Locator: 48603EVS.
Updates
June 3, 2025: another incredibly confusing article. Why voltage matters. From the linked article:
And that's a hurdle. For now, at least. "When Tesla decides to go to
their higher-voltage chargers, our vehicles will be able to charge at
higher powers there,” Karl Holodnick, engineering manager for propulsion
and charging at Hyundai America’s Technical Center, said at the Ioniq
9’s press launch in Savannah, Georgia this month.
These two voltage levels don’t mesh automatically. So Hyundai built
hardware into its vehicles, including the Ioniq 9, that can boost a
Supercharger’s 400V connection up to the 800V that its batteries are
designed for. Still, that process isn't as quick as using a native 800V
charger. The Ioniq 9 can take in far more juice at higher-voltage
non-Tesla plugs.
The SUV is able to pull 237 kW of peak charging power, placing it
near the top of the EV market. Hence the quick, 24-minute pit stop. On a
Supercharger, it’s limited to 126 kW, Holodnick said. But he said the
Ioniq 9 should be able to hit that 126 kW quickly and sustain it for
most of a charging session.
A 24-minute pit stop is "theoretical, best case." It assumes the all the chargers are working and that this is no waiting to use a charger.
Original Post
Today: luxury car, Mercedes-Benz CLA cannot use most common fast charger in the US -- link here.
The new electric Mercedes-Benz CLA is touted as the next best thing in
the EV game. It’s massively efficient and can charge at up to 320
kilowatts thanks to its 800-volt architecture.
You can think of it as a
smaller, more affordable Lucid Air.
However, unlike the Air, the new CLA comes with a big charging caveat.
It can't use 400V DC chargers.
It all started with a tweet from an EV enthusiast from Norway known as
RomingNorway on social media. He posted a screenshot of a section on
Mercedes-Benz’s website that said the new CLA can only use 800V DC fast
chargers and that the car’s built-in navigation system will only route
drivers to compatible stations.
That doesn’t sound like a big deal at first. To take advantage of the
lightning-fast charging speeds that the CLA touts, it needs a stall that
can deliver 800V.
The problem? Most fast chargers in the United States
can’t deliver that voltage and are limited to roughly 400V.
As a result,
the new CLA will be limited to a handful of DC fast chargers, which
negates all the technological advancements baked into it.
You can have the fastest-charging EV in the world, but its utility is
severely limited if you can’t charge it anywhere. [Well, duh!]
Road trips, at least
for now, are out of the question.
This seemed like a mistake, so I got in touch with several people at
Mercedes-Benz, both in the United States and in Europe.
But it's true:
the new CLA EV can’t use 400V DC chargers and can only be recharged at
800V stalls. That said, its ability to charge at home from an AC source
is not affected by this rather surprising choice.
*********************************
EV Charging: The Basics
Exhibit A: Why Folks Don't Want To Buy EVs
Original Post
I know very little about cars or car engines, but when shopping for a new car, all I need to know is mpg. One number. Okay, two: city / highway.
- I never ask about range
- I never ask about the kind of pump I need to use
I know nothing about electricity and nothing about EVs, but when shopping for a new car, I need to know:
- type of connector
- type of charging station
- the size of the tire which affects range
- range on a fully charged battery (see below)
- a very cold day
- a “normal” day
- a very hot day
- level charging station: level 1, 2, or 3
- how long does it take to fully charge the vehicle
- how do I know when it is optimally charged? What is the optimal charging range?
- advertised range vs actual range (this is more relevant than you will ever realize until after you’ve bought the car);
This
is how I understand it (right, wrong, or indifferent) now. This is how I
would explain it to Sophia, subject to editing, correcting, and adding
more information as I get a better understanding and as technology,
batteries, charging stations evolve over time.
This is the most important graphic. It doesn't require any understanding of anything; just keep the graphic in you mind.
