Love's Charging Network Rollout

[Dirtman16]

If any of you like to nerd out about fast charging infrastructure like me, I started a video series on the upcoming Love's Charging Network that might interest you. There's also a mention of another creator's content that covers the Pilot/Flying J rollout.



My channel is not monetized, so this is just a fun project for me. I also have a Google map showing open, Grant awarded, and under construction sites.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1CP3f-btKzdp8WnsMSAG9zOGoxBf_hl0&usp=sharing

Hope you enjoy, and let me know if there's something that could make it better or more interesting.

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[DeafPug]

Nice.

It looks like your Google Maps page doesn't list the Belle Plaine, KS site along I-35 (Kansas Turnpike). I haven't used this site, but it's listed on PlugShare. https://www.plugshare.com/location/360959

 

[KBabione]

Thanks for doing this - it's nice to see more chargers coming!

 

[ndmiller]

I went to one of these in the last 6 months, very easy like a regular gas pump with a great convenience store and dennys attached. Looks like Rivian is adding convenience amenities information to chargers (I can't find where I read that) which would add another layer of planning, but for the good.

 

[josh0]

This is excellent! We’re already big fans of Love’s for making it easy to find a place to stop with our dog on road trips, but haven’t been since we got the Rivian (obviously). Can’t wait to visit some of these! (Which is weird, it’s a gas station…)

The Kansas and Oklahoma locations are really going to improve our drive between Maryland and New Mexico, too. Kansas was a real pain, before, and Oklahoma was just barely better.

 

[electruck]

Nice.

It looks like your Google Maps page doesn't list the Belle Plaine, KS site along I-35 (Kansas Turnpike). I haven't used this site, but it's listed on PlugShare. https://www.plugshare.com/location/360959

I charged here back in July, on both northbound and southbound legs of our trip to NE. No issues charging (still "A" rated by Rivian) even in the direct afternoon heat of summer, perhaps the fastest charger I have experienced, and a generally great place to stop.

 

[bigsky]

Perhaps the most important question, how much does it cost to charge per kWh (or time) on average?

 

[josh0]

Perhaps the most important question, how much does it cost to charge per kWh (or time) on average?

I would assume that’s going to vary with local utility rates…

 

[Dirtman16]

Perhaps the most important question, how much does it cost to charge per kWh (or time) on average?

I'll try to include that information as they get built out, if it's not too time consuming to pull all the data. Thanks.

 

[bigsky]

I would assume that’s going to vary with local utility rates…

Reason why I said "on average"

 

[josh0]

Reason why I said "on average"

I’m not sure how an average across multiple states, utilities, charging networks, and tax/regulatory regimes is going to be useful. An average compared to local baseline, maybe.

 

[RivianRunner]

If any of you like to nerd out about fast charging infrastructure like me, I started a video series on the upcoming Love's Charging Network that might interest you. There's also a mention of another creator's content that covers the Pilot/Flying J rollout.



My channel is not monetized, so this is just a fun project for me. I also have a Google map showing open, Grant awarded, and under construction sites.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1CP3f-btKzdp8WnsMSAG9zOGoxBf_hl0&usp=sharing

Hope you enjoy, and let me know if there's something that could make it better or more interesting.

It looks like this expansion is driven by federal NEVI funding.

Does anyone else think it's kind of weird that the federal government is now funding EV charging when the most reliable and ubiquitous network was built using all private money? I think the government is pretty late to the party.

Hopefully it results in reliable, cost-effective and convenient charging, but that might be a bit optimistic seeing how the money is being doled out.

 

[bigsky]

Travelling on I-84 in OR, there is a Love place between the RAN charger in The Dalles @ $0.32/kWh and a Tesla SC in Boardman @ $0.45/kWh (not the subscription rate). Love at that location would work if it can beat the Tesla SC rate, but something tells me that I'd better not hold my breath.

 

[bigsky]

You are right. Perhaps a better way to put it is where Love's rates might fall, closer to Tesla and RAN rates or to the absurd EA rates (per kWh).

 

[RedRaiderRivian]

I charged here back in July, on both northbound and southbound legs of our trip to NE. No issues charging (still "A" rated by Rivian) even in the direct afternoon heat of summer, perhaps the fastest charger I have experienced, and a generally great place to stop.

Your experience must be one of the few positive charging sessions at a Francis Energy station. There are entire threads on this Forum about how bad Francis Energy is. A quick check of several sites across OK and Kansas shows poor charging speeds and some of the most expensive rates. I have Francis energy turned of in Plugshare because they are so unreliable.

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