Major mistake not including charge cables with all new vehicles!

[SwampNut]

So Tesla moved back the date and lowered the price of both the mobile charging kit and the wall connector. To $200 and $400 respectively. Considering Ford charges $800 for their wall connector, and replacement chargers for the Ford are around $285. So this doesn’t really pass the greedy corporate bastards test.

FANBOI!!!!!!

There are several Tesla owners in my neighborhood. Of those that park outside, none have installed an external Wall Connector, but instead have a cable running under the garage door to the Mobile Connector.

Same here. There's just no reason for the expensive solution, and almost nobody even needs the full 50a of the UMC. In fact, there's a penalty in my area for fast charging. We "all" have the Amazon cord hanger for the UMC by the garage door.

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[Crissa]

The UMC is capable of fast charging. How would they know?

Is a penalty even legal?

-Crissa

 

[SwampNut]

Is a penalty even legal?

Yes, it's part of the tariffs, which are specifically approved. It's not a penalty against fast charging per se, it's a "demand charge" which is basically a cost multiplier for your highest single hour of usage in a month. This pays for the peak capacity of the grid, encouraging people to use power off peak. We also have three different rates depending on time of year and day.

The UMC is capable of fast charging. How would they know?

Because the car shows the rate? Because the ones I know about are plugged into 30A outlets? Let's not use confusing terms like "fast," when we have specific terms like amps, watts, and miles per hour.

 

[SwampNut]

I'll add, that not one of the people I've helped install a 14-30 outlet had given the demand charge one single thought. It's like their brain didn't connect "EV" to "uses electricity!" Also some just thought that charging on the off-peak rate would fix the demand charge problem, but it absolutely does not.

I don't know how many places have demand charges. Most places have some kind of multi-tier rate. In winter, if I defer charging to mid-morning, I get as low as 3.1 cents.

 

[Crissa]

Because the car shows the rate? Because the ones I know about are plugged into 30A outlets? Let's not use confusing terms like "fast," when we have specific terms like amps, watts, and miles per hour.

The car doesn't tell the grid. They can't know if it's a drier or a hot water heater or a car.

-Crissa

 

[SwampNut]

The car doesn't tell the grid. They can't know if it's a drier or a hot water heater or a car.

-Crissa

You completely missed the point, and what I said. Although, my car DOES tell the grid because I signed up for that, and my car can be told to delay charging by demand. I get something like $25/quarter for doing that.

It's not a penalty against fast charging per se, it's a "demand charge" which is basically a cost multiplier for your highest single hour of usage in a month.

It's everything. So if you "fast" charge plus your AC is on plus you're making dinner in the electric oven and washing clothes...$$$$$$

 

[CyberGus]

Same here. There's just no reason for the expensive solution, and almost nobody even needs the full 50a of the UMC. In fact, there's a penalty in my area for fast charging. We "all" have the Amazon cord hanger for the UMC by the garage door.

There's nothing wrong with using the Mobile Connector at home, but doing so deprives that vehicle of any benefit while traveling.

 

[SwampNut]

There's nothing wrong with using the Mobile Connector at home, but doing so deprives that vehicle of any benefit while traveling.

...??? How so? You know it just pulls off the wall to go, like any other cord right? Although for the last road trip, I left it behind and decided to SC only, just to see how it goes.

Narrator: It was a non-event, and more fun than UMC charging because it made me discover new places.

 

[Ogre]

There's nothing wrong with using the Mobile Connector at home, but doing so deprives that vehicle of any benefit while traveling.

It just makes it a bit less convenient. You can plug/ unplug it every time you go somewhere.

 

[SwampNut]

It just makes it a bit less convenient. You can plug/ unplug it every time you go somewhere.

I feel like some of us are speaking two languages.

Road trip = take charger. Lose 15 seconds packing. Srsly

Daily usage = Who the hell needs a charger???

 

[Ogre]

I feel like some of us are speaking two languages.

Road trip = take charger. Lose 15 seconds packing. Srsly

Daily usage = Who the hell needs a charger???

I use UMC exclusively right now for home charging so I know exactly what it’s like bringing the charger.



I think people get a little too defensive sometimes.

 

[CyberGus]

Road trip = take charger. Lose 15 seconds packing. Srsly

I'm suggesting that anyone studious enough to adequately prepare for a trip will have also opted to purchase a MC, if needed. The careless will often neglect to include the MC in their travels, even if it was provided with the vehicle.

 

[CyberGus]

I think people get a little too defensive sometimes.

NO I DONT

 

[SwampNut]

I think people get a little too defensive sometimes.

Yeah, I see a lot of that here too. Like, you just defended the usage, but then again, I probably could have quoted someone else.

Some other good points about preparedness above, agreed.

 

[Crissa]

You completely missed the point, and what I said. Although, my car DOES tell the grid because I signed up for that, and my car can be told to delay charging by demand. I get something like $25/quarter for doing that.



It's everything. So if you "fast" charge plus your AC is on plus you're making dinner in the electric oven and washing clothes...$$$$$$

Yeah, but that design makes it pretty impossible for people to avoid it.

-Crissa

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