Tesla Supercharger Experience

[NewRMan]

Tried Tesla supercharging on a recent trip through Connecticut this week and it did not go well. After plugging in I waited and eventually got a red circle and notification to try restarting the charge session. Only problem? My R1S would not release the plug/adapter no matter what I did. After fussing with it a bit I eventually did a hard reboot and then was able to remove the plug and adapter.

Upside - used AppleGreen chargers, which worked perfectly and were simple to use.

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[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Is the Supercharger you attempted to use open to non-Teslas? We have access to over 21k locations, but not all of them. And which adapter were you using? There are numerous threads/posts on this site along about the do's and don'ts of Supercharging.

 

[zefram47]

Assuming the SC you attempted to use was open to non-Tesla, make sure you have a credit card associated with your Rivian account. If you have Connect+ and/or have used a RAN, then this is probably setup correctly but it was an early cause of failure to charge at a Tesla SC.

 

[inconceivable]

Tried Tesla supercharging on a recent trip through Connecticut this week and it did not go well. After plugging in I waited and eventually got a red circle and notification to try restarting the charge session. Only problem? My R1S would not release the plug/adapter no matter what I did. After fussing with it a bit I eventually did a hard reboot and then was able to remove the plug and adapter.

Upside - used AppleGreen chargers, which worked perfectly and were simple to use.

I assume you stopped at a rest stop in CT as I believe they’re the only places in CT with AppleGreen chargers. If so, then the other commenter’s here are correct, that Tesla station does not work for non teslas. None of them at the rest stops in CT do. I’d recommend checking the rivian nav or the Tesla app to know which are available for us to use.

Strange that the car didn’t want to release the adapter. Not sure what’s up with that. Glad you got it resolved.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I assume you stopped at a rest stop in CT as I believe they’re the only places in CT with AppleGreen chargers. If so, then the other commenter’s here are correct, that Tesla station does not work for non teslas. None of them at the rest stops in CT do. I’d recommend checking the rivian nav or the Tesla app to know which are available for us to use.

Strange that the car didn’t want to release the adapter. Not sure what’s up with that. Glad you got it resolved.

There are a number of possible causes aside from software glitch (which can be resolved through hard reset). If it was a hot day, with tight tolerances between adapter and port, that could cause binding. Amount of tension on cable (and weight of it) can also cause it. Pushing the adapter in while keeping the release lever/latch depressed is one of the things to try. There is also a manual release described in the Owner Guide, if anyone reads it. That, however, should be last resort. Some have pulled on it too hard and broken it.

 

[NewRMan]

Yes it does appear that the Tesla SC's at the rest areas on 95 cannot be used by non-Teslas, so that is why the charge failed. TBH was not overly concerned about that, it was more the issue of not being able to unplug that was annoying. I did try taking the weight off the plug itself, pushing the button multiple ways, pushing the adapter in while pushing the release button, etc. Wouldn't budge, and I was worried about breaking it so I didn't put max force on it.

Seems like the failure to start the charge was the reason it would not release, as it had a red LED around the charge port, and when I reset the truck that light went back to white and I could remove the plug.

 

[dralanirusa]

Tried Tesla supercharging on a recent trip through Connecticut this week and it did not go well. After plugging in I waited and eventually got a red circle and notification to try restarting the charge session. Only problem? My R1S would not release the plug/adapter no matter what I did. After fussing with it a bit I eventually did a hard reboot and then was able to remove the plug and adapter.

Upside - used AppleGreen chargers, which worked perfectly and were simple to use.

Had similar experience!! The charger was selected by Rivian system, used the adapter sent to me by Rivian. Plugged in, charged, after finishing the charge was not able to unplug the charger. After numerous calls to Rivian and Tesla, both claimed it’s the other party issue not theirs. Did hard reset twice, didn’t help. Eventually Rivian customer service rep advised me to use more force and it worked!! It took me more than hour to take the charging cable out of the car. I am now hesitant to use Tesla chargers again

 

[tldysart]

I did my first long trip this week and it went like a dream. Stopped at the Rivian Adventure in Benton Harbor then the Tesla Supercharger site in Grand Rapids. Was shocked how smoothly it went.

 

[bigsky]

I always use the Tesla app only-->charge your other EV. Points to me which chargers are available. Always a flawless experience charging my Rivian at Tesla chargers. And priced lower than all the others. Only Tesla SCs for me always.

 

[Motoarzon]

Must be a V3 or V4 supercharger. Follow the Tesla app for the closest charger for your vehicle to be sure, I wouldn't go by what the Rivian interface says. I have a supercharger 3km from my house but this one doesn't qualify. Had to drive 15km to the next closest one that Tesla app says to go to. It was my first fast charging experience as I wanted to test it before a road trip I'm doing next week.
I was blown away at how easy and how fast it charged with my Rivian NASC adapter!!

