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Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

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Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#11

Post by adolph »

foxyv wrote: post #2

Looking forward to a teardown of an EA charger by someone familiar with power circuits. I wonder if they are shorting primary to secondary and getting 2400V AC straight into their car battery... Probably welding the plug to the car too.

Probably too spendy for BigClive. Munro Live has one about the NACS (N. Am Charging Standard) announcement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmjofPpThWU

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#12

Post by browningstreet »

danbr wrote: post #5
kloch wrote: post #3

This is particularly disturbing because often EA chargers are the only reliable fast chargers around for CCS, so it's not like you can just avoid them for another network on a long trip.

I’m somewhat surprised there aren’t more EV (DC) charging companies around. There are dozens of various oil companies who have their own gas stations (subsidized by the oil industry?). Why don’t we see more electric companies building their own charging networks as well?

They built a brand new gas station near my house, with full serve car wash and a "natural foods" cafe, along a running path around a wetlands, and I thought -- if there was ever a gas station formula that should've included a charging station too, it was something like that. But no, no charging.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#14

Post by cptcobalt »

danbr wrote: post #5
kloch wrote: post #3

This is particularly disturbing because often EA chargers are the only reliable fast chargers around for CCS, so it's not like you can just avoid them for another network on a long trip.

I’m somewhat surprised there aren’t more EV (DC) charging companies around. There are dozens of various oil companies who have their own gas stations (subsidized by the oil industry?). Why don’t we see more electric companies building their own charging networks as well?

There are dozens (ChargePoint, EVgo, Volta, etc.) yet Electrify America is the one that's getting the most funding (government subsidies and automaker reparations for emissions scandals) for installations and therefore is the most visible.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#15

Post by option »

tapoxi wrote: post #8

I will never buy a Tesla, but the CCS network is pretty garbage in the U.S. right now. EA regularly has outages, their newer models (which I have not used) fry vehicles or fail in cold weather, I've only heard bad things about EVGo but never used them. Fortunately I stick to home (Metro Boston) and haven't had any serious problems with ChargePoint stations heading up to Mount Desert Island in Maine, the farthest trip…

for certain large segments of EV buyers, especially in US, Tesla is objectively the best EV right now.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#16

Post by adolph »

danbr wrote: post #5
kloch wrote: post #3

This is particularly disturbing because often EA chargers are the only reliable fast chargers around for CCS, so it's not like you can just avoid them for another network on a long trip.

I’m somewhat surprised there aren’t more EV (DC) charging companies around. There are dozens of various oil companies who have their own gas stations (subsidized by the oil industry?). Why don’t we see more electric companies building their own charging networks as well?

I wonder if there is enough demand to sell a kit to rural sites or for disaster response that hooks a charger outlet to a gas powered generator.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#17

Post by makerofspoons »

danbr wrote: post #5
kloch wrote: post #3

This is particularly disturbing because often EA chargers are the only reliable fast chargers around for CCS, so it's not like you can just avoid them for another network on a long trip.

I’m somewhat surprised there aren’t more EV (DC) charging companies around. There are dozens of various oil companies who have their own gas stations (subsidized by the oil industry?). Why don’t we see more electric companies building their own charging networks as well?

While less common out west, Shell bought Greenlots which operates a network of DC charging stations in the northeast: https://greenlots.com/shell-fleet-solutions/

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#18

Post by RicoElectrico »

russfink wrote: post #6

Gas pumps get periodic state issued inspections. Why not EV chargers?

In Poland UDT (which among other things inspects elevators, cranes, boilers etc.) takes care of that. I've seen their test lab car parked nearby my home regularly. https://www.udt.gov.pl/przewodnik-udt-stacje-i-punkty-ladowa...

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#19

Post by NickM »

t344344 wrote: post #7

Some dirt in charging port may increase resistance between surfaces, create more heat and even arc. Ports probably got welded together.

If the explanation were that simple, one would expect to see the same problem at all kinds of EV fast chargers, not just EA ones.
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