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icanhazmac

Contributor
Apr 11, 2018
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So apparently Tesla is going to open their charging network to other manufacturers and as a result their users seem split on if this is a good thing or bad for their ownership experience because of the potential for overcrowded chargers.

I get their point, from all the reading I have done the Tesla network seems lightyears ahead of the competition in speed, availability and reliability so I wonder if people that were using other networks for non-Tesla cars will simply abandon those in favor of a much better network and overcrowd it.

Those in favor feel that opening the superior network to the masses helps the cause. I guess I see their point but I'd be really pissed if I had a Tesla and some other brand was blocking "my" charger because it was better than theirs.

Thoughts?
 

4sallypat

macrumors 601
Sep 16, 2016
4,034
3,782
So Calif
So apparently Tesla is going to open their charging network to other manufacturers and as a result their users seem split on if this is a good thing or bad for their ownership experience because of the potential for overcrowded chargers.

I get their point, from all the reading I have done the Tesla network seems lightyears ahead of the competition in speed, availability and reliability so I wonder if people that were using other networks for non-Tesla cars will simply abandon those in favor of a much better network and overcrowd it.

Those in favor feel that opening the superior network to the masses helps the cause. I guess I see their point but I'd be really pissed if I had a Tesla and some other brand was blocking "my" charger because it was better than theirs.

Thoughts?
Yes, it started for CCS EVs.

New York and California are the first to get the "Magic Dock" on some Tesla SC stations.

Some forum members have already started to charge using Tesla's SC.

I for one would gladly switch over to Tesla because my local Electrify America is just awful.

Around $0.50/kWh which is very competitive!

Here's a video of a Ford F150 Lightning charging at a Tesla SC and taking up 2 spaces. Some configurations makes you take up 3 slots due to the short charge cables.
 
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icanhazmac

Contributor
Apr 11, 2018
2,894
11,158
Yes, it started for CCS EVs.

New York and California are the first to get the "Magic Dock" on some Tesla SC stations.

Some forum members have already started to charge using Tesla's SC.

I for one would gladly switch over to Tesla because my local Electrify America is just awful.

Around $0.50/kWh which is very competitive!

Here's a video of a Ford F150 Lightning charging at a Tesla SC and taking up 2 spaces. Some configurations makes you take up 3 slots due to the short charge cables.

Oooof... taking up 2 or 3 spots will not go over well.
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,081
2,748
UK
So apparently Tesla is going to open their charging network to other manufacturers and as a result their users seem split on if this is a good thing or bad for their ownership experience because of the potential for overcrowded chargers.

I get their point, from all the reading I have done the Tesla network seems lightyears ahead of the competition in speed, availability and reliability so I wonder if people that were using other networks for non-Tesla cars will simply abandon those in favor of a much better network and overcrowd it.

Those in favor feel that opening the superior network to the masses helps the cause. I guess I see their point but I'd be really pissed if I had a Tesla and some other brand was blocking "my" charger because it was better than theirs.

Thoughts?
It’s been open for nearly a year here in Europe. I was happy at first, but actually I’ve driven 18.5K miles without using it. Plenty of other better positioned chargers about offering better prices.

The only thing I’m surprised about is that it took them this long to open it up. I’ve always said it, this is their real business. The business that can actually generate profit.

It’s nice for Tesla drivers to mingle with alternative brand owners.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,438
2,660
OBX
Longer cable = Good.
1000V = not relevant - my Ford EVs are 400V architecture...
Yeah saying they can charge at 1000 kW is really just a marketing thing (IMO).
It’s been open for nearly a year here in Europe. I was happy at first, but actually I’ve driven 18.5K miles without using it. Plenty of other better positioned chargers about offering better prices.

The only thing I’m surprised about is that it took them this long to open it up. I’ve always said it, this is their real business. The business that can actually generate profit.

It’s nice for Tesla drivers to mingle with alternative brand owners.
Does EU/UK not have demand charges for business electricity?
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,438
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OBX
There are, but I'm not sure what the relevance is of that question in context of what I wrote?
In the US charging operators are not really making a huge amount of money on fast charging due to the demand charges. I was just curious how Tesla could generate profit for charging (as you say the real business) when others are having a hard go at it (again in the US).
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,081
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UK
In the US charging operators are not really making a huge amount of money on fast charging due to the demand charges. I was just curious how Tesla could generate profit for charging (as you say the real business) when others are having a hard go at it (again in the US).
Really? They are making record profits. All companies doing this are investing and expanding their networks. Something doesn't sound right if they can't make money out of it.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,438
2,660
OBX
Really? They are making record profits. All companies doing this are investing and expanding their networks. Something doesn't sound right if they can't make money out of it.
Yeah I am having a hard time finding financial information about at least EA (the most well known charging network in the US, I think Ionity is its EU analog). The last thing I see is Siemens gave them 450 million last year. I am not sure where to look in the investor relations stack for VW to see if they break out EA financials. Reddit seems to believe no one is making a ton of money in the states because there are not enough EV's charging.
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,081
2,748
UK
Yeah I am having a hard time finding financial information about at least EA (the most well known charging network in the US, I think Ionity is its EU analog). The last thing I see is Siemens gave them 450 million last year. I am not sure where to look in the investor relations stack for VW to see if they break out EA financials. Reddit seems to believe no one is making a ton of money in the states because there are not enough EV's charging.
It is chicken and egg isn't it, when there are not enough chargers then not enough people will get an EV. It does require a bit of upfront investment, and one needs to be smart with the locations. In the EU there was a lot of investment of the EU to help build infrastructure networks. Ultra Fast chargers are nicely spaced out, and cities have lots of destination chargers.