 

[VSG]

I always use the Tesla app only-->charge your other EV. Points to me which chargers are available.

The Rivian app and navigation will show you the EXACT SAME information as the Tesla app.

The problem isn't the app that was used. It's the false narrative that the Tesla network is the only thing you will ever need. That's just not true in general, even if it is true for specific parts of the country and/or specific routes.

That false narrative leads people, especially people who have owned Teslas, to skip even minimal planning and just assume they can stop and charge anywhere they see a Tesla charger, or charge at the same places they always used to charge when driving their Tesla. Bad assumption.

When that's the narrative that's being spread around, then people aren't checking apps in the first place - they're just treating charging stations like gas stations and assuming they can charge at ANY of them. They stop at a rest area for a break, see the charging station, check their "tank" and see that they're low, so decide to "fill-up" at the rest area, in the same way they had done all their life when road tripping with ICE vehicles.

Or if you're a new EV owner, or a traveler who has rented an EV for the first time to try it out, or just a person who doesn't really care about the technical differences between EV charging stations, chances are you think one EV charger is just like another, and that you can use any of them just like you can use any gas station.

When you reduce charging to cave-man statements like "Tesla good. Others bad." you do everyone a disservice. Please try to be more nuanced in your Tesla evangelism.

Always a flawless experience charging my Rivian at Tesla chargers.

Again, it's statements like this without qualifications or nuance which enforce the false narrative.

Clearly, from the OPs post, it's NOT always flawless for everyone. It's not flawless if you chose the "wrong" Tesla chargers, or if you own/rent the "wrong" vehicle (the Tesla network still does not support many CCS vehicles), or if your car doesn't come with a Tesla adapter and you didn't know you needed one, or if you are driving in the "wrong" part of the country where there is no open Tesla charger for 500 miles ... etc. Even then, AS YOU WELL KNOW, Tesla stations can misbehave or have long waits just like CCS stations can, and at this point in history EV drivers really need to keep that in mind and have a backup plan. (Simply being aware of the other available chargers in the area and how to find them is enough - that's something you can't do if you rely ONLY on the Tesla app obviously.)

Only Tesla SCs for me always.

Super great for you if you live in a place where there are open Tesla SC. Try driving through Wyoming on I-80 without using CCS chargers ... or try charging at rest stops on the Connecticut Turnpike like the OP ...

It's a big county. Statements like yours (which you have repeated in dozens of other threads) encourage mistakes like the OPs, by telling people they don't have to worry at all about charging, just use the Tesla network and you can go anywhere and do anything without having to think about it. This is simply not true in general.

 

[VSG]

Must be a V3 or V4 supercharger.

That is not sufficient. Many V3 and V4 superchargers are not open to Rivians.

Follow the Tesla app for the closest charger for your vehicle to be sure, I wouldn't go by what the Rivian interface says.

The "Rivian interface" shows exactly the same information as the Tesla app, because Rivian uses the Tesla API to get the real-time data on charger availability and status. If you have the same filters set, you will see the same data.

 

[Doug]

The Rivian app and navigation will show you the EXACT SAME information as the Tesla app.

The problem isn't the app that was used. It's the false narrative that the Tesla network is the only thing you will ever need. That's just not true in general, even if it is true for specific parts of the country and/or specific routes.

That false narrative leads people, especially people who have owned Teslas, to skip even minimal planning and just assume they can stop and charge anywhere they see a Tesla charger, or charge at the same places they always used to charge when driving their Tesla. Bad assumption.

When that's the narrative that's being spread around, then people aren't checking apps in the first place - they're just treating charging stations like gas stations and assuming they can charge at ANY of them. They stop at a rest area for a break, see the charging station, check their "tank" and see that they're low, so decide to "fill-up" at the rest area, in the same way they had done all their life when road tripping with ICE vehicles.

Or if you're a new EV owner, or a traveler who has rented an EV for the first time to try it out, or just a person who doesn't really care about the technical differences between EV charging stations, chances are you think one EV charger is just like another, and that you can use any of them just like you can use any gas station.

When you reduce charging to cave-man statements like "Tesla good. Others bad." you do everyone a disservice. Please try to be more nuanced in your Tesla evangelism.


Again, it's statements like this without qualifications or nuance which enforce the false narrative.

