From Love to Hate in one Roadtrip

[Evoforce]

As a pilot with two small airplanes, I concur. Before every flight, we "pre-flight" the aircraft, checking everything we can see, move, or touch -- to be sure that it is working as it should. They do the same thing on commercial airliners too -- next time you're waiting at an airport, watch either the captain or the first officer walk around the plane, checking every visible part and piece of the plane.

I am a pilot also and yes we were trained to do that to become licensed. But... I noticed that you said that you do it before flying and didn't mention that you check your car that thoroughly before driving each time.

Now technically, we probably should check our cars daily before driving, but most do not and are not that thorough if or when we do check our cars daily before driving.

While I agree that (I) would have checked to make sure that the car would Supercharge because it was critical to the trip, it may not have been easy or convenient for the OP.

So, I can look at myself and say that I should have checked the chademo adapter that I bought new, but I assumed it would work and it was not convenient to test it.. The first time that I needed it, I discovered that it was defective.

It caused me some nail biting and a delay of trip until the next day. Luckily, a friend loaned me his. It is easy for people to say pilot error, right?

I should have checked it right after buying it but didn't because I assumed it would work and it wasn't convenient. The next replacement (new one) I checked it right away.

Will I start checking my car ever day like a pre-flight? Dang it, No. I just don't want to take that amount of effort everyday even though I should.

 

[Canuck]

I couldn’t connect to the Supercharger. An orange ring and a could not connect was presented at the first stall.... and the second.... and the third... and the fourth....

That sucks. I remember how my heart sunk late on a rainy night trying to get home and I couldn't get it unplugged from the supercharger, and only for a few minutes. The only way I could get it out was by pushing it in really hard but that's another issue. I've never had a problem getting it to charge.

 

[Evoforce]

That sucks. I remember how my heart sunk late on a rainy night trying to get home and I couldn't get it unplugged from the supercharger, and only for a few minutes. The only way I could get it out was by pushing it in really hard but that's another issue. I've never had a problem getting it to charge.

Yes, I don't know what your issue was but I have had that happen a few times. I figured out with mine that it didn't recognize that I approached from the rear and didn't (see me). Phone app also works good for charge port.

 

[lotusland]

Assuming this story is accurate -- and I don't really trust anything I read on the internet -- this is a colossal failure on the part of Tesla. There is no excuse for any car to have been delivered with the bad connector once the problem was identified. This is not how things work in the automotive industry and Tesla is sowing a huge amount of concern and distaste with stories like this one. This is not a growing pain -- they appear to know there is a problem and they are delivering cars that still have the problem. They had a 2nd chance to get it right and again failed to serve this customer when he called in.

You guys saying things like "do a preflight" don't seem to grasp the basic expectations that consumers have for automobiles. Frankly you are not helping by trying to defend Tesla in even the slightest way.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

When I check on mine it just says charging not supercharging.

Last time I was at service they took the car in the back and the app showed “Supercharging” before they disabled app access

 

[speedy]

Will I start checking my car ever day like a pre-flight? Dang it, No. I just don't want to take that amount of effort everyday even though I should.

I think people are taking this out of context. I never advocated checking everything everyday. I just said that if I was going to have to depend on something working during the trip for the first time (such as supercharging), I would have checked it out first. That's what I do, even if the expectation is that it should work, but that's just me. YMMV...

 

[Evoforce]

Assuming this story is accurate -- and I don't really trust anything I read on the internet -- this is a colossal failure on the part of Tesla. There is no excuse for any car to have been delivered with the bad connector once the problem was identified. This is not how things work in the automotive industry and Tesla is sowing a huge amount of concern and distaste with stories like this one. This is not a growing pain -- they appear to know there is a problem and they are delivering cars that still have the problem. They had a 2nd chance to get it right and again failed to serve this customer when he called in.

You guys saying things like "do a preflight" don't seem to grasp the basic expectations that consumers have for automobiles. Frankly you are not helping by trying to defend Tesla in even the slightest way.

I not sure that I saw anywhere that people weren't in agreement that this charge port issue/problem is the Manufacturers fault and that Tesla should do a better job. I did not see anyone defending Tesla for having a charge port defect on a small run of vehicles. Tesla needs to immediately make good with people having this defect. Not notifying people who possibly had this defect was also an oversight.

