EA getting better?

[RBGtaycan]

Many here have been critical of EA (and I have been also). I have been using them for about 3 1/2 years and have actually found they seem to be getting better (at least in the Northeast US where I have been using them this summer). When I arrive the stations seem to work and the Plug and Charge always works.. I am pleasantly surprised. I hope that this is an actual trend and not just a lucky streak. Cross my fingers (and thanks EA!).

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[daveo4EV]

I agree that I hope it's a trend - but I believe data can be heavily skewed regionally - what is true in the North East maybe 100% false in South West…

reliable fast charging is key to EV adoption - I'm hoping EA is getting better but:

• I see no evidence regionally in my area if "station unavaialble" screens are any indication at sites I happen to encounter
• I'm between EV's at the moment and lack personal failures to share and commiserate over

I'm deeply pleased it's working for you in the New York area and I'm sure your EV ownership satisfaction is increasing because EA is working better - this is key to EV adoption and needs to be the #1 goal for EA - charging MUST always work.

 

[SteveDC]

Because of EA reliability problems, I’ve cut my effective range to about 60% of total range. I’d say there has indeed been an improvement here in the mid-Atlantic, but not so much that I will let the battery get down to 30% without worry. I also have my own range related issues that I have to deal with. I do mostly inner city driving, and that cuts down range as compared to open road driving. A 10 mile trip easily can take off 20 on the GOM. Second, I like to park with just over 50% battery charge to assure that the 12 volt will stay charged, since I usually drive with 1 or 2 week gaps in between while the car sits. My understanding is that the HV battery will not recharge the 12 volt if it’s SOC gets below 50%. Lots of range calculations go on with these electric cars, especially as compared to the breezy indifference with a gas powered car.

 

[RBGtaycan]

Because of EA reliability problems, I’ve cut my effective range to about 60% of total range. I’d say there has indeed been an improvement here in the mid-Atlantic, but not so much that I will let the battery get down to 30% without worry. I also have my own range related issues that I have to deal with. I do mostly inner city driving, and that cuts down range as compared to open road driving. A 10 mile trip easily can take off 20 on the GOM. Second, I like to park with just over 50% battery charge to assure that the 12 volt will stay charged, since I usually drive with 1 or 2 week gaps in between while the car sits. My understanding is that the HV battery will not recharge the 12 volt if it’s SOC gets below 50%. Lots of range calculations go on with these electric cars, especially as compared to the breezy indifference with a gas powered car.

I don't like to get below 30% either - but that preference coincides nicely with my need to take pee breaks..a happy (?) confluence!

 

[RAHRCR]

Because of EA reliability problems, I’ve cut my effective range to about 60% of total range. I’d say there has indeed been an improvement here in the mid-Atlantic, but not so much that I will let the battery get down to 30% without worry. I also have my own range related issues that I have to deal with. I do mostly inner city driving, and that cuts down range as compared to open road driving. A 10 mile trip easily can take off 20 on the GOM. Second, I like to park with just over 50% battery charge to assure that the 12 volt will stay charged, since I usually drive with 1 or 2 week gaps in between while the car sits. My understanding is that the HV battery will not recharge the 12 volt if it’s SOC gets below 50%. Lots of range calculations go on with these electric cars, especially as compared to the breezy indifference with a gas powered car.

That’s strange. When I do city driving my range goes up not down.

 

[FlyingPoint]

That’s strange. When I do city driving my range goes up not down.

I don't see how this could be the case. For example, if you drive a 10 mile trip 15 times on different days, the energy per mile has to be higher to either heat or cool the cabin versus one 150 mile trip. Additionally, the power on start up will take more energy for 15 versus 1 start up. If you look at the consumption data via your PCM, you will see this readily.
On a highway trip, I average about 24 kW/100 miles. In town the first 4-5 miles average around 40kW per 100 miles. This is for warm weather driving.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

I don't see how this could be the case. For example, if you drive a 10 mile trip 15 times on different days, the energy per mile has to be higher to either heat or cool the cabin versus one 150 mile trip. Additionally, the power on start up will take more energy for 15 versus 1 start up. If you look at the consumption data via your PCM, you will see this readily.
On a highway trip, I average about 24 kW/100 miles. In town the first 4-5 miles average around 40kW per 100 miles. This is for warm weather driving.

