[jefro]

I think I'll try it. While charging maybe I can find some BBQ near. I hate to drive without finding some good food along the way. The Tesla SC at Three Rivers would be a perfect spot. No wonder Tesla put it there.

Seguin to Padre Island is 164 miles but I have a few choices in CC.

I don't have a 50A portable charger for the RV. I think I can get to the edge of San Antonio on way back if I need a bit. Some reported free in SE San Antonio even.

The new EA I meant to say off of I-10 is just one that might get built under TX VW grants.

 

[Inteliquest]

I think I'll try it. While charging maybe I can find some BBQ near. I hate to drive without finding some good food along the way. The Tesla SC at Three Rivers would be a perfect spot. No wonder Tesla put it there.

Seguin to Padre Island is 164 miles but I have a few choices in CC.

I don't have a 50A portable charger for the RV. I think I can get to the edge of San Antonio on way back if I need a bit. Some reported free in SE San Antonio even.

The new EA I meant to say off of I-10 is just one that might get built under TX VW grants.

If Elon would just give us access to those SC... We would all be very very grateful...

 

[jefro]

Even if the SC's had a single CSS it would save some trips.
They really did a good job on locations I think.
I was kinda upset when I read that Tesla's requests for EA money grants were denied. Not sure the reason, hopefully it's only some issue that can be fixed.

 

[GeneL]

Jefro, you may be interested in my post High speed efficiency

 

[jefro]

I read your thread.
3.8 and 3.4 are something like my effeciency readout shows at high speeds.
I-37 is pretty good surface, can be high headwinds, high humidity. Always fast.
Going to test this next trip. I had to bring stuff in truck bed.
I think is doable 65 mph on back roads.

 

[jefro]

I see now how to survive @ 65 mph on faster road. You find slow truck or rv and get in front of them.

 

[PaulH]

Should I chance a drive from EA San Antonio to Padre Island Corpus Christi with the 80% software limit? The slowest route is still pretty fast, maybe I can get half at 63-65 mph. Some one lane areas I'd get run over under 70.
It's about 178 miles and could have headwind. A few places there have DC but almost no 24 hour chargers yet.
What do you folks get on a highway only run?

If you try this and make it I strongly urge you to book a flight to Vegas because you are definitely on a roll. I would not try this, I like a comfortable buffer.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I see now how to survive @ 65 mph on faster road. You find slow truck or rv and get in front of them.

I prefer getting behind them. Partly because you get a bit of efficiency advantage in their wake (even if you're 2-3 seconds behind them) and partly because I don't wanna end up accidentally getting a trucker irate at me for going too slow. It's easier to match speed with someone in front of you than behind you.

 

[jefro]

I used to do that but ended up buying a new windshield from all the sand pits.
Thought about doing that but it would risk someone running into my small car. Didn't realize how smallit really is until after I bought it. Maybe a slow moving vehicle sign.

Rivian is supposed to be building out a DC and L2 network and one location is just about where I need it. Can't say yet if they will let others charge at DC but the L2 chargers are supposed to be free.

 

[usedBolt]

I used to do that but ended up buying a new windshield from all the sand pits.
Thought about doing that but it would risk someone running into my small car. Didn't realize how smallit really is until after I bought it. Maybe a slow moving vehicle sign.

Rivian is supposed to be building out a DC and L2 network and one location is just about where I need it. Can't say yet if they will let others charge at DC but the L2 chargers are supposed to be free.

You don't qualify, because the Bolt can go faster than 25mph, but there is this: Slow Moving Vehicle Sign: What Does it Mean?

 

[jefro]

I was joking.

 

[jefro]

Tested Austin to Fort Worth drive. EA in Waco had tech support trying to fix two of them. However when I get to hotel and try their outlet and my evse red light and dash said unable to charge. That is a ground issue maybe. Then android app sets 6 alerts. I'd have never thought that a ground problem issue would fault every monitored item except OnStar.
Moral is, EV charging is still a worry, 188 miles highway speeds can be done @ 80% software. It's possible to run at 65 mph following big rigs and rvs safely.

