We own EVs. Ask Us Anything.

[J Alynn]

I always plug in if there's an option. Doesn't matter to me if it's 120 V, 12 A or 240 V, 80 A. 1.4 kW over a couple of hours of visiting can be 3+ kWh. On a 130 kWh battery, that's 2%. That might seem meaningless, but I've pulled into a DCFC with less than 4% before. I've arrived home with 0% on the display.

Don’t know if that is confidence or a whole lot of southern pucker but kudos to you

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Don’t know if that is confidence or a whole lot of southern pucker but kudos to you

I like to know the limits of the systems I use, so it feels good to me to be able to bring the truck home at 0%. I did it purposefully.

 

[R1TVT]

Since we live close. Have you had any issue with T-pike to the Burgh or to beach-when we go it’s usually MD or DE beaches-not sure where you head but have to think there are plenty chargers on way to those beaches

MD and DE have plenty of infrastructure. I just charged at the King of Prussia Rivian Charger, have charged at a Chargepoint station not frar from there, have charged at the Christianna Mall at the Rivian RAN chargers and other chargers there, at car dealerships and Tesla locations in DE, Belcamp in MD, etc. Lots of infrastructure for road tripping (including some WaWa's!)

 

[J Alynn]

MD and DE have plenty of infrastructure. I just charged at the King of Prussia Rivian Charger, have charged at a Chargepoint station not frar from there, have charged at the Christianna Mall at the Rivian RAN chargers and other chargers there, at car dealerships and Tesla locations in DE, Belcamp in MD, etc. Lots of infrastructure for road tripping (including some WaWa's!)

Certainly helps to know. Get to king of Prussia a few times a year so that good to know there is infrastructure there. I see plenty of chargers in our area and presumed beach routes would have plenty. Knowing WaWa is adding helps and I’m sure Sheetz is also adding

 

[Chaz26]

Since we live close. Have you had any issue with T-pike to the Burgh or to beach-when we go it’s usually MD or DE beaches-not sure where you head but have to think there are plenty chargers on way to those beaches

No issues, there is a Tesla Supercharger on both sides of the Somerset service station that are v3 (there's also a v2 supercharger off the actual Somerset exit as well but that wouldn't be compatible with non Tesla EVs). There is also an EA station off the Bradford exit as well. That's sometimes full but I don't use that one very often. There's also one's in Carlisle and Harrisburg but that's so close to home I've never used them. There's quite a few in the Pittsburgh area as well.

We normally go to the Outer Banks, NC, I've stopped around Virginia Beach and before the bay bridge tunnel and never had issues so I doubt there would be any for MD or DE beaches either.

 

[J Alynn]

No issues, there is a Tesla Supercharger on both sides of the Somerset service station that are v3 (there's also a v2 supercharger off the actual Somerset exit as well but that wouldn't be compatible with non Tesla EVs). There is also an EA station off the Bradford exit as well. That's sometimes full but I don't use that one very often. There's also one's in Carlisle and Harrisburg but that's so close to home I've never used them. There's quite a few in the Pittsburgh area as well.

We normally go to the Outer Banks, NC, I've stopped around Virginia Beach and before the bay bridge tunnel and never had issues so I doubt there would be any for MD or DE beaches either.

Thank you sir. Somerset always a good stopping point so glad to know that

 

[SeaGeo]

Don’t know if that is confidence or a whole lot of southern pucker but kudos to you

If you're paying for the entire pack, you gotta use it!

I personally change my behavior of approaching zero when my wife and dog are with me. She is a bit more anxious than me.

 

[Cranky Canuck]

So here’s a question for our EV owners. We’ve talked about what we will keep stored in our new Scouts but from strictly an EV point of view-what should all of us newbies plan to purchase/set up as a “kit” specifically due to EV? Extension chords, any adapters-and do adapters attach to the car port or attach to the charger handset? What other things are recommended or through learning the hard way you now keep in your EV

I currently have the following in my frunk:

- NACS to J1772 adapter (level 2)
- NACS to CCS adapter (level 3)
- Level 1 charger (J1772)
- Windshield fluid
- 12V booster battery pack thing (technical term, obviously)
- V2L adapter
- 3D printed charging port cover to turn the lights red (for astronomy reasons)

 

[R1TVT]

If you're paying for the entire pack, you gotta use it!