What to note in the graph:
- the left side of the graph/chart:
- the charging stations you see in parking lots around town
- measured in kW (you don't even have to know what a kW is -- just know that's how EV charging station ports are "rated;
- in the example: one charging port is rated at 7.5 kW; the other charting port is rated at 60 kW
- some existing ports are now rated higher than 60 kW
- as time goes on, the ratings will increase in size (power)the right side of the chart:
- this is your car, your EV
- when
you talk to your dealer or to you friend, you will ask about / talk
about the "size of the battery" or the "battery's energy" -- or whatever
the phrase is
- if you don't have much money, the EV you buy will have a battery with a lower energy rating, such as 15 kWh in this example;
- if you are rich, you will be able to afford an EV with a "bigger battery" -- such as 120 kWh in this example
- like most things in life (but not golf scores), bigger is better
- buy the "biggest" EV you can afford
Charging: in the graph above --
- when
you pull into a charging station, the greater the rating of the
charging station, in this case 7.5 vs 56, the faster you can charge your
EV
- so, why doesn't everyone just plug into the the charging port / station with the higher / highest rating, 56 in this case
- you can't plug your cheap little EV into a charging station that has too much power for your little pathetic EV
- so,
in the example above, if your pathetic little EV is rated at 15 kWh, it
cannot plug into a charging unit with a higher rating.
- so, in the example above, you can only plug your 15-kWh-rated pathetic little EV into the 7.5-kW-rated charging port / station
And that's all you need to know.
Except for this, in the graph above: the small print.
In
the graphic above, the bigger car rated at 120kWh pulls up to the
charging unit rated at 60kW. The car takes a charge for two hours. Two
(2) hrs x 60 kW = 120 kWh which is what the bigger car in the graph
above is rated.
So, a "big" car with a rating of 120 kWh can be fully charged in two hours if plugged into a charger rated at 60 kW.
If
that "big" car with a rating of 120 kWh pulls into a charging station
rated at 7.5 kW, it will take .... 120 / 7.5 = 16 hours to fully
charge.
Okay, so that's all you need to know.
But there's a lot more one can know if one is interested.
We
shouldn't have to say this but an EV rated at 120 kWH can "last longer"
(longer range, all things being equal) than a pathetic little EV rated
at 15 kWh.
*******************************
Charging Stations
Level 1 vs level 2 vs level 3 charging stations
Level 1
- 120 volts — AC
- your garage
- absolutely worthless
Level 2
- 240 volts — AC
- can be installed in your garage
- In the Target parking lot
- at 60 kW, two hours to “achieve” 120 kWh, so four hours to fully charge a soccer mom’s SUV
Level 3
- 480 volts — DC
- not at your house, ever
************************
Connectors
Connector type: non-Tesla
- J1772: level 1 and level 2
- CCS1: level 3
***************************
Miscellaneous
Other facts / factoids / opinions / comments:
- hybrids
are fake EVs -- they are the worst thing one can buy in the "EV family"
but Ford is now transitioning to hybrids ... more on that later. Ford
will sell a lot of hybrids, as well as Toyota will sell a lot of
hybrids. That's good for the car companies but bad for you; really bad
for the roads (but you won't care about that); and really, really, bad
for the environment (again, something you won't care about. You will be
happy just knowing that you are part of the EV community).
- Ford is "going all out" with hybrids. Link here.
- charging
stations prone to “breaking down”; generally, outside of big cities, if
the charging station you visit is “out of order,” you are really “out
of luck.” If you thought running out of gas is bad, you haven’t
experienced the seventh level of hell until you experience a dead
battery and a broken charging unit.
From February 22, 2024:
Locator: 46876EVS.
Part 2 here. Part 3 here. Part 4 here.
This is Part 1.
Mercedes: link here. Just think, if Mercedes, et al, source their lithium from China, their EVs won't qualify for tax credits.
Ferrari:
you can do the research, but my hunch is that Ferrari isn't having a
stellar year based on EVs, but rather conventional ICEs. Their business
is about making fast cars, making money, and not keeping Greta happy.
