CCS Adapter for North America

[MP3Mike]

Interesting development, Tesla has received approval for funding from California for 4 Supercharger installations. (One of which will be 164 DCFC stalls.) One of the requirements is that at least 50% of the connectors have to be CCS. (How do they count "connectors" when a single stall has both a TPC and CCS? Does that count as 1 connector that is CCS, or does that count as 2 connectors with 1 being CCS? In other words does every stall have to have both connectors, or can they put CCS on just half of the stalls?)

Tesla Obtains Funding to Build Four Massive Superchargers, Including World's Largest

As electric vehicle adoption increases, new legislation and funding has been proposed in order to accelerate the expansion of the public charging network. One of those funding programs is the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation […]

driveteslacanada.ca

It looks like they are planned to be completed between late 2023 and early 2025. So it may be a while until we see their CCS solution.

 

[theothertom]

(How do they count "connectors" when a single stall has both a TPC and CCS? Does that count as 1 connector that is CCS, or does that count as 2 connectors with 1 being CCS? In other words does every stall have to have both connectors, or can they put CCS on just half of the stalls?)

The information I've seen showed a charger with both a CCS and a Tesla plug. If that's correct, then every charger would have both connectors.

 

[bradtem]

I wish Tesla started putting in more thought to the environment around these chargers. In particular, finding a way to get more than crappy chain restaurants in close proximity, and to make it easier to order food from these restaurants and eat there.

When there's a lot of land, I would also like it if stalls could be paired with a 2nd parking space where a 2nd cord can reach. The CCS cords will need to be much longer than the Tesla cords. Then allow me to charge, and if the station is full, somebody else can come and plug into the same stall using the other cord. The Tesla app would tell them which stall to pick, the one where the currently charging car will be done soonest.

Do that and then the new arrival can go off and eat without waiting in a line for a free stall. And ditto, when my car is full, it switches to the other car and I don't have to come move my car to avoid idle fees until the 2nd car is also done.

This is an easy start. Even fancier would be that when I am done, somebody waiting for my spot can unplug me, and my car moves itself to a free parking spot. You know, smart summon, but actually useful, and in a controlled, mapped environment.

 

[MP3Mike]

When there's a lot of land, I would also like it if stalls could be paired with a 2nd parking space where a 2nd cord can reach. The CCS cords will need to be much longer than the Tesla cords. Then allow me to charge, and if the station is full, somebody else can come and plug into the same stall using the other cord. The Tesla app would tell them which stall to pick, the one where the currently charging car will be done soonest.

It is unlikely that they are ever going to do this. It just isn't a good use of the space. But it has recently come out that they are going to open a new 164 stall site next year. (As well as three other really large installs in California.) So they are just going big. (If you are going to use the space, just make them all charging spots and share the available power across the site.)

 

[bradtem]

It is unlikely that they are ever going to do this. It just isn't a good use of the space. But it has recently come out that they are going to open a new 164 stall site next year. (As well as three other really large installs in California.) So they are just going big. (If you are going to use the space, just make them all charging spots and share the available power across the site.)

I was replying to that. You say it's unlikely, but the Chico supercharger is actually configured like this (no CCS cords) if they wanted. It's very strange because behind all the chargers are angled Tesla spaces with the striped parking barriers from Tesla, and some people even park in these to charge. Look at the guy using 4A. It doesn't make sense right now. They could put in extra stalls to serve these other spots -- though those would not be in the right place for them -- or they could put two cables on each stall to do what I describe. Now, the system where cars, once unplugged by a waiting driver, move themselves to an empty space does not use land, as long as they can find a space near the charger. Since most chargers are at the ass end of parking lots, that's not hard.

 

[MP3Mike]

You say it's unlikely, but the Chico supercharger is actually configured like this (no CCS cords) if they wanted. It's very strange because behind all the chargers are angled Tesla spaces with the striped parking barriers from Tesla, and some people even park in these to charge. Look at the guy using 4A. It doesn't make sense right now.

Sure, people plug in from wrong/unintended spots like that. Just like they pull in sideways and block multiple stalls. But Tesla didn't install it with that intention.

 

[bradtem]

Sure, people plug in from wrong/unintended spots like that. Just like they pull in sideways and block multiple stalls. But Tesla didn't install it with that intention.

Look again. Tesla has installed their own special wheelstops with the stripes and put in angled spaces (due to lower amount of available space) in exactly the place for plugging in from behind. However, not all spaces have something behind them. The wheelstop does make it harder to hit the Tesla stall when backing in, but it's a strange setup. And my point is, this setup could easily be used with a two-cable stall. One problem with this setup is that somebody might try to pull into 4A and get surprised to see it is taken, or even into 4B and be surprised that somebody is taking most of the power for pair 4.

As we all know, you have to park pretty precisely to get the cable to reach you, it's odd for it to happen by accident.

Streetview happened to capture this one with workers working on it. Google Maps

They dug up the spaces on the other side and built them custom. (But there is also chargepoint there.)

