Bad PR article for Ford v Tesla

[Jim622]

I actually see more Tesla charging locations mostly empty rather than full. In fact, I can only recall one instance at a shopping center where literally every Tesla charger station was full, which kind of shocked me at the time.

My one time trying out the magic dock in Placerville, I was the only vehicle there.

So, no, all Tesla chargers are not always full.

I am glad to hear this. Around here, they are always full. I took a few road trips from SoCal to Vegas where Baker is the preferred charge stop for most. The Tesla chargers are always full with a line. I have always get right into an EA with no wait. Just my experience, I am glad yours is different.

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[ChasingCoral]

Yeah, and I am saying I agree I would also take earlier. But it doesn't change that it isn't Ford's plan

Are you somehow privy to Ford's deployment plan?

If you are relying on Jim Farley's interview to be correct in every detail, then Ford will send us all adapters. After all, that's what he said in one of the interviews.

At this point, I don't even think folks at Ford know how the final roll out will happen. I'm sure they have a plan but reality may change it.

 

[MellowJohnny]

We actually just finished talking about this article over dinner - it’s the #1 trending story in Canada on Apple News. My first impression was he seemed a bit unprepared for his trip and kinda gave up a bit too easily. It would take quite a lot for me to consider “abandoning” my Mach-E and renting an ICE. L2 sucks as an option, but at least it’d be charging - he didn’t even try.

Having said that, we *should* be in a place where charging is as easy as gassing up, but we are not. I have a feeling this guy was unaware of that fact, and expected to be able to charge almost as easily.

Also, if he towed it to Ford, why would they not have at least been able to charge it? A 50kWh DCFC perhaps?

The piece just seems a bit dramatic to me…

 

[KyloRen]

I set up a Tesla account to try out the Magic Dock at Placerville, CA. I activated from the Tesla app and CCS adapter connection was seamless. Output was only 42kW so I wasn’t overly impressed. There were two Teslas charging and one said he was having the same slow issue. It could be grid problem since this is PG&E in summer mode.

Thats great as a desperate backup plan. $0.53/kWh ??

 

[Mrn]

Thats great as a desperate backup plan. $0.53/kWh ??

Yes, that is expensive for electricity but on a par with what fuel would cost for a gas vehicle.

 

[Blue highway]

I don't think the Tesla charging network will be the answer. All the Tesla charges are always full, and have cars in line waiting to charge. Adding more vehicles to the already overcrowded system may just be a disaster waiting to happen. The EA chargers seem less busy for the most part. However this is rapidly changing. I am seeing more that EA chargers have a waiting line at times.

It depends where you are I suppose. In Oregon, I don't see a lot of full Tesla chargers... I see broken EA chargers.

I have at least some confidence in Teslas ability to maintain their chargers... EA... well not so much.

 

[Blue highway]

We actually just finished talking about this article over dinner - it’s the #1 trending story in Canada on Apple News. My first impression was he seemed a bit unprepared for his trip and kinda gave up a bit too easily. It would take quite a lot for me to consider “abandoning” my Mach-E and renting an ICE. L2 sucks as an option, but at least it’d be charging - he didn’t even try.

Having said that, we *should* be in a place where charging is as easy as gassing up, but we are not. I have a feeling this guy was unaware of that fact, and expected to be able to charge almost as easily.

Also, if he towed it to Ford, why would they not have at least been able to charge it? A 50kWh DCFC perhaps?

The piece just seems a bit dramatic to me…

yeah it is clearly dramatic... I would have made other decisions... but sheesh when will we see meaningful improvement in the DCFC infrastructure. It can't come soon enough.

NEVI sounds more like NEVER every day.

 

[Jim622]

It depends where you are I suppose. In Oregon, I don't see a lot of full Tesla chargers... I see broken EA chargers.

I have at least some confidence in Teslas ability to maintain their chargers... EA... well not so much.

I totally agree with you. Tesla does maintain their chargers better.

 

[luckie]

I am glad to hear this. Around here, they are always full. I took a few road trips from SoCal to Vegas where Baker is the preferred charge stop for most. The Tesla chargers are always full with a line. I have always get right into an EA with no wait. Just my experience, I am glad yours is different.

