[azbill]

This video link has been posted on other EV forums, as usual Kyle is long winded.

But, just consider what happened on Labor Day weekend for travelers between CA and AZ. There are 7 CCS chargers in the Blythe/Quartzsite area, and all were broken simultaneously. Electrify America, Charge Point and EV Connect. I had just used those chargers in Quartzsite on July 31, all were working that day, 4 cars charging at the same time.

 

[Rrrick]

This video link has been posted on other EV forums, as usual Kyle is long winded.

But, just consider what happened on Labor Day weekend for travelers between CA and AZ. There are 7 CCS chargers in the Blythe/Quartzsite area, and all were broken simultaneously. Electrify America, Charge Point and EV Connect. I had just used those chargers in Quartzsite on July 31, all were working that day, 4 cars charging at the same time.

View attachment 3014

View attachment 3015

View attachment 3016

This is my main complaint as well. I’m on my second EV , and both have had DCFC. Chargers were eventually installed around the Big Island of Hawaii in places where you’d need them… 3/4 of them no longer work, and one of these is the closest on , in the parking lot of the local electric company! Supposedly Hawaii just for millions to install new chargers, but I would rather they used the money to maintain the ones we already have! Eventually there needs to be attendants , just like a gas station who can make sure they aren’t vandalized, and repair them as needed!

 

[Carac]

This is my main complaint as well. I’m on my second EV , and both have had DCFC. Chargers were eventually installed around the Big Island of Hawaii in places where you’d need them… 3/4 of them no longer work, and one of these is the closest on , in the parking lot of the local electric company! Supposedly Hawaii just for millions to install new chargers, but I would rather they used the money to maintain the ones we already have! Eventually there needs to be attendants , just like a gas station who can make sure they aren’t vandalized, and repair them as needed!

Hawaii would be the one place I'd think you wouldn't need a lot of public chargers along "interstates".

 

[Dark-Fx]

Attendants? No way. Laws in my state mean that they shut the pumps off at night because they can't be used unattended. If they start being attended, those bullshit laws are going to creep over.

 

[Rrrick]

Hawaii would be the one place I'd think you wouldn't need a lot of public chargers along "interstates".

Well I can go from Hilo to Kona and back and still have about 40% battery left in my Bolt, but it’s always nice to be able to top off if you want to make a side trip while out and about!

 

[azbill]

This is my main complaint as well. I’m on my second EV , and both have had DCFC. Chargers were eventually installed around the Big Island of Hawaii in places where you’d need them… 3/4 of them no longer work, and one of these is the closest on , in the parking lot of the local electric company! Supposedly Hawaii just for millions to install new chargers, but I would rather they used the money to maintain the ones we already have! Eventually there needs to be attendants , just like a gas station who can make sure they aren’t vandalized, and repair them as needed!

So just a bit of history about the EV Connect and Charge Point CCS chargers in Blythe. These were funded to be installed by the state of California. But they are constantly failed for months without being fixed. Of course this is the same government that wants to ban gas cars and also has an inadequately maintained power grid. Why maintain EV chargers if the grid is not maintained.

I was reading the infrastructure plan for my state, Arizona, to get federal funding for installing chargers. In that plan, it states they only have to keep the chargers running for 5 years, what a joke. This government infrastructure plan is mostly about virtue signaling and vote gathering, not about truly benefiting we the people.

It now appears that the "big oil" companies are going to start investing in chargers at there existing fuel stations. They make more money off of selling snacks and drinks than they do fuel anyway, so for them having working chargers will be a necessity, just like having working gas pumps. Draw people in and they will spend money.

 

[azbill]

Maybe EA has decided to design their own chargers now, this article indicates they will be replacing some of the old unreliable units. But then the power sharing feature seems to be a step backwards. FYI, I was looking at the new EVGO site near my home and they have 4 dispensers marked as 350KW, but they also have 4 power supplies, each marked as 175KW, so I think those are power shared as well.

Electrify America Introduces Balanced Charging; New Naming Scheme

Electrify America announces a new naming scheme for its high-speed charging network and introduces new power-sharing charging stations.

insideevs.com

 

[Tom E-Tron]

Maybe EA has decided to design their own chargers now, this article indicates they will be replacing some of the old unreliable units. But then the power sharing feature seems to be a step backwards. FYI, I was looking at the new EVGO site near my home and they have 4 dispensers marked as 350KW, but they also have 4 power supplies, each marked as 175KW, so I think those are power shared as well.

Electrify America Introduces Balanced Charging; New Naming Scheme

Electrify America announces a new naming scheme for its high-speed charging network and introduces new power-sharing charging stations.

insideevs.com

EA has been replacing stations with new equipment for the last year, 2 around me have been upgraded.

 

[azbill]

EA has been replacing stations with new equipment for the last year, 2 around me have been upgraded.

Are they the new single plug designs with the 18 ft cords? Like the ones in the article.

 

[Tom E-Tron]

Are they the new single plug designs with the 18 ft cords? Like the ones in the article.

No, I have not seen those installed yet. The newer ones I have seen be more reliable look like this...

 

[azbill]

No, I have not seen those installed yet. The newer ones I have seen be more reliable look like this...
View attachment 3019

Those are the newer Signet units, which in general are more reliable than the ABB ones. But it turns out the failure in Quartzsite was these same units. It appears right now that 1 of 4 units in Quartzsite working, maybe they had to pull some parts from the others to get one working.

There is another site in AZ with only one unit working (ABB units in Dateland) and it has been in that state for months now. One day they all went down in Dateland and an EV6 had to get towed.

At least in Quartzsite there are several RV parks, so you could at least rent a stall with 240V and use a portable charger as a backup. That would not work well with the Hummer though.

 

[HelloHummerev]

I use Electrify America as they are the only fast ones around me. I dont have a home charger so I rely on them. A few days they sent me mas blast email saying that they are upgrading systems. Long story short, I go once a week to charge my truck and when I went yesterday all the chargers were operating for free until they complete their upgrades in my area. So I got a free charge as well as the other people charging near me. I dont believe half of these stories I read on the internet. Electrify America has been great. On average of 4 chargers at every EA I go to, on average there is 1 broken station. I have never been in a situation where I havent been able to charge fast and suppppppppper cheap.

 

[Tom E-Tron]

Are they the new single plug designs with the 18 ft cords? Like the ones in the article.

An update, yesterday Kyle Conor (out of spec motors) posted on twitter having trouble with one of these new single cord stations.