No Longer Wish to Use Tesla Supercharger Network

[JeromePowell]

Did a quick search of the forum and did not see a similar thread. Keep in mind I am literally off my meds right now, so apologies in advance if this is all too crazy for you guys.

I have never been a "throw the baby out with the bathwater" person. If Tesla prices are down, seems like a great time to purchase a Tesla. Honestly my emotions and intuition have overcome me recently. I am almost certainly losing my federal job in the next few months.

Back to the point (kind of); The Tesla Supercharger network (even Tesla Level 2 destination chargers) is obviously the gold standard hence the wide J3400 (NACS) adoption. It is more available, more elegant in design, easier to use (plug and charge), and generally less expensive than other DC Fast Charging options even when not paying the Tesla charging membership. I can not bring myself to use the Tesla Supercharger network anymore even if it is better for me.

Shortly after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill I thought and felt similarly about BP. I would and do utilize BP only if it is the only option available. I am adopting a similar philosophy with the Tesla Supercharger network and Tesla in general.

Look I get it. My decisions DO NOT MATTER in the grand scheme of things. My choices only serve my ego and sense of morality, possibly baser instincts.

What do you all thinks (other than my opinion does not matter)?

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[VSG]

The Tesla Supercharger network (even Tesla Level 2 destination chargers) is obviously the gold standard hence the wide J3400 (NACS) adoption. It is more available, more elegant in design, easier to use (plug and charge), and generally less expensive than other DC Fast Charging options even when not paying the Tesla charging membership.

Obviously? No.
More elegant? Seriously?
Less expensive? Not in general.

I will concede the Tesla network is probably more reliable, but also we do not have comparable statistics between the Tesla network and CCS networks, and Tesla measures reliability differently (i.e. on a per-site basis rather than a per-charger basis.)

I personally will use Tesla Superchargers when they are available and cheaper than the alternatives. As I have said in this forum for something like two years now. But in practice I have only used Tesla chagers twice, vs. about 40 times for CCS chargers. Like most people, 99% of my charging is at home or at a destination (e.g.hotel) with free charging.

In my experience in my part of the country, there are always CCS stations nearby, and in many cases these are cheaper than the Tesla chargers.

More importantly, there are many locations (even entire States) where there are NO open Tesla superchargers. and while I can travel those places using only CCS, I cannot travel those places using only Tesla. So my best option is to use CCS. Thus, I plan on using CCS first, and Tesla when I need an alternative.

I have travelled across the country several times with my R1T, before the Tesla network was opened to Rivians. This was easily possible using CCS-only chargers. But if I did that today with access to the Tesla network, then there are still many places where Tesla has absolutely NO open chargers, so relying on Tesla exclusively is not possible.

 

[JeromePowell]

Obviously? No.
More elegant? Seriously?
Less expensive? Not in general.

I will concede the Tesla network is probably more reliable, but also we do not have comparable statistics between the Tesla network and CCS networks, and Tesla measures reliability differently (i.e. on a per-site basis rather than a per-charger basis.)

I personally will use Tesla Superchargers when they are available and cheaper than the alternatives. As I have said in this forum for something like two years now. But in practice I have only used Tesla chagers twice, vs. about 40 times for CCS chargers. Like most people, 99% of my charging is at home or at a destination (e.g.hotel) with free charging.

In my experience in my part of the country, there are always CCS stations nearby, and in many cases these are cheaper than the Tesla chargers.

More importantly, there are many locations (even entire States) where there are NO open Tesla superchargers. and while I can travel those places using only CCS, I cannot travel those places using only Tesla. So my best option is to use CCS. Thus, I plan on using CCS first, and Tesla when I need an alternative.

I have travelled across the country several times with my R1T, before the Tesla network was opened to Rivians. This was easily possible using CCS-only chargers. But if I did that today with access to the Tesla network, then there are still many places where Tesla has absolutely NO open chargers, so relying on Tesla exclusively is not possible.

Obviously? No. My opinion is "yes" it is quite obviously the benchmark in North America which is why Ford, Rivian, Polestar/Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai/Genesis/Kia, etc. have sought and received access at considerable expense.

Shhheeeeeyat, and I thought I was crazy!

More elegant? Seriously? Yeah, seriously, have you picked-up any CCS1 cables? They are huge and more prone to breaking due to being dropped or otherwise mishandled. Takes a strong person using two hand to connect the average CCS1 cable in the winter. Tesla Supercharger cables and J3400 (NACS) wands are smaller and yes more elegant. Have you noticed manufacturers installing native J3400 (NACS) ports on their new vehicles? It is a thing, pretty big thing really.

el·e·gant
[ˈeləɡənt]
adjective

1. pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner:
   "she will look elegant in black" · "an elegant, comfortable house"
   Similar:
   stylish
   graceful
   tasteful
   discerning
   refined
   • (of a scientific theory or solution to a problem) pleasingly ingenious and simple:
     "the grand unified theory is compact and elegant in mathematical terms"

Less expensive? Not in general. Depends on where you are charging, but often less expensive per kWh especially if using the Tesla "plan" pricing. You might have me here depending on where you are cross-shopping DC Fast Charging. The only other CCS1 options offering plug and charge are EVgo (Autocharge+), and Rivian Adventure Network (RAN).

