Charging: RAN, Tesla SC or Electrify America?

[pickupman2022]

I usually try for a Tesla supercharger first as the most reliable in my experience and often best price. EA is good when working properly which does seem to have improved. I tend to avoid EVgo as most around my area are still the old 50 kW and they tend to be pricey. I have never used or even seen a RAN, they just don’t exist in my area of the country.

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[Mathme]

I've traveled up and down the west coast and primarily use EA and RAN. I havent' had a need to use Tesla yet. What I've found is that RAN is currently priced higher than other places but it works well and rarely ever has an issue.

When using EA, I always start my charge from the app to the specific charger. This seems to work well. I've also noticed EAs reliability going up and since they started limiting charge sessions at many stations to 85%, those plug lizards (Ionic & ID.4s primarily) have moved on there are a lot more open chargers. I figure the $7/month charge basically covers one charge.

I haven't tried the Tesla route but should look into it as if the price per kWh is cheaper...why not use it.

 

[azbill]

I think the conventional wisdom that Electrify America is bad and unreliable is seriously out of date in many areas now. I've had very good performance with the new 350 kw dispensers throughout the midwest and western states. Conversely, my recent experiences with supercharges has been meh...... They have quickly dropped to 150 or even 130 kw with a "speed limited by charger" messages. EA and Electrify Canada on the other hand hold 190 to 210 kW for a long time.

Check plugshare on your intended route and if the EA stations are getting good scores, I think they are a very good option.

I agree with you about EA being much more reliable now. The main issue I find with EA chargers is that they are crowded. I also agree that Tesla chargers derate quickly, especially in the heat. Here in AZ I typically see them drop to 110-120kw, it is also likely the adapter, but my adapter never feels really hot.

 

[SANZC02]

I usually try for a Tesla supercharger first as the most reliable in my experience and often best price. EA is good when working properly which does seem to have improved. I tend to avoid EVgo as most around my area are still the old 50 kW and they tend to be pricey. I have never used or even seen a RAN, they just don’t exist in my area of the country.

If you ever wanted to try a RAN there is one in Cookeville, TN

 

[SANZC02]

I agree with you about EA being much more reliable now. The main issue I find with EA chargers is that they are crowded. I also agree that Tesla chargers derate quickly, especially in the heat. Here in AZ I typically see them drop to 110-120kw, it is also likely the adapter, but my adapter never feels really hot.

I do not think it is the adapter, the Superchargers in the Coachella Valley slow down when temps get up over 105 even with my Tesla.

 

[DeanB1452]

It's all the same juice going into your vehicle so I choose the one that has the least dent on my wallet. I just did a 940 round trip yesterday from the Bay Area to SoCal and back. I still have free charging through next month on RANs so I took advantage of that. If I had to pay, it would have cost me $318 on the RAN network. I calculated that same amount of kWh (566 kWh) at home would have been $105. When my free charging runs out, I'll research on PlugShare to find the most reliable and cheapest chargers out there.

 

[VSG]

But I specifically get “speed limited by charger” messages in the Rivian UI. Happened multiple times with Superchargers, other Rivian drivers have said that too at Supercharger stops.

I do not think it is the adapter, the Superchargers in the Coachella Valley slow down when temps get up over 105 even with my Tesla.

Yes, the Tesla superchargers slow down in the heat even for Telsa drivers. Ever see those images of Tesla drivers draping a wet cloth over the supercharger handle to keep it cool so it wouldn't derate?

BTW, that's one of the requirements in the NACS standard, that the power is reduced if the connector gets too hot for whatever reason. It's designed to do that.

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