[JRT]

Excited about the new Harley Davidson DCFC in Fort Wayne I planned my weekend 800mile trip between Lexington KY and Kalamazoo MI around that charging point. I did check PlugShare and the site had been used as recently as a day before I left.

As I sat in front of the non-functioning charger at 9pm Friday I reflected on my newbie mistake of having no back up.
Only 36 miles of SOC left and 100+ miles to go. Yikes.

DWF (Driving While Freezing) became a mantra last year when I hit a cold spell in my new Bolt

As I sat in the deserted Chevy Dealer parking lot at their L2 charger for HOURS I mulled a litany of new acronyms....

SWC (Sweating while calculating) the cold sweat that ensued as I realized my poor planning and trying to figure out "Plan B"
CWR (Charging while researching) Google searches on all the local available L2 chargers to see if one will provide incremental benefit over another
CWF (Charging While Freezing) as I didn't want to waste a single electron on my comfort as I languished at the under-powered dealership charger.
CWS (Charging While Shmoozing) as I tried to butter up the security guard to let me into the warmth of the Dealership (to no avail)

In the end I should have just used the charger at the Nissan dealer and stayed at the hotel right next door. Sigh.
Lesson learned.

I don't know what is worse: not having a charger at all or the unreliability of even the for profit stations.

 

[TexBolt]

It sounds like you already know the solution: Have a backup plan, and a backup to the backup plan. I've read about long distance EV travelers checking into RV parks for the night, plugging into the power pedestal (20A, 30A or 50A), and sleeping in their car. At least you can stay warm (or cool) while the car is charging, and there is a nice restroom nearby (usually with showers).

 

[MDBolt]

Thanks for the nice picker-upper, OP! Eerily reminiscent of our road trip the past weekend. Drove from our home in MD to DE to attend a children's party. Had the route planned in terms of where to stop for DCFC (I only anticipated one stop because it's a relatively short round trip). Stopped by the DCFC and plugged in to have enough electrons to have a 20 mile buffer for the trip home.

Halfway home, however, a sign flashed saying the Bay Bridge was closed due to an accident. For those unfamiliar, the Bay Bridge is the only way to get back to MD from DE efficiently. As such, Google Maps recalculated the route, which now forced us to travel all the way up north and back down to get home. The remainder of the trip, which had 38 miles left, became a 113 mile detour. Luckily, I did have a plan B, in the form of an EVGo charger at an outlet mall (Queenstown) right before the bridge. Stopped, plugged in, grabbed some dinner, and stayed until we got 125 miles on the GOM.

By that time, by stroke of luck, the bridge had reopened.

To add to your acronym list:

PWR - puckering while recalculating (you know, for those times your sphincters start tightening when your new route far exceeds your planned route in terms of electron needs)

CWF/DWF were not options for us because we had our baby in tow.

 

[JRT]

It sounds like you already know the solution: Have a backup plan, and a backup to the backup plan. I've read about long distance EV travelers checking into RV parks for the night, plugging into the power pedestal (20A, 30A or 50A), and sleeping in their car. At least you can stay warm (or cool) while the car is charging, and there is a nice restroom nearby (usually with showers).

I'm usually better prepared; the mobile park would have been a good idea. If I had found one in advance, 9pm probably wouldn't have been too late to show up for a quick charge. I have the Tesla MU 2 and several adapter plugs just for that possibility.

 

[Boltoutofblue]

What is the Tesla MU-2? What other adapters do you have? On a free Cal Trans DCFC the Combo is always down but not the Chademo. Is there a Chademo
To CCS Combo adapter?

 

[The Other Tom]

Is there a Chademo To CCS Combo adapter?

No
But there is a ChaDeMo to Tesla adapter

 

[madmike]

This is the only reason I would buy a Tesla, more reliable charging

 

[ZoomZoom]

It sounds like you already know the solution: Have a backup plan, and a backup to the backup plan. I've read about long distance EV travelers checking into RV parks for the night, plugging into the power pedestal (20A, 30A or 50A), and sleeping in their car. At least you can stay warm (or cool) while the car is charging, and there is a nice restroom nearby (usually with showers).

OMG, no. Say it isn't so.

 

[ZoomZoom]

Excited about the new Harley Davidson DCFC in Fort Wayne I planned my weekend 800mile trip between Lexington KY and Kalamazoo MI around that charging point. I did check PlugShare and the site had been used as recently as a day before I left.

As I sat in front of the non-functioning charger at 9pm Friday I reflected on my newbie mistake of having no back up.
Only 36 miles of SOC left and 100+ miles to go. Yikes.

DWF (Driving While Freezing) became a mantra last year when I hit a cold spell in my new Bolt

As I sat in the deserted Chevy Dealer parking lot at their L2 charger for HOURS I mulled a litany of new acronyms....

SWC (Sweating while calculating) the cold sweat that ensued as I realized my poor planning and trying to figure out "Plan B"
CWR (Charging while researching) Google searches on all the local available L2 chargers to see if one will provide incremental benefit over another
CWF (Charging While Freezing) as I didn't want to waste a single electron on my comfort as I languished at the under-powered dealership charger.
CWS (Charging While Shmoozing) as I tried to butter up the security guard to let me into the warmth of the Dealership (to no avail)

In the end I should have just used the charger at the Nissan dealer and stayed at the hotel right next door. Sigh.
Lesson learned.

I don't know what is worse: not having a charger at all or the unreliability of even the for profit stations.

I totally feel for you. I've got friends who have had similar experiences with their Bolt's .... they have had to go to their backup's backup. And I refuse to DWF so my Wisconsin range is horrible. All the Harley DCFC's. Which is like a handful, they are all 24kW stations here. I looked at @PlugShare and I see your predicament. It's like mine. But that's awefully sneaky that one DCFC has a pin code, and another is inside the service center. I just refuse to freeze.

 

[ZoomZoom]

This is the only reason I would buy a Tesla, more reliable charging

For me, I have three; the speed, the tech and the charging.