When my car broke down, I had a different experience with Tesla and opposite from the OP and I don't know why. I called Tesla Roadside Service and they very much cared about helping me and my family. Who they called at Tesla, and why it didn't work, would only be a guess from me. I would be upset if those things happened to me too!

 

[alloverx]

As one mentioned previously (and by me in another thread days back). Tesla knows the VINs affected and should send a letter and possibly be forced to do a recall. Its that simple.
In terms of making it right, a small company would do something, a large company likely not. Tesla is a large company.

 

[Hota]

I do not agree with this statement. Every machine needs to be checked periodically and before an intense or long use. This is true of ICE vehicles and their manuals state such. This is true of industrial equipment in factories, trains, airplanes, etc. It is true of an electric vehicle too.

Give me a break. This isn't a wear part like brakes or tires. This is supposed to fit 100% of the time. The customer shouldn't be the final QC for Tesla.

With your last ICE car did you test the gas pump nozzle to see if it would fit in your car before taking a road trip?

 

[mattack4000]

Mine was built in December too and I had to perform some serious humping to get it in. They shaved the plastic to fix it

The charge port for my S75D also built in December 2017 has been fine for me. Tightness when plugging the charger in just has never been an issue. Pulling it out did require some getting used to for a few days. I did also run into the issue with the UMC box flashing red at home a couple of times, but a quick unplugging/plugging from the outlet always resolved it.

Reading about the charge port issue from other owners whose cars were built around the same time as mine did give me enough concern that I went to a couple of the nearest Superchargers (Monroe and Lynnwood) to try it out in recent weeks. Again, no tightness when plugging in, but I did have to push it a bit more to turn the port from orange to green. I didn't have to wiggle it or anything. It's more push than what I'd need to do at home, but at the same time I don't think one needed to be Captain America to do it either. Even though I've always thought my charge port is fine, I have to say that having successfully tested it at a couple of Superchargers does give me that extra confidence for the upcoming road trips that I'm planning to take. It also helped in getting a feel for what it's like using a Supercharger overall.

Just wanted to add a data point that not all December 2017 builds are having the same problem and share what particular technique worked for me at the Superchargers.

 

[R.S]

Not to take away from the fact that it should have worked or your frustration, but if it was me, I would have tested Supercharging before embarking on a trip that depends on it. And in fact, I did actually test mine, even before a road trip, to get familiar with the process and determine my expected charge rate, etc.

Did the same thing with all of my petrol cars, first drive it to the gas station and look if it does actually refuel...

Things like this are just supposed to work. I did my first supercharging on my first road trip as well and it worked as expected. Both are made by Tesla, so both should work perfectly together. I can fully understand the OP here. And I feel really sorry for him, he got an EV despite his wife's worries, just to be let down by Tesla.

IMO they should have towed his car to the nearest SC, while giving him a loaner with a working charging port.

 

[NewTMSMan]

I think everyone agrees this is a manufacturing issue that Tesla should take care of.

I also think it is good advice, with Teslas, to check things out before taking a road trip for the first time just to fully orient yourself as well as ensure things are working properly. Would I have done this with prior ICE cars, no, but as a Tesla owner I would give that advice to any new owner given that there are periodic issues still, it just seems like safe advice.

 

[RAW84]

I think everyone agrees this is a manufacturing issue that Tesla should take care of.

I also think it is good advice, with Teslas, to check things out before taking a road trip for the first time just to fully orient yourself as well as ensure things are working properly. Would I have done this with prior ICE cars, no, but as a Tesla owner I would give that advice to any new owner given that there are periodic issues still, it just seems like safe advice.

So you would've advised the OP to take a two hour pre-trip to check that the car can supercharge before embarking on a five hour trip?

That's an unreasonable expectation.

 

[NewTMSMan]

So you would've advised the OP to take a two hour pre-trip to check that the car can supercharge before embarking on a five hour trip?

That's an unreasonable expectation.

Looks like 36 minutes each way to me....

Google Maps

Of course I don't know his exact address, but I drove about 45 minutes each way to try it out for the first time, but hey, that's just my advice, no one needs to take it.

