Charging Station Congestion

[BadgerGreg]

I haven't had to wait yet, but I expect that will change soon. I just got back from a 2,000-mile road trip, and I'm seeing a lot of Ioniq 5s and EV6s charging, along with the MMEs, Audi eTrons, Porsche Taycans, and ID.4s.

I don't think the CCS network is expanding as fast as it needs to.

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[StephsMachE]

Harris Ranch off the I-5 has several EA chargers, including 350's, and a great restaurant. Charged on the way up to Sacramento, then again 2 days later on the way back. Met a couple of nice people both times, but there were still 4 to 6 chargers available. Also, a leisurely lunch took slightly longer than charging me up to 90%+ with the new charging profile I got installed a couple of weeks ago. Love my Mach E! The hotel where I stayed in Sacramento has 4 DCFC and 8 Level 2 chargers. Love staying there, because I just plug in before bed time, and the car is fully at 100% when I leave in the morning. Besides, the L2 $ is half as much as the DCFC $. I only stay at that Hilton because of their chargers! I wish more hotels were smarter...

I use Hiltons as well, are you using something other than the Hilton app to see if they have chargers on site?

May I ask the location in Sacramento? Sorry for all the questions, just wanted to lay it all out if I do continue to go through and try it....not going to lie, kinda excited to do it but nervous.

 

[RickMachE]

I use Hiltons as well, are you using something other than the Hilton app to see if they have chargers on site?

May I ask the location in Sacramento? Sorry for all the questions, just wanted to lay it all out if I do continue to go through and try it....not going to lie, kinda excited to do it but nervous.

None of the hotel apps show chargers to my knowledge. Apparently Hotels.com does, but I don't use that. I called Hilton and Marriott last summer and both acknowledged the issue. One of them said they have one department that can see them, the other said good luck finding one.

PlugShare doesn't have every charger, you may find off-network chargers at hotels not in PlugShare. I added one hotel's charger to PlugShare myself.

 

[mkhuffman]

None of the hotel apps show chargers to my knowledge. Apparently Hotels.com does, but I don't use that. I called Hilton and Marriott last summer and both acknowledged the issue. One of them said they have one department that can see them, the other said good luck finding one.

PlugShare doesn't have every charger, you may find off-network chargers at hotels not in PlugShare. I added one hotel's charger to PlugShare myself.

And some hotels have random 120V exterior plugs that are accessible. I am able to take my car from 85% to 100% overnight at a Marriott I stay in regularly. While not sufficient when the charge is low, it is good when you need a top off to make it to the next charger. Or make it home, as in my case.

 

[RickMachE]

And some hotels have random 120V exterior plugs that are accessible. I am able to take my car from 85% to 100% overnight at a Marriott I stay in regularly. While not sufficient when the charge is low, it is good when you need a top off to make it to the next charger. Or make it home, as in my case.

Good point. We stayed at a brand new Tru hotel a few years ago, with 1/2 dozen 110 outlets (and no car chargers). Used one for our Fusion Energi.

It boggles my mind at the brand new hotels that are opening in 2022 with no car chargers.

 

[mkhuffman]

It boggles my mind at the brand new hotels that are opening in 2022 with no car chargers.

I agree. Adding new chargers could be difficult at an existing hotel, but if planned from the beginning, should be very easy. It's a no brainer. Some people building new hotels are missing some brains, I think. ?

 

[Trick.Mach-E]

Are you tired of walking around a Walmart?

During 1 week in September, 2021 I was Wal*Mart more times than I had been to a Wal*Mart in the previous 5 years! Almost all EA chargers we used on a trip to Texas and back where at Wal*Mart's and my wife always found a reason to go inside.

I was super exited for one EA charger at a hotel with a Dairy Queen next door!

During that trip we experienced two issues with charger "congestion". First issue was at a Wal*Mart in Fort Stockton, TX where Billy-Jo-Jo-Ray-Bob ICE'd a bunch of chargers with his rusted out truck. It was a major win for the fine rednecks of TX who wanted blood after seeing an electric car from CA charging at their Wal*Mart.

The second issue was in El Paso, TX where a Mach-E that blocked several chargers to park in a manner so that the fat lady sitting inside the Mach-E would only have to waddle a minimal amount of steps to plug/unplug her Mach-E. That blob made me feel ashamed to be part of the Mach-E community!

 

[metalpro2021]

I agree. Adding new chargers could be difficult at an existing hotel, but if planned from the beginning, should be very easy. It's a no brainer. Some people building new hotels are missing some brains, I think. ?

Warning: I am from (socialist) Europe
Maybe legislation : no building permits unless adequate charging facility ?
Write your local lawmaker!

 

[cvk71]

Nice! Your solar system is twice the size of mine. It looks like you're entirely off the grid for most of the year.

Tesla's customer service is pretty bad. I've only had my Model 3 in for service once, and they kept it for several weeks before they figured out what was wrong. Other than that, it's been essentially maintenance-free.

And I've never had occasion to complain about my Powerwalls. But both they and my solar array were installed by non-Tesla solar contractors. I had to wait 1.5 years for my Powerwalls; Tesla was seriously backed up and I don't think that's changed.

