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Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

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Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#81

Post by jackmott42 »

option wrote: post #35
tapoxi wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They have a pretty poor safety record with regard to Autopilot/FSD, not to mention way too many controls are behind a tablet interface that you should not look at while driving. It also implies I'm endorsing Musk and I'd be embarrassed to drive it. I'd much rather take the pain of CCS with the hope that the infrastructure bill smooths things out or grants supercharger access to CCS vehicles.

Their safety record and ratings are actually one of the industry’s best. If you consider a car, please do your own research on this - check out actual ratings agencies reports, not news sites. Regarding Musk - this is a weird argument. Are you endorsing oil industry then, if you are buying gas car? Or China if you are buying Polestar/Volvo ev? etc.

The crash test results are good, that is distinct from overall safety though. Tesla's own marketing along these lines usually ignores important confounding factors. Like that their cars are relatively new and expensive compared to the average of all cars.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#82

Post by vel0city »

calciphus wrote: post #70
helf wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The safety crap with Teslas is one of my main gripes.. No haptic feedback /capacitive/ turn signals etc? wtf?

Turn signals, windshield wipers, media controls, cruise control, follow distance...all have physical controls. Lots of other weird stuff is touch screen only, like re-aiming the A/C vents or taking the headlights off of auto-mode, but the main stuff does.

The yolk design doesn't have stalks. Turn signals, wipers, horn, and lights are capactive touch buttons on the yolk.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2022-tesla-model-s-plaid-...

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#83

Post by waffletower »

tapoxi wrote: post #32
option wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

They have a pretty poor safety record with regard to Autopilot/FSD, not to mention way too many controls are behind a tablet interface that you should not look at while driving. It also implies I'm endorsing Musk and I'd be embarrassed to drive it. I'd much rather take the pain of CCS with the hope that the infrastructure bill smooths things out or grants supercharger access to CCS vehicles.

I have been toying with the idea of putting a "Musk Sucks" magnet on my bumper. I could remove it whenever my Tesla needed service. The tablet is my Model Y's greatest weakness, though it could be greatly improved with saner user interface design.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#84

Post by JumpCrisscross »

option wrote: post #35
tapoxi wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They have a pretty poor safety record with regard to Autopilot/FSD, not to mention way too many controls are behind a tablet interface that you should not look at while driving. It also implies I'm endorsing Musk and I'd be embarrassed to drive it. I'd much rather take the pain of CCS with the hope that the infrastructure bill smooths things out or grants supercharger access to CCS vehicles.

Their safety record and ratings are actually one of the industry’s best. If you consider a car, please do your own research on this - check out actual ratings agencies reports, not news sites. Regarding Musk - this is a weird argument. Are you endorsing oil industry then, if you are buying gas car? Or China if you are buying Polestar/Volvo ev? etc.

> this is a weird argument

Cars are personal. There are also practical concerns.

I once rented a Maserati. It was a fun ride. But most memorable was how aggressive every other sports car (and, perplexingly, truck) became on the highways.

I borrow a friend’s Tesla in the Bay Area from time to time. I’ve recently had the Maserati experience in the Tesla. Abrupt cut-offs, refused merge and turn requests, jeers. For a day-to-day car, I couldn’t be bothered with this.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#85

Post by bitshiftfaced »

russfink wrote: post #6

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

Probably part of it is that gas stations must store gas in underground tanks, which can pose an environmental hazard. Topside leaks from faulty valves, hoses, nozzles, and human error can also cause an environmental hazards.

There's also a matter of accuracy in how much fuel you receive and how much you pay for. I'm assuming it's much easier for an elective vehicle to independently verify how much of a charge they received compared to a gas car.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#86

Post by helf »

natch wrote: post #74
helf wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The safety crap with Teslas is one of my main gripes.. No haptic feedback /capacitive/ turn signals etc? wtf?

Can you explain what you mean by capacitive in this context?

capacitive meaning a surface that registers your touch through capacitance change caused by your skin touching the surface. Like how basically all modern touchscreen works.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#87

Post by acomjean »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #26
zdragnar wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gas stations are usually franchises. Gas is sold on the thinnest of margins; it's the snacks inside the store and other things that actually generate a profit, and none of that but the franchise fee for the name actually goes to the oil company.

You'd think that a fast charger would be even more valuable. You've got a captive customer for ~20 minutes, should be even easier to sell them stuff. The problem is that it's enough time to walk to the restaurant next door rather than spending money at the gas station store. I'm sure somebody will figure it out. Probably something like the food court model rather than current gas stations which are basically convenie…

I know “all town fresh” is doing that at one location. They own gas stations, but added electric chargers and a small kinda upscale market attached.

We stop sometimes in Plymouth mass for a 20 minute break/ charge. It’s a good idea.

Supermarkets are another decent source of charging.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#88

Post by helf »

jackmott42 wrote: post #79
helf wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The safety crap with Teslas is one of my main gripes.. No haptic feedback /capacitive/ turn signals etc? wtf?

Turn signals use a stalk like any other car. Same for wipers, and much can be controlled with nice physical buttons on the steering wheel. Unless you have one of the new model S or X, in which case.. yikes

ah, I had conflated the models then. That at least is good to know.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#89

Post by rootusrootus »

jhoechtl wrote: post #66
yardie wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EA is .40/kw or $.31/kw + $4/mo membership. Our electrical utility in the south is $.13-.17/kw So to fill a Tesla battery from near empty to full ~80kwH is around $25.

You get 250 mileage? Seems like a draw with a diesel car

Commercial fast charging as your only fueling option is definitely not the best way to use an EV. 4 cents per kWh at 10pm is the way. Instead of a device that you monitor the tank fill status on a day to day basis, treat it like a phone that's always full when leave in the morning. The paradigm shift is refreshing in that regard.

Yes, a significant minority of people do not yet have good access to home charging yet. Yet. We'll get there.

Re: Electrify America “fries” EVs at charging stations

#90

Post by adamjcook »

_6hmp wrote: post #46
cptcobalt wrote: post #21

Electrify America is getting far too much money and is using it to effectively anti-sell EVs with their janky, broken, and insecure infrastructure. Their funding comes from government subsidies and traditional automakers making reparations for emissions scandals (Volkswagen, $2B). This network is basically being built out of malicious compliance, without reasonable desires to make it good and reliable... My mind will…

I watched a cross-country trip review of a Volkswagen EV and one of the big takeaways was that despite funding Electrify America, the experience of using their chargers, even with a Volkswagen, was terrible at the time of review. Not only were the chargers often out of service or underpowered, you had to use some app on your phone where you type in the charger ID # to turn it on, instead of the car negotiating it.

My experience is the opposite for what it is worth.

I used to own an ID.4 (which was a great car in my opinion, but I recently moved from Dallas to Detroit and, ironically, was able to go car-free in Detroit).

I made a round trip from Dallas to Denver without any Electrify America charger issues in 2021 (no waiting times either).

I also made a round trip from Dallas to Detroit in September 2022 and I only encountered one (1) slow charger where I had to move my vehicle to the next available charger (I had to wait at an already full charging station for about 30 minutes at one (1) stop also).

I was pretty surprised by both trips in terms of the lack of hassles.

Today, I have zero reservations about driving any EV over long distances.

I was worried on my first Dallas to Denver leg, but after the trip was successful, my charging/range anxiety is gone for good.

Perhaps my experience would be different elsewhere in the US, but for the Midwest, my experience had been good.

Just my two cents…

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