ChargeFox EV charging Network

[RareEarth]

Those photos also bring into focus the design (or lack of) of charging areas, more buses and trucks turning up and parking sideways to get access to a charger will cause a bit of havoc. Add to that vehicles towing caravans and trailers etc.

 

[Chuq]

Those photos also bring into focus the design (or lack of) of charging areas, more buses and trucks turning up and parking sideways to get access to a charger will cause a bit of havoc. Add to that vehicles towing caravans and trailers etc.

I don't think buses and trucks are going to be significant users of these sites outside of occasional one-off usage by trial units such as this one. I stopped at Tarcutta on the way back from Canberra last year and realised that, since it's a truck-stop hub, it's the obvious place for a truck-charging hub. So they'll eventually get their own dedicated facilities.

I am surprised, however, that more of the public charging stations being installed recently aren't designed with towing in mind. I get it with the early Tesla/Chargefox/Evie sites as trying to convince a host site to even allow EV chargers was an uphill battle, but today it's the opposite.

I'm wondering how long it will be until we see a Gridserve style charging hub (or maybe something similar to this Shell service centre as shown by Bjorn Nyland) in Australia.

 

[moa999]

Buses and trucks will ultimately be using the triangular shaped Megawatt Charging System so will have their own appropriately sized charging bays.

Think the new Ampol Pheasants Nest is as close as we will get for a while.

Possibly Tesla is getting to the point where they might start buying real estate to build larger charging stations.

 

[Onshore]

Possibly Tesla is getting to the point where they might start buying real estate to build larger charging stations.

Or leasing parking bays at existing truck stops?

 

[PC__LoadLetter]

I don't think buses and trucks are going to be significant users of these sites outside of occasional one-off usage by trial units such as this one. I stopped at Tarcutta on the way back from Canberra last year and realised that, since it's a truck-stop hub, it's the obvious place for a truck-charging hub. So they'll eventually get their own dedicated facilities.

The numbers will increase. Buses have to be delivered to and transferred between regional depots. Happens all the time. That isn't going to happen by rail, nor by tow truck. As bus operators fleets electrify, they will need to charge along the way. NSW in particular has generous school bus subsidies, especially in regional areas, which the operators cash in on.

There may be informal agreements with other regional bus operators to charge at their bus depots at interim stopover towns. But those depots can be way off the beaten track, and they'd probably rather just clog up the public chargers.

Heaven help when CDC electrifies its Broken Hill depot and needs to transfer a small fleet of buses out there.

Oh, and don't forget the sixth grade pilgrimage buses to Canberra. For now they're typically suburban route buses, travelling in 2s or 3s. As those fleets electrify, they'll need appropriate charging at roadhouses along the way. And, heaven help us, in Canberra too. DC charging in Canberra is a debacle even for cars. And let's not forget, some electric buses use 120kW DC chargers and others use 80kW AC chargers, sometimes at the same bus depot.

 

[Zinzilla]

Those photos also bring into focus the design (or lack of) of charging areas, more buses and trucks turning up and parking sideways to get access to a charger will cause a bit of havoc. Add to that vehicles towing caravans and trailers etc.

For passenger vehicles towing things, will (eventually) double-length pull-through spots be required?

 

[paulp]

For passenger vehicles towing things, will (eventually) double-length pull-through spots be required?

You mean like petrol stations?

 

[Quickst]

I am surprised, however, that more of the public charging stations being installed recently aren't designed with towing in mind.

it will be a supply demand issue like everything else

For passenger vehicles towing things,

like the double length bays that is often seen at highway maccas stops and Bunnings??
Again supply and demand

Currently EV charging infrastructure is slowly increasing. But passenger EV towing?
Well they can unhitch their trailer, park it, then charge it.
The imperative now is to get charging infrastructure to meet the rising demand of passenger EV
Obviously if its a big caravan then it can be difficult, but then what currently available Tesla is towing a caravan?.
Ive seen a MY towing a bunnings trailer, but thats it. Generally passenger EV are not the type to tow a cararvan . Maybe when cybertruck comes through it will be towing but until then.....

