CHAdeMO now works on Model 3's

when are you getting one?

 

i hand idea, thought you were driving a minivan

 

I looked at CHAdeMO on a Huntsville-to-Coffeyville trip and for $350, it doesn't make sense:

• Too close to Little Rock so I can't use the full 50 kW rate
• Full rate, 50 kW - too slow, less than half the 104 kW we see on a SuperCharger
• $0.21/min Electrify America @50 kW vs $0.24/min SuperCharger @60-104 kW
• L2 - 30A L2 / NEMA 14-50 (RV park) can give 30 miles/hr and many are free

Instead, I bought a J1772-to-TESLA adapter, $95, because I'm leaving the one that came with the car on my J1772 plug and needed to carry a spare in the car. My home, J1772 adapter has a very good, rubber seal that works like an air-lock when I try to take the adapter off. Fortunately, the commercial J1772s get so much use they no longer make an air tight seal.

I've looked at adding a vent hole or vent 'trough' to the Tesla adapter. This solves the problem at the risk of allowing water invasion of the contact area. But mechanically adding a vent hole or trough is tricky.

I've been doing more benchmarks.

With the charging curve, I put together a Standard Range Plus Model 3 sheet to predict the trip time (i.e., block-to-block speed) as a function of distance between SuperChargers and the cruise control set speed. According to the model:

• 85.7 mi - Athens AL to Brentwood TN distance
• 73 mph - Traffic Aware Cruise Control speed
• 60 mph - trip speed

So I took a round trip Athens AL to Brentwood TN and back. It wasn't a perfect benchmark:

• Arrived at Athens with 25% SOC, more than the 10% target.
• Arrived at Brentwood with 4% SOC, less than the 10% target.
• Brentwood has a higher speed, 104 kW, SuperCharger than Athens, 100 kW.

Here is the result:

• Indicated 73 mph on GPS recording app
• Travel velocity was 72.4 mph, close enough
• Average trip speed including charging, 61.4 mph close enough

Charging costs:

• Athens AL to Brentwood - $2.25, 9 min Tier 2 (arrived with 25% SOC, ended Brentwood at 5% SOC)
• Brentwood to Athens AL - $4.93, 17 min Tier 2 (arrived with 5% SOC, ended Athens with 12% SOC)
• Total - $7.18 for 171 miles . . . ~2.87 gal of gas @$2.50/gal . . . 59.6 MPG equivalent

Lesson learned: if you put in your next SuperCharger and navigate to it, the charging screen will plan on a 10% reserve (24 mi) and count down to that departure SOC. You can stay on the charger longer for more reserve but having 10% appears to work fine in the SouthEast.

BACKGROUND

Recently Bjorn Nyland participated in a 2,781 km (~1,738 mi) in 24 hours, ~72.4 mph dawn-to-dawn speed. For a Standard Range Model 3, we'd have driven +90 mph . . . before addressing the 100-104 kW charging rate. I was just curious.

- - - - - also - - - - -

My Standard Range Plus Model 3 shows the maximum speed and lowest cost is to charge frequently at LOW, 5-10% SOC. On the first trip of the day, use the maximum range and we're in complete agreement. But my long range trips are way beyond the 220-240 EV range:

OPTIMUM RANGE

• charge too frequently - the ramp up time delays getting on the highway and making miles.
• charge too long - the charge taper delays getting on the highway and making miles.
• 65 mph - modeled because long distance truckers can always be found at that speed. Less frequently found are 70 mph. Above 70 mph, they don't go because of the speeding fines.

GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE RULES



MAXIMIZE HIGH-SPEED CHARGING


Here is a recorded, SuperCharger session with annotation showing the 'sweet spot.'

SUMMARY

1. First trip start with 100% SOC which means choosing hotel/motels with Tesla distribution and/or J1772 charging stations. When making reservation inform management (above the reservation clerk) that you expect to find the chargers working after you check-in. They may have maintenance turn on the circuit to prevent charger parasites who also take a parking place. Regardless, overnight charging is 'free' and you leave ready for a long leg.
2. Subsequent segments, put in the next SuperCharger as your destination so the charging display will 'count down' to a 10% reserve. Leave sooner if you know the relative altitudes are descending. A little longer if ascending.
3. Try to leave when it reaches 60 kW rate to avoid excessive and delays charging at Tier 1 rates.

Bob Wilson

 

I wish the adapter was cheaper. Since I got the long range charging outside my home isn’t a big deal. And super chargers are everywhere. But I’d love to get one just in case. #dongle4life

 

So you’ve used it? You should post your user experience

 

I am waiting for the software to run CHAdeMO on my Model 3. I'm planning to borrow one from a local friend and do some benchmarks: charge vs time. I was initially just going to use the one downtown, a donated Nissan charger. Now it looks like I'll have to do both Electrify America in Manchester and an EVgo in Nashville.

Bob Wilson

 

Gosh I guess we are spoiled by the supercharger that wants us charged up quickly and moving on and not taking up the spot.

By charging by the minute, the incentive is to milk the user and slow the charge.

 

The charging company may not have a choice. In some localities, only the power company can directly charge for a watt.

 

Yes, this is the simplistic excuse that people have been giving for years. But I think that if they wanted to they could setup tiers of charging rates and have a different fee for different rate tiers. They just choose not to. They figure, maybe, that
a) people are dumb;
b) that anyone charging here and not at home is desperate so a few more dollars doesn't matter;
c) anyone buying an EV must be rich;
d) it cost a lot for this charger so I have to get my money back soon.

Mike

 

e)plug ins with a slow charger are likely a PHEV, and can just use gas if they don't want to pay for a charger

In some spots, the typical parking fees could be more than the electricity.
d is an important one. If these companies can't make a profit, then there won't be public charging infrastructure.
If the cost is lower than the gasoline to fill a comparable car's tank, plus parking fees, then it is probably reasonable.

When plug ins become more common, we will see charger company start getting competitive in pricing. Right now, the chargers in plug in country need to support the ones in the deserts.

 

In California we see a paradox:

• Excess charges for daytime usage.
• Excess photo and wind generation in the daytime.

Bob Wilson

 

The renewable prices will drop with excess supply for wholesale. Which is what the power distribution company is paying, but that isn't what they are charging the charger company. Even if they did get a lower rate, the overhead for the charger isn't going to change with the electric rate, and that is probably a good part of the price to the customer.

Gas stations have minimum margins on the gasoline. They make their money from the store. Tesla is like those gas stations. They make their money from selling cars. The Supercharger network doesn't need to be a source of profit on its own, and the rates can be set to reflect that. For the other charger networks, the charger is their sole income source.

 

Some gas stations/rest stops are starting too.