First Tesla Superchargers with "Magic Dock" CCS Adapter are online... and charged up a Rivian

[NoMoPetrol]

It's absolutely a fair point that Tesla's closed system was designed for Tesla vehicles, so yes it is a bit presumptuous that Tesla should adapt to other brands. Except that they are trying to get business from owners of those cars, as well as federal money to install more of them - with the explicit understanding that the federal money is contingent on non-teslas being able to use them.

And you expect them to retrofit all their pre-existing stations, paid for by them alone, with longer cables to satisfy non-Tesla EVs? If I am reading the press releases on NACS adoption correctly, only a portion of the existing charging sites will be available to non-Teslas. The number 12,000 has been mentioned several times, which represents only about half the existing Supercharger sites. My guess is that future Supercharger installations using federal money will be much more accommodating.

Regardless, you've got a bit of revisionist history going on:

1. SAE J1772 was selected in 2001 by CARB as an open standard for all EV's to use - "mandatory" by 2006.
2. Tesla began selling cars in 2008 with their own proprietary adapter
3. In May 2012 a consortium of seven manufacturers introduced the CCS specification to extend the 11 year old J1772 specification to accommodate DC fast charging
4. In September 2012 Tesla introduced the first superchargers using their 4 year old proprietary connector

1. So CARB established an open standard simultaneously with the EV1 crushing fiasco. And its use by all EVs would be mandatory by 2006. So who was CARB writing the standard for?
2. The SAE J1772 was incapable of servicing DCFC. What was Tesla supposed to do in 2008? Sell overpriced golf carts that could be charged overnight after puttering around town all day? In fact, Tesla approached the Detroit automakers early on about banding together around a suitable quick-charging solution and were told to go pound sand.
3. In May 2012 a consortium of seven manufacturers with no, or very little, EV experience introduced the clumsiest solution they could think of to accommodate the letter of the law, but not the spirit. That consortium, with strong oil industry participation on their seven respective Boards of Directors, had only one thing in mind - make EVs as awkward as possible in order to retard their growth and popularity.
4. The Tesla connector was proprietary by default when the other American companies used their "pounding sand" response several years earlier.

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[dbsb3233]

And you expect them to retrofit all their pre-existing stations, paid for by them alone, with longer cables to satisfy non-Tesla EVs? If I am reading the press releases on NACS adoption correctly, only a portion of the existing charging sites will be available to non-Teslas. The number 12,000 has been mentioned several times, which represents only about half the existing Supercharger sites. My guess is that future Supercharger installations using federal money will be much more accommodating.

It's all the V3s (and V4s when they start installing here), and none of the V2s. That's about 2/3rds of the Supercharger stands, or 61% of the stations as of a recent count.

As for "expecting" longer cords, that kinda twists it around. It's Tesla that wants DCFC revenue from non-Tesla drivers (likely taxpayer subsidy too). If you're coveting business from customers driving vehicles that aren't designed to reach with your short cords, the onus is on the business to help accommodate that. If they want that business, that is. Tesla has done a little bit in that regard, removing some of the bollards and parking blocks at early MD stations. I'd be surprised if they swap out for longer cords, but if they want that business, they'll need to make some accommodation. If they don't, they'll get less of that business, and end up with many blocking 2 (sometimes even 3) stalls from Tesla drivers.

Regarding the rest, maybe this will help...

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a35030461/why-other-car-companies-dont-use-tesla-superchargers/

 

[dbsb3233]

 

[dbsb3233]

 

[SWO]

Just opened 5 in Easton MD on the Eastern shore. This is really big.

 

[dbsb3233]

 

[kodiakng]

i may actually use one today on a trip so will see how it looks.

was able to use the boardman, oregon one today since it was on my way. i don't know if the parking blocks were removed with the magic dock install but it definitely helped get close enough for the cord to reach. charge rate ramped up to 98kW quickly, maxed out at 128kW soon after and then slowly went down to finish at 80kW by the time i hit 80%.

for those keeping track: two of 8 stalls were out of order when i was there. they were clearly identified in the app. one was the one on the other side of my car in the first pic and the other was on the same set of stalls. the station wasn't full at any time but was active - three teslas charged while i was there and one came in as i was leaving. no other CCS customers while i was there but one curious ICE driver came by to ask questions. ?

if the parking block was there i think i still could have reached if i moved over just a bit but it would have been tighter than i'd want on the cable.

the tesla rates are pretty good too - $0.28/kWh for a non-member, i think the tesla owner i was visiting with said his was about $0.18/kWh. the EA station 20 mi up the road was still at $0.48/kWh.