My problems were mostly getting ahold of people. It got to the point where I just CC'd everyone I had ever been in contact with and kept spamming them all until someone got back to me. Not once were supply issues mentioned as a problem. Love the system now that it's in

 

[cvk71]

We had a 5kw Panasonic panels system installed last year at our new home (had them at our previous 2 homes too) and a Tesla Powerwall installed too. We've had zero issues with either the solar panels or the powerwall and in April we were 73% self-powered. The other 27% came from the grid for early morning EV charging but we still produced more than we consumed.

I live in a somewhat rural area where there are frequent power outages because of multiple issues, PG&E, so I over did it a bit. Generators are too noisy, lol.

 

[Mach1E]

Good point. We stayed at a brand new Tru hotel a few years ago, with 1/2 dozen 110 outlets (and no car chargers). Used one for our Fusion Energi.

It boggles my mind at the brand new hotels that are opening in 2022 with no car chargers.

They don’t give out free gas either.

I would guess it’s just a business decision like everything else. There’s a cost involved with installing the chargers. Begs the question about charging money for them.

And then there’s the “what do we do in the future” question when EVERYONE drives an electric car and there aren’t enough chargers for everyone.

The answer isn’t so simple. And each decision will have financial consequences.

 

[Maquis]

I live in a somewhat rural area where there are frequent power outages because of multiple issues, PG&E, so I over did it a bit. Generators are too noisy, lol.

Around here, you can’t hear generators over the sounds of Harleys and pickups with straight pipes! ?

 

[Tell It Right]

Warning: I am from (socialist) Europe
Maybe legislation : no building permits unless adequate charging facility ?
Write your local lawmaker!

I respectfully disagree. The more the lawmakers get involved, the more our power grid becomes as intermittent as it is in 3rd world areas like Europe and California, all while being more expensive. The best solution would be to let the free market encourage hotels to install chargers.

I, a happy resident of a red state, put solar onto my house and I'm in the market for an EV precisely because I'm trying to wean myself from being dependent on bureaucrats monkeying with my budget through their energy policies. The same for when I travel. The fact that there are plenty of EV owners both in the present and in the future should be plenty motivation for hotel owners and AirBNB owners to provide access at least to Level 2 chargers. I'll choose to stay with whoever gives me the best travel experience, which includes being able to easily charge whatever EV I buy.

If you insist on going the lawmaker route, at least have the decency to elect engineers and programmers who've made a living figuring out that changing system A impacts system B which impacts system C that system A depends on.... Politicians never think like that. And our electrical needs are too important to monkey with our electrical grids willy nilly.

 

[Engelbert]

I respectfully disagree. The more the lawmakers get involved, the more our power grid becomes as intermittent as it is in 3rd world areas like Europe and California, all while being more expensive.

Respectfully, this kind of thinking may make some people feel good, but when put into practice by the blood-red state government of Texas, it gave them the most fragile power grid in the USA, and the most expensive disaster in Texas' history at $200 billion. Several hundred dead, multiple days of blackouts in 75% of Texas (both worse by far than California has ever seen), 12 million people in darkness during a nasty old snap and often with little/no drinking water. Electricity prices - for those who could get any - reaching $9,000/kWh for multiple days. A $38B bill that was put right back on the people of Texas. Inexpensive? Hardly.

People going down to the river to collect water in trash cans. Talk about 3rd world.

All because Texas didn't want to learn from early-2000s California, or late-1980s Texas (!), and
finally operate their grid according to the same lawmaker- and regulator-driven standards the rest of the nation has achieved.

California's and western European nations' energy issues, daunting as they are, don't reach the level of disaster Texas inflicted upon itself, either in blackout coverage or death toll.

I'd put California in second place, though. The Camp Fire was caused by cheap above-ground power line installation, and especially by inadequate inspection regulations. Again, lawmakers imposing and regulators enforcing too few regulations, not too many. A lower death toll by far than Texas, and dramatically smaller footprint of power service interruptions. But notably more expensive overall due to the extent of the fire.

All of which goes to show that the only thing worse than getting lawmakers and regulators involved in energy policy is NOT getting them involved. Imagine the scope of disaster in both California and Texas (which pretends to regulate far less than it actually does regulate, btw), and in fact everywhere, if boring cost-center stuff like spending millions to protect the grid were left to the power companies themselves. It would be 3rd world Texas all across the US, which would truly be a disaster.

We need lawmakers to be highly involved and highly visible in this stuff, always.

But I do agree that mandating L2 stations for new construction permit issuance is not required. ...For now. Eventually the sheer number of EVs will drive MUCH more lawmaker involvement than today. By necessity, not mere choice.

I, a happy resident of a red state, put solar onto my house and I'm in the market for an EV precisely because I'm trying to wean myself from being dependent on bureaucrats monkeying with my budget through their energy policies.

Boy, do I have some bad news for you.

 

[KevinS]

Utilities are a regulated industry... government intervention is obvious. We just need the political will to make infrastructure improvements a real priority in the same way it was in the 1930's.

Wait until EVs are blamed for poor road conditions because of the extra weight of the vehicles! Coming soon to a partisan media boob near you.

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