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Dongles are great but supercharger cables are relatively short, we're going to see Fords blocking multiple chargers in various ways so they can connect. There'
by stbenjam 3y ago
Dongles are great but supercharger cables are relatively short, we're going to see Fords blocking multiple chargers in various ways so they can connect. There's usually only one pull-in spot.
- jmacd 3y agoThe F-150 Lightning has a charging port on the front driver's side. Tesla Superchargers are meant to be backed in to with a read driver's side charging port. A F-150 will need to drive in to the spot adjacent to the charger they want to use and bring the charging cable across, effectivly using 2 stalls to charge, as far as I can tell.
- jhickok 3y agoSo basically the same experience we all have with them in grocery store parking lots.
- cyberax 3y agoEV charger cables need to conduct hundreds of amps of current. You can't easily make them much longer without losing efficiency.
- ajross 3y ago> effectivly using 2 stalls to charge Only for stations that aren't at the end of a row or lack a parking spot adjacent. And only if the "blocked" spot can't be used by another "mirror image" car design. I mean, gas stations have been dealing with this problem for decades (different car designs need to pull through along different sides, so sometimes my Mazda "blocks" the two pumps because other cars can't pull in until I move) and we've all survived. And in any case, unless you're trying to charge on major corridors on high traffic weekends, it's academic anyway. Over 30k miles and almost three years, I can count on one hand the number of times my Model Y has had to wait for a charger spot. People are making way to big a deal out of a minor issue, basically. Standard Tesla discussion form.
- jmacd 3y agoThere is 1 stall on a single set of superchargers which can be charged by a F-150 without blocking 2 stalls, that is if there is an adjacent spot on the right side/end of the chargers, which is not always the case. This is a post about Ford's getting access to Superchargers, so I don't think it's making a "big deal" about anything to simply describe the configuration of the trucks and how that impacts their ability to use the superchargers. It just is what it is.
- ajross 3y ago> There is 1 stall on a single set of superchargers which can be charged by a F-150 without blocking 2 stalls Verifiably false. Put a F-150 in every stall, and only one on the very end is blocked, and only if there isn't an open parking space next to it. If F-150's make up a significant fraction of the charging population, then you're looking at half the impact (25%) at most, not even including the spots on the ends that don't have a spot to block (most rows are 4-8 spots wide, so that's another 12-25% recovered). And of course if F-150's don't make up a significant fraction of the charging population, then you're not looking at a significant impact by definition. I repeat, in exhaustion: This Is Not A Big Deal. Please stop making everything a big deal Because Tesla. It's exhausting.
- _ea1k 3y ago> People are making way to big a deal out of a minor issue, basically. Standard Tesla discussion form. Yeah, I've seen way too much stress about this issue. I'm sure there will be a few stations that have issues for short periods of time, but the overall picture just doesn't change that much. And the solution is the same anyway. Just keep building.
- Torkel 3y agoIn Sweden this is a pain at super charger locations that allow non-Tesla vehicle charging. The almost randomized charge port locations makes lots of non-Tesla vehicles park in the wrong place and take up two spots. Not really sure what can be done about it except just hoping for more charge infrastructure to be built fast... If Tesla would go back to only offering charging for Tesla vehicles that would be nice when driving Tesla but a step back for the overall electrification so I'm actually ok with some minor annoyance on this.
- stbenjam 3y agoThey could make the cables longer but there's definitely a cost aspect given they're liquid cooled.
- datameta 3y agoI think it's a maintenance decision. Probably less wear and tear on the internal layers in a shorter cable that can't be spaghettified as easily. Could be off here.
- Torkel 3y agoHey! I just learned they are actually doing exactly that for V4 - Yay! https://electrek.co/2023/07/26/tesla-confirms-supercharger-v4-350-kw-output/ https://electrek.co/2023/07/26/tesla-confirms-supercharger-v...
- p1mrx 3y agoThey just need to fix this cable-snagging lip design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mox4tL3dR8o&t=1403s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mox4tL3dR8o&t=1403s
- brummm 3y agoI mean, this was essentially solved for gas stations with long, flexible cables. That is the obvious solution here.
- asabla 3y ago
- avalys 3y agoBut two F150s can still park next to each other and use two chargers, yes? The only wasted spot is at the interface between a Tesla and non-Tesla.
