[stlww18]

Just thought I'd share my personal experience as encouragement to others.

When I first reserved the Lightning, I plugged in some of my longest semi-usual road trips to see if I could make it work; it was going to be tight on most of them, not a lot of infrastructure. Some would have been downright impossible (STL to Aberdeen, SD for example).

Not even a year later the infrastructure is drastically improved, and seems like even more is coming online. Plugshare shows a ton of Level 3 stations with approved grants/under construction. I have to imagine most of this is from the Infrastructure bill starting to come through.

All this to say, if you haven't checked Plugshare in a while, you may be pleasantly surprised by the new locations. I am no longer worried about my SR battery; I can actually map out an entire trip from St. Louis to Pensacola without much trouble; I have three kids, so we do a lot of stopping anyway.

 

[THEsocalledfan]

Just thought I'd share my personal experience as encouragement to others.

When I first reserved the Lightning, I plugged in some of my longest semi-usual road trips to see if I could make it work; it was going to be tight on most of them, not a lot of infrastructure. Some would have been downright impossible (STL to Aberdeen, SD for example).

Not even a year later the infrastructure is drastically improved, and seems like even more is coming online. Plugshare shows a ton of Level 3 stations with approved grants/under construction. I have to imagine most of this is from the Infrastructure bill starting to come through.

All this to say, if you haven't checked Plugshare in a while, you may be pleasantly surprised by the new locations. I am no longer worried about my SR battery; I can actually map out an entire trip from St. Louis to Pensacola without much trouble; I have three kids, so we do a lot of stopping anyway.

Have to argue about Aberdeen being doable. Not a single dc fat charger after sioux falls and even that one is only 24 kw. Now there are 50kw chargers planned in Brookings and Aberdeen that are supposed to be built by summer but no spades in ground yet and not a single charger yet built from those state grants. (Was one planned also for Watertown that fell through.....)

So maybe in summer, but I 29 in winter is not yet doable going north.

 

[stlww18]

Have to argue about Aberdeen being doable. Not a single dc fat charger after sioux falls and even that one is only 24 kw. Now there are 50kw chargers planned in Brookings and Aberdeen that are supposed to be built by summer but no spades in ground yet and not a single charger yet built from those state grants. (Was one planned also for Watertown that fell through.....)

So maybe in summer, but I 29 in winter is not yet doable going north.

To be fair, my Aberdeen trip would be this fall. I see Aberdeen, Sioux Falls both supposed to have DC chargers within the next few months. The way Walmart has them popping up, I am sure there will be a few more Electrify America options as well.

 

[THEsocalledfan]

To be fair, my Aberdeen trip would be this fall. I see Aberdeen, Sioux Falls both supposed to have DC chargers within the next few months. The way Walmart has them popping up, I am sure there will be a few more Electrify America options as well.

I live in sioux falls. EA is only currently focused on I90... no plans for I29. You need to hope those state grant chargers get built and even then you will need to get from Brookings to Aberdeen.

 

[taxmanhog]

There has been local news for additional DCFC location coming near me, not far off the I-95 path at gas stations just off the freeway exits 1 & 2

 

[GDN]

Have to argue about Aberdeen being doable. Not a single dc fat charger after sioux falls and even that one is only 24 kw. Now there are 50kw chargers planned in Brookings and Aberdeen that are supposed to be built by summer but no spades in ground yet and not a single charger yet built from those state grants. (Was one planned also for Watertown that fell through.....)

So maybe in summer, but I 29 in winter is not yet doable going north.

I guess any charger is better than no charger, but just don't understand why we don't have some standards. With current technology where it is there should be no charger allowed less than 150kw. Maybe in town local chargers, but nothing on an interstate or government supported. Just do it right the first time. Way too many companies coming out of the wood work to capture a piece of the pie and take advantage of these money grabs.

The only hope we really have is Elon getting his hands on enough of the money to entice him to open the Tesla network. Then you can have more confidence.

 

[THEsocalledfan]

I guess any charger is better than no charger, but just don't understand why we don't have some standards. With current technology where it is there should be no charger allowed less than 150kw. Maybe in town local chargers, but nothing on an interstate or government supported. Just do it right the first time. Way too many companies coming out of the wood work to capture a piece of the pie and take advantage of these money grabs.

The only hope we really have is Elon getting his hands on enough of the money to entice him to open the Tesla network. Then you can have more confidence.

I agree. Elon has a 350 kw flame thrower in Watertown, sd which is the exact location I need for confident winter trips to Fargo, ND.

But this is the government and they never do anything right.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I guess any charger is better than no charger, but just don't understand why we don't have some standards. With current technology where it is there should be no charger allowed less than 150kw. Maybe in town local chargers, but nothing on an interstate or government supported. Just do it right the first time. Way too many companies coming out of the wood work to capture a piece of the pie and take advantage of these money grabs.

The only hope we really have is Elon getting his hands on enough of the money to entice him to open the Tesla network. Then you can have more confidence.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.

Yes, a 50kW charger is really slow if all you want is the fastest charge possible. However, a 50 kW charger is much cheaper than a 350 kW charger. A restaurant chain like TGI Friday’s could put 50kW chargers at all stores or 350s at 1/5 of their stores. A 50 might not put you on the road the fastest but is could be good match for a sit down restaurant, especially one with a bar. These can be a good compliment to a set of strategically placed fast chargers along travel corridors.

It’s similar to why L2 chargers are best for hotels.

 

[FM_Jack]

I would also think grid infrastructure is also the issue. Of course many of these charging stations, including Tesla, use gas powered generated electricity as well.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I would also think grid infrastructure is also the issue. Of course many of these charging stations, including Tesla, use gas powered generated electricity as well.

It's often not GRID infrastructure as much as the local feed lines that add to the cost of fast chargers.

 

[CDT]

The infrastructure we have now, even in the middle of the country, is so much better than a mere ten years ago. Even in California there was very little infrastructure. With so many manufacturers releasing electric vehicles I think the charging infrastructure is going to explode. If your route is lacking charging now hang in there it will be better soon.

 

[ChasingCoral]

The infrastructure we have now, even in the middle of the country, is so much better than a mere ten years ago. Even in California there was very little infrastructure. With so many manufacturers releasing electric vehicles I think the charging infrastructure is going to explode. If your route is lacking charging now hang in there it will be better soon.

Agreed. The charging infrastructure you see now is the worst it will be. New stations are coming every day, especially with the recent Infrastructure Bill's influx of cash.