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Evgo 350 kW 4 station charger in Baker, Ca. (June 2017)
- Thread starter RubberToe
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- California USA
I find it interesting that both the CE version (400VAC) and UL version (480VAC) of the Terra HP both list 265A as the rated maximum grid draw.
It is also interesting that one 175kW charging cabinet can only power one pedestal. There is no mention of being able to charge multiple cars at lower powers from a single cabinet. The Dynamic DC arrangement is two cabinets and two pedestals, up to 350kW (500A max) to one vehicle.
The ChargePoint Express Plus system seems much more flexible and efficient during the transition to higher power vehicles. I had expected to see at least one of those systems installed by now too. However, in retrospect, they were announced at a CES 2017, so you typically have to add a year to anything good announced there...
It is also interesting that one 175kW charging cabinet can only power one pedestal. There is no mention of being able to charge multiple cars at lower powers from a single cabinet. The Dynamic DC arrangement is two cabinets and two pedestals, up to 350kW (500A max) to one vehicle.
The ChargePoint Express Plus system seems much more flexible and efficient during the transition to higher power vehicles. I had expected to see at least one of those systems installed by now too. However, in retrospect, they were announced at a CES 2017, so you typically have to add a year to anything good announced there...
Actually, I’m not sure the Baker site was funded by CEC. It may instead be part of the NRG settlement with CA for their electricity market shananigans. EVgo is getting grants for some other forthcoming sites.
The only EVgo grant sites I've seen in the CEC documents are between Sacramento and Red Bluff. Those sites are:
Willows
Williams
Dunnigan
Woodland
Yuba City
ChargePoint was awarded a site in Baker at 72363 Baker Blvd and the CEC documents say that they are planning 4 DCFC units and one L2 unit. That site appears to be a Valero gas station and Subway / Pizza Hut / A&W all in the building behind the pumps.
Just published....
New Year Brings Ultra-Fast Charging to US Highways - HybridCars.com
Thanks to RubberToe for permission to use his new photo of the Baker site.
New Year Brings Ultra-Fast Charging to US Highways - HybridCars.com
Thanks to RubberToe for permission to use his new photo of the Baker site.
Yes, I meant that Tesla owners are going to use it, and not only because there are 40 Supercharger stalls in Baker, but because they won’t be able to charge faster at this new EVgo location because all Teslas built to date and likely for awhile to come can’t charge at over 135kW anyway.
I do agree with you that from the perspective of being interested in new charging technology, this EVgo station is fascinating. When are EVs going to be available to take advantage of such high charge rates? I think we are years away from that. Porsche has made claims, but their future EVs are still...in the future.
cpa
Active Member
Yes, I meant that Tesla owners are going to use it, and not only because there are 40 Supercharger stalls in Baker, but because they won’t be able to charge faster at this new EVgo location because all Teslas built to date and likely for awhile to come can’t charge at over 135kW anyway.
I do agree with you that from the perspective of being interested in new charging technology, this EVgo station is fascinating. When are EVs going to be available to take advantage of such high charge rates? I think we are years away from that. Porsche has made claims, but their future EVs are still...in the future.
Not to argue with you, Fan.
Why would EVgo spend the money today for such a high-powered charging station that cannot be utilized by any vehicle now or for the foreseeable future? It seems silly to me, the hype and publicity notwithstanding.
It is a chicken/egg problem. Why would you build a charger with capabilities that can't be used yet? Why would you build a car that can charge rates that aren't supported by any charging stations. Someone has to give first or no progress will ever be made.
For me, their charge costs are way too high. I'd imagine they'd have to improve that sometime in the near future to stay competitive... Or this seems to be a waste, especially if you could build 3-4 slower chargers. Might just be a good way to use the grant money quickly though...
There is no evidence that this site is supported in any way by grants. It is the first EVgo site with chargers >50kW, so in that respect it has value as a development site for EVgo so that they work out the bugs and figure out how to do it better as they plan to install these units at other sites in the future. The prototype unit in Fremont is the only other known EVgo installation >50kW, but that one is not open to the public.
That might be possible for that "one" site. I'm talking about all/most of the others in the map. I don't like the EVgo buisness model. By slow chargers I mean level 2 chargers (with hopes of them being faster high Amp ones such as the 80A ones).
VW starts building its massive EV charging network under ‘Electrify America’
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This thread is specifically about the EVgo Baker site. There is a separate thread on TMC to discuss the Electrify America buildout.
VW Fallout: $2.0 Billion for ZEV Infrastructure Buildout
VW Fallout: $2.0 Billion for ZEV Infrastructure Buildout
The Baker site was built as part of a legal settlement between NRG (EVgo’s original parent) and the State of California in 2012. It arose from a set aside pot of allocated money and was specifically proposed in 2015.