Rolls Royce:
Ford, Stelllantis, GM:
they've all walked back their EV plans. And profits are surging. But
look how much they're spending on lithium. Just think, if GM, et al,
source their lithium from China, their EVs won't qualify for tax
credits.
VW:
Tesla:
recently slashed prices on old 2023 models; can't get them sold without
slashing prices (speaks volumes); they need to move them, 2024
production models starting to be delivered.
Facts / factoids / observations:
- EVs are luxury vehicles
- EVs have been around for a long time and still struggling;
- Tesla
- forgetting about the Roadster, the first Tesla was introduced in 2009
- three models, not including the rusting Cybertruck, as of 2024
- three models over fifteen years; prices slashed
- first adopters have finished adopting
- automakers are stepping back with regard to EVs
The question is "why?" Why have automakers stepped back from EVs?
Two reasons:
- folks aren't buying them; and,
- the margins suck (in fact, most American EVs are being sold at a loss
So, auto manufacturers have two challenges:
- get folks to buy their cars; and,
- increase their margins.
Fact:
- when one is talking margins in the automobile business one is talking $50K+ cars / pickups; and preferably $75K
- so, we can spend a lot of time talking cost, margins, supply chain, China lithium, etc, but that doesn't interest me
- what
interests me is the second question: other than price, how are auto
manufacturers going to get Americans to buy EVs (not as their third car,
or even their second car, but their first car and only car(s)?
Why aren't Americans -- other than price -- not buying EVs?
This is what's interesting. No one wants to say the real answer out loud so they make up all these other reasons.
Reasons:
- range anxiety
- short range
- too long to fully charge
- 30 minutes for a full charge when "on the road" or overnight when home
- lack
of infrastructure: charging points few and far between; when one finds a
charging point, a risk of a waiting line; a risk that the charging
point is inoperable
So, we can go through a litany of similar reasons why Americans aren't buying EVs, but they're not "reasons," they're excuses.
Excuses:
The Phil LeBeaus of the world and the auto CEOs of the world and EV apologists have a long list of "reasons" why EVs aren't being bought by Americans, but they're simply "excuses."
Even
if the range issues and the price issues and the infrastructure issues
were all resolved overnight, Americans would not buy EVs to any
meaningful degree.
How do I know that?
Look at the stories above regarding Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz.
If
money was to be made in EVs, these manufacturers would be marketing
them. Their customers can afford two, three, four or more ICE vehicles
and drive their luxury EVs when and where they want -- local and within
the 250-mile range.
The fact is, even the rich and famous don't like EVs. And therein likes the problem.
Enough for now. I'll complete this later, but I think folks can connect the dots from here.
But
to help those who can't connect the dots, let's say Taylor Swift
started an advertising campaign to convince folks not to buy EVs ....
And then this: imagine a salesman trying to explain charging to a prospective buyer.
But this post just blows me away:
******************************************
Understanding EV Charging
Re-posting.
Locator: 45415B.
Updates
December 10, 2023: F-150 Lightning update.
December 10, 2023: EV chargers -- nice update.
August 27, 2023: tech writer for The WSJ buys an EV for the family. The "buying experience" here at "YouTube." Exactly why EVs will not catch on for a long, long time.
Original Post
I know very little about cars or car engines, but when shopping for a new car, all I need to know is mpg. One number. Okay, two: city / highway.
- I never ask about range
- I never ask about the kind of pump I need to use
I know nothing about electricity and nothing about EVs, but when shopping for a new car, I need to know:
- type of connector
- type of charging station
- the size of the tire which affects range
- range on a fully charged battery (see below)
- a very cold day
- a “normal” day
- a very hot day
- level charging station: level 1, 2, or 3
- how long does it take to fully charge the vehicle
- how do I know when it is optimally charged? What is the optimal charging range?
