Yep, had BMW had access to the Tesla network I probably would have gotten the i7.

 

I'm in NJ and the network is decent as long as you stay close to the larger interstates & highways. Go into some of the more rural areas and it's a ~30 minute detour to charge up. A lot of the more rural areas that have superchargers are V2s as well so Tesla only

I've charged at one RAN before in Rhode Island and it was nice. I believe that one had 6 chargers available and was still limited to Rivians so availability was not an issue. I'd love to visit the outpost they have in Joshua Tree one day

 

One of the main reasons China has been able to really accelerate EV adoption has been unified charging protocol and consistent infrastructure. With folks moving to Tesla charging protocol, all thats left is building out chargers at a consistent pace, on almost gas station parity.

Home charging should be primary but, if one has as many chargers as gas stations, folks wont have to dedicate mental capacity for planning a trip.

 

Totally agree with this. If everyone was on the same page on day one, most of the issues related to range anxiety would have already been in the past.

 

To be totally honest, if I didn't have access to Tesla chargers, I would be reluctant to travel in an EV, especially with the number of them now on the road here in California. These are Tesla chargers just within a 10 mile radius of me:



My daughter just got a notification that she can now use her Bolt at Tesla superchargers. She only charges at home, and doesn't trip with it, but it somehow gives her peace of mind

 

You're forgetting, this Merica. We don't agree on anything

 

The charging issue isn't because there have been competing standards (and remember, outside the US even Tesla uses CCS), it's because the likes of EA etc could neither build reliable charging stations nor maintain them properly to keep them up and running. Putting a NACS connector on an EA charger doesn't suddenly make the EA charging station any more reliable. The problem was never the plug or the standard, the problems were everything apart from the plug and the standard. Adapters have shown how easy it is to co-exist, and everyone should have one. The problem has been only Tesla built out a reliable network, and the reason for the reliability is the stations were better. At the connector end, NACS or CCS is mostly a distinction without a difference, particularly now that adapters are on the scene and can convert in both directions.

 

I do agree with most of what you are saying (especially about reliability), but I have say, connector does matter somewhat. CCS is big and bulky, it's much harder for someone like my wife or daughter to plug in. Although one can get used to it. But if you gave me the choice of reliability of a charging network and connectors, obviously reliability would be more important. But in the end, both have to go hand in hand, charging networks should be reliable, and they should have connectors that are easy to hold and plug in

 

Oh yeah? Well, I disagree. LOL

 

 

well i've used EA and one Florida Power charger and all times between 175 and 250kW or so charging.

yeah all we need is a dictator or a tech bro in charge. oh wait. (that's a joke folks!)

but about tesla chargers... if the majority of ev's become tesla connector ones what will companies like electrify america do? will they be shut out or just go away due to lack of customers? or will they license nacs plug so they can work with newer ev's?

 

From their website, it looks like they are going to continue to expand, they currently have a $2B dollar investment, and they say they are in cycle 4 which goes through December 2026. I think EA can fill in the gaps, especially in rural areas. As far as connectors, not sure how that part is going to be implemented. Many Tesla owners carry CCS adapters, so that is probably the solution for now

 

So how does it work in countries where Tesla uses a CCS socket? Have the Tesla charging stations been open to all manufactures, or Tesla only? Are other charging stations there having the same reliability issues that EA and others seem to be having here in the US?

Just looking at the big picture, it seems dumb to need an adapter to charge your EV. It adds another potential failure point to the mix. Could you imagine if you needed one to fill your car with gas, because BP's pumps are not compatible with Shell's? I'm glad they're all finally coming around, albeit late.

 

EA and EVGo have already committed to adding NACS cables to their stations. They've already been deploying dual plug chargers with the old CHAdeMO plugs, so old leaf drivers are probably going to feel the brunt of the transition towards NACS.

 

There is something about electrical cables in general it seems nearly impossible to agree on a standard.