[MotorcycleIke38]

We drove from Twin Cities to suburban Chicago last week. To get to the level 3 chargers, using Android Auto, I asked AA for "Level 3 chargers in Eau Claire, WI". It accurately directed us there! End of range anxiety! Spent about 45 minutes charging at an Electrify America spot outside of Walmart.
Next stop was at Tomah, WI, another Walmart, another hour.
Last charge before Chicagoland was in Madison at a Chargepoint at Madixon Gas and Electric....1 hour for free, paid by MG&E.

Return trip was basically the same with a fresh charge at Electrify America in Lake Zurich, IL for a 80% charge before heading home.

All in all, very satisfying! Stops weren't so bad; got to use the restrooms, get food and walk our dog.

Only complaint, gas guzzlers parked in EV charging spots at the Walmart in Eau Claire.

 

[GregBrew]

"Level 3" is not a term that is commonly used. The more common term is "DC Fast Charger", or "DCFC".

In the Tesla realm, they are often called "Superchargers".

 

[ga2500ev]

I really don't care if it's called DCFC, L3, or SuperCharger. The only thing I care about here is that newish owner had a successful charging experience. I hope we see more posts like these.

ga2500ev

 

[XJ12]

All in all, very satisfying! Stops weren't so bad; got to use the restrooms, get food and walk our dog.

Thanks for sharing. I think many have, including myself, been surprised how well one can travel in the Bolt.

 

[shrox]

Sounds like Level 3 chargers are a thing then if AA knows what you mean. DCFC is the "non-argumentative" term.

 

[eflyersteve]

I really don't care if it's called DCFC, L3, or SuperCharger. The only thing I care about here is that newish owner had a successful charging experience. I hope we see more posts like these.

ga2500ev

You'll care when a Google maps search returns too few results because you used the wrong search phrase.

 

[TFPDrive]

You'll care when a Google maps search returns too few results because you used the wrong search phrase.

Since most of us plan out our routes using PlugShare or ABRP, it's not that likely to come up. But regardless OP said "L3" and got results. GA said that he doesn't care what a new EV owner calls them if they are happy with the results. So what exactly is the problem you see in this?

 

[ga2500ev]

You'll care when a Google maps search returns too few results because you used the wrong search phrase.

Actually aBetterRoutePlanner and Plugshare are both better tools at least for now. My point is that an excited new owner who had a positive experience signs up and tells us about it, when 99% of first charging posts are negative and problematic, and they get hit with the school marm: "You're not using the right words Johnny."

Celebrate the win first. Instruct later. That's what communities should do.

ga2500ev

 

[shrox]

Since most of us plan out our routes using PlugShare or ABRP, it's not that likely to come up. But regardless OP said "L3" and got results. GA said that he doesn't care what a new EV owner calls them if they are happy with the results. So what exactly is the problem you see in this?

Common terms trip some people up. I can do both metric and imperial.

 

[MotorcycleIke38]

Common terms trip some people up. I can do both metric and imperial.

That's good. I can tell it auf Deutsch (in German) too!
Thanks everyone, I am somewhat newish, a former Volt owner. Traded the Volt for the Bolt with a Costco discount. Leasing for $193 per month.

 

[Out_of_Gas]

I am glad to see that a non-Tesla Level 3 charging network is being built out. It means that brands other than Tesla are becoming travel-viable, which should serve to drive EV prices down overall.

I own a 2018 Tesla Model S P100D, and there is nowhere in the country I won't take my car. Zero range anxiety due to the excellent Supercharger network.

I just leased my wife a 2020 Bolt Premier (single-pay lease for $5250, 3yr/36k - a **** of a good deal!) and even though it has the DCFC option, it's capped at 55kWh so it takes about an hour to charge up to 80%. We picked it up from the dealer without much charge so we plugged in on the included Level 1 charger overnight and she took it to the EA charger the next day to top off. I picked this up on Amazon and now we can share my Tesla Level 2 Wall Connector so no worries on charging locally anymore.

 

[ga2500ev]

I am glad to see that a non-Tesla Level 3 charging network is being built out.

Even though I am supportive of our new member(s) as demonstrated in post #3 above, @GregBrew is correct in post #2 that the term L3 has been long deprecated. The official terminology is DCFC Level 2. But as no stations nor EVs have ever implemented DCFC Level 1, it is simply referred to as DCFC. And as @eflyersteve responded in post #6, using deprecated terminology may get you incomplete search results.

As I posted above, first congratulate, then teach. This is the teaching moment.

ga2500ev

 

[shrox]

As a once hard core Trekker, I do appreciate proper terminology. As an artist, I don't care if someone refers to a render of a 3d model as "photoshopped", it's understood what they mean.