I'm not buying that they don't make money, but granted it is a longer time investment. Plenty of people can't have a charger at their home. But also when doing it smartly there is lots of money to be made by secondary services like rest stop, coffee, food etc.
 

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
56,987
56,002
Behind the Lens, UK
Yeah I am having a hard time finding financial information about at least EA (the most well known charging network in the US, I think Ionity is its EU analog). The last thing I see is Siemens gave them 450 million last year. I am not sure where to look in the investor relations stack for VW to see if they break out EA financials. Reddit seems to believe no one is making a ton of money in the states because there are not enough EV's charging.
Probably the other thing against EV charging prices in the US is how low petrol prices are there. Because they are much more expensive here, it’s easier to charge more for rapid charging.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,438
2,660
OBX
It is chicken and egg isn't it, when there are not enough chargers then not enough people will get an EV. It does require a bit of upfront investment, and one needs to be smart with the locations. In the EU there was a lot of investment of the EU to help build infrastructure networks. Ultra Fast chargers are nicely spaced out, and cities have lots of destination chargers.

I'm not buying that they don't make money, but granted it is a longer time investment. Plenty of people can't have a charger at their home. But also when doing it smartly there is lots of money to be made by secondary services like rest stop, coffee, food etc.
Yeah I think here they make money (revenue) but have to plow it back into new locations, service and paying utilities for the demand charges (if a high speed station) so profits are not a whole lot to write home about. I'd think if they were making money hand over fist (again profits) they (EA) wouldn't need to look for additional funding like they have been.

Probably the other thing against EV charging prices in the US is how low petrol prices are there. Because they are much more expensive here, it’s easier to charge more for rapid charging.
True, whenever gas (petrol) prices spike EV's and hybrids become popular. Plus there is a good amount of people that aren't able to charge at home (where it can be 2-3 times cheaper) so there is that issue that has to be worked through.
 

icanhazmac

Contributor
Apr 11, 2018
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11,158
It’s nice for Tesla drivers to mingle with alternative brand owners.

While I agree with you in general I also see the point(s) I've read from Tesla owners fearing the already busy charging network will now also have to support "everyone else" because of the quality of the Tesla charging network and a Ford truck taking up 2 or 3 spots in an already busy charging station justifies that opinion. I believe Tesla owners are charged a fee if they stay in a charging lane for longer than it took to charge their car, how does Tesla plan to police/enforce a plan to keep 1 vehicle from blocking 2-3 chargers at a time?
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,438
2,660
OBX
While I agree with you in general I also see the point(s) I've read from Tesla owners fearing the already busy charging network will now also have to support "everyone else" because of the quality of the Tesla charging network and a Ford truck taking up 2 or 3 spots in an already busy charging station justifies that opinion. I believe Tesla owners are charged a fee if they stay in a charging lane for longer than it took to charge their car, how does Tesla plan to police/enforce a plan to keep 1 vehicle from blocking 2-3 chargers at a time?
By swapping to V4 stalls as quickly as they can. Or at least that could explain why they are going limited rollout.
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,081
2,748
UK
While I agree with you in general I also see the point(s) I've read from Tesla owners fearing the already busy charging network will now also have to support "everyone else" because of the quality of the Tesla charging network and a Ford truck taking up 2 or 3 spots in an already busy charging station justifies that opinion. I believe Tesla owners are charged a fee if they stay in a charging lane for longer than it took to charge their car, how does Tesla plan to police/enforce a plan to keep 1 vehicle from blocking 2-3 chargers at a time?
Meanwhile in the rest of the world Tesla drivers have been able to charge where ever they want; Tesla or not. Some even made real nasty moves by charging in general CCS2 charging spot, opposite vacant Tesla tombstones before the Tesla network was opened up. People will be people.

But hey when the choice is to pay 0.30 at Ionity or Energi vs 0.67 at Tesla, as it often is over here, then the Tesla chargers are one of last resort ;) As I mentioned earlier, they've been available for nearly a year, and they aren't overrun by non-Tesla drivers as unless absolutely necessary they just aren't competitively priced.

