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Why don't DCFC stations have...?

4K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Pike Bishop 
#1 ·
After two years with the Bolt EV, the driving public has seen EVgo expand from 500 DCFC stations to over 1,000, Electrify America to appear on the scene and have 125+ stations up and running, and ChargePoint move from their small 24kW units to a more robust CPE250.


I have had my fair share of time in front of DCFC stations. In those reflective times, I wondered...


Why don't DCFC stations have....?



Parking space presence detectors integrated into the 'dispenser'. A presence detector is becoming a cheap, desirable addition to common parking meters. A driver cannot freeload into a parking space; the detector triggers a call for parking enforcement if payment is not made within a grace period.





Add a presence detector to a DCFC, include some enforcement, and ICEing will be a thing of the past. A presence detector can also be used to prevent DCFC 'camping'. We all know the EV driver that plugs-in without charging just to grab a desirable parking spot at the mall--then stays there for 9-hours. Having a presence detector can also make idling charges much more enforceable, and therefore clear the charging space.

After all, the value of a good DCFC comes from the space in front of it. The DCFC should manage the space, and not just the charge.



Parking guidance on the DCFC screen. I do appreciate seeing a DCFC screen say 'Charger Ready', I can suffer through being reminded that Nissan and BMW are free to charge, yet why can't the screen provide distance, location and other parking guidance? Personally, the short nose of the Bolt makes it hard to judge how far to pull in and make the cable connect. At EA chargers, I have to be very precise or the cable will not flex to meet the DCFC receptacle. Video and ultrasound guidance are on the cusp of being installed in many garages. Why not at a DCFC space?







Overhead drops for charging cables. I have seen these in Asia. It would free up room in parking garages and would address the varied location of the charge port on cars.






Overhead fuel drops can be done for flammable fuels, why not for electricity? Again, there is no engineering requirement that a customer interface screen, step-down transformers, and AC-to-DC converters be housed in the same box.


And, in the more commonplace...


Canopies over a DCFC station. Really. Drive in my daughter's EV in California and we return to a flaming hot car when charging at Cathedral City (while nearby ICE drivers are pumping gas under a canopy). Charge in winter sleet storm at Waterford Commons, Connecticut, and I am ready for frostbite surgery. It's confounding to think about, particularly when in the same lot the property owners are placing canopies for shopping cart corrals!





I am sure members of this forum have come up with their own ideas. I recognized that most of these solutions are essentially cheap compared to the price of dedicating 250 square feet to a charging space and installing $100,000 plus of DCFC equipment.
 
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#2 ·
Great ideas ! In fact, we have a large metal canopy to provide shelter to our two Bolts. And I came up with the idea of installing a longer charge cable that hangs from the canopy between the two cars. When not in use, the "nozzle" hangs from a bungee and is out of the way. Works great! And keeps the charger cable off the ground and away from potential damage.

A potential problem for commercial chargers, though, is interlopers who want to park their car just for the shade. A cool spot is a premium in hot So.Cal weather - so much so that shade could be rented out for $. It would have to be combined with your "presence" detector to keep the pesty interlopers away.

I hope soon that a company finally gets commercial charging spots "right" to provide convenience to electrics and a good profit for the operators...
 
#4 ·
I came up with the idea of installing a longer charge cable that hangs from the canopy between the two cars. When not in use, the "nozzle" hangs from a bungee and is out of the way. Works great!
I created an overhead drop in my garage for less than $10. My Clipper Creek comes with a 25 foot cable. So it was easy to install two bike hooks on the ceiling and just thread the cable through that. Pull cable down to charge. Push back up when done.

Could you gentlemen post pictures of your cable drops? I am moving into a 2-car garage and want to have a flexible system that would allow my wife and I to share a charge cord.


Thanks!
 
#3 ·
I created an overhead drop in my garage for less than $10. My Clipper Creek comes with a 25 foot cable. So it was easy to install two bike hooks on the ceiling and just thread the cable through that. Pull cable down to charge. Push back up when done.

The main thing I want to see from public DCFC is reliability. It's hard to take a road trip when you are afraid of being stranded at a broken DCFC.

Tesla has gotten this right.

EVGo is doing better than in the past.

Electrify America has a long way to go, but I think if they get their payment system worked out, their reliability will go above 90% instead of the current 79%.
 
#6 ·
I’d certainly go for some sort of cover, even just over the front of the car. I’ve used public charging 4 times and out of that once it was raining cats and dogs. I got soaked even with an umbrella, and holding an umbrella while wrestling with a heavy charge cable isn’t that easy.

And boldly state any charge cutoff time outs. Please!
 
#7 ·
For all those with an overhead cable solution, I am moving into into a new garage with a existing 50A service that was used for the former owner's welding equipment (NEMA 6-50).



Realizing that EVSE do not need to be mounted on a vertical wall, I received a quote from an electrician to place a NEMA 14-50 on the ceiling of the garage. Mounting the EVSE on the ceiling would not be a problem, and with a 20-foot cord I could reach both the Bolt and my wife's TM3 as long as I can manage the cord on the ceiling.



I have seen this solution, which is clever, but costly for my budget.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-nQKzakqJKKVXF5SXg2ZHdKOFE/preview

http://evsellc.com/products/evse-garage-overhead-charger/


I am really looking for ideas while I am modding the garage.
 
#10 ·
So here is the cheap solution for under $10. With the money I saved, maybe I can hire someone to clean my garage. :laugh:


Mine is similar and works well. I suspend the cable above from rubber bungees and have a female J1772 on the wall between the 2 overhead door. Keeps it out of the way and 2 feet from the cars port. And looks sweet.;)
 
#12 ·
All excellent ideas, I hope that you will get your final list to the DCFC providers that can implement all of your suggestions.

For me, location and availability in plugshare or Google maps. As an engineer I can plan a route, but for most folks planning the route and uncertain availability are significant.
 
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