Seriously appreciate your commentary. Have a good one!

 

[Budman]

I've canceled my monthly Tesla charging membership. I will use Superchargers but only as a last resort. In the last year or so there have been huge additions to the charging world by multiple providers (Ionna, Pilot Flying J/Circle K/KwikTrip/Rivian/MB/BP Pulse is coming on strong/etc)...

 

[COdogman]

My plan from the beginning has been to only use Tesla chargers as a last resort. Haven’t had to use one yet, but I haven’t taken a truly long road trip in my R1T yet either…

 

[LocoEngineer]

Sorry for your job loss, if it happens!

 

[Dark-Fx]

More elegant? Seriously? Yeah, seriously, have you picked-up any CCS1 cables? They are huge and more prone to breaking due to being dropped or otherwise mishandled. Takes a strong person using two hand to connect the average CCS1 cable in the winter.

This has nothing to do with the connector on the end of the cable. Tesla doesn't need cables as thick as CCS because they are much shorter, so less heat is generated in the cable, which means a smaller amount of cooling.

The worst CCS offenders are the 20+ foot long ones with a cable lift built into the station. But I can park my vehicle in the wrong direction and still use those. They also incorporate a grip handle so you're pretty unlikely to drop it, and it makes the bulky cable less of an issue because you can actually get leverage on it.

 

[Zoidz]

I rarely DCFC to begin with, last year maybe 4 or 5 times, 3 of which were at RAN, so it's not a big issue for me to consider. Even prior to recent events, I would choose others over Telsa if possible.

There's nothing wrong with choosing to not financially support a company for personal/emotional/moral reasons, even if you think it may not have a significant impact. I have not purchased a Smithfield Foods/Meats product since 2013 when they were purchased by a Chinese company. My wife thinks it is silly, it matters to me.

 

[COdogman]

You hate Elon Musk, most likely Donald Trump as well. Why beat around the bush...just say it.

And? Why would it bother you if someone doesn’t like the same people you like? Are we 5? Grow up.

 

[LocoEngineer]

And? Why would it bother you if someone doesn’t like the same people you like? Are we 5? Grow up.

Is jumping to conclusions your favorite physical activity?

 

[2kwik4u]

You're nuttier than squirrel shit. I'm sorry to hear of your impending job loss, at least it seems you can see it coming and can take action now to mitigate disaster. It sounds a bit like you're in your own head a little, and that's a slippery slope. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. So, while you might be nuttier than arborist rodent poo, don't go away. We're all better in bigger numbers, regardless of matching viewpoints.

Speaking of mismatched viewpoints.....

I disagree that NACS is more elegant, easier, or better than CCS. From a logistics standpoint, it's a plug on the end of a cable. They both do the same thing, and there is very little physical difference. One's just carrying a little pre-mass-adoption holiday weight. Things like "plug and charge" without an app are just tech hurdles to be conquered on the backend software and have nothing to do with NACS vs CCS. I've seen equal numbers of broken CCS as I have NACS plugs, and I've used plug and charge with Chargepointe and EA a couple times. Works fine for me, so it's possible, and again is completely plug agnostic.

Tesla has leveraged first mover advantage in the EV market , and like Apple, was able to dictate the interface it used as it built out it's network. That first mover advantage is why there are so many of their chargers out there, and the quantity available is why other manufacturers want access. It's not because it's a better connector. Having access to the Tesla network strips that competitive advantage from Tesla, and more closely levels the playing field. Again, nothing to do with NACS being any better than CCS, it's economics not engineering at play.

In terms of politics.....well, treading lightly here. I have significant disdain for Musk and Trump. What they're doing is of grave concern, and while the ends they're after are likely good, the means they're using to get there give me serious heartburn. How that impacts my daily use of a product they have interest in is very lightly affected. I've worked closely with a couple of Musk owned companies, and when you find teams "on the inside" that actively fight to keep him away from projects, I can feel safe in realizing that the few profit dollars of mine that he might get, are less impactful than the few dollars of mine that go to support those working on what are otherwise decent products. Much to your point, I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water here. Musk, and Trump, have a huge set of personality flaws that lead to actions we should all be concerned about as citizens, but my charging habits will have little/no impact on that front. Even large scale boycotts would have little to no affect at this point, the fortune has been amassed long before now, and is now being deployed. The time to act to prevent such influence was long ago, and I don't think any of us really saw it coming.

SO.......As I look to a 1,500mi road trip I'm planning in April; well, I'm going to set the parameters on the nav to look at RAN, Tesla, and EA, and let it choose my path. Then I'll follow that guidance, and will likely have a successful trip. Maybe that's apathy I shouldn't have, but it's where I'm at.

 

[COdogman]

Is jumping to conclusions your favorite physical activity?

You mean like someone who responds to a poll that doesn’t mention Musk or Trump by accusing the poster of “hating” both of them?

 

[LocoEngineer]

You mean like someone who responds to a poll that doesn’t mention Musk or Trump by accusing the poster of “hating” both of them?

I'm not here to argue. I've edited my initial response.

 

[DuoRivian]

I would recommend the OP take his medication, being off it is obviously not helpful for him.

 

[Hillbilly]

I don't have tds, so I couldn't care less one way or the other.

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