Electrify America needs to get their game going

[SpaceEVDriver]

ChargePoint tends to only install lower power (125kw or less), so they do not need cable chillers. But even then, there reliably is no better than EA. Plus many of their sites only have 1 or 2 chargers.

There appear to be about 55 high-rate DCFC chargers by ChargePoint, mostly in the New England and Quebec area, and also Colorado.

I'd say it's likely pretty easy to keep 55 charge stations, all within a tight area, working compared with 800 stations distributed around the country...

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[timbop]

Since ChargePoint doesn't have any 100+ kW DCFC stations on any routes that I have driven so far or plan to drive in the next couple of years, their reliability is pretty irrelevant to me compared with the EA stations I do have access to.

The three nearest fast (>74 kW) DCFC ChargePoint stations are 310, 375, and 385 miles from me in an area I haven't yet taken my Mustang. The nearest has one of four chargers working. The next has two of four chargers operating. The third, again, only two of four stations are working. Based on that admittedly very limited search, I don't think I'd search out ChargePoint any more than EA if I were to travel to a location where they were common.

That said, I'd sure like to see many more networks expanded. It would be great to have more competition.



I generally don't watch videos; not my learning style. If they ever publish a transcript or article, I might read it.

Well, I wasn't necessarily addressing your particular problem but contrasting EA with another provider.

ChargePoint tends to only install lower power (125kw or less), so they do not need cable chillers. But even then, there reliably is no better than EA. Plus many of their sites only have 1 or 2 chargers.

I haven't DCFC'd nearly enough to know from personal experience, but in fact Kyle has often extolled the reliability of the CP250's. His video from the March timeframe that highlighted the new EA units being DOA in Colorado cold showed that the chargepoint dispenser worked just fine. BUT, just like you he points out those are slower chargers so are less desirable - although something is better than nothing.

In the video CP shows their newer cabinet and dispensers which are capable of higher currents, and explains how the components and modules are shared with the lower power CP250's.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Well, I wasn't necessarily addressing your particular problem but contrasting EA with another provider.

Sure, but the point is that there are 55 CP DCFC (>74 kW) locations around North America, in very limited geographic locations. There are >800 EA DCFC charge locations around the country.

I haven't DCFC'd nearly enough to know from personal experience, but in fact Kyle has often extolled the reliability of the CP250's. His video from the March timeframe that highlighted the new EA units being DOA in Colorado cold showed that the chargepoint dispenser worked just fine. BUT, just like you he points out those are slower chargers so are less desirable - although something is better than nothing.

In the video CP shows their newer cabinet and dispensers which are capable of higher currents, and explains how the components are modular and shared with the lower power CP250's.

I've used a few of the CP chargers when I didn't need the higher rate DCFCs, but I wouldn't rely on them--I've found the lower rate CPs to be no more reliable than the EA high rate DCFCs.

 

[timbop]

Sure, but the point is that there are 55 CP DCFC (>74 kW) locations around North America, in very limited geographic locations. There are >800 EA DCFC charge locations around the country.


I've used a few of the CP chargers when I didn't need the higher rate DCFCs, but I wouldn't rely on them--I've found the lower rate CPs to be no more reliable than the EA high rate DCFCs.

Well, I can't refute your experience but the tone off the thread was that EA needs to step up their game, and I agree. If you are an engineer or interested in design and QC processes you might find the video fascinating. Based on how the newer EA dispensers failed spectacularly in Colorado winter it seems clear that EA's testing is not nearly as thorough as it needs to be. The CP test engineer that walked Kyle through their testing facility showed a fairly impressive suite of extreme tests.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Well, I can't refute your experience but the tone off the thread was that EA needs to step up their game, and I agree. If you are an engineer or interested in design and QC processes you might find the video fascinating. Based on how the newer EA dispensers failed spectacularly in Colorado winter it seems clear that EA's testing is not nearly as thorough as it needs to be. The CP test engineer that walked Kyle through their testing facility showed a fairly impressive suite of extreme tests.

I would love to have CP, EVGo, and other DCFC branded stations spread across the nation.

 

[phil]

EA needs to step up their game...

EA doesn't need to do that. Customers may need them to do that, but EA doesn't need to.

EA, reading this thread:

 

[ARK]

I generally don't watch videos; not my learning style. If they ever publish a transcript or article, I might read it.

I just want to +1 this, I'm not a video fan either. They take too long, it's too difficult to tell where it is going to go at the outset, too hard to search through it to look something up, too much time gets spent on filler that isn't really saying anything.

I much prefer writing, and why I like things like this forum. Writing forces you to focus your thoughts in a way video doesn't.

 

[Billyk24]

3-5 chargers per station ..... that's pathetic

Most stations in the up 9f Michigan are just one or two! Many are a whopping 50 or 62.5 kW rated.