It's fear of nothing; but at the same token a sign that Tesla is struggling with its competition on multiple fronts. They've had a good run, a good head start, just not a very compelling package for what is being delivered.
 

icanhazmac

Contributor
Apr 11, 2018
2,894
11,158
But hey when the choice is to pay 0.30 at Ionity or Energi vs 0.67 at Tesla, as it often is over here, then the Tesla chargers are one of last resort ;) As I mentioned earlier, they've been available for nearly a year, and they aren't overrun by non-Tesla drivers as unless absolutely necessary they just aren't competitively priced.

Interesting, I wonder if your alternate networks are better than the ones in the US. I have read a number of articles based on "road trips" where a significant number of non-Tesla chargers were offline and had been for a significant amount of time, as in months, evidently the apps include a last-used or availability feature.

I guess there will be quality levels in charging, like anything else, Tesla may charge more but it seems their network is better, faster and more reliable. It will be interesting to see what others develop, isn't Ford the one that is requiring dealerships to put chargers on their lots? That'll end well, you pull in for a charge and have to get hassled by bored salesmen. 🤣
 
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icanhazmac

Contributor
Apr 11, 2018
2,894
11,158
Anyone know what is happening with the $7500 tax credit in the US? Will it be extended, reduced, eliminated? I can't seem to find anything definitive.
 

quagmire

macrumors 604
Apr 19, 2004
6,985
2,492
Longer cable = Good.
1000V = not relevant - my Ford EVs are 400V architecture...

The 1000V is relevant. Take the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for example. It is capable of charging at 250 kw, Tesla Superchargers can do 250 kw depending on the version. BUT, the Ioniq 5 can only do 250 kw if it is an >800 V charger. When plugged into the Tesla supercharger, it can only do 100 kw at best.

V4 will solve that issue.
 

cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,081
2,748
UK
Interesting, I wonder if your alternate networks are better than the ones in the US. I have read a number of articles based on "road trips" where a significant number of non-Tesla chargers were offline and had been for a significant amount of time, as in months, evidently the apps include a last-used or availability feature.

I guess there will be quality levels in charging, like anything else, Tesla may charge more but it seems their network is better, faster and more reliable. It will be interesting to see what others develop, isn't Ford the one that is requiring dealerships to put chargers on their lots? That'll end well, you pull in for a charge and have to get hassled by bored salesmen. 🤣
I guess it varies a lot by region. Only last weekend I made a quick dash across three different countries, no problems anywhere. All charging was great, fast, no queues, nothing broken. But you don't tend to get news reports when everything is ok.
 

diamond.g

macrumors G4
Mar 20, 2007
11,438
2,660
OBX
I guess it varies a lot by region. Only last weekend I made a quick dash across three different countries, no problems anywhere. All charging was great, fast, no queues, nothing broken. But you don't tend to get news reports when everything is ok.
That is nice, usually there are no issues here on the East Coast with holidays causing issues, at least on the SuperCharger network. There aren't that many CCS chargers where I am so it is hard to gauge how used they would be for folks going to OBX during the summer months.
 
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cyb3rdud3

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2014
4,081
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UK
@diamond.g fingers crossed it will all go well :) I think it is all normal stages.

First there was range anxiety, but as my car is Swedish, the Nordic measurement of distance Poronkusema covered that one off easily. So, that was that part sorted.

Then there was charger anxiety, our inbuilt Android Automotive Operating System with Google Maps works incredibly well. Gives the range, chargers, state of chargers, how busy they are, all the information at your fingertips. And government policy helps as well by having a decent infrastructure.

We often drive from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands, although last weekend it was just Belgium for a visit to Reverze. Range, Chargers, all good…

IMG_0599.jpeg


And last summer we took the long way to our villa on the Côte d'Azur via Austria to go see the Electric Love Festival and the F1 Grand Prix. No issues whatsoever either. Just drive, and hit that find me a charger button when we fancy a break. But yes, I do appreciate it is largely with thanks to the EU, political policy, forward-thinking, and standardization of connection and sadly, it is not quite the same in the USA :(

IMG_0838.PNG
 

daleroe

macrumors newbie
Jun 22, 2018
15
20
About 5 years ago, I bought a used 2017 Ford Focus Electric. It's kind of an unusual vehicle (no longer produced) in that it's basically an ICE Focus that Ford retro-fitted for an EV line.

It's not glamorous at all, but it's peppy, super fun to drive, and I don't miss oil changes. I haven't had to have any service on it since I bought it, except for tires.

Depending on the terrain, temperature, etc. I can still get around 100 miles on a full charge. I generally charge it at home overnight when I need to, just plugging it into a standard outlet, but I (very) occasionally run to the supercharger. I thought of getting a Level 2 charger installed at home, but I haven't really needed it.

I'm really glad I bought this car and I would buy it again.
 
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