Tesla CCS Adapter for Sale in US

[lpickup]

Maybe there will be a way to communicate with Tesla for payment. IOW, enter charger number and use the Tesla account to charge your non-Tesla regardless of location. Then Tesla activates it for you remotely, perhaps from two thousand miles away from any of the chargers you're trying to use.

I do not see any reason why it must be paid for right at the same charger. This is almost year 2024, we certainly have the technology and the demand for better charging system ideas.

You're not wrong about being able to activate it remotely. That's basically what happens at magic docks sites. I wasn't saying that the payment had to physically take place at the charger (although with the California rules and V4 charging stations having credit card terminals, this will probably be an option in the future).

But first of all, there are no "charger numbers" at Tesla sites like other networks have. There are just stall numbers. And second, I don't see them creating a second technique to activate chargers. They would just use the existing scheme of using the Tesla app to do the activation. So until we see some sites show up in the app that don't have magic docks, I'm pretty positive that there isn't a way to use Superchargers with your own adapter.

 

[Dirtman16]

Maybe there will be a way to communicate with Tesla for payment. IOW, enter charger number and use the Tesla account to charge your non-Tesla regardless of location. Then Tesla activates it for you remotely, perhaps from two thousand miles away from any of the chargers you're trying to use.

I do not see any reason why it must be paid for right at the same charger. This is almost year 2024, we certainly have the technology and the demand for better charging system ideas.

-Don- Auburn, CA

Edited: Nevermind the below, lpickup already said it.

This is how the MagicDock chargers work now, and the CCS Tesla chargers in Europe as well.

The V4 superchargers look like they will have the additional functionality to pay on-site, but I'm sure the regular method through the Tesla app will work as well. Unfortunately, no one has been able to test that in the US yet.

 

[DonTom]

But first of all, there are no "charger numbers" at Tesla sites like other networks have

I doubt if it would take long for Tesla to put numbers on their Superchargers just for the non-Tesla use. As well as deal with perhaps a few other very minor issues. I have no doubt Tesla can figure it out and will if they will take charging non-Teslas half as serious as the great job they do with their Tesla cars, unlike anybody else.

But I see ChargePoint doing a great job out here, perhaps their newer CCS is now as reliable as Tesla. I wish I could say the same for EV-Go. IMO, EV-GO is going downhill very fast.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[lpickup]

I doubt if it would take long for Tesla to put numbers on their Superchargers just for the non-Tesla use. As well as deal with perhaps a few other very minor issues. I have no doubt Tesla can figure it out and will if they will take charging non-Teslas half as serious as the great job they do with their Tesla cars, unlike anybody else.

They don't even have to put numbers on the Superchargers (other than the stall numbering they already have). They simply have to flip a switch in their back-end somewhere to make the station show up in the "Charge your non-Tesla" section of the app. It's probably not difficult at all. My point is only that they haven't done so yet, and I don't see them doing that until we start seeing the official adapters that will become available to Ford & GM (and other) folks. And once that does happen, we don't know the cost & availability of the official Tesla adapter which is guaranteed to work compared to the third-party one listed above. It may be that the Tesla branded option is actually cheaper (although certainly demand will be through the roof if it's even available to non-Ford/GM folks, so availability may be a problem at first).

But I see ChargePoint doing a great job out here, perhaps their newer CCS is now as reliable as Tesla. I wish I could say the same for EV-Go. IMO, EV-GO is going downhill very fast.

You need to take a look at the bigger picture for EVgo. You point out some of their failings with abandoned stations, which is a fair criticism, but at the same time they are retrenching and improving reliability and capability at other sites. In other words, given limited resources, they are choosing to provide a more reliable product at fewer sites than spreading themselves too thin. I do think in general, newer ChargePoint stations are probably a very reliable product, but on the other hand, most ChargePoint sites tend to be 1 or 2 stalls, whereas EVgo is 4 or more. I feel much more comfortable visiting a 4-stall site than a 2-stall site.

 

[DonTom]

ChargePoint sites tend to be 1 or 2 stalls, whereas EVgo is 4 or more.

I have yet to see a 4-stall EV-GO. By far, most I see out here in the west are just one, yet all the Chargepoints have two DCFC and a J-plug.

And often, the single EV-Go is not working.

Examples:

Here. And here. And here.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[lpickup]

To be fair, you seem to typically travel in relatively remote areas, so probably not surprising that you are seeing the smaller and abandoned stations, while they are concentrating on more populated areas.

Here is some data from the Stats page of fastcharger.info comparing ChargePoint and EVgo:




The second one is particularly telling. Obviously ChargePoint's bread and butter is the 62.5kW CPE250 stations (some of those show up in the 101-200kW range as they are paired, but this happens pretty infrequently). From the looks of it, it would appear that EVgo is playing mainly in the 50kW space, but those 524 sites represent the older units that they are de-prioritizing. Almost all new EVgo sites these days have at least 4 stalls, and many times 6, with a dual CCS 350kW station, and two 100kW CCS/CHAdeMO stations.