I personally change my behavior of approaching zero when my wife and dog are with me. She is a bit more anxious than me.

Agreed, I run my truck to the single digits all the time when returning from roadtrips... Helps to know you can plug back in when you get home (or to your destination) of course!

 

[LastDayScout]

I will try to find an old post I made showing all the different types of ports. For people that are new to EV, all of the ports, plugs, adapters, and nomenclature can be very confusing.

Electric vehicles (EVs) utilize several different charging port styles, categorized primarily by AC and DC charging and then by regional or manufacturer-specific standards. The main types are J1772 (AC), CCS (AC/DC), CHAdeMO (DC), and NACS (Tesla).

AC Charging Ports:

• J1772:
  .
  This is the standard AC charging connector in North America for non-Tesla vehicles. It handles Level 1 (slow) and Level 2 (fast) charging.
  
  
• Type 2 (Mennekes):
  .
  Commonly used in Europe, it's an AC charging standard, and some older EVs in North America might use it.
  
  
• NACS (Tesla):
  .
  Previously known as the Tesla connector, this is now the North American Charging Standard. It's used for both AC and DC charging on Tesla vehicles and is increasingly adopted by other manufacturers.
  

DC Fast Charging Ports:

• CCS (Combined Charging System):
  .
  This is a DC fast-charging standard that combines the J1772 connector for AC charging with two additional pins for DC fast charging. It allows both AC and DC charging through a single port.
  
  
• CHAdeMO:
  .
  Another DC fast-charging standard, primarily used in Japan but also found on some vehicles in North America.
  

Key Differences and Considerations:

• AC vs. DC:
  AC charging is typically used for slower charging at home or public stations, while DC fast charging provides rapid charging for on-the-go situations.
  
  
• Regional Standards:
  J1772 and CCS are the dominant standards in North America, while Type 2 is prevalent in Europe.
  
  
• Adapters:
  Adapters are available to allow vehicles with one type of charging port to connect to charging stations with a different port (e.g., a J1772 to Tesla adapter).
  
  
• Compatibility:
  While some standards are regional, manufacturers are increasingly adopting the NACS (Tesla) standard for wider compatibility and interoperability.
  

In essence, understanding the different port types and charging levels is crucial for EV owners to effectively charge their vehicles in various locations and situations.

 

[J Alynn]

Electric vehicles (EVs) utilize several different charging port styles, categorized primarily by AC and DC charging and then by regional or manufacturer-specific standards. The main types are J1772 (AC), CCS (AC/DC), CHAdeMO (DC), and NACS (Tesla).

AC Charging Ports:

• J1772:
  .
  This is the standard AC charging connector in North America for non-Tesla vehicles. It handles Level 1 (slow) and Level 2 (fast) charging.
  
  
• Type 2 (Mennekes):
  .
  Commonly used in Europe, it's an AC charging standard, and some older EVs in North America might use it.
  
  
• NACS (Tesla):
  .
  Previously known as the Tesla connector, this is now the North American Charging Standard. It's used for both AC and DC charging on Tesla vehicles and is increasingly adopted by other manufacturers.

DC Fast Charging Ports:

• CCS (Combined Charging System):
  .
  This is a DC fast-charging standard that combines the J1772 connector for AC charging with two additional pins for DC fast charging. It allows both AC and DC charging through a single port.
  
  
• CHAdeMO:
  .
  Another DC fast-charging standard, primarily used in Japan but also found on some vehicles in North America.

Key Differences and Considerations:

• AC vs. DC:
  AC charging is typically used for slower charging at home or public stations, while DC fast charging provides rapid charging for on-the-go situations.
  
  
• Regional Standards:
  J1772 and CCS are the dominant standards in North America, while Type 2 is prevalent in Europe.
  
  
• Adapters:
  Adapters are available to allow vehicles with one type of charging port to connect to charging stations with a different port (e.g., a J1772 to Tesla adapter).
  
  
• Compatibility:
  While some standards are regional, manufacturers are increasingly adopting the NACS (Tesla) standard for wider compatibility and interoperability.

View attachment 7897
In essence, understanding the different port types and charging levels is crucial for EV owners to effectively charge their vehicles in various locations and situations.