 

[RAW84]

Looks like 36 minutes each way to me....

Google Maps

Of course I don't know his exact address, but I drove about 45 minutes each way to try it out for the first time, but hey, that's just my advice, no one needs to take it.

He stated how far the current closest supercharger is....

As for testing the car before I left - the closest Supercharger is an hour away (at least for now - they’re building one 10 mins from my home). I don’t think it’s reasonable to take a 2 hour round trip to ensure something so critical and basic on my new car is working before taking a 5 hour one way trip. I am generally practical - but also don’t have hours of time to waste to cover other people’s mistakes.

...a completely unreasonable expectation for pre-trip precaution.

 

[toolioiep]

So a final update...

While heading to the destination charger I arranged to access on Sun morning (with about 100km of charge) I passed the Kingston Supercharger. Figuring why not - I opted to try again.

Having read the posts in this thread I went in with new resolve to “give it my everything” in terms of force to get a connection. After about 30 mins of trying with countless insertions I was pretty much ready to walk away. Giving all effort to push did nothing. It took two hands and bracing against the tire to remove the connection in most instances. With a resolve to try one more time I put an extreme amount of downward pressure on the charger as per the advice of one poster... and connected!

Crisis averted.

Charged for about an hour to around 375km and headed back to my family with the good news. A family breakfast - countless explanations on what the issue is and some hugs and we were on our way back.

Without enough energy to get back home a stop was required.

Back to the scene of the crime - and a stop at Port Hope.

Being an expert now on what to do I was able to secure a connection at this Supercharger - after about 20 mins of trying. Not ideal but serviceable. The trip home occurred without incident.

Having read this thread I thought I would offer a few thoughts on some comments made:

- wonderful support from this community. To the poster who offered their home to charge I could not be more greatful. Truly the world would be a better place with more people such as yourself. While ultimately not needed - your selfless generosity could not be more appreciated. Similar thoughts to all those that offered advice - much appreciated as it ultimately helped get me through this whole thing.

- in terms of those suggesting I should have prepared in advance - I believe I did. I’ve charged daily with my HPWC which uses a Tesla connector. No issues. I’ve used a couple of public chargers with the adaptors provided by Tesla with no issue. I’ve even used the mobile charger on occasion with no issue. Why would I suspect that the Supercharger would be any different? Especially given how recently my car was picked up for delivery. I get being prepared - but I think I was more than reasonable with my expectations.

- in terms of what could Tesla have done? I’m not unreasonable and the type of person who makes all sorts of silly demands. I would have been content with some empathy. I get that a service person on the phone can’t make mountains move on a Sat evening - but at least make me think you’re making an effort. I was fortunate that I’m resourceful and knowledgeable enough to come up with workarounds to make do. Had this been my wife or someone without as much EV knowledge they would have been screwed with little sympathy from the company that put them there. That’s not acceptable.

- I will certainly be taking the car into be serviced and will politely let them know about my situation and displeasure. No need for additional compensation but I am expecting an apology and more empathy than received with Roadside assistance.

- this experience doesn’t detract from my love of the car. It drove itself 95% of the trip and that made for a more enjoyable drive. I loved the experience (most of it) and suspect my family will too with time. My wife softened when a solution started to present itself showing that she isn’t unreasonable but more frustrated with the situation.

- funny comment made by a member of my family: “Well of course they gave you free Supercharging - it’s not costing them anything for something you can’t use. You might as well say they are giving you a free Lambo and house too”. I chuckled at that. Not accurate - but comical given the situation.

So alls we’ll that ends well. In the end I was just disappointed. This is a situation that should have been prevented and the initial corporate response that should have been better. I’ll probably place less value in stories of Tesla’s “Superior Customer Service” - but having come from an Audi I can’t say I’m used to being treated well by service departments.

I’ll post an update after my visit to the SC - which will probably be a few weeks as I’m away on business for the next 5 days (a day late thanks to this - but not the end of the world).

 

[NewTMSMan]

He stated how far the current closest supercharger is....


...a completely unreasonable expectation for pre-trip precaution.