 

[stopcrazypp]

Look again. Tesla has installed their own special wheelstops with the stripes and put in angled spaces (due to lower amount of available space) in exactly the place for plugging in from behind. However, not all spaces have something behind them. The wheelstop does make it harder to hit the Tesla stall when backing in, but it's a strange setup. And my point is, this setup could easily be used with a two-cable stall. One problem with this setup is that somebody might try to pull into 4A and get surprised to see it is taken, or even into 4B and be surprised that somebody is taking most of the power for pair 4.

As we all know, you have to park pretty precisely to get the cable to reach you, it's odd for it to happen by accident.

Streetview happened to capture this one with workers working on it. Google Maps

They dug up the spaces on the other side and built them custom. (But there is also chargepoint there.)

You can see in the Norwegian stalls in the video I posted previously by Bjorn that they have a similar thing where they install them with parking spaces behind them, so that cars can sometimes charge from behind too. It actually works out to make it more flexible for when CCS cars have to charge.
CCS Adapter for North America

 

[reddy]

Yeah, there's a TON more than you seem to know. Baker, Mojave, Harris Ranch, San Francisco come immediately to mind.

Gallup, NM

 

[israndy]

I think the way Tesla wants to think about their sites is "Speeds up to 250kW" even though they only have 4 250s, 6 150s, and 3 72s (at Mojave anyway).

 

[cwerdna]

For those who have EA near you or on your routes, EA might be free today. Was free yesterday per reports (Electrify America complimentary sessions (stations set...), during a CA flex alert (during our heat wave ).

I did confirm that EA near my home was free past 11 pm on Friday night (flex alert over). I'm still seeing some reports today on Plugshare of EA being free.

Just check for whether it says complimentary session on the display. If it doesn't, it's almost certainly not free. Don't use a CC, NFC or app. For native CCS vehicles, just plug in. It'll eventually start by itself.

 

[israndy]

I wish I had known that yesterday, heading to an EA in San Diego

 

[Jeff N]

For those who have EA near you or on your routes, EA might be free today. Was free yesterday per reports (Electrify America complimentary sessions (stations set...), during a CA flex alert (during our heat wave ).

I did confirm that EA near my home was free past 11 pm on Friday night (flex alert over). I'm still seeing some reports today on Plugshare of EA being free.

Just check for whether it says complimentary session on the display. If it doesn't, it's almost certainly not free. Don't use a CC, NFC or app. For native CCS vehicles, just plug in. It'll eventually start by itself.

It’s been free in Oregon today during my drive back to California. I didn’t think to look for anything saying complementary charging since I was going to use it anyway. The dispensers are showing a special screen explaining that they are doing system upgrades.

 

[avs007]

It’s been free in Oregon today during my drive back to California. I didn’t think to look for anything saying complementary charging since I was going to use it anyway. The dispensers are showing a special screen explaining that they are doing system upgrades.

Same in Washington. I saw on plugshare people were saying it was free, so I rolled into Walmart with 20 % SoC, and verified it was indeed free today

 

[cwerdna]

I can confirm it was free again tonight at a different EA site. Unfortunately, the locking tangs on both CCS handles at the charger I was using was broken again. I called it into EA. It's happened a lot at that site + a nearby site.

I was able to charge but had to be extra careful to not knock the handle loose and of course, I stopped from the charger side before unplugging.

Yes about the upgrade screen. Was showing today and last night. The key though is it saying complimentary session on the screen where it shows both handles.

 

[israndy]

Can't believe I kept forgetting to drive by EA's on the drive back to SF from LA. Force of habit stoping at the slow rest stop free DC fast charging instead. It was even on my agenda to stop at the one in San Leandro at my exit, drove right by it.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

Can't believe I kept forgetting to drive by EA's ...

Unless you plan out your EA charge stops prior to a long road trip it's pretty hard to figure these sites in your charging plans. Prior to taking our two per year AZ~Cape Cod~AZ trips I go into PlugShare and (tediously) figure out the EA sites which are near SC sites. Those are the EA sites I will sometimes stop at.

For complicated reasons, on the last such trip (Aug 24th~Aug 29th) we were only able to use five EA sites on that 2,925 mile long ride. All five worked out just fine.

Rich

 

[cwerdna]

There are reports of problems at some EA stations. See below. FWIW, the two sites I tried (one on Friday and the other on Saturday, both of which I already mentioned) were fine on those days.

EA software update has gone south

www.chevybolt.org

EA software update has gone south

www.chevybolt.org

 

[tps5352]

Was handing off a Tesla CCS1 adapter to another TMC person this afternoon and we found that the Davis, California Bank of America Electrify America site was free (for us both). Good deal.

 

[avs007]

Was handing off a Tesla CCS1 adapter to another TMC person this afternoon and we found that the Davis, California Bank of America Electrify America site was free (for us both). Good deal.

That particular one is awesome because it's 375A, so you can pull 149kw from it. At least, I did...