC which are 150 kW chargers). The challenge is I intend to make this a roundtrip in one day which leaves me without being able to get back to that charger comfortably.

One thing I noted while in Michigan this past weekend is that driving an EV really pushes you to be hyper sensitive about your efficiency. When you know you will deplete your electrons and need a charge is not as easy as driving I-75 at 90 mph in your F-150 and just fill up.

True.

We went up to Traverse City recently in the Mach-E, and doing 78mph really depletes the battery. Had to top off on the way up and back - found a 50kW charger that was free and hit it both ways, and then Bay City was also free (EA) on the way home).

 

[waldo1949]

This goes for all non-Tesla EVs. You can make the best EV in the world, but it's near useless to take outside it's single-charge range if a reliable, robust charging network doesn't exist.

Being in NorCal with chargers located all over, my wife decided to take the MME from Sac to San Fran yesterday. She needed to stop on the way home last night - late night around 1AM. First stop in Vacaville had only 4 fast chargers (no stop on her route had more than 4), and when she showed up none were working.

Second stop, 1 wasn't working, the other one was charging at 6kW. The fact that neither the MME or FordPass app display the charging rate is another store altogether.

Third stop she was able to charge at 48kW long enough to get the range she needed to get home.

It goes without saying that we're taking the Tesla down to Anaheim this week. Many well-located charging stations with dozens of well-maintained chargers that will hit our 250kW max acceptance rate. She's already considering trading the MME for another Tesla.

Here's hoping the Inflation Reduction Act inflates the number of reliable chargers on the road. Until then, I can't wait for Tesla to open up the supercharger network.

i own a MME and love it, but frankly, never take it on long road trips. I would never buy a Tesla, but if forced to own one, I wouldn’t take it on road trips either. Elec cars just aren’t ready for that yet. I do go to our cottage (200miles) but only because I can charge it overnight there. I have a PHEV ( a Volt) for road trips.

 

[waldo1949]

I absolutely would consider one when the charging network becomes better and more plentiful.

I use my electric car, MME, for around town and trips of moderate length, but my PHEV for longer trips. Probably 95% of my trips and 80% of my miles are in the MME.

 

[RickMachE]

Scratching my head how anyone be on this forum for any length of time and not understand the realities of charging?

 

[nvabill]

Scratching my head how anyone be on this forum for any length of time and not understand the realities of charging?

Simply put, wishful thinking Rick, everybody sees things differently and decides their own course of action based on other's subjective opinions. But, in reality until you experience it yourself you really don't know if it will be right for you. So, in the end you try it out and if your actions don't yield the results you hope for you move on and regroup. At least that's the way I feel about it, not saying it's right for anyone else. Try not to scratch your hair off trying to figure other folks out, you will drive yourself crazy.

 

[dbsb3233]

Simply put, wishful thinking Rick, everybody sees things differently and decides their own course of action based on other's subjective opinions. But, in reality until you experience it yourself you really don't know if it will be right for you. So, in the end you try it out and if your actions don't yield the results you hope for you move on and regroup. At least that's the way I feel about it, not saying it's right for anyone else. Try not to scratch your hair off trying to figure other folks out, you will drive yourself crazy.

It can be one of those "it only takes one bad experience" things. A road trip may have 9 perfect charges but it only takes 1 bad one along the way for many people to say "no more". Especially if it's a really bad one that leaves you stranded.

That's why I do so much pre-planning of my routes, and usually stop sooner to charge where I leave a backup station in range just in case. Had to use the backup 2 or 3 times now in 100+ DCFCs.

But many people don't want to go through that much trouble either. I get that. Also, there's a lot of little tricks that I've learned to attempt to get a charger to work when it didn't at first. Many people just give up on it at that point. But sometimes the 2nd cable on an EA charger works when the first didn't. Sometimes a charger looks down but it's only the screen. Sometimes P&C won't work but app swipe does, or phone tap, or credit card. Sometimes EA customer support can restart the charger and get it working.

Those are all annoying steps to mess with when it doesn't work on first attempt, but that's far better than getting stranded.

Dealing with that occasional messiness just isn't for everyone.

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