Not a pre-trip recommendation, a first time owner recommendation. Different, but again, just advice, you can deem it unreasonable and decide not to take the advice, that's fine. BTW, he said one hour each way, but I think he was using hyperbole to make a point. Almost not possible to be an hour away from this supercharger and 10 minutes from the new one being constructed.

 

[bonnie]

So a final update...

While heading to the destination charger I arranged to access on Sun morning (with about 100km of charge) I passed the Kingston Supercharger. Figuring why not - I opted to try again.

Having read the posts in this thread I went in with new resolve to “give it my everything” in terms of force to get a connection. After about 30 mins of trying with countless insertions I was pretty much ready to walk away. Giving all effort to push did nothing. It took two hands and bracing against the tire to remove the connection in most instances. With a resolve to try one more time I put an extreme amount of downward pressure on the charger as per the advice of one poster... and connected!

Crisis averted.

Charged for about an hour to around 375km and headed back to my family with the good news. A family breakfast - countless explanations on what the issue is and some hugs and we were on our way back.

Without enough energy to get back home a stop was required.

Back to the scene of the crime - and a stop at Port Hope.

Being an expert now on what to do I was able to secure a connection at this Supercharger - after about 20 mins of trying. Not ideal but serviceable. The trip home occurred without incident.

Having read this thread I thought I would offer a few thoughts on some comments made:

- wonderful support from this community. To the poster who offered their home to charge I could not be more greatful. Truly the world would be a better place with more people such as yourself. While ultimately not needed - your selfless generosity could not be more appreciated. Similar thoughts to all those that offered advice - much appreciated as it ultimately helped get me through this whole thing.

- in terms of those suggesting I should have prepared in advance - I believe I did. I’ve charged daily with my HPWC which uses a Tesla connector. No issues. I’ve used a couple of public chargers with the adaptors provided by Tesla with no issue. I’ve even used the mobile charger on occasion with no issue. Why would I suspect that the Supercharger would be any different? Especially given how recently my car was picked up for delivery. I get being prepared - but I think I was more than reasonable with my expectations.

- in terms of what could Tesla have done? I’m not unreasonable and the type of person who makes all sorts of silly demands. I would have been content with some empathy. I get that a service person on the phone can’t make mountains move on a Sat evening - but at least make me think you’re making an effort. I was fortunate that I’m resourceful and knowledgeable enough to come up with workarounds to make do. Had this been my wife or someone without as much EV knowledge they would have been screwed with little sympathy from the company that put them there. That’s not acceptable.

- I will certainly be taking the car into be serviced and will politely let them know about my situation and displeasure. No need for additional compensation but I am expecting an apology and more empathy than received with Roadside assistance.

- this experience doesn’t detract from my love of the car. It drove itself 95% of the trip and that made for a more enjoyable drive. I loved the experience (most of it) and suspect my family will too with time. My wife softened when a solution started to present itself showing that she isn’t unreasonable but more frustrated with the situation.

- funny comment made by a member of my family: “Well of course they gave you free Supercharging - it’s not costing them anything for something you can’t use. You might as well say they are giving you a free Lambo and house too”. I chuckled at that. Not accurate - but comical given the situation.

So alls we’ll that ends well. In the end I was just disappointed. This is a situation that should have been prevented and the initial corporate response that should have been better. I’ll probably place less value in stories of Tesla’s “Superior Customer Service” - but having come from an Audi I can’t say I’m used to being treated well by service departments.

I’ll post an update after my visit to the SC - which will probably be a few weeks as I’m away on business for the next 5 days (a day late thanks to this - but not the end of the world).

Really refreshing to see a post expressing disappointment in the company while layering it with a reasonable take on the situation. Welcome to the forum

 

[CRASHER]

This is a Design defect, which other automotive manufacturers would do a mandatory recall. This only highlights the poor build quality of Tesla cars and a cult like protectionism from other owners, which may be protecting Tesla from improving their quality.

 

[mongo]

This is a Design defect, which other automotive manufacturers would do a mandatory recall. This only highlights the poor build quality of Tesla cars and a cult like protectionism from other owners, which may be protecting Tesla from improving their quality.

OR it's a supplier quality defect. Doubtful Tesla would specify incompatible dimensions for plugs and connectors, and given the years of successful supercharging for most vehicles, they didn't .