- advertised range vs actual range (this is more relevant than you will ever realize until after you’ve bought the car);
This
is how I understand it (right, wrong, or indifferent) now. This is how I
would explain it to Sophia, subject to editing, correcting, and adding
more information as I get a better understanding and as technology,
batteries, charging stations evolve over time.
This is the most important graphic. It doesn't require any understanding of anything; just keep the graphic in you mind.
What to note in the graph:
- the left side of the graph/chart:
- the charging stations you see in parking lots around town
- measured in kW (you don't even have to know what a kW is -- just know that's how EV charging station ports are "rated;
- in the example: one charging port is rated at 7.5 kW; the other charting port is rated at 60 kW
- some existing ports are now rated higher than 60 kW
- as time goes on, the ratings will increase in size (power)the right side of the chart:
- this is your car, your EV
- when
you talk to your dealer or to you friend, you will ask about / talk
about the "size of the battery" or the "battery's energy" -- or whatever
the phrase is
- if you don't have much money, the EV you buy will have a battery with a lower energy rating, such as 15 kWh in this example;
- if you are rich, you will be able to afford an EV with a "bigger battery" -- such as 120 kWh in this example
- like most things in life (but not golf scores), bigger is better
- buy the "biggest" EV you can afford
Charging: in the graph above --
- when
you pull into a charging station, the greater the rating of the
charging station, in this case 7.5 vs 56, the faster you can charge your
EV
- so, why doesn't everyone just plug into the the charging port / station with the higher / highest rating, 56 in this case
- you can't plug your cheap little EV into a charging station that has too much power for your little pathetic EV
- so,
in the example above, if your pathetic little EV is rated at 15 kWh, it
cannot plug into a charging unit with a higher rating.
- so, in the example above, you can only plug your 15-kWh-rated pathetic little EV into the 7.5-kW-rated charging port / station
And that's all you need to know.
Except for this, in the graph above: the small print.
In
the graphic above, the bigger car rated at 120kWh pulls up to the
charging unit rated at 60kW. The car takes a charge for two hours. Two
(2) hrs x 60 kW = 120 kWh which is what the bigger car in the graph
above is rated.
So, a "big" car with a rating of 120 kWh can be fully charged in two hours if plugged into a charger rated at 60 kW.
If
that "big" car with a rating of 120 kWh pulls into a charging station
rated at 7.5 kW, it will take .... 120 / 7.5 = 16 hours to fully
charge.
Okay, so that's all you need to know.
But there's a lot more one can know if one is interested.
We
shouldn't have to say this but an EV rated at 120 kWH can "last longer"
(longer range, all things being equal) than a pathetic little EV rated
at 15 kWh.
*******************************
Charging Stations
Level 1 vs level 2 vs level 3 charging stations
Level 1
- 120 volts — AC
- your garage
- absolutely worthless
Level 2
- 240 volts — AC
- can be installed in your garage
- In the Target parking lot
- at 60 kW, two hours to “achieve” 120 kWh, so four hours to fully charge a soccer mom’s SUV
Level 3
- 480 volts — DC
- not at your house, ever
************************
Connectors
Connector type: non-Tesla
- J1772: level 1 and level 2
- CCS1: level 3
***************************
Miscellaneous
Other facts / factoids / opinions / comments:
- hybrids
are fake EVs -- they are the worst thing one can buy in the "EV family"
but Ford is now transitioning to hybrids ... more on that later. Ford
will sell a lot of hybrids, as well as Toyota will sell a lot of
hybrids. That's good for the car companies but bad for you; really bad
for the roads (but you won't care about that); and really, really, bad
for the environment (again, something you won't care about. You will be
happy just knowing that you are part of the EV community).
- Ford is "going all out" with hybrids. Link here.
- charging
stations prone to “breaking down”; generally, outside of big cities, if
the charging station you visit is “out of order,” you are really “out
of luck.” If you thought running out of gas is bad, you haven’t
experienced the seventh level of hell until you experience a dead
battery and a broken charging unit.
