RAN Charging Costs? Tesla Superchargers, What Teslas Pay vs. What Rivians Pay

[VSG]

The only negative thing I ever heard about and dissuaded me from buying a Lectron CSS adapter was comments made by some in that it was very difficult to remove it from the Tesla charger cable.

And people say pretty much the same thing about the A2Z ...

Regardless, FYI, the Rivian-supplied NACS adapter made by Tesla works just find with no fitment issues.

And while there is no *need* to use the Tesla superchargers on the trip in question, having more options is good because it gives you more choices. I've done almost that same trip several times just on the existing CCS network, and never had to wait for a charger to open up anywhere. Mostly the opposite - I would usually be the only one charging at several of the spots along the way.

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[Aardvark]

All RANs are $0.36/kWh

Except where they charge by the minute.
I like the RAN in Hays KS. I usually get there with a low state of charge, and during off-peak. With a rate of 29 cents/minute, and fast charging, I always end up paying an average of about $0.12 /kWh.

 

[bigsky]

Say again! Please do tell!!
Wow, have not used any charger yet that charges by the minute.
All the ones I found in WA and OR are flat per-kWh chargers. Thank you.

 

[bigsky]

Oh, boy. It will be going back, then.
My Rivian adapter will come who knows when. Reason why I bought the A2Z Typhoon PRO.
I got a dog-and-pony show on the previous A2Z at a Tesla supercharger. The owner swore up and down by it, loved it.
If my adapter does not come in time for my trip, no way I ever will use EA and the others. My plan B then is to just grab my Tesla Model S instead, which is also great for trips, and it has free electricity at the ultra-reliable and ubiquitous Tesla superchargers for life.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Say again! Please do tell!!
Wow, have not used any charger yet that charges by the minute.
All the ones I found in WA and OR are flat per-kWh chargers. Thank you.

Several of the EA chargers along I-90 in South Dakota and Wyoming charge by the minute, maximum $0.44/min.

A very sweet deal, given Rivian's fast charging rates. Maybe $0.13 or $0.14 per kWh.

Best wishes!

 

[Arange98]

Do yourself a favor and do some trial charges at a few brands of DCFC near you - there are EA, EVGo, and an open Tesla supercharger near you.

Thanks for the prompt to test this ahead of time. I was able to use a supercharger with my Lectron adapter this morning on the way tot he office. Got a few side eye stares from the 4 or 5 Tesla drivers there as I took up 2 spots...

I was surprised that it was super easy to get the charge started...

Is this about the speed I should expect from a 250 kW supercharger?

Cheers!

 

[bigsky]

That is about the max. charging rate I get on my R1S for the most part. Have seen 222 also.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

@Arange98: It looks as if that's your truck's maximum charge rate when it already has 74% charge, given the temperature and other parameters.

Probably that session's charge rate was limited by your truck and not by the charger.

Very best wishes!

 

[Aardvark]

Say again! Please do tell!!
Wow, have not used any charger yet that charges by the minute.
All the ones I found in WA and OR are flat per-kWh chargers. Thank you.

I make the drive from Colorado to the east coast 2 or 3 times per year on mostly I-70 and the PA Turnpike. Kansas is the only state on my route with the rates per minute, not per kWh. That's why I love the Hays KS RAN. The RAN stations in Columbia MO, Breezewood PA, Front Royal VA, and Christiana DE all charge by the kWh, and are 3 times more expensive (but always fast and reliable).
The method of pay is not a charging company decision, but is dictated by the states' Public Utilities Commission, and their regulations concerning the retail resale of electricity.

 

[DeafPug]

The method of pay is not a charging company decision, but is dictated by the states' Public Utilities Commission, and their regulations concerning the retail resale of electricity.

That was definitely the reason Tesla used when many of the Supercharger sites were installed 4+ years ago. Sometime between 2018 (when I received my Model 3) and maybe 2020, Tesla changed the Supercharger sites in Kansas and many other states from per minute to per kWh. If billing by the minute is by law in Kansas, it’s odd that Tesla bills by the kWh and Rivian bills by the minute. I haven’t investigated the Kansas laws to know why the two companies bill differently.

