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Pulling the Plug after 6,000 MILES!

4680 Views 48 Replies 18 Participants Last post by ChasingCoral, 6 mo ago

StanT

Discussion Starter · 6 mo ago

First off I LOVE this truck, I have made several long distance drives these past two months and have loved driving it.
But, I am sad to say I am letting it go after this last drive. A nine hour drive took over 14 hours due to problems at EA chargers along the route
from Balto to Indy.
The 22 degree weather killed our range and here I am driving a $80K truck with the heat off to make it to our next stop. Why?
I think the real kicker was when we stopped at a Sheetz station and there was a line of 8 cars waiting to charge at the 4 chargers. I looked at the gas pumps, no lines. Why am I doing this.

I plan on coming back to this in a couple of years once I can pull into a staion with 100% confidence that I'll get a charge and be on my way in 20 min.

Best wishes to all of you early adopters.

Reactions: 5

21 - 40 of 49 Posts

StanT

Discussion Starter · #21 · 6 mo ago

tj309 said:
1st time pure EV owner here. As a retired test pilot I have 2 takes.

This is new and cutting edge for regular consumers and there will be a learning curve, infrastructure limitations, and mistakes. And the 580 hp is just pure fun.

Planning a trip is no different than planning a flight. Would you take off not knowing if there's fuel when you get there? Know your range. Understand how weather will impact the trip. They've worked out the kinks in commercial and military aviation. It's just a matter of time until EV's are a significant part of ground transportation and I personally like being the tip of the spear.

I agree one 100% I am ex military myself. If we are asked to deploy we needed fuel to do so. No fuel and you are stranded. Nothing wrong with the truck, but what do you do when there are only 3 places to charge in a 300 mile trip and only 1 charger is working, you can plan all you want but it does make a difference when there is no way to charge. I know it will get better but not in the next 6-12 months.

tj309

· #22 · 6 mo ago

Luckily I haven't had those kind of experiences yet but I'm sure I will. In the military we always had a plan B, C, D, etc. So far that philosophy has worked for over 200 years.

StanT

Discussion Starter · #23 · 6 mo ago

Great article as to the problem Ford is facing with charging issues. This is dated at the start of this year and yet here we are, still a long way off.

www.eenews.net

EV charging stations are annoying. Ford wants to fix them

Electric vehicle charging stations are plagued by various problems, from equipment that fails constantly to machines that won’t take payment. Does Ford

www.eenews.net

ChasingCoral

· #24 · 6 mo ago

The brown charger issue is one Ford has been working to address for a while. You might want to look at this article about Ford’s Charge Angel Program.

www.lightningowners.com

Ford Mustang Mach-E Charge Angels Fleet Vehicle Spotted...

https://fordauthority.com/2022/02/ford-mustang-mach-e-charge-angels-fleet-vehicle-spotted-for-first-time/ Ford Mustang Mach-E Charge Angels Fleet Vehicle Spotted For First Time By Brett Foote February 24, 2022 10:22 am The Ford Mustang Mach-E Charge Angels program was first revealed back...

www.lightningowners.com

www.lightningowners.com

The other good news is EA has started installing their new Gen. 3 Charge stations.

None of this can come too soon.

StanT

Discussion Starter · #25 · 6 mo ago

I was aware of this as well. Another big problem is there is a shortage of service techs in this industry. These chargers use power electronics/ data coms/ and security systems. On top of this there is still a shortage of power semiconductor devices. Bad combination.

btreece

· #26 · 6 mo ago

StanT said:
Great article as to the problem Ford is facing with charging issues. This is dated at the start of this year and yet here we are, still a long way off.

EV charging stations are annoying. Ford wants to fix them

Electric vehicle charging stations are plagued by various problems, from equipment that fails constantly to machines that won’t take payment. Does Ford

www.eenews.net

This article is a bit inaccurate, the North Platte EA station has 4 stations (8 connectors). All 4 were down when I went through there in August also. Most of the EA stations in Nebraska are out in direct sunlight and there were issues with them cooling in the summer (some were even leaking water!!!). I had to switch stations a few times to find one with a normal charging rate - if there was more than one working. I think less than half of the stations I saw in NE were working. Calls to EA yielded no results when visiting the same ones on my return trip.

My electricians was here yesterday and I told them the future for them should be maintaining these stations - there will be tons of jobs created maintaining all these new IRA funded stations.

THEsocalledfan

· #27 · 6 mo ago

The Wall Street Journal has done some of the best articles on this charger issue. Here is just one of many very good articles: As EV Demand Grows, the U.S. Charging Network Faces Roadblocks - What’s News - WSJ Podcasts

I'm come to the conclusion that unless states take aggressive legislative action regarding demand pricing (that just won't happen in South Dakota and many others....), utilities need to directly start providing the chargers since they are the only one who can afford it.

Let me give an example. With the NEVI requirement of 4 150 kwh chargers, it is possible a very sparsely used charger could have huge demand charges if there would happen to be 3-4 charging at once. This is a big, big problem in North and South Dakota for example. In South Dakota, our NEVI plan calls for the state to basically pay the entire cost of charger installation in areas that are unlikely to be profitable, but why would a private company want to install one? Even a profitable convenience store, it is very unlikely to be a good idea as the financial risk is high. They are very likely to lose money on charging, not to mention the NEVI upkeep requirements. Thus, we need utilities to step up; that is what Xcel energy in MN is planning. They are also my electric utility in Sioux Falls, SD, so hoping they spread some love to us, too.