 

[ZZAAAPP]

I know I am very late to this party, but I did the SA to CC run and back in an EV several years ago. It was a real stretch, especially since we timed it exactly wrong... We had SE winds (headwind) going to CC, and then a front came through and we had NW (headwind) going back to SA. The winds were strong in both directions, like 20 MPH gusting to 30 MPH, so even when I was driving 60 MPH on I-35 (not fun as you mentioned) it was more or less like I was going 80 MPH in terms of battery drainage. Efficiency was very poor.

So, moral of the story, if you are stretching things to the edge of your range on the highway, check the weather forecast before you go. It could be the difference between success and failure.

Back then, the ONLY L2 charger anywhere in CC was at the Harley-Davidson dealership, and it was a pretty weak one at that. We unexpectedly had to stay overnight in a nearby hotel to get enough charge to get close enough to SA to get another L2 charge to make it home. There were no other chargers along the route.

 

[jefro]

I have been able to do this run a few times but I have to take 181 and go slow. It won't work in winter. It won't work on performance tires.

There is a new battery backup DC charger in Cuero that I hope to try next trip.

 

[ZZAAAPP]

Yeah I have performance tires on my EV as well, knocks off about 10% of the range. If I was doing a long road trip, like over 1000 miles, I would put the stock wheels and tires back on (which I still have).

Good to know about the DC charger in Cuero, thanks.

 

[jefro]

It's kind of an interesting product. It has a huge battery in it. In theory one could recharge it at 120VAC and it could power up a car even if grid is down. I like the way it could even power a business if they added that to the device. You'd think that maybe under some conditions charging at lower tou rates could help grid and owners lower costs.

What tires do you have on?

HD still down. Dealers only working hours. Waiting on Tesla super magic chargers.

 

[ZZAAAPP]

Interesting. What charges the battery, the grid, or something else? So the battery is in there to buffer the power demand during charging, or something like that?

Michelin Pilot 4S 225 width.

I am so ready for Tesla to open up their chargers in the USA. AFAIK it's not happening here yet. The bummer is the Bolt DCFC is still limited to a 50 kW charge rate. Teslas are much higher of course, and even Chevy is saying the Equinox EV when it comes out next year will be 150 kW for DCFC. BUT having Tesla chargers available will still be more awesome than the way things are now.

 

[jefro]

Any source could recharge the battery. You'd have to really have a lot of solar if any number of people want to use it. Part of the sales pitch is owners recharge at off peak rates.

I almost bought the Pilots for a different car. Maybe should have.

I knew the Bolt was not an interstate cruiser so it's OK regional travel but even Rivian owners complain about time. Plugshare on a cross country trip only halves the recharge times. Still a long way to go.

 

[usedBolt]

There are some straight solar chargers. EA has a packaged stand-alone one (2 Level 2 plus sharing the panel) that can be dropped into nearly any parking lot, taking 3 spaces to provide the 2 chargers. In general, the solar chargers are not DCFC; they're Level 2 for long sessions. They've been around for a long time, in some places. Our local airport had a large solar carport arrangement in the early 00s for charging the short-range EVs of the time, and only removed it about 4-5 years ago when they built a new terminal demolishing the old one the chargers were attached to,

The outfits that claim "all renewable" energy for DCFC (like EVGo and EA) are doing it through power purchase agreements with renewable energy companies that have those huge solar farms or wind farms, through purchase of renewable energy credits, or both. Essentially, they get power from the grid that's replaced by the renewable power when it's available. If the local grid is coal-powered, you're still burning that coal, but the bookkeeping (or perhaps the accounting*) works out on a larger scale.

* Bookkeeping prepares the ingredients. Accounting does the cooking. Auditing figures out the recipe.

 

[jefro]

Would be interesting of one could charge directly dc to dc from solar with minimal electronics between.