As mentioned, with per minute billing, you get really good prices with most charging companies. Back in 2018, with the Model 3, if I disconnected from the Supercharger by about 55% SOC, the bill would come out to something stupid like $0.04/kWh, which doesn’t even cover the commercial rate for a kWh, let alone pay for the demand charges. The people that charged to 100% SOC on per-minute billing paid through the nose though.

 

[bigsky]

It must be a company-policy thing, I surmise. Thank you for sharing this. No plans to go to KS anytime soon, though. It was per kWh in the South; it is so likewise in WA, OR, ID, and MT.
$0.04 beats even what I pay for electricity in my homestead, and it is dirt cheap.

I always have said that driving an EV is a new paradigm: charge just enough to get going to next stop. And charge up at as low a SOC as possible. It is not a gas car where we used to stop to fill up each time on long trips. If some EV owners still want to do that, well, perhaps more education is needed.
Appreciate your info!

 

[Antonio]

Taking our first EV road trip to Bend and Sunriver this Sunday from Auburn, WA. Still a little anxious having never charged away from home (Delivery was June 30th). Expect to learn a lot on this trip.

You’ll be fine. We came over Mt. Hood and straight down, hitting the RAN in Happy valley, and Tesla charger in Bend. If you do not have a Tesla adapter, then you might want to charge up to 85% in Madras, or go to the EA charger in Bend, unless of course, you’ll have a charger in Sunriver. (I believe there is a level 2 charger at the resort parking it self, but we are staying in a house. If you plan on visiting the high desert museum at some point, they do have several level 2 chargers for free!!

 

[Olsonsolar]

Say again! Please do tell!!
Wow, have not used any charger yet that charges by the minute.
All the ones I found in WA and OR are flat per-kWh chargers. Thank you.

Many many chargers in Minnesota charge by the minute. ZEF energy is very prevalent there and they are usually around .43 a minute for the 50 kW chargers we seen. We avoided them as best we could.

 

[bigsky]

I am planning a trip to Canon Beach, OR, then take a big loop around OR on the way back.
Coming from eastern WA, figured I will stop to charge at Tesla SC in Pasco, WA, then catch 84 west of Pendleton, charge at RAN at The Dalles, OR. I noticed the RAN at Happy Valley, but it is somewhat out of the way. Instead, I think I will hit the Tesla SC in Hillsboro (cheaper at $0.34). Perhaps a super deep charge there as I plan to putz around Canon Beach for a couple of days. Then head south toward Coos Bay, Roseburg, then up to Bend, Madras, then 84 east back to WA.
RAN charger at Coos Bay sticks out like a sore thumb at $0.50/kWh. Perhaps I can hit RAN at Lincoln City, Roseburg, and then Madras. Plenty of Tesla SCs, if needed.
Of course, this all depends on me getting my A2Z Typhoon PRO before I head out; otherwise, will have to hop into my Model S instead.
Thoughts on those RAN chargers in OR?
How's energy usage on R1S. It seems to me that charging at Lincoln City should be enough to get to the next RAN in Roseburg.

 

[Arange98]

You’ll be fine. We came over Mt. Hood and straight down, hitting the RAN in Happy valley, and Tesla charger in Bend. If you do not have a Tesla adapter, then you might want to charge up to 85% in Madras, or go to the EA charger in Bend, unless of course, you’ll have a charger in Sunriver. (I believe there is a level 2 charger at the resort parking it self, but we are staying in a house. If you plan on visiting the high desert museum at some point, they do have several level 2 chargers for free!!

I have the Tesla adapter and tested it yesterday so thanks for verifying the Bend Supercharger will work. We are also going to be in a house in Sunriver so I will either top off in Bend or maybe come back for more juice if I can't get it any other way.

We do like the high desert museum and have not been for a number of years...

Cheers

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