EA Charging Session Failed - Plug Stuck in my Rivian

[KBabione]

We pulled in to an EA Charging station in a Walmart parking lot this afternoon and everything started off well. I plugged the cable into the Rivian, used the EA app to initiate the charge, and got back into my seat to wait the 30 minutes we expected to be there. I saw the charging speed ramp up to where it said it was adding 310 MPH and then it just stopped with a charging error. The charging station said to unplug and start another session. Okay - this has happened before...The Rivian was beeping at us to remind us that there was a problem. I got out and, after noticing that the lights around the charging port were red, tried to unplug the cable. I couldn't!

I've never seen the red lights around the charging port and, because I couldn't unplug the cable, I was worried that somehow the Rivian had a lock on it other than was was on the handle (the button depressed fully quite easily). I first did an infotainment reset. That didn't do anything. I then did a full system reset. That, at least, stopped the beeping about the charging error. Then I called Rivian service while my wife called the EA number. We both got through quickly. Funny conversations:

Rivian Service Guy: "First let's try rebooting the system"
Me: "I did that"
RSG: "There are two kinds - which did you do"
Me: "Both - Infotainment first and then full reset"
RSG: "Oh - okay. If you can push the button down try wiggling it - sometimes they just stick. There's no mechanical lock on the Rivian side."
I tried wiggling it and it came out - it was just REALLY tight.

EA Support: "What charger number?"
Wife: "Charger 2"
EAS: "Why did you pick that one? It's showing as out of order."
Wife: "It wasn't out of order when we started charging - it failed. That's why I'm calling."
EAS: "Oh - it looks like it needs to be rebooted"
By then I had unplugged it successfully and moved to the charger next to us. Shortly after that a pretty blue R1T pulled into the same charger and had no problems charging (although I was a little pleased to watch him struggle a bit to pull out the plug).

Moral of this story: If your charging cable is stuck, wiggle it while pushing the button - you don't have to worry about your Rivian holding onto it!

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[NY_Rob]

EA Support: "What charger number?"
Wife: "Charger 2"
EAS: "Why did you pick that one? It's showing as out of order."
Wife: "It wasn't out of order when we started charging - it failed. That's why I'm calling."

Nice support EA

Countries around the world laugh at our CCS "network"... for good reason!

 

[iforbes]

Funny story…but I *might* have been nice enough to tell the dude it was a tight fit that might require a little elbow grease.

 

[BCondrey]

Isn't it locked while charging? Disconnect the cable in the middle of a DCFC charge could cause an arc-flash I would think. It must release on error like you had or when not actively charging.

 

[C12farmer]

Here is my stuck handle situation that I just went through.

I have a Gen2 with the stop button right next to the handle. I recently had a red light charging error happen at a Circle K, Delta DCFC unit.

My charge session was going fine and I tried the end the charge session by pressing the button on the charge port, Versus stopping it from the charger screen on the dispenser or from inside the car. Red light came on immediately and an error message popped up saying charger error and unplug.
Contrary to what the Rivian CSR said, the car does lock on the charger handle. The handle would not release while the red light was on. I tried hard enough that my whole charger port was moving back and forth.

The DCFC station registered that I stopped the charge, and thought I had plugged in the handle again.

Called Rivian roadside assistance. The CSR guy was really nice and calm. I was pretty irritated so I’m glad he kept his cool and was very professional.

He suggested locking and unlocking the car from the app. That didn’t work to clear the error.
Then he suggested pushing the handle in with some force. That did the trick and the charger light went from red to white (or off, could not tell in bright sun).

CSR thought it could be the communication pins on CCS handle wasn’t making good contact.
I was relieved and kinda disappointed at the same time. Getting stuck with a DCFC handle in the car is terrible, especially in the middle of a road trip with a car full of people. I think this error was caused by a car issue not the DCFC station. CircleK Delta units kinda suck. I think EVGo uses the same ones as their 100kW chargers.

After my recent road trip, I realize that many CCS handles are in really poor condition, and there are a ton of old neglected DCFC in California.

 

[HaveBlue]

The rivian definitely has a lock for both ac and DC. It's usually used when you lock the car to prevent someone from unplugging you.

 

[VSG]

 

[JM.]

Tesla is fixing the vandalized Superchargers faster than EA can reboot Windows on their shitty broken chargers.

 

[KW_88_SS]

Tesla is fixing the vandalized Superchargers faster than EA can reboot Windows on their shitty broken chargers.

Honestly, I've had EV's for a whille I avoid EA like the plague. EVGo isn't much better.

 

[JM.]

Honestly, I've had EV's for a whille I avoid EA like the plague. EVGo isn't much better.

100% agree on EA. EvGo can be slow, I personally have never hit a dead one.

 

[HaveBlue]

Evgo is an equipment supplier so site owners sometimes charge crazy amounts

 

[NY_Rob]

Tesla is fixing the vandalized Superchargers faster than EA can reboot Windows on their shitty broken chargers.

Because many of the 3.5" floppy discs EA use are degrading by now so bootup is sloooooow!

 

[emoore]

Isn't it locked while charging? Disconnect the cable in the middle of a DCFC charge could cause an arc-flash I would think. It must release on error like you had or when not actively charging.

It is locked when charging. If there is an error or you stop the charge it unlocks.

 

[CharonPDX]

Evgo is an equipment supplier so site owners sometimes charge crazy amounts

Newer EVgo locations are "EVgo network run", older stations are "EVgo is just the equipment supplier."

The newer locations also tend to be better maintained.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

CCS plugs suck compared to NACS. It’s a bad design and the head is giant and unwieldy. I’m a muscular guy and I feel I have to wrestle the cable on CCS sometimes so I get where people who aren’t in as good of shape might really struggle with it.

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