Tesla Superchargers vs. CCS Network

silverelan

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tl;dr - I want the supercharger network but I don't really want a Tesla.

Tesla supercharger network has a lot of things going for it. There are numerous stations, a lot of redundancy at each location due to the number of stalls, high charging speeds, and of course the slick vertical integration with each Tesla vehicle.

I'm contrast, while the CCS network is growing fast, the reliability of the network is suspect. Electrify America in particular has me somewhat concerned that they are not working hard enough to make the user experience reliably workable and keep their uptime at each station high. Beyond EA, I keep seeing random single stall stations going into places which is great for distribution but very hard to plan on since if the station is out of order you could be completely screwed.

This guy's trip from Victorville, CA to Denver, CO and back definitely makes me think harder about what I'm getting into. Ignoring the fact that he makes mistakes like falling asleep at the charger and racking up idle fees, he highlights the difficulties that come with CCS life.

Electrify America sucks a fart.
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JSAlexVa

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Your thoughts above is why I decided to cancel my MME reservation and decided to buy a used Tesla Model 3.
I kept running scenarios on “A Better Route Planner” and the trips on a Tesla would be faster and cheaper than on a MME with EA.
I often go to the Delmarva Peninsula and Cape Cod and those areas are EA deserts.
Game changer for me was the installation of a 6 stall Tesla 250Kw station next to a single stall ChargePoint 50Kw station at one of my frequent destinations. I don’t have access to charge at my condo so I would be relying on those stalls. Having the supercharger station makes the trips easier. I didn’t want to pay $50-$60K for a vehicle and have to worry about charging while on trips. Plus all I have to do at the supercharger station is plug in the car and it’s ready to go - no swiping cards, etc.
So I will play with the M3 for now and see how EA stands in a couple of years as well as how the MME performs. Still like the MME and want to test drive it in the future but I’m heading to retirement so expecting more charging while traveling rather than home charging for commuting to work.
 

ajmartineau

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*I give EA the benefit of a pass on their reliability. They have put in over 447 (not sure of the current number) in half the time that Telsa did. ...They will get better.
*I have been able to charge every time at one of their locations. ... It feels like it is nearly always on the second plug I try.
*When a Supercharger site is full, you get half speed because you are sharing the 150kW with another charger (except the rare V3's). ...They are getting busier all the time.
*Tesla can turn off your ability to supercharge if you do something they don't like. ...See RichRebuilds.
*The MME will be able to Plug-&-Charge at EA sites. ...But not at launch.
 


zhackwyatt

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silverelan

silverelan

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The Supercharger network is not without its issue.

https://www.businessinsider.com/holiday-travel-long-wait-times-for-tesla-chargers-2019-12

Also, Tesla expects to sell more Model Y than Model 3.
It's notable because Supercharging is practically a non-issue 51 weeks & weekends a year and from what I could tell, this was mostly a SoCal phenomenon. Additionally, Tesla has since added two V3 stations between Paso Robles and Santa Barbara to cope with the traffic.

One cool thing that Tesla did over St. Turkle's Day weekend 2019 was bring in a portable Supercharger. https://electrek.co/2019/11/29/tesla-mobile-supercharger-megapack/

I'm optimistic that EVGo, Electrify America, Chargepoint and others will up their game with an increasingly mainstream customer base but man, they gotta speed things up.
 

dbsb3233

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I guess it depends on how important roads trips are to you in the next year or two vs the following 5 or 10 years.

The Tesla network is about 5 years older than EA. They're 5 years more built-out, 5 years more tested and confirmed, 5 years more organized for maintenance and monitoring.

But EA is catching up fast. In just 2 years they've built a pretty robust network along key interstate routes, largely via their partnership with Walmart. I suspect they'll pass Tesla (in the US) in the next few years.

They have some growing pains, but they're positioned to be the #1 high speed (150 kw+) CCS network in the US for many years to come. And CCS BEVs will likely overtake Tesla in market share in the next few years too.
 

RyZt

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I want the supercharger network but I don't really want a Tesla.
My thinking is similar: I want Tesla SuperCharger network, but I don't want a Tesla.

I ran simulations for Mach E ER roundtrip from SF bay area to Yosemite. Tracy is too far for a round trip to Yosemite. I will have to depend on a one-stall 50kW charger at Rush Creek Lodge. Alternatively, I can try my luck and see if I can get to use one of the two level-two AC chargers in the park. To avoid doing those two extremely risky things, I'll have to take a major (!) detour and use the south entrance.

On the other hand, there is a Tesla Supercharger site at the NW, W, S entrance each.
 

ajmartineau

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Billyk24

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Gaylord, Traverse City, and outside Cadiallac have fast ccs chargers. Not enough in Michigan. Up of Mi hogan has zero Tesla or ccs.
 
 




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