Just my two cents on this mess. I literally will not be able to drive my truck in winter between Sioux Falls, SD and Fargo, ND until all this mess plays out.

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Reactions: 2

StanT

Discussion Starter · #28 · 6 mo ago

It is no suprise that Tesla made the investment up front to support the vehicles. I suspect Ford and GM will have to do the same very soon for all the reasons you stated. I do know of a couple of companies that are going to use Solar Panels to charge batteries 24/7 and have these work without the grid.

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tj309

· #29 · 6 mo ago

So why can't someone make an adapter so we can use the Tesla network?

StanT

Discussion Starter · #30 · 6 mo ago

So Tesla has opened it chargers to the genral public in Europe and the plan is for it to happen sometime next year here in the US.

www.cnn.com

Tesla officially makes its charging standard available to other companies | CNN Business

One of Tesla's biggest competitive advantages in North America has been its network of chargers that, for the most part, can charge only Tesla vehicles.

www.cnn.com

THEsocalledfan

· #31 · 6 mo ago

tj309 said:
So why can't someone make an adapter so we can use the Tesla network?

As stated by Stan, they are planning to open up, but note the issue is not an adapter; it is that the network is proprietary and Tesla needs to agree to open it up. Heck, a bigger issue for Tesla is going to be how short their charging cables are more than how they do an adapter.

StanT

Discussion Starter · #32 · 6 mo ago

If I was a Tesla owner I dont think I'd be very happy a bunch of Lightnings taking the few spots, or us having an extra surcharge. I have already had a couple of cases where there was a $5 weekend surcharge at a Evgo unit at a BP station!

btreece

· #33 · 6 mo ago

My local electric co-op has added 2 chargers at their HQ building but they only are listed as 10kW for .25 per minute. You would think a utility company could do better than that!

Reactions: 2

ChrisC

· #34 · 6 mo ago

StanT said:
So I hear you but even the best planning does not fix broken defective charging stations or 30% battery reduction in 25 degree weather. I laugh when I hear folks say just turn off your heat and drive 65 Mph till you make your next stop. With that said now I have a new problem, I can not find anything I want to drive other than the lightning. Money being no object! Going in I was naive thinking charging would not be a problem. I am sure two years from now it won't be. For someone that drives 2-3K miles a month it is a problem.

I would hold out and make it work somehow. I have driven an EV since 2014 when there was nothing. More chargers are being added daily and it will happen faster than you think. The IRA put a lot of money into a charging network so it is happening and will probably be faster than you think.

Reactions: 1

ChasingCoral

· #35 · 6 mo ago

StanT said:
I was aware of this as well. Another big problem is there is a shortage of service techs in this industry. These chargers use power electronics/ data coms/ and security systems. On top of this there is still a shortage of power semiconductor devices. Bad combination.

The good news is the Gen 3 chargers don't require techs to trouble shoot as far down in the weeds. Software is tested by a tech back in an office and chargers have swappable modules at a more gross scale more like our trucks. No need to check things within circuit boards. Module checks out? Great. Module has a problem? Replace.

Russr

· #36 · 6 mo ago

When considering going EV, I remember thinking "for long hauls, should I take a generator... just in case"...
The math works against it... a 15KW genny weighs ~400lbs, will consume 1.5 gal/hour when delivering 7.5KW... ugh.
Would be fun to try, though!

Good luck with your decision. BTW - I'd probably sell it and then buy... unless your dealer is giving you more than you paid for it in trade!

Reactions: 1

StanT

Discussion Starter · #37 · 6 mo ago

I can brekeven not a problem, dealer is great. My issue I am hooked on this truck and nothing else is what I want to drive going forward. Good probelm to have, right!

Reactions: 3

tj309

· #38 · 6 mo ago

I hear you. I had to have one too.

Txxthie

· #39 · 6 mo ago

StanT said:
So I love the truck not even a question. In fact I am having such a hard time with what is the best way to work around my issues with charging. I work all over the country and many places are in the middle of ?? So to go and look for a working charger is a real problem that I have yet to solve.

If this is your work vehicle and you rely on it to make your living, you didn’t do your due diligence prior to purchasing a battery electric vehicle. Sounds like a hybrid is more suitable for your work vehicle and a BEV for your personal vehicle. Tesla has the only dependable, trouble free, ease of use, and available (quantity) DCFC charging network today. It’s not even close. Don’t count on Tesla now to open up their network since the NACS news. Tesla only needs a manufacturer (Aptera) to use the connector to get IRA $$. I could see Farley and Ford actually adding the connector for sales, he is a Elon Fanboy.

grumpy

· #40 · 6 mo ago

I don't think we know yet the DOT minimum standards for EV charging infrastructure, and what options are available for Tesla.

The proposed rules demanded a minimum of four simultaneous CCS connectors for at least 150 kW DCFC to get funding. Stations can not require memberships and contactless payment for all major debit and credit cards.

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