The Electric Vehicle Thread

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ERD50 said:
Nice rate, are you sure that includes all delivery and tax/fees that are based on kWh? Another thing often missed - is that 3.85 m/kWh (260 watts/mile) from the wall (what you pay for) or based on Tesla's numbers of watt-hours/mile from the battery (which doesn't include other losses from the wall)? The 260 watts/mile seems lower than most numbers I've seen?

Probably not a big add on if they were left out anyhow. You'll clearly see a savings.



Is that 50A breaker that you turn off a big 'knife switch' style (on the box?). A standard in-panel breaker is not meant to be used as a switch, like this:

Further reading, breakers like that can be used as switches if they are "HID" rated.


-ERD50
Click to expand...

It is pretty standard operating procedure to have the 50 amp breaker in the off position before plugging or unplugging an RV at its pedestal. I guess all those RV parks and campgrounds all across the country have been doing it wrong all this time? There are over 10 million RVs in the US, and likely many more RV pedestals than that. I’m doubtful.

I should point out that RVs have their own electronics for detecting and using shore power, as does the Tesla mobile connector.
 
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audreyh1 said:
It is pretty standard operating procedure to have the 50 amp breaker in the off position before plugging or unplugging an RV at its pedestal. I guess all those RV parks and campgrounds all across the country have been doing it wrong all this time? There are over 10 million RVs in the US, and likely many more RV pedestals than that. I’m doubtful.

I should point out that RVs have their own electronics for detecting and using shore power, as does the Tesla mobile connector.
Click to expand...

Maybe those breakers are rated HID? And while it may not apply in this case, yes, lot's of people do things wrong - that doesn't make it right!

I dunno, maybe there is little harm to it, but I suppose that rating means something.

OTOH, if the breaker switch is flipped when there is low/zero current draw, it probably makes no difference anyhow. I don't know if the HID code addresses the "hot switching" , or just mechanical design for regular vs intermittent use, or both.

-ERD50
 
Had to drive into work today. So glad to be able to use the HOV lane in my Bolt EUV. Apparently this privalge for single occupancy EVs ends in Arizona in 2025. They ended the discounted EV registration fees this year.

https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/12413

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) allows qualified alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) with an AFV license plate to use HOV lanes, regardless of the number of occupants. Qualified AFVs include vehicles powered exclusively by electricity, propane, natural gas, hydrogen, or a blend of hydrogen with propane or natural gas. This exemption expires September 20, 2025.
 
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My electric range originally had aluminum #6 gauge wire. I replaced it with copper after a warranty service worker insisted my range was experiencing a voltage drop causing the range to reset.

The copper wire didn't solve the issue (crappy appliance), but I feel better. :facepalm:

Use copper, even though at this gauge most fixtures are rated for aluminum.

When the day comes that I need to install a charger, I will insist on copper. Another $100 or 2 is no big deal when you buy a $50k car.
 
I just saw a YouTube claiming that the IRS just gave all model Y the $80,000 price cap. Have not confirmed on IRS.

CNBC has the story also.

 
I guess my brain is running slow. It did not occur to me until now, too late, to try to snag one of the two or three inventory Y from yesterday that were slightly over the $55,000 limit. All gone.

Also, it seems that the 269 MI Y is considered a different model. If I switch to 3 or that Y it is another $250 separate order.
 
When an out-of-warranty EV fails, who you gonna call?

It appears there is no service/repair system in place for EVs similar to that for ICE vehicles. Dealerships don't replace faulty parts, they repair out of warranty EVs by replacing the entire faulty system costing thousands, even if the problem is a relatively inexpensive part.

The author describes the problem of a friend who has a 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class EV:

...last year the motor started whining so severely that the car was nearly undrivreable. To add insult to injury, the local Mercedes-Benz dealership quoted $18,000 to get it fixed by replacing the entire powertrain.
Click to expand...
The problem in a nutshell:
The mechanic in a [dealership shop] is not going to pull apart a motor. That’s not their normal business.

They troubleshoot the cars, and they replace the parts. That’s their bread and butter. That means that for the motor, for instance, there could be a $3 part broken on it, a speed sensor or something, and they’ll replace the entire motor.

So they might charge 15 grand or more for a $3 part.
Click to expand...
Looks like at least one independent repair shop has identified a need and could be the blueprint for a great future opportunity in the EV repair business.
 
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2014 EV from Mercedes?

I don't think they've been making EVs that long.
 
2023 Nissan Ariya

We purchased a 2023 Nissan Ariya last month and LOVE it. We waited 7 months for delivery after reserving it for $500. We were in no hurry. Such a fun and easy car to drive. We have received the Free EvGO charging perk Nissan promoted and also received a discount off the Wall box charger we recently had installed in our garage. All is great so far! >300 miles range... perfect for us.
 
^^^^^^

Keep us posted on your experiences with the Nissan EV. I've not hear much about it. Thanks.
 
