Who Has The World's Biggest EV Charging Network? Trigger Warning: It Ain't Tesla
This was my response. Hopefully the moderator will allow my comment through on Forbes:
When comparing Tesla's supercharger network to CHAdeMO, there are several key points that were left out of the article that make a fundamental difference in the usability of each of these charging networks.
1) CHAdeMO's fastest charging rate is 62.5KW vs Tesla's 120KW soon to be 150KW. This means the 20 minute bathroom and drink refresh stop that you do in your Tesla to charge up enough to drive the 2.5 hours to the next supercharger is now going to be a 40 minute stop each and every time. But wait, that's only if you actually get the 62.5KW. If you've read the accounts of people actually using CHAdeMO, the actual L3 charging rates are generally far lower than the maximum that the spec can handle. Now your bathroom and drink stop has been stretched out to more time than you're actual travel time to the next charger. Not practical for convenient long distance travel.
2) CHAdeMO doesn't have a bank of charging stalls for most locations. Most locations have a single charging stall while Superchargers have anywhere from 6 to 14 stalls. Nobody is going to plan a trip using CHAdeMO if they might have to wait several hours before they can get their turn. Not a chance.
3) CHAdeMO is more often inoperable. Yes, Supercharger stacks go out from time to time and you end up with a pair of stalls that charge slower or not at all, but when you have 6 to 14 stalls at each location this is nowhere near as big a deal as when you pull up to the ONE CHAdeMO spot and if it's not already taken, you're praying that it's not broken because if it is, you're stuck unless there's an L2 backup at which point you'll be stuck for the next 8 hours charging and only that's only if the L2 isn't already taken up by some other EV(add however much time it takes for that Leaf to vacate).
4) CHAdeMO has limited access at many locations. Just check the map. Many have times that match the business they are at. Many are at dealerships and are only available when the dealer is open. Many are closed on holidays which is the worst time to not have a charging network available. Also note that the CHAdeMO at dealerships are almost always in use. You can't plan a long distance trip with short charging stops with CHAdeMO.
5) CHAdeMO locations don't facilitate long distance travel. CHAdeMO locations are clustered in large metrolpolitan areas on the west and east coast and not along routes that allow you to get from one charger to the next charger without running out of juice. The middle 2/3rds of the country have a small sprinkling of CHAdeMO chargers. Look at the Tesla Supercharger map and see just how evenly spaces they are along all major routes.
The bottom line is the CHAdeMO can't be used for practical long distance travel with overall trip travel times matching typical ICE travel times like cars that use the Tesla supercharger network.
This was my response. Hopefully the moderator will allow my comment through on Forbes:
When comparing Tesla's supercharger network to CHAdeMO, there are several key points that were left out of the article that make a fundamental difference in the usability of each of these charging networks.
1) CHAdeMO's fastest charging rate is 62.5KW vs Tesla's 120KW soon to be 150KW. This means the 20 minute bathroom and drink refresh stop that you do in your Tesla to charge up enough to drive the 2.5 hours to the next supercharger is now going to be a 40 minute stop each and every time. But wait, that's only if you actually get the 62.5KW. If you've read the accounts of people actually using CHAdeMO, the actual L3 charging rates are generally far lower than the maximum that the spec can handle. Now your bathroom and drink stop has been stretched out to more time than you're actual travel time to the next charger. Not practical for convenient long distance travel.
2) CHAdeMO doesn't have a bank of charging stalls for most locations. Most locations have a single charging stall while Superchargers have anywhere from 6 to 14 stalls. Nobody is going to plan a trip using CHAdeMO if they might have to wait several hours before they can get their turn. Not a chance.
3) CHAdeMO is more often inoperable. Yes, Supercharger stacks go out from time to time and you end up with a pair of stalls that charge slower or not at all, but when you have 6 to 14 stalls at each location this is nowhere near as big a deal as when you pull up to the ONE CHAdeMO spot and if it's not already taken, you're praying that it's not broken because if it is, you're stuck unless there's an L2 backup at which point you'll be stuck for the next 8 hours charging and only that's only if the L2 isn't already taken up by some other EV(add however much time it takes for that Leaf to vacate).
4) CHAdeMO has limited access at many locations. Just check the map. Many have times that match the business they are at. Many are at dealerships and are only available when the dealer is open. Many are closed on holidays which is the worst time to not have a charging network available. Also note that the CHAdeMO at dealerships are almost always in use. You can't plan a long distance trip with short charging stops with CHAdeMO.
5) CHAdeMO locations don't facilitate long distance travel. CHAdeMO locations are clustered in large metrolpolitan areas on the west and east coast and not along routes that allow you to get from one charger to the next charger without running out of juice. The middle 2/3rds of the country have a small sprinkling of CHAdeMO chargers. Look at the Tesla Supercharger map and see just how evenly spaces they are along all major routes.
The bottom line is the CHAdeMO can't be used for practical long distance travel with overall trip travel times matching typical ICE travel times like cars that use the Tesla supercharger network.
