Lipstick on a pig

[EVSince2011]

Sticking an NACS connector on existing non-Tesla public chargers will do nothing to improve their reliability. An Electrify America charger will not become easier to use or more reliable just by changing the connector. Last September I did a 1200 mile trip in a 2020 Nissan Leaf SV+ (210 mile EPA range) round trip from Oregon to California. Plenty of charging stations, but using them was an exercise in frustration. I was never stranded, but I needed to register using five different networks, each using a different app. I often spent more time on the phone with support people getting a charge started or completed than I spent charging. Often chargers were broken or died in the middle of a charge. I have been driving Leafs for 12 years but never took many road trips until I got the 2020. After that trip, I replaced the Leaf with a Model 3. A road trip in Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Colorado in October had two minor glitches, a SC location in Salt Lake City was about a mile from where the Tesla navigation app said it was. Google Maps helped me find it. In Price, Utah the Navigation said I arrived at the SC. It was late at night and I didn't see it. I checked the Plugshare app said it was behind the Dairy Queen. The DQ was closed and all its lights were off, but I saw the sign and found the SC. I never had a problem charging and never had to wait for a free charger. The Tesla CCS solution requires activating a charge through the Tesla app. One more potential point of failure if you don't have service.

If the auto industry wants to promote the adoption of EV's, every EV should be able to plug into any charger and start charging without having to do anything else. Tesla claims 99.5% reliability. I have read reports that the government has set 97% reliability as a goal. 97% is pathetic. It means over 10 days down every year. If my electricity, water or other utilities were down ten days in a year, I'd be royally pissed.

The charging industry still has a long way to go.

Rick in Portland, Oregon

 

[smogne41]

Here are two ways it will (hopefully) help:
The NACS connector itself is more reliable, so some small subset of problems will be avoided because of that. Will not fix electrical/software issues with the stations, but it is something.

More importantly though (and what Tesla has done in Europe) is require a certain level of up-time from 3rd party CCS stations or they are no included in the Tesla nav. If they do this here with 3rd party NACS (which I expect) it will hopefully apply a decent amount of pressure on 3rd party networks to improve reliability since that is a huge market to miss out on.

 

[E90alex]

A lot of these DCFC stations are using first gen hardware. Reliability should improve as they are replaced with newer units, other than physical damage to the cabinet or connector of course. The charge point operators need to make it a priority to fix broken/damaged chargers.

But yes the fragmented CCS network is a definite sore point since not every charge point operator and not every auto manufacturer utilizes plug and charge. Hence it’s a convoluted mess trying for consumers to figure out how to operate and pay on each different network. They should just take cards without needing the app, but frequently the card readers are broken.

 

[brkaus]

Yes. This primarily makes it better for others because they get access to the more reliable Tesla superchargers. But I hope as a second order effect, Tesla has more $$ to continue expansion and reduce our need on those other networks.

IMHO, of course.

 

[smogne41]

A lot of these DCFC stations are using first gen hardware. Reliability should improve as they are replaced with newer units, other than physical damage to the cabinet or connector of course. The charge point operators need to make it a priority to fix broken/damaged chargers.

But yes the fragmented CCS network is a definite sore point since not every charge point operator and not every auto manufacturer utilizes plug and charge. Hence it’s a convoluted mess trying for consumers to figure out how to operate and pay on each different network. They should just take cards without needing the app, but frequently the card readers are broken.

Yeah, 9 times out of 10 if your service requires an app I am going to go out of my way to not use it (with few exceptions). If it requires a membership for the right to use it even less of a chance. Just tapping my NFC should always be an option (by law), at least if you want any public money to build it out.