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Engi_Nerd

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As a consumer, the Tesla network density and reliability are many years ahead of everyone else but it's obviously a much easier task than maintaining compatibility (much less optimal performance) with EVs from all manufacturers. It's also easier to pay for when your vehicle margins are as crazy high as Tesla's. Hopefully things improve a bit with financial help from the government, but it seems like it could get quite a bit worse before it gets better. It does seem like the EA network has started faltering due to either extreme weather or the increasing traffic that sky-high gas prices are starting to bring. Matt Farrah mentioned on his podcast having serious issues with his Mach-E on EA and got the same "there's a compatibility issue between the Mach-E and that model of charger". Kinda sounds to me like a standard canned answer they give when resetting the charger doesn't work.

Things are also far from rosy on the Tesla end, where the endless price increases never seem to bring improved vehicle quality. I've seen several people lately complaining their brand new 22 Model Ys have terrible quality and many weird issues that earlier models didn't.
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boardthatpowder

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The charging stations that OP reported issues with all use ABB units.

The charging stations that OP reported no issues with all use Signet units.

It's an incompatibility issue.
Today was the first time I’ve ever used a charger other than my wall charger. There was only 1 fast charger location we could plan to hit on our trip which was an EA fast charger at Fort Morgan CO. None of the 150kw and 350kw chargers worked, even after spending 1hr on the phone with their support. And guess what…. They were ABB units.

Really hope that the hotel we’re staying at tonight has 1 of their 2 Tesla destination chargers free, and that my converter cable works with them.
 

Cactus

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Since you asked...

1655429603049.png
Wow- EA electrons are barely cheaper than $5/gallon gas. Expensive charging slows EV adoption, but if you charge from home, it's definitely less expensive. However, if you are taking a trip, you're a slave to a commercial charging rates.
 

SANZC02

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Wow- EA electrons are barely cheaper than $5/gallon gas. Expensive charging slows EV adoption, but if you charge from home, it's definitely less expensive. However, if you are taking a trip, you're a slave to a commercial charging rates.
This is true but unless you travel most of the time overall the cost would be much cheaper with the EV.
 

intimidator

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EA network
Our country needs a better network than Electrify America.

EA was started because the US Govt came down hard on Volkswagen for dieselgate and gave them the punishment of being forced to build a Charging Station network.

Forced to build a Charging network is not going to give great results.

A strong, reliable charging network, like the Tesla network, needs to be addressed somehow. Yes, this is where are government should be able to assist. Our folks in Washington should hire Tesla, just like they did for the Mission to the Moon. Tesla knows how to do it. They can build the Chargers in Buffalo NY (that plant has a lot of excess capacity) and slap whatever name our government wants on those chargers. Tesla also knows how to acquire the land/locations and get them installed quickly.

Electrify America chargers are quickly turning into junk.
 

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intimidator

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Thank you! Great trip and an informative post! This needs to go to EA and every EV media outlet that cares................EA is constantly bs-ing and talking about some 95% uptime nonsense.......They must be run by the same VW folks that ripped off American consumers on their diesel scam and lies.............birds of a feather....
Here is the issue.

People think because Electrify America has the name America in it, that is somehow supported by the US Government.

It is not.

It is a private organization, just like every private gas station in the country. Electrify America does not need to provide good service. They don't report to anyone.

And, yes, it was established by VW as punishment for dieselgate. VW did NOT even want to make and deploy chargers. They are being forced to do it. How good do you expect their chargers to be when you are forced to do something.

We (our country) needs more charging networks. I just don't know what the cost per KwH has to be to make it a profitable business case. Acquiring the locations, paying for the chargers and the electric plus a profit. It does have to make cents.
 

Mark_AZR1T

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Here is the issue.

People think because Electrify America has the name America in it, that is somehow supported by the US Government.

It is not.

It is a private organization, just like every private gas station in the country. Electrify America does not need to provide good service. They don't report to anyone.

And, yes, it was established by VW as punishment for dieselgate. VW did NOT even want to make and deploy chargers. They are being forced to do it. How good do you expect their chargers to be when you are forced to do something.