No charge charger

The level 2 charger (technically the EVSE "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment") that came with my 2022 Bolt died on me after 8 months of use. It should be covered by the same warranty as the car, but I need some way to charge until I can get it replaced, as the nearest public charging station is 15 miles away.

I've been thinking of upgrading a more powerful/faster EVSE so I used this as an excuse to place an Amazon order. The dead one charged at 32 amps, adding ~25 miles of range per hour of charge. The one I ordered has variable amperage and is slightly more powerful as it will charge up to 40 amps plugged in, 48 amps if hardwired. I'm going to continue using the 50 amp plug which limits me to a max of 40 amps, which will add ~30 miles of range per hour of charge.

I don't plan on charging at a rate greater than 32 amps to avoid stress on the charging circuit, but it will be nice to have the 40 amp speed available if I need it.
 
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REWahoo said:
The level 2 charger (technically the ESVE "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment") that came with my 2022 Bolt died on me after 8 months of use. It should be covered by the same warranty as the car, but I need some way to charge until I can get it replaced, as the nearest public charging station is 15 miles away.

I've been thinking of upgrading a more powerful/faster ESVE so I used this as an excuse to place an Amazon order. The dead one charged at 32 amps, adding ~25 miles of range per hour of charge. The one I ordered has variable amperage and is slightly more powerful as it will charge up to 40 amps plugged in, 48 amps if hardwired. I'm going to continue using the 50 amp plug which limits me to a max of 40 amps, which will add ~30 miles of range per hour of charge.

I don't plan on charging at a rate greater than 32 amps to avoid stress on the charging circuit, but it will be nice to have the 40 amp speed available if I need it.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I would have assumed a replacement charger would always be in dealer stock for most EVs. I don't know that a charger is a typical failure point, but it must be more likely than say a battery or motor. Will you petition to get your $400 Amazon expenditure back from the dealer?

Thanks for sharing. This one is "out of the blue" for me. I'd never have thought of it. I wonder if others here have experienced charger failures.
 
REWahoo said:
I've been thinking of upgrading a more powerful/faster ESVE so I used this as an excuse to place an Amazon order. The dead one charged at 32 amps, adding ~25 miles of range per hour of charge. The one I ordered has variable amperage and is slightly more powerful as it will charge up to 40 amps plugged in, 48 amps if hardwired. I'm going to continue using the 50 amp plug which limits me to a max of 40 amps, which will add ~30 miles of range per hour of charge.

I don't plan on charging at a rate greater than 32 amps to avoid stress on the charging circuit, but it will be nice to have the 40 amp speed available if I need it.
Click to expand...
We went from 32A (7.6kW) charging with the RV pedestal to 40A (9.6kW) with the Tesla Wall Charger. So it’s a bit faster, but not that noticeable as we usually charge for a few hours overnight, once or occasionally twice a week. We limited the Tesla Wall Charger to 40A, it can supply as much as 48A.
 
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F150 Lightening

FWIW, my name finally came up to order the F150 Lightening. I have until Monday to place the order and I've decided to let it pass. I think I will wait for the battery technology to improve before I reconsider an EV.

I should add that DS should be getting his Lightening soon and I'll have a great opportunity to see how that works out.
 
REWahoo said:
When an out-of-warranty EV fails, who you gonna call?

It appears there is no service/repair system in place for EVs similar to that for ICE vehicles. Dealerships don't replace faulty parts, they repair out of warranty EVs by replacing the entire faulty system costing thousands, even if the problem is a relatively inexpensive part.

The author describes the problem of a friend who has a 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class EV:

The problem in a nutshell:
Looks like at least one independent repair shop has identified a need and could be the blueprint for a great future opportunity in the EV repair business.
Click to expand...


In the future, the EV industry is not sustainable if a $3 part means throwing away $18K worth of subsystems. I am sure that people will find a way to repair them, but the manufacturers must make some info and parts available.

I think the problem right now is that EV makers are too busy to grab market share, and they don't yet feel the need to make their cars serviceable. When poor serviceability hurts the sales of their products, they will change.
 
My niece and her husband placed an order for a Rivian SUV. Don't know much about the car, but I think it is based on the same chassis as the Rivian truck, which means the SUV is pretty big.

They got a call to go test drive one last week, and to finalize the options. They invited me to come along for the drive, but I declined. Not that interested in any vehicle, ICE or EV.

They are not sure if they would buy it. Could still decline it at the last minute, they said. They are now looking at some other new EVs, which I forget already.
 
Koolau said:
Interesting. I would have assumed a replacement charger would always be in dealer stock for most EVs. I don't know that a charger is a typical failure point, but it must be more likely than say a battery or motor. Will you petition to get your $400 Amazon expenditure back from the dealer?
Click to expand...

They may be in stock, I haven't contacted them as I just discovered the failure this AM. I don't think the service and parts departments are fully staffed on Saturdays, so I will wait until Monday to call.

