BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint Announce Completion of Electric Vehicle Express Charging Corridors

[miimura]

Wow! Only 24 kW, no Chademo, and no L2 backup!

That is more than "exceptionally poor design." That looks like deliberate design to fail. I guess that is supposed to teach us to buy an ICE car next time. Pathetic.

I think it's just enough to make the route technically passable on "fast charging" but they don't care to make it convenient or reliable. VW's basic premise is that e-Golf owners use the vehicle as a "2nd car", so why build infrastructure for long distance travel that people don't want or need. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy... I guess it's too much to ask for VW & BMW to see beyond the tip of their noses.

However, this project is not the only one with this problem. The 2014 CEC grant package included $500,000 to build out DCFC along I-5 from Stockton to Castaic. Most of those units are now installed. They are 24kW CHAdeMO-only units that have a single plug and no nearby Level 2 AC backup charging. Even with those chargers installed, I still don't want to go that route with a non-Tesla EV because the charging is too slow and the chance of something going wrong and having to scrounge for a RV socket in the middle of nowhere is just too high.

The CEC learned their lesson and funded something like $3.5M for the same corridor. The difference is that the budget now includes a dedicated transformer for each charging site. The 24kW units are just piggy-backed on an existing hotel or restaurant's utility drop.

 

[miimura]

Where were you able to look up their power rating?

PlugShare disappoints me because it doesn't appear to have this info which I would like for trip planning.

You really have to look at the pictures to figure out which charger unit is installed. In California there are only these:
ChargePoint Express 100: 24kW CCS only (62 amps DC max) - the BMW i fast charger is the same unit.
ChargePoint Express 200: 50kW CCS + CHAdeMO (125 amps DC max)
ABB Terra 53CJ: 50kW CCS + CHAdeMO (125 amps DC max)
Nissan QC: 44kW CHAdeMO only (120 amps DC max)
BTC EVP-FC-50: 50kW CCS + CHAdeMO (100 amps DC max)
BTC EVP-FC-25: 25kW CCS + CHAdeMO (52 amps DC max)
Efacec QC-45: 45kW CCS + CHAdeMO (120 amps DC max)
Blink QC: 30-60kW CHAdeMO (120 amps DC max)

Charge Point Express 100 on the left, Express 200 on the right

From left to right, Blue one is NRG Level 2, ABB Terra 53CJ, Nissan QC, NRG junction box, ChagePoint Level 2.

BTC fast charger. There are a few installed with this gray colored cabinet that are the 25kW units. All the ones installed by NRG have a white cabinet and are the 50kW units.

I don't have pictures of the Efacec or Blink because there are less of them installed, but they have prominent branding on them so they're easy to recognize.