Clearly, from the OPs post, it's NOT always flawless for everyone. It's not flawless if you chose the "wrong" Tesla chargers, or if you own/rent the "wrong" vehicle (the Tesla network still does not support many CCS vehicles), or if your car doesn't come with a Tesla adapter and you didn't know you needed one, or if you are driving in the "wrong" part of the country where there is no open Tesla charger for 500 miles ... etc. Even then, AS YOU WELL KNOW, Tesla stations can misbehave or have long waits just like CCS stations can, and at this point in history EV drivers really need to keep that in mind and have a backup plan. (Simply being aware of the other available chargers in the area and how to find them is enough - that's something you can't do if you rely ONLY on the Tesla app obviously.)


Super great for you if you live in a place where there are open Tesla SC. Try driving through Wyoming on I-90 without using CCS chargers ... or try charging at rest stops on the Connecticut Turnpike like the OP ...

It's a big county. Statements like yours (which you have repeated in dozens of other threads) encourage mistakes like the OPs, by telling people they don't have to worry at all about charging, just use the Tesla network and you can go anywhere and do anything without having to think about it. This is simply not true in general.

I live on I90 in Jackson MN. Worthington MN has a Tesla charger that is open to Rivian and going west on I 90 the next one is Gillette Wyoming. That 537 miles between useable Tesla chargers for a Rivian. In the Midwest we have to use what we can find. I use mostly EA and Tesla.

 

[bigsky]

Boy, a hell of a lot to unpack here.

I suppose the rivian app works just fine. I figure I'll never know. Because for me the Tesla app tells me all I need to know and do to charge my Rivian. Not putting the Rivian app down, and nothing false about using the Tesla network only. I am indeed telling you, the unbeatable Tesla network is for all intents and purposes the only one I ever will use for both my Teslas and my Rivian. Only in that seemingly unlikely event that I don't find a great Tesla supercharger, I may use the others. And actually, the main reasons why I may never use another network is because many of them are unreliable and pretty much other than Tesla, as far as I am concerned, all those other networks are extortionists, rip-offs, pickpockets, scammers, and thieves. Every last one of them.

Not sure what you mean by minimal planning. Have been driving Teslas for 5 years; my Rivian for a year and a half. Hardly ever need to no any planning of my own. My Teslas plan and my Rivian plans most everything route and charging for me. Tons of trips I've taken that way. Not one ever failed. For my Rivian, my Tesla app indeed tells me which chargers to use, where to stop. Nothing for me to assume or second guess; thus, I am at a loss trying to figure out how I possibly could get a Tesla supercharger wrong, or how the Tesla app could send me to the wrong charger for my Rivian. It has never happened. It never will happen. It ain't gonna happen.

Perhaps if someone does not know anything about an EV, a newbie, I would think it is up to that person to learn the ins and outs, get educated. Precisely what I did with my first Tesla 5 years ago.

All I know is that the glorious Tesla supercharger network is second to none, full stop. Settled law, not a point of debate. And that is not I talking. I am just a messenger. Tesla not only designed EVs, it also designed the machine to build the machine, and it smartly designed the infrastructure to charge the machine. There is nothing else out there like the Tesla network. Have used it tons of times. I know it will be there when I get there; I know it will be working just fine when I get there; And it will have plenty of chargers, too. AND IT WILL COST LESS. It's all a given, Although others may be getting better, it pretty much has been flip a coin for some of those lesser networks having a charger ready and working when you get there. Good luck. Add the pickpocket prices on top of that. Tons of horror stories on this out there. Again, it is not I talking.

Boy, anybody doing all the ICE-like narrative and planning you mention, perhaps an EV is not for that person.

I never said don't worry about charging. For me, all the places I've been to, tons of them, I always have found a Tesla SC ready and waiting. It's a given.

So no, there is no false narrative here from my end. Just a bunch of facts as my experience travelling in my glorious Teslas and my Rivian has shown me.

Lastly, as a practical matter, I most absolutely can travel in either of my EVs anywhere I choose to without any charging issues. Have used a lot of the Tesla SC network forever to know that this is true. It is no accident the following saying from many that stuck out there for so long: want to do road tripping? Get a Tesla.

 

[bigsky]

CCS in America is the Betamax of EV charging standards. VHS/Tesla won. Settled law. But I am just a lowly EV owner. Anybody who disagrees that the glorious, cheaper, so ubiquitous, so always working, so ultra reliable Tesla SC network is not so, well, take it up with Rivian. And Ford. And GM. And Volvo. And Toyota. And Mercedes. And Honda. And Nissan. And Polestar and find out why the hell each one has switched charging ports to...drum roll...wait for it...TESLA!!!

Tesla SC network is so great, everybody else a far distant second, so excellent, so pretty much everywhere that its charging port became an INDUSTRY STANDARD.

Just the facts, ma'am.

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