Like I said, I've been considering an upgrade and used this as an excuse to pull the trigger on a more powerful EVSE, so no, I won't press the dealer for the cost of the Amazon expense*. I'll be happy if they simply replace the defective unit without a hassle. I'll keep it in the car as a spare.

*I'll be able to deduct 30% of the cost of the new EVSE from my 2023 Fed taxes.
 
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REWahoo said:
The level 2 charger (technically the ESVE "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment") that came with my 2022 Bolt died on me after 8 months of use. It should be covered by the same warranty as the car, but I need some way to charge until I can get it replaced, as the nearest public charging station is 15 miles away.

I've been thinking of upgrading a more powerful/faster ESVE so I used this as an excuse to place an Amazon order. The dead one charged at 32 amps, adding ~25 miles of range per hour of charge. The one I ordered has variable amperage and is slightly more powerful as it will charge up to 40 amps plugged in, 48 amps if hardwired. I'm going to continue using the 50 amp plug which limits me to a max of 40 amps, which will add ~30 miles of range per hour of charge.

I don't plan on charging at a rate greater than 32 amps to avoid stress on the charging circuit, but it will be nice to have the 40 amp speed available if I need it.
Click to expand...

Not sure if you were aware: Like their vehicles, buying an EVSE from Tesla is a better value. For just a bit more, it provides up to 48A, allows load sharing, is firmware updatable, and looks good. It's much more future-proof.
 
REWahoo said:
The level 2 charger (technically the ESVE "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment") that came with my 2022 Bolt died on me after 8 months of use. It should be covered by the same warranty as the car, but I need some way to charge until I can get it replaced, as the nearest public charging station is 15 miles away...
Click to expand...


Can you plug the Bolt into an RV outlet? You had a class A motorhome, but I don't know if you had an outlet for it.
 
NW-Bound said:
Can you plug the Bolt into an RV outlet?
Click to expand...

Yes.

NW-Bound said:
You had a class A motorhome, but I don't know if you had an outlet for it.
Click to expand...

I had an RV outlet but it was only 30 amps/110v and wasn't in the garage, so I had a 50 amp/220v outlet, the same as for an RV, installed when I purchased the EV. The EVSE was plugged into that outlet when it failed.
 
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REWahoo said:
Yes.

I had an RV outlet but it was only 30 amps/110v and wasn't in the garage, so I had a 50 amp/220v outlet, the same as for an RV, installed when I purchased the EV. The ESVE was plugged into that outlet when it failed.
Click to expand...


As I remember reading, Tesla cars can be plugged into various AC outlets without using hardware other than adapter cables. I wonder if the Bolt has adapter cables to allow the same.
 
NW-Bound said:
As I remember reading, Tesla cars can be plugged into various AC outlets without using hardware other than adapter cables. I wonder if the Bolt has adapter cables to allow the same.
Click to expand...

Yes, It's all about the EVSE, not the car. The EVSE and two adapters that come with the Bolt EUV (not the Bolt EV) allows you to plug into a standard 110v outlet (s-l-o-w charging) or a Nema 14-50 220v "RV style" outlet.
 
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REWahoo said:
The level 2 charger (technically the ESVE "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment") that came with my 2022 Bolt died on me after 8 months of use. It should be covered by the same warranty as the car, but I need some way to charge until I can get it replaced, as the nearest public charging station is 15 miles away.

I've been thinking of upgrading a more powerful/faster ESVE so I used this as an excuse to place an Amazon order. The dead one charged at 32 amps, adding ~25 miles of range per hour of charge. The one I ordered has variable amperage and is slightly more powerful as it will charge up to 40 amps plugged in, 48 amps if hardwired. I'm going to continue using the 50 amp plug which limits me to a max of 40 amps, which will add ~30 miles of range per hour of charge.

I don't plan on charging at a rate greater than 32 amps to avoid stress on the charging circuit, but it will be nice to have the 40 amp speed available if I need it.
Click to expand...

I am confused.

While I am sensitive to this thought:

It is not uncommon for a person seeking attention, and with a need to feel important, to insert a correction in a discussion of EV charging and point out that the “charger” is the device in the vehicle and the thing outside of the vehicle is an EVSE. While they may be technically correct, it is also true that most experts on the subject of EV ownership and charging use the term charger to describe the external device.
Click to expand...

I am, I supposed like others, flummoxed by:

The Technical Use of the Word Charger
Electric vehicles all come with a component inside their powertrain that is called a charger. It accepts incoming current from an outside source and converts that incoming electrical current into stored energy in the vehicle’s battery. The component is termed a charger.
Click to expand...

EVSE or Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
The term EVSE, or electric vehicle supply equipment, is defined as any device that enables the safe transfer of energy between the local power supply and an electric vehicle.
Click to expand...

Which one of these are you referring to? Which one (or both?) died?

https://www.torquenews.com/1083/electric-vehicle-terms-evse-vs-charger-what-does-each-term-mean
 
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