EVBuses definitely but they are better served by the Megawatt chargers. Truckstops have dedicated bowsers for trucks and passenger cars, so it makes sense for Truck and bus chargers to be separated.

I wished the Govt would invest in charging infrastructure - including grid improvements rather than giving essentially financially well off people to buy EV a leg up via ATO tax breaks and other tax incentives.

 

[moa999]

that more of the public charging stations being installed recently aren't designed with towing in mind.

Still I think unfortunately a space issue where it's just a few spots in the corner of a carpark.

And getting beyond this is a challenge, as charging prices would need to be much higher if the operator is also paying a commercial rent/ acquiring land to build different site configurations.

wished the Govt would invest in charging infrastructure - including grid improvements

They are doing that as well.
Federally we've had three rounds of Arena funding
- Ultra-fast which funded most of the Chargefox and Evie 350kW networks
- Suburban fast - which funded many of the Evie, Engie, Ampol sites (and is still in build)
- NRMA/ Arena nationwide network which is still in planning

 

[Quickst]

Arena funding

I understand, but I think more could have been done especially in regional areas if not for the ATO freebies. And also upgrading the transmission grids.

 

[paulp]

it will be a supply demand issue like everything else


like the double length bays that is often seen at highway maccas stops and Bunnings??
Again supply and demand

Currently EV charging infrastructure is slowly increasing. But passenger EV towing?
Well they can unhitch their trailer, park it, then charge it.
The imperative now is to get charging infrastructure to meet the rising demand of passenger EV
Obviously if its a big caravan then it can be difficult, but then what currently available Tesla is towing a caravan?.
Ive seen a MY towing a bunnings trailer, but thats it. Generally passenger EV are not the type to tow a cararvan . Maybe when cybertruck comes through it will be towing but until then.....

EVBuses definitely but they are better served by the Megawatt chargers. Truckstops have dedicated bowsers for trucks and passenger cars, so it makes sense for Truck and bus chargers to be separated.

I wished the Govt would invest in charging infrastructure - including grid improvements rather than giving essentially financially well off people to buy EV a leg up via ATO tax breaks and other tax incentives.

Cybertruck and roadster will join S and X and will not come to australia

 

[Quickst]

Cybertruck and roadster will join S and X

Well that open the door for maybe Rivian and F150 Lightning. None confirmed...

 

[Hairyman]

I was charging at the Ultra Rapid in Zetland earlier in the week and the car announced that if I had navigated to the charger the battery would have preconditioned. I haven’t seen that other than for Superchargers.

ChargeFox Zetland doesn’t appear in the app. Haven’t checked the car.

There had been some suggestion that Tesla would include navigation for 3rd party networks of sufficient performance.

Anyone else has this experience?

 

[Quickst]

battery would have preconditioned

Is there a way to manually start the battery preconditioning

 

[moa999]

Is there a way to manually start the battery preconditioning

No.
(Only by fake navigating to a Supercharger).

In Europe Tesla has added some third party networks to the map, and has said some time ago it would do the same globally subject to site performance, but that was a while back.

 

[Loxmyf]

Is there a way to manually start the battery preconditioning

With 3rd party gadgets like S3XY Buttons you can manually start battery preconditioning. Probably a bad choice of words. The only way I know of is with S3XY Buttons.

 

[Chuq]

Cybertruck and roadster will join S and X and will not come to australia

Heads up @Quickst since you reacted “Informative”, this is purely paulp’s opinion. No-one actually knows.

 

[Quickst]

Heads up @Quickst since you reacted “Informative”, this is purely paulp’s opinion. No-one actually knows.

Sure, but I still consider @paulp's opinion informative..

 

[SPadival]

I was charging at the Ultra Rapid in Zetland earlier in the week and the car announced that if I had navigated to the charger the battery would have preconditioned. I haven’t seen that other than for Superchargers.

It’s a bug. I navigated to Chargefox Torquay & it still told me off.

 

[Quickst]

Is battery preconditioning necessary for AC charging? I.e for Model Y charging at 11kW?