 

[kodiakng]

2. Tesla is using Supercharger extension cables right now on their semis. Lectron also makes a 14ft extension cable: https://evadept.com/p/tesla-supercharger-extension-cord-tslaext/

@dbsb3233 answered your first question so just correcting your remaining statement:

• that pic of the tesla semi was under controlled circumstances a) before they had normalized the plug and charger they were going to use and b) limited current to send up to 120kW on a v2 supercharger so active cooled cables weren't needed. not sure where you got the pic but the story along with it is here.
• Lectron doesn't sell a supercharger extension cable - the company selling those is mislabeling them. look closely at the non-tesla connector end and you'll see it's a J1772 cable only. not high amperage and no DC pins.

 

[SWO]

@dbsb3233 answered your first question so just correcting your remaining statement:

• that pic of the tesla semi was under controlled circumstances a) before they had normalized the plug and charger they were going to use and b) limited current to send up to 120kW on a v2 supercharger so active cooled cables weren't needed. not sure where you got the pic but the story along with it is here.
• Lectron doesn't sell a supercharger extension cable - the company selling those is mislabeling them. look closely at the non-tesla connector end and you'll see it's a J1772 cable only. not high amperage and no DC pins.

Sorry to disagree, but I was responding to a post saying it was technically impossible. My picture clearly shows an extension cable being used on a V3 Supercharger to charge a semi.

Also, my link is clearly advertising a Supercharger extension ("This adapter is 100% DC compatible and will work with the Tesla Supercharger Network up to 350 kW." Maybe it's not made by Lectron?) and it has reviews by folks saying they've used it as such though I don’t know if I'd be that brave.

 

[jpblincoln]

 

[kodiakng]

Sorry to disagree, but I was responding to a post saying it was technically impossible. My picture clearly shows an extension cable being used on a V3 Supercharger to charge a semi.

you're putting words in my mouth (i wrote the post you were responding to) and i didn't say it wasn't "technically impossible." yes, you can plug a cable in but it doesn't mean it's "safe." the probability you are going to burn down the house with your extension cord chain to light the christmas tree isn't 100% but it also is much higher 0%.

no large auto company is going to send "supercharger extension" cables to it's customers and say they are safe to use. that is the germane issue.

also, wrong again on the picture. that picture is from around february 2019 before v3 superchargers were publicly available. tesla has never used them in ordinary circumstances - as i noted and was clear in the story i linked to.

Also, my link is clearly advertising a Supercharger extension ("This adapter is 100% DC compatible and will work with the Tesla Supercharger Network up to 350 kW." Maybe it's not made by Lectron?) and it has reviews by folks saying they've used it as such though I don’t know if I'd be that brave.

did you know the moon is made of cheese? i read it on the internet so it's true!

 

[Logal727]

was able to use the boardman, oregon one today since it was on my way. i don't know if the parking blocks were removed with the magic dock install but it definitely helped get close enough for the cord to reach. charge rate ramped up to 98kW quickly, maxed out at 128kW soon after and then slowly went down to finish at 80kW by the time i hit 80%.

for those keeping track: two of 8 stalls were out of order when i was there. they were clearly identified in the app. one was the one on the other side of my car in the first pic and the other was on the same set of stalls. the station wasn't full at any time but was active - three teslas charged while i was there and one came in as i was leaving. no other CCS customers while i was there but one curious ICE driver came by to ask questions. ?

if the parking block was there i think i still could have reached if i moved over just a bit but it would have been tighter than i'd want on the cable.

the tesla rates are pretty good too - $0.28/kWh for a non-member, i think the tesla owner i was visiting with said his was about $0.18/kWh. the EA station 20 mi up the road was still at $0.48/kWh.

Who empties the trash cans at Tesla SCs?? Why can't EA have these?

 

[dbsb3233]

Who empties the trash cans at Tesla SCs?? Why can't EA have these?

Many EA stations have trash cans. And many SC's don't. Mixed results for both. I don't think it (typically) has anything to do with the chargers being in the lot, it has to do with whatever host business may or may not be there.

 

[Logal727]

Many EA stations have trash cans.

Never seen one! lol

 

[dbsb3233]

Never seen one! lol

Many of the Walmart lots they're often located in have trash cans around the parking lot (although not all). Some other hosts too. Here's one of the Love's EA locations we frequent on our road trips...

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