Thanks for that insight

 

[oldgeeksguide]

Electric vehicles (EVs) utilize several different charging port styles, categorized primarily by AC and DC charging and then by regional or manufacturer-specific standards. The main types are J1772 (AC), CCS (AC/DC), CHAdeMO (DC), and NACS (Tesla).

AC Charging Ports:

• J1772:
  .
  This is the standard AC charging connector in North America for non-Tesla vehicles. It handles Level 1 (slow) and Level 2 (fast) charging.
  
  
• Type 2 (Mennekes):
  .
  Commonly used in Europe, it's an AC charging standard, and some older EVs in North America might use it.
  
  
• NACS (Tesla):
  .
  Previously known as the Tesla connector, this is now the North American Charging Standard. It's used for both AC and DC charging on Tesla vehicles and is increasingly adopted by other manufacturers.

DC Fast Charging Ports:

• CCS (Combined Charging System):
  .
  This is a DC fast-charging standard that combines the J1772 connector for AC charging with two additional pins for DC fast charging. It allows both AC and DC charging through a single port.
  
  
• CHAdeMO:
  .
  Another DC fast-charging standard, primarily used in Japan but also found on some vehicles in North America.

Key Differences and Considerations:

• AC vs. DC:
  AC charging is typically used for slower charging at home or public stations, while DC fast charging provides rapid charging for on-the-go situations.
  
  
• Regional Standards:
  J1772 and CCS are the dominant standards in North America, while Type 2 is prevalent in Europe.
  
  
• Adapters:
  Adapters are available to allow vehicles with one type of charging port to connect to charging stations with a different port (e.g., a J1772 to Tesla adapter).
  
  
• Compatibility:
  While some standards are regional, manufacturers are increasingly adopting the NACS (Tesla) standard for wider compatibility and interoperability.

View attachment 7897
In essence, understanding the different port types and charging levels is crucial for EV owners to effectively charge their vehicles in various locations and situations.

great explanation, and the graphic is very helpful. For completeness, should add that Europe uses CCS2, a combination of type two and DC pins for DC charging, and that NACS is an up-and-coming standard in North America.

 

[Chavannigans]

I thought you might enjoy this @SpaceEVDriver

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I thought you might enjoy this @SpaceEVDriver

Australia gets all the cool upfits!

 

[Chavannigans]

Australia gets all the cool upfits!

They really do.

I didnt realize you could swap the bed on the Lightnings. The steering mechanism they use is pretty sweet too. Always wondered how they did those.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

They really do.

I didnt realize you could swap the bed on the Lightnings. The steering mechanism they use is pretty sweet too. Always wondered how they did those.

Ford (USA) specifically recommends against removing the Lightning bed. I think it’s likely because of high voltage liability issues and I bet the Australian options are trained in the safe way to do so and there are different liability laws.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Here’s a not-so-rosy experience on a road trip… It’s unusual and should not give you the impression that this happens all the time. I would equate it to pulling into a gas station late at night to find that all the pumps are out of order, which I’ve experienced quite a lot in my road tripping with a gas vehicle.

I’d been in Altadena helping a family member with health problems. Someone came out to give me a break and so I headed home. I decided to leave the LA valley in the evening to avoid most of the traffic. I hit traffic on the 210 anyway, so that kept my speed relatively low, but I managed to avoid too much stop-and-go. I still made better time than I would have in the morning or midday. I was also getting much better efficiency than I normally get, so when I got to Barstow, I decided not to stop and kept on toward Needles. I don’t usually like to sit for more than a few hours at a time, but I was feeling good.

I made it to Needles with 51 miles on the guess-o-meter, but an efficiency of 2.5 miles/kWh and 20% remaining charge. A state of charge of 20% on 131 kWh battery is 26 kWh and with 2.5 miles/kWh the range is more like 65 miles, not 51. This was climbing the Cajon Pass, which is well-known for beating down vehicle efficiency. Note: The EPA range estimate for the Lightning is 320 miles, and 2.5 miles/kWh * 131 kWh battery is 328 miles. Freeway-speed (70 mph speed limit) driving for most of it.