We (our country) needs more charging networks. I just don't know what the cost per KwH has to be to make it a profitable business case. Acquiring the locations, paying for the chargers and the electric plus a profit. It does have to make cents.
The issue is not because they are a private entity, the 'issue' is exactly what you stated, VW was legally bound by the American US Govt.,to do it. America absolutely has skin in the game because it was legally mandated by the US to take care of this.... The CEO, President and CFO are all ex VW till this day. For Electrify America to work they need to be 100% scrubbed of VW and run by people who are mandated (internally or externally) to execute a business model that provides service and a return on investment. EA is a bonified cluster. If America wants an EV infrastructure to gain quick traction, especially with the influx of so many new players that require charging then unfortunately the other cluster known as the US government is going to have to incentivize them. That's a cluster.

The infrastructure of non-Tesla supercharging is soon to become one of the biggest boondoggles and the single solitary headache for adopters of EV's in America.
 

louisdeg

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Wow... What do you do in your spare time?
Thanks you for the scrupulously detailed analysis.
If you think of any more headers for your spreadsheet let us know.
I going to make a duplicate of your spreadsheet headers for whenever my R1T arrives.
I did a quick search for apps that would do the same thing but there does not seem to be anything out there, just "how to find a charger" type stuff.
Perhaps Waze, google maps, or apple will incorporate charger status into their systems.
Better yet Rivian vehicles could automatically rate all the chargers they are attached to and publish that in real time.
 

Denver_Paulie

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I think all people that ordered Rivian's, but now are having doubts about the Electrify America charging network, should cancel their pre-orders until the nationwide CCS charging network is more "reliable."

If you can't handle a couple of charging bumps, the Rivian may not be for you at this time. Best to opt out of the pre-order queue for people who can handle the current Electrify America network. The network will not be improving anytime soon since there are a number of new CCS vehicles rolling out now, and in the future, that will rely on EA for road trip charging.

Your range anxiety and blood pressure will thank you if you push back your Rivian a year or two. And, it will prevent half the threads on this site descending into a Electrify America bitchfest by people who have never owned a CCS enabled vehicle, nor used the charging network themselves.

If one more garbage disposal on wheels Tesla owner throws out the word "anecdotal" when discussing Electrify America I am going to vomit.
 
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ajdelange

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If one more garbage disposal on wheels Tesla owner
Comments like this do not tend to enhance ones credibility

..throws out the word "anecdotal" when discussing Electrify America I am going to vomit.
The only info we have that is NOT anecdotal is the Bay Area study which is not anecdotal by the accepted definition of the word but is by the literal meaning. Owners: Please continue to report your anectodal experiences with EA or any other charging system.
 

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Denver_Paulie

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Comments like this do not tend to enhance ones credibility

The only info we have that is NOT anecdotal is the Bay Area study which is not anecdotal by the accepted definition of the word but is by the literal meaning. Owners: Please continue to report your anectodal experiences with EA or any other charging system.


When I previously owned two Model S' and two Model X's from 2015 to 2019, I think I have all the credibility I need when it comes to the higher end Tesla's, and the lower end mass produced Tesla's. Enhanced credibility or not, I have as much or more experience with Tesla's than most people on this board even if I have not owned one for the past three years

I am not sure why people continue to throw out the Bay Area study in this thread since this thread started with incredible data provided by someone specifically using the Electrify America network, and commenting on the reliability of the Electrify America in extremely hot tempetures. That study includes more than just Electrify America chargers in the specific geographical location.

That study is the same "scientific" foundation as someone referencing Out of Spec Kyle's video of the "race" from Fort Collins to Vegas in a Porsche Taycan, multiple Teslas, the Hyundai, and the Ford Mustang EV. Just because the Porsche won the race does not mean that the Electrify America charging network is better than the Tesla network. There are other factors involved in that event.