On the other hand, city driving averages lower speeds, so you spend way less energy for those 10 miles (than you would at highway speed).

 

[TXAG]

I also hope it's a trend, but that wasn't the case for me last month in Kingman Arizona USA where only one of the four chargers was working. Three or four were working in all my previous visits over the last two years.

 

[kort]

on a recent trip from FL to NJ and back via I95 I encountered no issues with the EA chargers other than congestion related.

 

[JIP1080]

Funny this thread popped up right after I finished my first real road trip where I was reliant upon the US charging infrastructure. Atlanta -> Greenville -> Kershaw / Camden -> Atlanta (via Augusta).
I went up for to Carolina Motorsports Park for a HPDE weekend to test our Champcar. South Carolina seems rather devoid of DC fast charging options. Despite that, there were EA stations directly on my route in Greenville, Columbia, and Augusta. All three took their sweet time to initialize (but not THAT much longer than a CC reader at a gas pump), but only at the Columbia stop did I need to unplug and try again (second time was the charm). For all three I was at 350 plugs, starting at about 40%, and pulled 130-135 to start, tapering to high 70's at the end. People had to queue up at all three stations, but only at the Augusta station did I have to wait, and only for 7 minutes.
I was pleasantly surprised with all three stations working well. Even the station that said one charger was OOO on the app had so 4 working fine ?‍. *All anecdotal observations; not a statistically relevant sample size*

Some observations:
- A Volvo next to me had spent 56min charging on a 350 to only be at 92%. I think it was a rental ?‍. I see why charging gets a bad rap ?‍
- I was in and out in 25min or less each time. That caused headaches trying to get Wally World provisions for the test weekend quickly enough ?
- ABRP was relatively accurate on each leg, but missed by 9% SoC on arrival on the final leg. No idea why, but 80mph with little traffic to draft off of probably didn't help efficiency ?
- People queued politely and were friendly. I got a few "?/ nice car" comments, and one "thank you for paying attention" to my SoC and not just disappearing for an eternity.
-There are now multiple cellphone videos of my car driving down I-20. Awkward lol.
- I can order and finish a Zaxby's chicken sandwich (if I rush) before I finish charging and need to move the car. Had to come back for the fries.

 

[SteveDC]

That’s strange. When I do city driving my range goes up not down.

Well, all I can say is that this is a pretty consistent result, looking at miles left, before and after the trip. I mentally counted this morning. I have 17 stops on a 10 mile cross-town trip, in addition to traffic congestion induced stops. I think the starting and stopping does it. But I guess YMMV. ?

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

But I guess YMMV. ?

Literally.

 

[kmcdonal]

If nothing else, Electrify America is getting more tested every day as EVs come more and more into the mainstream. I regularly drive by several EA stations, and they are getting pretty busy. For example, there is one location near me (outside a Super Target and a Costco) where there are always 4-6 people charging at almost any time of day. It is not unusual to see 1 or 2 stations not working, but overall a lot of people are able to charge at the stations that are working. A few years ago most of the time that EA location was deserted. Back then when I pulled in, I had no idea what to expect. When I was there two days, I took over from someone else who had just finished so I knew the charger was working. (I charged at 180 kW/hr on a 150 kW/hr charger.)

The bottom line is that I am cautiously optimistic that the increase in EVs is going to force EA to up their game.

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

If nothing else, Electrify America is getting more tested every day as EVs come more and more into the mainstream. I regularly drive by several EA stations, and they are getting pretty busy. For example, there is one location near me (outside a Super Target and a Costco) where there are always 4-6 people charging at almost any time of day. It is not unusual to see 1 or 2 stations not working, but overall a lot of people are able to charge at the stations that are working. A few years ago most of the time that EA location was deserted. Back then when I pulled in, I had no idea what to expect. When I was there two days, I took over from someone else who had just finished so I knew the charger was working. (I charged at 180 kW/hr on a 150 kW/hr charger.)

(Thread hijacking in progress) I recognize the setting of your new profile pic; I have a similar shot I took in the same place.

 

[Jonathan S.]

https://www.plugshare.com/location/336298

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