Riventures
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For first-time EV buyers: I hadn't considered an EV until I heard of the R1T. It was the first EV that really spoke to me, got me excited. I placed my pre-order last July, joined this community, started looking into battery technologies and everything related to energy generation in the US preparing for EV ownership.
One of the preparation items was home charging, planning the garage, additional circuit(s), etc. The plans were all laid out in a way that I was finally convinced I would not need the max battery pack and could spend that money modernizing our home's electrical systems.
Unfortunately, recently I came to the realization that the R1T is not going to meet my needs or desires, so I reluctantly canceled my order. Instead, I bought another EV that has only ~250-mile range on a good day, and it is a sedan, not an SUV or truck. I have to admit that it was probably a great decision for us. I spent my first week with it in joy, comfort, and everything that EVs promise. Yesterday, the battery pack was down to 29%, so I went to charge it at a public Electrify America station nearby. At the same time, electricians have been in the house providing me estimates for all the work that was planned. There have been many bad stories around Electrify America, so I knew I could not rely on them for charging on a regular basis, so part of the plan at home was to install a 19.2 kWh charger, which requires a 100 amp circuit. A bit pricey, but I thought it is worth it in the long run.
The Electrify America stations (10+ of them) are within 3 mi. radius from where I live. I picked one charging cluster near a large shopping outlet, went there late evening, found the place very well lit with empty chargers. It was 150 kWh DCFC, I connected the car, opened the app, hit "Start Charger" and voila! After negotiating with the car for about 3 mins, it started charging at 99 kWh, increasing to about 103-105 for the remainder. 18 mins later I was at 70% charge, good enough, and I stopped the charge. In the meantime, I stayed in the car, warm and comfortable, checking emails, replying to text messages, having a hot coffee. The process was not only painless, but dare I say, even enjoyable.
Now I am thinking, I may not even need a home charger. Everything worked well from first connection to disconnection, I enjoyed the quiet time, was not in danger of anything, and even at only 100 kWh charging (the car can go as high as 250 kWh), it was fast enough for me.
So, if you don't have experience with EVs, like me, and are apprehensive about charging, don't be, I think we will be alright
One of the preparation items was home charging, planning the garage, additional circuit(s), etc. The plans were all laid out in a way that I was finally convinced I would not need the max battery pack and could spend that money modernizing our home's electrical systems.
Unfortunately, recently I came to the realization that the R1T is not going to meet my needs or desires, so I reluctantly canceled my order. Instead, I bought another EV that has only ~250-mile range on a good day, and it is a sedan, not an SUV or truck. I have to admit that it was probably a great decision for us. I spent my first week with it in joy, comfort, and everything that EVs promise. Yesterday, the battery pack was down to 29%, so I went to charge it at a public Electrify America station nearby. At the same time, electricians have been in the house providing me estimates for all the work that was planned. There have been many bad stories around Electrify America, so I knew I could not rely on them for charging on a regular basis, so part of the plan at home was to install a 19.2 kWh charger, which requires a 100 amp circuit. A bit pricey, but I thought it is worth it in the long run.
The Electrify America stations (10+ of them) are within 3 mi. radius from where I live. I picked one charging cluster near a large shopping outlet, went there late evening, found the place very well lit with empty chargers. It was 150 kWh DCFC, I connected the car, opened the app, hit "Start Charger" and voila! After negotiating with the car for about 3 mins, it started charging at 99 kWh, increasing to about 103-105 for the remainder. 18 mins later I was at 70% charge, good enough, and I stopped the charge. In the meantime, I stayed in the car, warm and comfortable, checking emails, replying to text messages, having a hot coffee. The process was not only painless, but dare I say, even enjoyable.
Now I am thinking, I may not even need a home charger. Everything worked well from first connection to disconnection, I enjoyed the quiet time, was not in danger of anything, and even at only 100 kWh charging (the car can go as high as 250 kWh), it was fast enough for me.
So, if you don't have experience with EVs, like me, and are apprehensive about charging, don't be, I think we will be alright
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