[Usain]

Electrify America continued its build out in July with 33 new sites. That's the second-highest month.

We are up to 265 open sites with 219 sites left to open in Phase I.

Success rate for July held steady at 88%, compared to 87% in June. Some of the problems continue to be heat-related. It will be interesting to see if the success rate improves as we get into the fall.

As always, these numbers are based on PlugShare checkins. I record them each day. If an EV driver has problems but is eventually able to charge, it counts as success. If he reports that he could not charge it is a failure.

I'm still hoping for improvement. The public will not choose to buy EV's if long distance travel is not more reliable. We need to see success rates close to 99%.

Without further adieu, here are the monthly totals:

Here are the cumulative stats for each Electrify America site:

 

[GJETSON]

Dang! Staunton went online yesterday, albeit at throttled current.

 

[micantony]

Electrify America got me the 500 miles from St Petersburg to Atlanta this week. Thank You to E.A.
They seem to be putting them in in a lot of walmarts along I-75. Not sure how long they have been there as i just bought my first EV.
Used Bushnell, Lake City, Valdosta (and then stayed at a hotel with a charger in Cordelle, but didnt need to as they had chargers in Cordelle and Forsyth to get me home).
Learned alot on that journey. If not for Electrify America I would not have been able to do the drive so easily.

 

[BoltFan]

EA just turned up Fernley, NV this week. Not sure if you have that yet. Also, I'll try and check the Market West site in Sacramento to see what the Mfg. is for that. It's probably BTC.

 

[BoltFan]

@Usain,

The Market West DCFC in Natomas (Sacramento, CA) from EA are BTC; confirmed by a Plugshare user out there that just contacted me (much thanks to CP1900). ;-)

hth

 

[KeithMoon]

Anyone have any insight into the Barstow EA site (Walmart). It is supposed to open this month.

 

[Paul Gipe]

EA stations in Pismo Beach, Bakersfield, Coso Junction, and Bishop, California all are missing their transformers. Pismo Beach and Bakersfield have been without transformer for months now. Coso Junction and Bishop have been without transformers for weeks now. Otherwise the stations are complete. Kiosks are in, batteries are in, enclosures up. There is something going on with EA that so many stations in Central California have been installed in time to meet their CARB requirements but not actually put into service.

Paul

 

[Usain]

EA just turned up Fernley, NV this week. Not sure if you have that yet. Also, I'll try and check the Market West site in Sacramento to see what the Mfg. is for that. It's probably BTC.

Got it. Check out line 264.

 

[Usain]

@Usain,

The Market West DCFC in Natomas (Sacramento, CA) from EA are BTC; confirmed by a Plugshare user out there that just contacted me (much thanks to CP1900). ;-)

hth

Thanks! Got it.

 

[wonderbolt]

Four locations opened the last day of the month! They certainly are sustaining the momentum of new stations coming on-line at a rate of about 1 per day this year. 212 days (July 31st) and 205 stations opened so far! Great to see, and very luckily, they opened a couple of locations along I-90 this month in NY very important to my travel.

 

[Vertiformed]

EA stations in Pismo Beach, Bakersfield, Coso Junction, and Bishop, California all are missing their transformers. Pismo Beach and Bakersfield have been without transformer for months now. Coso Junction and Bishop have been without transformers for weeks now. Otherwise the stations are complete. Kiosks are in, batteries are in, enclosures up. There is something going on with EA that so many stations in Central California have been installed in time to meet their CARB requirements but not actually put into service.

I'd love an investigative journalist (or other concerned citizen) to do a deeper dive into this to figure out what the heck is going on.

 

[bro1999]

I wonder if PGE's bankruptcy filing has anything to do with the delays.

 

[greendave]

Thanks for the update. It's interesting to me that so many of their California locations are in places that already have DCFCs. I wonder if they are somehow piggy-backing on existing permits or...? At any rate, I hope the build-out continues at a good pace.

 

[SparkE]

It's interesting to me that so many of their California locations are in places that already have DCFCs.

Maybe because the original DCFCs were well placed for travelers? Properly chosen? Even though "located close to existing fast charge sites", it sure is nice to have 4-6 plugs per site instead of the one or two that was the norm before. Even better is the lowered electrical price, based on "how fast the car charges".

 

[121 Kw]

EA stations in Pismo Beach, Bakersfield, Coso Junction, and Bishop, California all are missing their transformers. Pismo Beach and Bakersfield have been without transformer for months now. Coso Junction and Bishop have been without transformers for weeks now. Otherwise the stations are complete. Kiosks are in, batteries are in, enclosures up. There is something going on with EA that so many stations in Central California have been installed in time to meet their CARB requirements but not actually put into service.

Paul

Huh, I just started a thread asking essentially asking when these stations are scheduled to go live. I wonder what the transformer hold up is?

 

[JaxEVLyftUber]

Given that many stations are operating at derated capacity (nominal 50 kW, typical 45 kW) I infer that holdups acquiring transformers (is that the right term?) relate to being sure that the overheating problem is managed / contained. I'm guessing the derate relates to temperature...

FYI, after several weeks of apparent inactivity, the "transformers" appear to have been installed at station Jacksonville, FL. Reels of heavy single conductor wire appear to be present - I assume that those run underground between each transformer and dispenser.

I wonder what the max DC current these EA stations will transfer...350 kW at 500 Volts works out to 700 Amps - yikes! Maybe 350 kW max will only flow into "next gen" 800+ Volt batteries

 

[GetOffYourGas]

I wonder what the max DC current these EA stations will transfer...350 kW at 500 Volts works out to 700 Amps - yikes! Maybe 350 kW max will only flow into "next gen" 800+ Volt batteries

The 350kW chargers are nominally rated at 1000V. So it's "only" 350A.

 

[JaxEVLyftUber]

That makes sense...I can't imagine the weight / thickness of a wire rated 700 Amps.

I wonder how Tesla V3 stations manage 250 kW at ~500V...that's 500 Amps!

 

[Paul Gipe]

I'd love an investigative journalist (or other concerned citizen) to do a deeper dive into this to figure out what the heck is going on.

Agreed. It's more work than I want to take on. In my experience no one will talk on the record and as soon as you identify yourself as a "writer" or journalist all you'll here is a click when they hang up. I've been getting zero response from Recargo on my formal requests for comment. I assume EA and CP are no better. I once did get a reply from EVgo but that was an exception.

Paul

 

[Paul Gipe]

I wonder if PGE's bankruptcy filing has anything to do with the delays.

This has been my suspicion as well--that the bankruptcy has played into the transformer delay. However, I've been told by Kern COG's EV person that the CPUC and PG&E have given assurances that the bankruptcy will not interfere with the roll out of EV charging in the state. I have not verified that myself.

I have also been told by Kern COG that some of the network operators did not get in the queue for transformer placement by the utilities. Duh! The queue takes months to fulfill--months, not weeks.

The rumored excuse for the EA Bakersfield station was that when PG&E went to install the transformer they--or someone--realized that the service was undersized for the amount of charging and would require reconductoring the service. The resolution they said was "months". It was months ago that I heard this rumor and the station is still off line.

I've put up comments and photos on two EA sites on the East Side (US 395): Coso Junction and Bishop. They are both complete except for their transformers.

Paul