Here’s the letter approving it:
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6442453061
Here’s the settlement web page which the details and a set of links to the regular status updates that EVgo files with California:
NRG Settlement
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Thanks for the links. Technically not a grant, but a settlement. It's interesting that the Baker site is identified as a site "intended to bring auto OEMs, EVSE, and cable manufacturers together to demonstrate and facilitate testing and development of standards and equipment" for "Extreme High Power DC Charging".
Other notable takeaways from the 3Q17 report:
- Maximum walk-up charging fee raised to $15 for 50kW stations, $25 for higher power stations.
- Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley regions have met deployment targets
- LA Basin still needs 30 more sites to meet its target and the San Diego region needs 4 more.
- 175 of the 200 required sites are complete, 14 are currently under construction.
- The original target was 200 sites complete by year end 2016 but only 161 were completed by that time.
Other notable takeaways from the 3Q17 report:
- Maximum walk-up charging fee raised to $15 for 50kW stations, $25 for higher power stations.
- Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley regions have met deployment targets
- LA Basin still needs 30 more sites to meet its target and the San Diego region needs 4 more.
- 175 of the 200 required sites are complete, 14 are currently under construction.
- The original target was 200 sites complete by year end 2016 but only 161 were completed by that time.
It does seem like not much has changed in the last month or so.
I was told by EVgo that it was supposed to be completed by the end of the 1st quarter or, in other words, by March 31.
It's threads/stories like this that cause me to roll my eyes when people just assume that any other entity (GM, VW, etc.) can effortlessly roll out a Nationwide changing network that is even 1/10 the scale of the Supercharger network. I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, I will enjoy watching what is the modern equivalent of a 3 Stooges episode...
And also somewhat related: I went to watch a baseball game at a local park, which had a library next door. Much to my surprise, there was a sign pointing to "EV Charger". Figured I would plug in just for the pure joy of it for an hour. To my even greater surprise, there was a L3 Chargepoint DCFC sitting next to the L2 Chargepoint charger I carry a Chargepoint card so I thought I would do the DCFC, again, just for the pure joy of it. Spent about 10 minutes trying to find the magical sequence of: 1) card swipe, 2) disconnect Chademo, 3) plug into car, 4) press start button, 5) check screen for instructions, 6) figure out why it is not working, 7) go back to step #1, 8) lather, rinse, repeat.
After 10 minutes, I just moved to the L2 charger and spent only about 3 minutes jumping through the hoops. Even my cousin who was visiting, and was with me on a prior Vegas trip in a rented Model X, pointed out how the Supercharger network was dead simple. DEAD SIMPLE. Anyone building a fast charging network that isn't as DEAD SIMPLE as just plugging in and walking away is going to be SIMPLY DEAD.
RT
when people just assume that any other entity (GM, VW, etc.) can effortlessly roll out a Nationwide changing network that is even 1/10 the scale of the Supercharger network. I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, I will enjoy watching what is the modern equivalent of a 3 Stooges episode... And also somewhat related: I went to watch a baseball game at a local park, which had a library next door. Much to my surprise, there was a sign pointing to "EV Charger". Figured I would plug in just for the pure joy of it for an hour. To my even greater surprise, there was a L3 Chargepoint DCFC sitting next to the L2 Chargepoint charger
I carry a Chargepoint card so I thought I would do the DCFC, again, just for the pure joy of it. Spent about 10 minutes trying to find the magical sequence of: 1) card swipe, 2) disconnect Chademo, 3) plug into car, 4) press start button, 5) check screen for instructions, 6) figure out why it is not working, 7) go back to step #1, 8) lather, rinse, repeat.After 10 minutes, I just moved to the L2 charger and spent only about 3 minutes jumping through the hoops. Even my cousin who was visiting, and was with me on a prior Vegas trip in a rented Model X, pointed out how the Supercharger network was dead simple. DEAD SIMPLE. Anyone building a fast charging network that isn't as DEAD SIMPLE as just plugging in and walking away is going to be SIMPLY DEAD.
RT
It's threads/stories like this that cause me to roll my eyes
And also somewhat related: I went to watch a baseball game at a local park, which had a library next door. Much to my surprise, there was a sign pointing to "EV Charger". Figured I would plug in just for the pure joy of it for an hour. To my even greater surprise, there was a L3 Chargepoint DCFC sitting next to the L2 Chargepoint charger
After 10 minutes, I just moved to the L2 charger and spent only about 3 minutes jumping through the hoops. Even my cousin who was visiting, and was with me on a prior Vegas trip in a rented Model X, pointed out how the Supercharger network was dead simple. DEAD SIMPLE. Anyone building a fast charging network that isn't as DEAD SIMPLE as just plugging in and walking away is going to be SIMPLY DEAD.
RT
Well people tolerate similar experiences all the time for gasoline, so I think DEAD is dramatic, but yes, the completion is far from being close to Tesla’s network.
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