Anyway, I sincerely hope the Tesla propaganda bull$hit crowd continues its disinformation attempts as it complains about Electrify America in half the threads on this board. I also hope it gets a few people to cancel their reservation. I have actually used the Electrify America network extensively, and appreciate it for what it is, so if people cancel their pre-order because their lack of faith in Electrify America, that works for me.

Just gets me closer to my turn on the reservation holder list!!!
 
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ajdelange

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Anyway, I sincerely hope the Tesla propaganda bull$hit crowd continues its disinformation attempts
Sadly, you don't seem to realize that referring collectively to Tesla products as "garbage disposals on wheels" and anyone who disagrees with you as a member of a "Tesla propaganda bull$hit crowd" on a disinformation campaign demonstrates that you are not capable of rational thought on this subject. It is this that drains your credibility - not the number of miles you have logged in Teslas nor the number of successful charges you have had on CCA chargers.

Is Giovanni Palazzo your brother in law?
 
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Denver_Paulie

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Sad,ly you don't seem to realize that referring collectively to Tesla products as "garbage disposals on wheels" and anyone who disagrees with you as a member of a "Tesla propaganda bull$hit crowd" on a disinformation campaign demonstrates that you are not capable of rational thought on this subject. It is this that drains your credibility - not the number of miles you have logged in Teslas nor the number of successful charges you have had on CCA chargers.

Is Giovanni Palazzo your brother in law?

Not sure what my credibility has to do with this thread since I did not start the thread, nor compile the very detailed info that was initially shared. Nor, did I start the whining about how perfect the Tesla supercharging network is, and how $hitty Electrify America is. We get it, it has been repeated multiple times on the forum. It is beyond old.

I think that people who feel this way should not be buying a Rivian. They will have a miserable ownership experience because the range anxiety and potential for a less than perfect charging experience will ruin it for them. If all a person can do is bitch about it online, imagine how it will be once they actually get their Rivian? The Electrify America network will not be improving anytime soon, and will only experience more issues as the number of CCS vehicles on the road increases. I can only image what this board will look like in a year when there are 25k Rivian's on the road, and someone encounters a 350kW EA charger that is only dispensing at 50kW. Anarchy!! Mayhem!!!

I am just trying to set expectations for people who expect Electrify America to be the Tesla supercharging network. It is not going to happen, so if that what you want, you should cancel your Rivian and let people who are less particular move up the pre-order list.

In terms of Giovanni Palazzo, he is just a fellow Paisano. Unfortunately, he has no pull to get me on the "Friends and Family" list at Rivian, so I have to wait for another 6 months or so.
 

dduffey

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If no one complains about EA because it's old and you are sick of it, how will people know?

I certainly didn't expect as poor of an experience using EA (and trying to find and use non-Tesla DCFCs). I knew it wasn't great, but I thought I would just be visiting Walmarts and waiting for slow charging vehicles.

I didn't expect mostly (yes majority) broken stalls, no working 350kw chargers, much slower than rated charging, detouring to different cities, and dodging homeless crowds.

As a Rivian and Tesla owner I feel you are taking this EA criticism too personally.

There are plenty of great things about the R1T but I don't see why people can't complain about the charging experience. People sharing "anecdotal" stories (there I said it) are just saying they are being honest and acknowledging your mileage may vary.

I don't want to see that brushed under the rug because I want to know when it improves, for now the Rivian will stay home.

BTW, while I own two Tesla's and an R1T, I own no Tesla stock and have no vested interest in being a Tesla propagandaist or fanboy. I do own Rivian stock and am rooting for them.

I hope you get your Rivian s00n.
 
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ajdelange

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The anecdotal posts here tell us that Rivian owners have more trouble than they should with EA and other CCS chargers. But what I think we really want to know is whether Rivian drivers have more trouble than owners of other BEV. The place to get info on that question is the check-in comments on PlugShare. They are, of course, anecdotal, but do not seem to suggest that Rivians are more or less susceptible than any other brand. This is reassuring as it indicates that if anyone gets it together and builds reliable stations and maintains them (maybe this will be the RAN network) we will have DCFC charging as reliable as Tesla owners are accustomed to.
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