As to DCFC, it would be kind of neat to see a wind turbine towering over a charging site surrounded by an array of solar panels that double as shade and rain shelter. A bunch a batteries onsite as well. I'd stop.

 

[NortonCommando]

.... Spent about 45 minutes charging at an Electrify America spot outside of Walmart.
Next stop was at Tomah, WI, another Walmart, another hour.
....
All in all, very satisfying! Stops weren't so bad; got to use the restrooms, get food and walk our dog.
....

You brought the dog! What a lucky dog! I'm sure it loves EV road trips because of the frequent breaks!

We found the comfortable setup on our long road trip home from buying the car in LA was, after the potty break, we meet up in the garden department of the Wally's.
Sometimes it's outside but covered and sometimes with fans.

That's me over there with my feet up, leaned back in that chaise, listening to my phone, eyes closed!
Sometimes getting a whiff of the garden products, but, there are less 'People of Walmart' when you do it that way.

 

[Out_of_Gas]

Even though I am supportive of our new member(s) as demonstrated in post #3 above, @GregBrew is correct in post #2 that the term L3 has been long deprecated. The official terminology is DCFC Level 2. But as no stations nor EVs have ever implemented DCFC Level 1, it is simply referred to as DCFC. And as @eflyersteve responded in post #6, using deprecated terminology may get you incomplete search results.

As I posted above, first congratulate, then teach. This is the teaching moment.

ga2500ev

Expressing charge rates in terms of level 1, 2, or 3 is still common parlance, actually, and certainly not "long deprecated".

Sure, DCFC is the most common term, but it doesn't roll off the tongue like Level 3.

While you are correct that expressing DCFC as Level 3 is "technically" incorrect, the EV lexicon has indeed adopted that terminology overall, as describing Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 makes more sense to the layperson than Level 1, Level 2, and DCFC. That latter just doesn't flow.

 

[shrox]

While you are correct that expressing DCFC as Level 3 is "technically" incorrect, the EV lexicon has indeed adopted that terminology overall, as describing Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 makes more sense to the layperson than Level 1, Level 2, and DCFC. That latter just doesn't flow.

I can't sell you that blender unless I know how many amps you need.

 

[ARob]

While you are correct that expressing DCFC as Level 3 is "technically" incorrect, the EV lexicon has indeed adopted that terminology overall, as describing Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 makes more sense to the layperson than Level 1, Level 2, and DCFC. That latter just doesn't flow.

The EV community does a great job of confusing the layperson.

• J1772\Tesla Destination, CHAdeMO\CCS1\CCS2\GBT\Tesla Supercharger
• L1\L2\L3\DCFC\Supercharger\QuickCharger...
• kW\kWh
• watts\kW, amps, volts, EVSE, NEMA plugs
• Charging network authentication methodology
• HEV\PHEV\BEV

New EV owners encounter a steep learning curve in the first few months of ownership. Those who have been around a while understand the meaning of the confusing terms, even when used incorrectly. Getting hung up on the technical nuances isn't always helpful, but at the same time ignoring the details perpetuates the confusion. All this to say, the only right and wrong is gently correcting when terms are used incorrectly or out of context vs bashing folks for getting confused.

 

[MotorcycleIke38]

Even though I am supportive of our new member(s) as demonstrated in post #3 above, @GregBrew is correct in post #2 that the term L3 has been long deprecated. The official terminology is DCFC Level 2. But as no stations nor EVs have ever implemented DCFC Level 1, it is simply referred to as DCFC. And as @eflyersteve responded in post #6, using deprecated terminology may get you incomplete search results.

As I posted above, first congratulate, then teach. This is the teaching moment.

ga2500ev

The official terminology is DCFC Level 2"
slight misnomer above, should be "The official terminology is DCFC Level 3"

 

[Out_of_Gas]

The official terminology is DCFC Level 2"
slight misnomer above, should be "The official terminology is DCFC Level 3"

Actually, ga2500ev is coorect. "DCFC Level 2" is the official terminology.

Level 1 and Level 2 describe AC charging using the car's on-board charger.

Level 3, and "DCFC Level 2" both describe Direct Current Fast Charging, and Level 2 in this case refers to up to 400kW power delivery. DCFC Level 1 is a lot lower than that and rare.

 

[ga2500ev]

The official terminology is DCFC Level 2"
slight misnomer above, should be "The official terminology is DCFC Level 3"

No, it's not. It's DCFC Level 2. This article describes the official standard levels. Here is an image from there:

I know that Level 3 is common terminology. But officially it does not exist.

ga2500ev