I stopped at the Electrify America charging station with the intent of charging to about 50% on the DCFC and then napping while charging on the slower chargers. But the DCFC were stupid slow: 37 kW charge rate is unacceptably slow. I was tired and annoyed.

I had lots of options:

1. I could suck it up and go grab a hotel room while the charger dragged on and get a good night’s sleep
2. I could move over to the slower chargers and grab a hotel room and get a good night’s sleep and then probably charge a bit more the next morning
3. I could go backwards about 3 miles to a brand-T supercharger, which has often had its own problems
4. I could go forwards about 3 miles to a brand-T supercharger which has always had its own problems
5. I could go forwards another 45 miles to a new EV-Go charging station at a Flying-J truck stop.

I chose option number 5. No I wasn’t worried about the range. I did want to get another hour down the road. I’ve been away from home for 17 of the past 20 days.

So I got back on the road. The truck navigation took on the role of being anxious about my range so I could enjoy the podcast I was listening to. I made it with 7% state of charge and plugged in. Went into the truck stop, used the restroom, washed up a bit, washed the truck’s windows and mirrors, and laid back in the driver’s seat for a nap. The charger was doing great at 165 kW.

I woke up with the battery at 97%. I didn’t need 97%. I needed about 80%. But it was done. And I didn’t set the charge limit on the truck because this charger has an idle fee.

I re-parked away from the chargers, laid out some blankets and a pillow in the bed, crawled in under the tonneau cover, and got a good three or four hours of sleep.

Woke up in the early morning, hit the road, and made it home with 25% remaining charge.

I think I told someone earlier that my regular trip between Northern Arizona and the LA Valley requires two stops. Well, I now know for certain that I only need one stop to climb from sea level back up the mountain on a 473 mile one-way trip. And I only need to get back to about 80% state of charge at that one stop.

 

[cyure]

Here’s a not-so-rosy experience on a road trip… It’s unusual and should not give you the impression that this happens all the time. I would equate it to pulling into a gas station late at night to find that all the pumps are out of order, which I’ve experienced quite a lot in my road tripping with a gas vehicle.

I’d been in Altadena helping a family member with health problems. Someone came out to give me a break and so I headed home. I decided to leave the LA valley in the evening to avoid most of the traffic. I hit traffic on the 210 anyway, so that kept my speed relatively low, but I managed to avoid too much stop-and-go. I still made better time than I would have in the morning or midday. I was also getting much better efficiency than I normally get, so when I got to Barstow, I decided not to stop and kept on toward Needles. I don’t usually like to sit for more than a few hours at a time, but I was feeling good.

I made it to Needles with 51 miles on the guess-o-meter, but an efficiency of 2.5 miles/kWh and 20% remaining charge. A state of charge of 20% on 131 kWh battery is 26 kWh and with 2.5 miles/kWh the range is more like 65 miles, not 51. This was climbing the Cajon Pass, which is well-known for beating down vehicle efficiency. Note: The EPA range estimate for the Lightning is 320 miles, and 2.5 miles/kWh * 131 kWh battery is 328 miles. Freeway-speed (70 mph speed limit) driving for most of it.

View attachment 7916

I stopped at the Electrify America charging station with the intent of charging to about 50% on the DCFC and then napping while charging on the slower chargers. But the DCFC were stupid slow: 37 kW charge rate is unacceptably slow. I was tired and annoyed.

I had lots of options:

1. I could suck it up and go grab a hotel room while the charger dragged on and get a good night’s sleep
2. I could move over to the slower chargers and grab a hotel room and get a good night’s sleep and then probably charge a bit more the next morning
3. I could go backwards about 3 miles to a brand-T supercharger, which has often had its own problems
4. I could go forwards about 3 miles to a brand-T supercharger which has always had its own problems
5. I could go forwards another 45 miles to a new EV-Go charging station at a Flying-J truck stop.

I chose option number 5. No I wasn’t worried about the range. I did want to get another hour down the road. I’ve been away from home for 17 of the past 20 days.

So I got back on the road. The truck navigation took on the role of being anxious about my range so I could enjoy the podcast I was listening to. I made it with 7% state of charge and plugged in. Went into the truck stop, used the restroom, washed up a bit, washed the truck’s windows and mirrors, and laid back in the driver’s seat for a nap. The charger was doing great at 165 kW.

