I have written in this part of the forum before about my (difficult) adventures in driving from Omaha to KC and back because of the distance between SupCs if the conditions are anything but ideal. I cannot make it without, previously, L2 (so slow) charging. So...
I ordered a CHAdeMO adapter and got it last Thursday, the day before the trip. Only problem was that they sent me the wrong one, one for EU (it said on the box, which probably means Europe or European Union model) and it did not fit. After a few phone calls, I found that there was a CHAdeMO adapter (which I'll refer to as CA from now on) at the Service Center in KC and they would gladly trade me. So...
The trip down was without CHAdeMO and we made it without L2 charging, as usual, but it was tight, with only a few percentage charge left by the time we got to the SupC in Independence, and we had to drive 65 and 60 mph for a good portion of the trip. 199 miles it is between those two SupCs. Range Mode was on this time (I had forgot about that on previous trips). I guess there are just enough hills and it was cold enough (30s). I have, in ideal conditions, driven 262 miles with 10 miles to spare going the other direction, up to SD, so I know my 85D can do it when the conditions are right. So...
I swapped the CAs, the EU one for one that will work here in the States. We went to the plaza and I charged up there, learning by plugging in the first time to CHAdeMO. Everything worked fine, charged while shopping/eating. Dropped my adult child and spouse off at their home on the way out of town. We stopped and charged up to 95% at the north KC station that has CHAdeMO, then did the same at the one in St. Joe (both are at HyVees). We drove between 70 and 75 the whole way, 72 most of the time, and I got home with 18% left! And there was so much less time charging at fast stations (L3, CHAdeMO) rather than the slow ones we have had to use in the past (L2). We did not have to stop at both stations, but I wanted to find them and then, in using them, get them on the Model S map.
And I think this is how I will do the trip from now on: go from home to CB SupC to top off and then to north KC CHAdeMO to fill, then to my son's place, with energy to spare. Grab some energy when we are out and about if we can, but I won't need to go southeast 20 mi and back to go to the SupC. Then go to St. Joe L3 on the way home, charge up, drive all the way home. Given the difficult time we had in sleet/rain/cold/wind coming home last time, we save four hours.
My reticence to get the CA was its cost and I didn't think it was much faster than L2. But with my son's persistence in considering it, in finding out that L3 is fast, direct charging, and that there are two L3 stations on the way, this has turned in to the very best way to do the trip. I am very glad I got the adapter: I can drive the speed limit again! I don't have to stop as much and when I do I don't have to wait as long. In summary, if there are CHAdeMO stations between distant SupCs, a CA can be a time saver and make a trip much more enjoyable.
I ordered a CHAdeMO adapter and got it last Thursday, the day before the trip. Only problem was that they sent me the wrong one, one for EU (it said on the box, which probably means Europe or European Union model) and it did not fit. After a few phone calls, I found that there was a CHAdeMO adapter (which I'll refer to as CA from now on) at the Service Center in KC and they would gladly trade me. So...
The trip down was without CHAdeMO and we made it without L2 charging, as usual, but it was tight, with only a few percentage charge left by the time we got to the SupC in Independence, and we had to drive 65 and 60 mph for a good portion of the trip. 199 miles it is between those two SupCs. Range Mode was on this time (I had forgot about that on previous trips). I guess there are just enough hills and it was cold enough (30s). I have, in ideal conditions, driven 262 miles with 10 miles to spare going the other direction, up to SD, so I know my 85D can do it when the conditions are right. So...
I swapped the CAs, the EU one for one that will work here in the States. We went to the plaza and I charged up there, learning by plugging in the first time to CHAdeMO. Everything worked fine, charged while shopping/eating. Dropped my adult child and spouse off at their home on the way out of town. We stopped and charged up to 95% at the north KC station that has CHAdeMO, then did the same at the one in St. Joe (both are at HyVees). We drove between 70 and 75 the whole way, 72 most of the time, and I got home with 18% left! And there was so much less time charging at fast stations (L3, CHAdeMO) rather than the slow ones we have had to use in the past (L2). We did not have to stop at both stations, but I wanted to find them and then, in using them, get them on the Model S map.
And I think this is how I will do the trip from now on: go from home to CB SupC to top off and then to north KC CHAdeMO to fill, then to my son's place, with energy to spare. Grab some energy when we are out and about if we can, but I won't need to go southeast 20 mi and back to go to the SupC. Then go to St. Joe L3 on the way home, charge up, drive all the way home. Given the difficult time we had in sleet/rain/cold/wind coming home last time, we save four hours.
My reticence to get the CA was its cost and I didn't think it was much faster than L2. But with my son's persistence in considering it, in finding out that L3 is fast, direct charging, and that there are two L3 stations on the way, this has turned in to the very best way to do the trip. I am very glad I got the adapter: I can drive the speed limit again! I don't have to stop as much and when I do I don't have to wait as long. In summary, if there are CHAdeMO stations between distant SupCs, a CA can be a time saver and make a trip much more enjoyable.