 

[timbop]

I just want to +1 this, I'm not a video fan either. They take too long, it's too difficult to tell where it is going to go at the outset, too hard to search through it to look something up, too much time gets spent on filler that isn't really saying anything.

I much prefer writing, and why I like things like this forum. Writing forces you to focus your thoughts in a way video doesn't.

While I generally agree with you and also tend to skip videos (preferring a textual synopsis), the video gives an in depth behind the scenes tour that is very interesting. Since no one is going to transcribe or otherwise condense the video to text, you can either watch it or miss out on the candor and design details/philosophy shared with Kyle. It's essentially a factory tour without the sanitized presentation that usually glosses over the interesting "why's".

 

[AZBill]

Well, I wasn't necessarily addressing your particular problem but contrasting EA with another provider.


I haven't DCFC'd nearly enough to know from personal experience, but in fact Kyle has often extolled the reliability of the CP250's. His video from the March timeframe that highlighted the new EA units being DOA in Colorado cold showed that the chargepoint dispenser worked just fine. BUT, just like you he points out those are slower chargers so are less desirable - although something is better than nothing.

In the video CP shows their newer cabinet and dispensers which are capable of higher currents, and explains how the components and modules are shared with the lower power CP250's.

Colorado seems to be the only state in the west that gets those chargers. I think in the entire state of AZ, there are 3-5 ChargePoint 50-60kw chargers, all the rest are Level 2. I used the one at Flagstaff Airport exit once, and it shut off after 15 minutes of use.

 

[ChasingCoral]

There appear to be about 55 high-rate DCFC chargers by ChargePoint, mostly in the New England and Quebec area, and also Colorado.

I'd say it's likely pretty easy to keep 55 charge stations, all within a tight area, working compared with 800 stations distributed around the country...

When you say high-powered, what are these like? All I've seen are the standard CPE-250 units with a max of 125 kW shared.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

When you say high-powered, what are these like? All I've seen are the standard CPE-250 units with a max of 125 kW shared.

According to PlugShare, the only >=70 kW chargers in the North American ChargePoint network are in Colorado or New England/Quebec.

There are a bunch of < 70 kW CPE chargers around the country. Those are great when I'm getting going to an arboretum or museum, or will have a couple of hours of not needing the car, but when I'm road tripping, I'm looking for something that can give me an average of >= 80 kW for a sustained 15-45 minutes.

I want to be clear, I really do appreciate having the lower power CP chargers. On a recent working road trip, I made the mistake of taking an extra meeting at the end of the day and ended up not leaving for home until it was dark. I get sleepy when I drive in the dark, so about 2 hours into the drive, I needed to stop, both to charge the car and to refresh my brain. I chose to stop at a ChargePoint with 62 kW power and took a 2-hour nap. I ended up with 100% charge. That was fantastic and allowed me to skip my next charge stop because I was refreshed and had a full charge.

I also use them a lot when we go sight-seeing or to museum or arboretum (etc), or go out to dinner with friends.

 

[timbop]

According to PlugShare, the only >=70 kW chargers in the North American ChargePoint network are in Colorado or New England/Quebec.

There are a bunch of < 70 kW CPE chargers around the country. Those are great when I'm getting going to an arboretum or museum, or will have a couple of hours of not needing the car, but when I'm road tripping, I'm looking for something that can give me an average of >= 80 kW for a sustained 15-45 minutes.

I want to be clear, I really do appreciate having the lower power CP chargers. On a recent working road trip, I made the mistake of taking an extra meeting at the end of the day and ended up not leaving for home until it was dark. I get sleepy when I drive in the dark, so about 2 hours into the drive, I needed to stop, both to charge the car and to refresh my brain. I chose to stop at a ChargePoint with 62 kW power and took a 2-hour nap. I ended up with 100% charge. That was fantastic and allowed me to skip my next charge stop because I was refreshed and had a full charge.

I also use them a lot when we go sight-seeing or to museum or arboretum (etc), or go out to dinner with friends.

Not to belabor the point, but you seem to be missing it. CP is just now rolling out their newer higher power units (of which they share extensive details), so yes what is predominantly in the field today is typically the shared 125kw CP250's.

CP may not deploy those in your area or where you travel, but the fact that some of their configurations are NEVI compliant would suggest that the competition to EA exists. The same is true for EVgo - for the longest time they only deployed 50kw chargers, but they are also now rolling out higher power units to get a piece of the pie.

 

[Deleted member 16048]

This thread has been pretty funny to watch. Anyone else notice the first post got edited, but since it was quoted it still lives on? lol...

 

[jgillmer]

That is yet another problem.... Demand for the EVs has been declining... Now it's not a production limitation but a demand limitation on increasing sales numbers.

Huh?

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