Emptying the EV Notebook
EV ownership is increasing but challenges still remain on the charging front for non-Tesla owners.
Ford Mach-E Mustang Blues for Customers
I have been talking to EV owners on and off now for the last year and they’re excited about their purchases, until they’re not. For example, a relatively new Mustang Mach-e owner loves his car but is encountering daily charging issues while work is being done on his driveway. It’s a big project and might take awhile.
The owner lamented how hard it is when home charging is gone. For Tesla owners, this isn’t issue since the DC Fast Charging has been built out in the U.S. For Tesla owners, it could be an inconvenience to some degree, but my friend mentioned that he was at a Ford dealer and somebody unplugged their level 2 charge. I also mentioned PlugShare and the ability to find charging in Chicago, but he was nervous about working stations.
The problem is still communication from the legacy auto companies through their dealerships. The model is broken and legacy auto needs to move fast, so they can gain sales with their next generation of products.
Recent Question about 80% Charging vs 100% Battery Charging
I follow quite a few groups and a recent question popped up about a charging scenario:
Question: the guest mentioned how he charged over night to 80% until a few hours before they needed to drive and then charged to 100% after waking up right before they left for work. So I know charging to 100% is not preferred but is that just in one continuous charge? Does letting the battery sit and cool after 80% and then "topping off" not affect the battery negatively?
Answer: In general, the less heat flowing into a battery, the better with DC Fast Charging (greater 50kW). And letting the battery pack sit at 100% with heat can cause serious degradation. In general, lithium batteries aren’t fond of extremes, be it 100% or down to almost zero. If you only charge to 100% occasionally, don't sweat it. Just don't do it daily.
Happy Friday, Rivian RT1
I saw a Rivian truck yesterday in the wild while driving and it was impressive. I spotted it about 1,000 feet away. Made my Friday. It looks awesome and the F-150 has some competition. To me, the Rivian design says the future and if they can get the price point down sooner rather than later that would be good for sales.
Other EV Auto News and Developments
Ioniq 5 price increases by $1,500 and watch out for the dealer markup too. The current base price (including destination charges) for the Ioniq 5 in the US is $42,745, or $1,500 more than before. The Ioniq 5 SE model, which uses more battery capacity and range, now starts at $46,795.
Hertz will offer more EVs in the future. I agree with the comment below on charging protocols, but I’m excited about the development. We rented a Model Y in California visiting family and I put a reservation down.
“I think they need to give some serious thought to how they are going to charge them,” said Joel Levine, the executive director of Plug In America, a nonprofit that promotes EVs for regular drivers.