Yep, in the US there is one state where everything is different for EVs, lots of folx have them, wow, and lots of people may already be at chargers when you arrive hoping to charge. Elsewhere tends to be a another experience.

 

[Jim622]

Yep, in the US there is one state where everything is different for EVs, lots of folx have them, wow, and lots of people may already be at chargers when you arrive hoping to charge. Elsewhere tends to be a another experience.

California always has been the place you insert the enema.

 

[Say Watt]

That doesn’t look like a Mustang Mach E i

I have both.

 

[Say Watt]

Welcome to California. I do not fault Tesla for this level of charging nor their price level.

The electrical infrastructure in California is on the level of a “turd world” county. The main central/northern power company is PG&E and their rates are twice the national average. Their lack of maintenance has caused many wildfires resulting in tens of billions of dollars in property loss and many deaths - 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in one fire.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-th...ry-led-to-a-guilty-plea-from-pg-e-11661436002

As soon as winds or temps rise to a certain level, they now cut-off or throttle back power output. Aging power lines and deferred tree clearing will take decades to repair. The central valley grasslands and the forest areas are especially vulnerable - Placerville included.

 

[scoopman]

I set up a Tesla account to try out the Magic Dock at Placerville, CA. I activated from the Tesla app and CCS adapter connection was seamless. Output was only 42kW so I wasn’t overly impressed. There were two Teslas charging and one said he was having the same slow issue. It could be grid problem since this is PG&E in summer mode.

The eGMP cars charge particuarly poorly with Tesla Superchargers, because of the way the Korean cars match the voltage to the pack. The v3 supercharger does not output in 800V, and the EV6 will use its motor inverter to scale up the voltage to 800V. However, due to limitations with this hardware, max charging speed is quite low.

With Tesla's v4 superchargers, it appears clear they will support 1000V output, which should bypass the inverter and provide much higher speeds.

 

[Say Watt]

The eGMP cars charge particuarly poorly with Tesla Superchargers, because of the way the Korean cars match the voltage to the pack. The v3 supercharger does not output in 800V, and the EV6 will use its motor inverter to scale up the voltage to 800V. However, due to limitations with this hardware, max charging speed is quite low.

With Tesla's v4 superchargers, it appears clear they will support 1000V output, which should bypass the inverter and provide much higher speeds.

I do not doubt your information. I understand there are software/hardware updates in the works for alternate vehicles.

In this case, the Tesla drive was also disappointed in the delivery output.

If I'm in the middle of nowhere, I'll take a reliable 42kW over a roulette-wheel EA.

 

[RickMachE]

Having charged my Lightning at a Magic Dock that didn't have my VIN data, I can assure you charging on Superchargers doesn't require software on the vehicle side. It does require software on the charger side.

They can definitely get this going faster if charging uses the Tesla app like it does now on Magic Dock stations. Plug & Charge will take more work. I'd rather get access sooner than to wait until everything is set up for P&C.

Just to clarify, Plug and Charge is one way of charging. Vehicle data needs to be transmitted through the EVSE network to Ford to approve billing.

Another way is by activating the EVSE in the FordPass app. No vehicle data is needed, Ford sends an ok to bill to the EVSE network and the sessions begins.

The latter could clearly be activated before Plug and Charge if Ford chose.

I don't think the Tesla charging network will be the answer. All the Tesla charges are always full, and have cars in line waiting to charge. Adding more vehicles to the already overcrowded system may just be a disaster waiting to happen. The EA chargers seem less busy for the most part. However this is rapidly changing. I am seeing more that EA chargers have a waiting line at times.

This is a California perspective, and a metro California perspective to boot. When we were in California driving up the coast from SF, in a tiny town far north there was a Tesla SuperCharger location with zero cars.

Everywhere we see Tesla Supercharger locations in the middle of the country, at best they are about 25% occupied, rarely more.

Opening the SuperCharger network is a game changer because it adds 12,000 chargers. Roughly 1,000 locations. Trip planning will become easier. Then, the additional stations added by the agreement with the government by the end of 2024 plus the thousands coming via the $7.5B will make mid-2024 they biggest change in our charging experience.

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