[EA SOP] - 28 minute phone call for a 15 minute charge

[daveo4EV]

Alameda, CA Target EA charging location…Oct. 19th, 2023 - 10 am local time - attending BMW driving event @ Alameda…

arrived on site - 7 stations - 5 occupied, 1 "unavaiable" - one stall "open" - 350 kW (balanced)

the one stall that was open had a functional screen - pulled in - plugged in - no responses - 3-5 minute screwing arround I determine the stall is "hung/frozen" - needs a reboot…

call the EA help line
on hold for 10 minutes
agent connects at the 11 minute mark
I tell him I need a station rebooted - he ignores me
runs a script trying to diagnose problems with my car, vin, year, make, model, purchase history, IRS tax records, vaccination status, sexual partner history, credit history, family medical history…
eventually determines I might be "right" - reboots the station - I plug in and proceed to get a Porsche app based charging session activation
I then charge from 2x% to 85% in less than 16 minutes

time spent dealing with a dead station - 5 miinutes
time spent trying to get EA to do one simple thing - 28 minutes
time spent actually charging my Taycan - 15 minutes

the only thing wrong with the Taycan is the charging network.

Taycan is the fastest charging EV I've owned, and has the best charging taper curve that I've ecountered in real life - the car was a champ yesterday - started out at 120 kW ramped up to 180 kW, and then settled into 150 kW until 50% and then slowely ramped down from 150 kW to 100 kW @ 80% SOC - and finished @85% at 90 kW when I unplugged - 15 minute charging session - but I had to work for it - it took me 2x longer on the phone with EA that the car spent actually charging.

EA needs to die in a lightening induced ball of fire and be reborn as a company that actually cares about their product/service offerings.

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[Jonathan S.]

This forum needs a way of simultaneously clicking on all six emoticons for my reaction to this post.

 

[DerekS]

time spent dealing with a dead station - 5 miinutes
time spent trying to get EA to do one simple thing - 28 minutes
time spent actually charging my Taycan - 15 minutes

This is exactly why I set Chargey up to track "overhead" - any time spent at the charger that doesn't actually involve charging.

- Arrive on the site, start timer
- Do charging things
- stop timer when leaving the site

Sometimes overhead is quite high, like when there's a line for the chargers, or it's being obstinate about starting.

So far the lowest overhead I've ever seen was at the Tesla Supercharger.

 

[tigerbalm]

Does Plug & Charge not "just work" – or is that an IONITY thing?

 

[007]

This is easy, I can help.

Can you please send me your social security number, mothers maiden name, bank account number, your favorite dogs name, birthday, make of your first car, email w/password, and name of the high school you attended? Then I check on my end if there’s an error with the charger or the car.

Thank you ?

 

[daveo4EV]

I have a 2020 Taycan - no plug&charge support

but it won't work if the stall is "hung/frozen"

I'm fine with the activation overhead _IF_ I don't have to spend 28 minutes on phone with EA to get a station reboot.

 

[RBGtaycan]

Does Plug & Charge not "just work" – or is that an IONITY thing?

In the US, I have found that Plug n Charge works at EA most of the time..IF the charger is working - which is only a sometimes thing!

 

[FlyingPoint]

As I was reading through the posts, something occurred to me - The EA experience is a lot like traffic:

• It's problematic most of the time
• Teases you with a fair amount of stop and go
• Complaints fall on deaf ear's or ears with nothing between them
• Caused by the government's poor planning and execution
• It never improves, except with a pandemic
• Causes tremendous frustration and stress
• Wastes enormous amounts of time

Seems like its just one of those things in life that just plain sucks!

 

[daveo4EV]

when I was learning and growing with Tesla I found the supercharger network "enabling" - sure it wasn't perfect, but it enabled road trips and enabled you to consider an EV - to this day it still does

in working with EA since July of 2020 I find it a "punitive" experience - it does not ingratiate itself to it's customers and does not make you happy to own an EV - it maximizes the inconvenience and makes you want to go back to a gasoline vehicle to avoid the hassels.

it's interesting to review which of the two companies own each network and what their primary business engagement is…

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

I’m as an enthusiastic EV road tripper as one could be while depending on the EA network. My recent trip to Monterey and back, if anything, only lessened my range anxiety- that is, I hardly ever look at SoC around town anymore.

However, the trip itself was very stressful; it wasn’t the frequent stops, but the following litany of concerns, often swirling in my head at the same time:
- being routed (by PCM) to an inoperable station (as in, not yet functional/powered down)
- elevated consumption at highish speed, and the constant mental math to adjust speed and ensure I reach the next checkpoint with spare for plan b
- (corollaryhaving to have a plan b; having to mind speed
- the realization chargers tend to be broken (and not get fixed) at the end of the week

I’m contemplating a return to Laguna Seca for the IMSA weekend next May, and honestly the answer to “which car?” is no longer unequivocally in favor of the Taycan. It’s supremely comfortable but it’s mentally tiring; my 20 year old 911 will be noisy and tiring in a different way, won’t be as practical - but might just get the nod. The only way I could see the situation improving would be to split the trip in 2 days (each way), or if the Southern OR/North CA segment gets more chargers (unlikely).

 

[Tooney]

I’m contemplating a return to Laguna Seca for the IMSA weekend next May, and honestly the answer to “which car?” is no longer unequivocally in favor of the Taycan. It’s supremely comfortable but it’s mentally tiring; my 20 year old 911 will be noisy and tiring in a different way, won’t be as practical - but might just get the nod. The only way I could see the situation improving would be to split the trip in 2 days (each way), or if the Southern OR/North CA segment gets more chargers (unlikely).

Aw, cmon. We know the guy who did 1366-mile roadtrip from Denver to Seattle to pickup his Taycan two days in January isn't gonna give up so soon....

 

[WasserGKuehlt]

Aw, cmon. We know the guy who did 1366-mile roadtrip from Denver to Seattle to pickup his Taycan two days in January isn't gonna give up so soon....

Dammit, why did you have to go there.. now I can’t show my face around here if I don’t pick the Taycan.. ??

 

[Tooney]

@WasserGKuehlt 1000 miles from WA to SoCal is long trip to drive in one day.

 

[DerekS]

@WasserGKuehlt 1000 miles from WA to SoCal is long trip to drive in one day.

Lightweight!

 

[Jhenson29]

Lightweight!

I see a hotel stop in there.

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