- adolph 3y agoDo you wind up wasting the next one in the row, so only wasting half as many slots? Reminds me of the 1/3 coin revolution problem: Circle A has 1/3 the radius of circle B. Circle A rolls around circle B until it returns to its starting position. How many revolutions of circle A are there in total? https://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2015/07/05/everyone-got-this-sat-math-question-wrong-can-you-solve-it-sunday-puzzle/ https://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2015/07/05/everyone-got-t...
- bluGill 3y agoMaybe, but if you are towing a trailer most charging locations are setup such that you have to block several different chargers in some way.
- bdcravens 3y agoProbably. It'll get worse as different manufacturers gain access. This change is about ubiquity, and Tesla knows it may make things less convenient for current Tesla owners.
- _ea1k 3y agoThis is why it is so important for stations to support sharing power between stalls via shared cabinets. Lowering the cost per stall makes it much easier to install additional posts to limit the impact of that problem. IIRC, Tesla is currently installing ~2,400 stalls per year in the US. It could be higher now as the rate tends to trend up over time. Of course, lots of third parties are ramping up now too (Pilot, Flying J, Circle-K, and the non-EA/Wal-Mart branded sites).
- rpmisms 3y agoTesla already does this.
- _ea1k 3y agoI know, and it has been a significant advantage for them. Others have been using a similar approach recently too (EA "balanced" chargers, Kempower, newer Chargepoint setups, and quite a few others).
- throwaway894345 3y agoWouldn't it make more sense for manufacturers to ... put the charge port in the same spot?
- ascorbic 3y agoOr make the cables a bit longer, like all the other chargers do.
- stbenjam 3y agoFront center (like the LEAF) or passenger side makes most sense to me (for street parking), but it's just a free-for-all right now.
- vel0city 3y agoPutting it in the front means its more likely to take damage. No thanks. Putting it on the passenger side means I need to walk around the car nearly every time even though I pretty much never street park the car. No thanks.
- dheera 3y agoJust build more chargers. When chargers are as ubiquitous as gas stations this won't be an issue.
- bluGill 3y agoThey won't be though. Most charging will be at home. Your neighborhood gas station's days are numbered. There may be more chargers on rural highways (charging spends more time at the "pump"), but overall there will be less charging and so chargers will never be as ubiquitous.
- pa7ch 3y agoNeighborhoods with higher density housing won't be able to charge at home so likely EV stations will be easier than widespread curbside charging in cities.
- dheera 3y agoYeah this. I live in Silicon Valley, can't afford a house here (almost nobody can), but have an EV and rely on public charging infrastructure. Most people, and even most EV owners, don't and will never own a single family home here. It works totally fine, my office has slow charging, the public library a short walk from my apartment has slow charging, and many supermarkets have superchargers or other DC fast charging so I almost never waste time dealing with charging.
- bluGill 3y agoIf you live that dense you should take transit. so the question is why do you not? are letting politicians get away with lip service?
- m463 3y agolol, silicon valley mass transit is a poorly connected mishmash. It has been "getting better" for decades without really getting better. Most of the time "transit" means 4x or more the travel time.
- ChadMoran 3y agov4 dispensers have longer cables and are centrally mounted allowing vehicles to only use one stall regardless of port location.
- usrusr 3y agoHow wasteful would it be to build a car with charging ports on both sides? Would use far more resources than most other conveniences you find in a car, but would also be a far more substantial quality of life improvement than the other stuff.
- fnordpiglet 3y agoI think more likely if Tesla charging is becoming the standard, just build all cars to have a charge port in the same place. I’ve never understood the need to be creative with where you put a plug/gas nozzle. If that’s your differentiation you’ve got worse problems.
- Bud 3y ago[dead]
- simmonmt 3y agoI doubt they're being creative. Far more likely they're locating the charging port based on the needs of the vehicle's internal layout. Or to be consistent with the manufacturer's standard, which was likely set by the needs of their first EV's internal layout.
- usrusr 3y agoAre fuel inlet sides consistent with the handedness of traffic in the home market of the brand? Perhaps with occasional exceptions in brands aiming for extra britishness to appear more "sports car"?
- m463 3y agoThe only technical reason I could think of to put it on the passenger side would be for chargers when parallel parking on the street.
- bdavbdav 3y agoAudi do.
- ulfw 3y agoThe Ford adapter should have been available with a cord extension instead of just a block. Or at least offer a 10ft extension cable converter (CCS one end, NACS other end)