I woke up with the battery at 97%. I didn’t need 97%. I needed about 80%. But it was done. And I didn’t set the charge limit on the truck because this charger has an idle fee.

I re-parked away from the chargers, laid out some blankets and a pillow in the bed, crawled in under the tonneau cover, and got a good three or four hours of sleep.

Woke up in the early morning, hit the road, and made it home with 25% remaining charge.

I think I told someone earlier that my regular trip between Northern Arizona and the LA Valley requires two stops. Well, I now know for certain that I only need one stop to climb from sea level back up the mountain on a 473 mile one-way trip. And I only need to get back to about 80% state of charge at that one stop.

Thanks for the honesty. It’s appreciated!

 

[TreeKiller]

I have decided that I'm going to make a big change. My Grande Cherokar has 99k miles on it and is Mopar extended warrantied until January 2027 or 125k miles whichever comes first, and I haven't used my car hauler for any far away Jeep runs in literally 13 months.

-My original plan when reserving a Traveler Harvester was to make the Grande last until I took delivery of the Traveler, but...other than my Wrangler, I have never owned a vehicle with more than 100k miles.

-I only own the V8 SUV because I used to haul the Wrangler around all over the place.

-I have a 52 mile per day round trip commute about 50/50 surface streets and highway and I spend $300-$400 a month on gas.

So, first, I'm going to sell the car hauler. And then I'm going to try to sell the Grande Cherokee before it hits 100k miles.

And then I'm going to buy a used Tesla for cash. It appears that in my market there are a ton of under 50k mile 2020 or newer Tesla Model 3 for under $23,000 including many Long Range, and I figure I can negotiate a few thousand off that. I have free EV charging at my office and this change will save me all of my current fuel cost so will conservatively net me $3,600+ per year I can put toward my eventual Traveler.

Since this is the Ask EV Owners anything thread, and considering I have zero experience with EVs, I'd like to ask for any feedback on specifics I should look for in these Teslas and anything I need to be prepared for regarding charging. I expect I can charge at the office 2-3 times a week as needed (like M-W-F for example and never need to charge at home other than potentially 120v slow charging overnight as needed. Is this a good idea or am I crazy?

Also, I have excellent credit. Would it be smarter to finance a different, new, Tesla model and use the cash from my Grande sale + fuel savings to pay for it until it's Scout time?

I'm sure I'm not thinking of everything. Thanks for any feedback OR ridicule you can provide lol.

 

[dreamweaver]

I have decided that I'm going to make a big change. My Grande Cherokar has 99k miles on it and is Mopar extended warrantied until January 2027 or 125k miles whichever comes first, and I haven't used my car hauler for any far away Jeep runs in literally 13 months.

-My original plan when reserving a Traveler Harvester was to make the Grande last until I took delivery of the Traveler, but...other than my Wrangler, I have never owned a vehicle with more than 100k miles.

-I only own the V8 SUV because I used to haul the Wrangler around all over the place.

-I have a 52 mile per day round trip commute about 50/50 surface streets and highway and I spend $300-$400 a month on gas.

So, first, I'm going to sell the car hauler. And then I'm going to try to sell the Grande Cherokee before it hits 100k miles.

And then I'm going to buy a used Tesla for cash. It appears that in my market there are a ton of under 50k mile 2020 or newer Tesla Model 3 for under $23,000 including many Long Range, and I figure I can negotiate a few thousand off that. I have free EV charging at my office and this change will save me all of my current fuel cost so will conservatively net me $3,600+ per year I can put toward my eventual Traveler.

Since this is the Ask EV Owners anything thread, and considering I have zero experience with EVs, I'd like to ask for any feedback on specifics I should look for in these Teslas and anything I need to be prepared for regarding charging. I expect I can charge at the office 2-3 times a week as needed (like M-W-F for example and never need to charge at home other than potentially 120v slow charging overnight as needed. Is this a good idea or am I crazy?

Also, I have excellent credit. Would it be smarter to finance a different, new, Tesla model and use the cash from my Grande sale + fuel savings to pay for it until it's Scout time?

I'm sure I'm not thinking of everything. Thanks for any feedback OR ridicule you can provide lol.

At a quick glance I would say the used Tesla and office EV charging is a great option.