I think I need to create a new section on the Stats page that shows Stations by Provider and Status so we can see how many of each are temporarily closed versus open. I think that would tell an interesting story!

 

[DonTom]

To be fair, you seem to typically travel in relatively remote areas,

I wouldn't consider my examples of Carson City, Incline Village or Garnerville, NV to be "remote locations."

However, the opposite end of CC now has four new EV-Range CCS chargers and Garnerville has a free ChargePoint CCS within walking distance from their EV-GO. But the free one is often busy as it is often misused by the local EV owners in Garnerville because "free" CCS is a lot cheaper and faster than a home charge. A least I can use the free J-plug there. Another thing I like about CP is they usually have a J-plug with their two CCS chargers.

BTW, for an interesting change from what is typical, Carson City has no Tesla charging stations of any type.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

while they are concentrating on more populated areas.

IMAO, that is the biggest mistake of all if we really want to the switch to all EVs. Perhaps this is the number one reason why so many people will not even consider buying an EV, no reasonable places to charge for where they need to go.

Larger cities are probably never a problem for EVs these days.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[lpickup]

IMAO, that is the biggest mistake of all if we really want to the switch to all EVs. Perhaps this is the number one reason why so many people will not even consider buying an EV, no reasonable places to charge for where they need to go.

Yes, but statistically they are going to need to go to more densely populated areas, and they will be traveling along more established highway corridors. It makes much more sense to concentrate on those areas first. Heck, most people that don't yet have an EV aren't even thinking about where they might need to charge on a random trip, but rather if there is a charging station down the street from them (even though most would never use them). If anything, they look at charging station availability along major interstates, not 2 lane highways.

Plus, companies like EVgo need to build a sustainable business, otherwise they will not be able to maintain their existing network, and expand it. It makes much better business sense to focus on areas that drive larger numbers of customers. I know you don't agree with this, but this is a pretty established way of growing a business.

Larger cities are probably never a problem for EVs these days.

I don't know about that. They may have a higher charging station density, but also a larger population density to support.

 

[Dirtman16]

I have yet to see a 4-stall EV-GO. By far, most I see out here in the west are just one, yet all the Chargepoints have two DCFC and a J-plug.

Almost all new EVgo sites these days have at least 4 stalls, and many times 6, with a dual CCS 350kW station, and two 100kW CCS/CHAdeMO stations.

So the new GM/Evgo/Pilot sites are all 4 STALL but 2 UNIT installations. These sites have been, so far, well reviewed. However, I do think there is some legitimate concern when you assign one unit or post to 2 stalls. If the unit goes down, you've knocked half the site offline. We'll just have to see how this plays out long term.

 

[lpickup]

So the new GM/Evgo/Pilot sites are all 4 STALL but 2 UNIT installations. These sites have been, so far, well reviewed. However, I do think there is some legitimate concern when you assign one unit or post to 2 stalls. If the unit goes down, you've knocked half the site offline. We'll just have to see how this plays out long term.

Correct. However you could make the argument that 8-stall V3 Tesla Supercharger sites are "2 unit" installations as well as each unit serves 4 stalls. But of course their hardware is quite reliable, so it's not really an issue. I haven't seen a tremendous amount of negative feedback on the EVgo Delta units. We'll have to see how they hold up in the long term, but so far so good.

 

[DonTom]

I know you don't agree with this, but this is a pretty established way of growing a business.

Well, I do agree. But there would eventually be more EVs if there were more charge station in more places. But nobody wants to be the first to invest in a DCFC 150 miles from the nearest larger city and that is the problem. Somebody has to accept a loss to solve this problem. That probably means government. That also means we have to wait for Biden's charger plan that has not yet installed a single charger in the USA after two years of planning.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Dirtman16]

That also means we have to wait for Biden's charger plan that has not yet installed a single charger in the USA after two years of planning.

I really, really hated that headline. I expect there will be some substantial movement on this front in 2024. There are already one or two stations under construction in Ohio that are using that funding.

 

[DonTom]

I really, really hated that headline. I expect there will be some substantial movement on this front in 2024. There are already one or two stations under construction in Ohio that are using that funding.

Well, now they are saying we are up to seven.

"Biden promised to install thousands of EV charging stations. Only 7 have been built."​

But that is probably faster than most of the "coming soons" on Plugshare.

Anything to do with fast-chargers, other than perhaps the charging, is rather slow. Such as on Plugshare, "coming soon" usually means maybe in two or three years. And in that time, expect twice that to be broken or removed out of service as go in as new.

When EV-Go says we will "quicky" dispatch a tech to fix the thing, it normally means "never" from what I can see.

Even after somebody gets the new fastcharger, such as when I was here in White Rock, NM, last Nov, it is still wrapped up, but they are now saying it "might" be in Service in May. But they didn't say which year . . . . .

Charging more than 50 or so miles from this area was a lot better several years ago than it is today. Broken chargers all over this area that were in great locations that have been dead for more than a year.


-Don- Reno, NV