Charge up!
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We Charged Our Electric Truck at 7-Eleven and All We Got Was This Stupid Hat
Our F-150 Lightning was on the EV equivalent of fumes, sitting at 13 percent charge and 30 miles of range, when we plugged in. You activate the station through the clunky but functional 7Charge app. The Lightning said the stop would take a little over an hour to hit 80 percent, so we looked for ways to entertain ourselves. Thankfully a store full of distractions was mere feet away. Having spent five minutes and $3.58 on a coffee and a hot chocolate (our photographers have the palates of children), we returned to the Lightning to nurse our drinks, chit-chat, and kill time.
About a half hour later, we went back into 7-Eleven to hit the restroom and grab some food. The location didn't have a public restroom, but the sympathetic clerk made an exception after we explained we were using the 7Charge station. We then went shopping and came out with two taquitos, some Goldfish crackers, a bag of chips, some water, two Starbucks Double Shots, an extra-large Coke Slurpee, and a sweet 7-Eleven trucker hat. We spent an additional $29.83 on boredom retail. Just half a bag of chips and a single Double Shot remained by the time our Lightning notified us its pack was sitting at 80 percent charge and 227 miles of range. The 87.619 kW our Ford consumed cost $51.70 at an expensive $0.59 per kW, as well as an hour and 11 minutes of our time, the price of the snacks, and possibly some heart health.
The time and dollars are a steep price to pay for a charge from 10 to 80 percent, a typical cycle for many EV owners. By sheer coincidence, the last fast charge we completed with our Lightning prior to our 7Charge visit was at a 350-kW Electrify America station. That instance took the truck's pack from 17 to 80 percent in 38 minutes, adding 86.135 kW for $41.28. That's $10.42 and 35 minutes less than the 7Charge station, not including snacks.
Regardless of the price, truth be told, even that 35 minutes spent charging at a 350-kW station was too long. Our Lightning has the massive, 130-kWh Extended Range battery pack, and its peak charge rate—that is, the maximum speed at which it can receive energy—is 178 kW. While the Lightning impresses in holding that peak until it reaches about a 65 percent state of charge (dropping down to about 120 kW by the time it hits 80 percent), it still takes on average about 40 minutes to add enough range to the Ford's battery to continue a highway journey. Should you need more from a fast charger, it's worth keeping in mind that in all EVs the charge rate drops the fuller the battery is, to about 50 kW from 80 to 90 percent, and to the low teens north of 90 percent.
Yeah, just what I'd love to do - spend a ton of time at a 7-Eleven with young kids in tow.
Not ready for prime time.
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We Charged Our Electric Truck at 7-Eleven and All We Got Was This Stupid Hat
Our F-150 Lightning was on the EV equivalent of fumes, sitting at 13 percent charge and 30 miles of range, when we plugged in. You activate the station through the clunky but functional 7Charge app. The Lightning said the stop would take a little over an hour to hit 80 percent, so we looked for ways to entertain ourselves. Thankfully a store full of distractions was mere feet away. Having spent five minutes and $3.58 on a coffee and a hot chocolate (our photographers have the palates of children), we returned to the Lightning to nurse our drinks, chit-chat, and kill time.
About a half hour later, we went back into 7-Eleven to hit the restroom and grab some food. The location didn't have a public restroom, but the sympathetic clerk made an exception after we explained we were using the 7Charge station. We then went shopping and came out with two taquitos, some Goldfish crackers, a bag of chips, some water, two Starbucks Double Shots, an extra-large Coke Slurpee, and a sweet 7-Eleven trucker hat. We spent an additional $29.83 on boredom retail. Just half a bag of chips and a single Double Shot remained by the time our Lightning notified us its pack was sitting at 80 percent charge and 227 miles of range. The 87.619 kW our Ford consumed cost $51.70 at an expensive $0.59 per kW, as well as an hour and 11 minutes of our time, the price of the snacks, and possibly some heart health.
The time and dollars are a steep price to pay for a charge from 10 to 80 percent, a typical cycle for many EV owners. By sheer coincidence, the last fast charge we completed with our Lightning prior to our 7Charge visit was at a 350-kW Electrify America station. That instance took the truck's pack from 17 to 80 percent in 38 minutes, adding 86.135 kW for $41.28. That's $10.42 and 35 minutes less than the 7Charge station, not including snacks.
Regardless of the price, truth be told, even that 35 minutes spent charging at a 350-kW station was too long. Our Lightning has the massive, 130-kWh Extended Range battery pack, and its peak charge rate—that is, the maximum speed at which it can receive energy—is 178 kW. While the Lightning impresses in holding that peak until it reaches about a 65 percent state of charge (dropping down to about 120 kW by the time it hits 80 percent), it still takes on average about 40 minutes to add enough range to the Ford's battery to continue a highway journey. Should you need more from a fast charger, it's worth keeping in mind that in all EVs the charge rate drops the fuller the battery is, to about 50 kW from 80 to 90 percent, and to the low teens north of 90 percent.
Yeah, just what I'd love to do - spend a ton of time at a 7-Eleven with young kids in tow.
Not ready for prime time.
@George-K said in Charge up!:
We Charged Our Electric Truck at 7-Eleven and All We Got Was This Stupid Hat
Our F-150 Lightning was on the EV equivalent of fumes, sitting at 13 percent charge and 30 miles of range, when we plugged in. You activate the station through the clunky but functional 7Charge app. The Lightning said the stop would take a little over an hour to hit 80 percent, so we looked for ways to entertain ourselves. Thankfully a store full of distractions was mere feet away. Having spent five minutes and $3.58 on a coffee and a hot chocolate (our photographers have the palates of children), we returned to the Lightning to nurse our drinks, chit-chat, and kill time.
About a half hour later, we went back into 7-Eleven to hit the restroom and grab some food. The location didn't have a public restroom, but the sympathetic clerk made an exception after we explained we were using the 7Charge station. We then went shopping and came out with two taquitos, some Goldfish crackers, a bag of chips, some water, two Starbucks Double Shots, an extra-large Coke Slurpee, and a sweet 7-Eleven trucker hat. We spent an additional $29.83 on boredom retail. Just half a bag of chips and a single Double Shot remained by the time our Lightning notified us its pack was sitting at 80 percent charge and 227 miles of range. The 87.619 kW our Ford consumed cost $51.70 at an expensive $0.59 per kW, as well as an hour and 11 minutes of our time, the price of the snacks, and possibly some heart health.
The time and dollars are a steep price to pay for a charge from 10 to 80 percent, a typical cycle for many EV owners. By sheer coincidence, the last fast charge we completed with our Lightning prior to our 7Charge visit was at a 350-kW Electrify America station. That instance took the truck's pack from 17 to 80 percent in 38 minutes, adding 86.135 kW for $41.28. That's $10.42 and 35 minutes less than the 7Charge station, not including snacks.
Regardless of the price, truth be told, even that 35 minutes spent charging at a 350-kW station was too long. Our Lightning has the massive, 130-kWh Extended Range battery pack, and its peak charge rate—that is, the maximum speed at which it can receive energy—is 178 kW. While the Lightning impresses in holding that peak until it reaches about a 65 percent state of charge (dropping down to about 120 kW by the time it hits 80 percent), it still takes on average about 40 minutes to add enough range to the Ford's battery to continue a highway journey. Should you need more from a fast charger, it's worth keeping in mind that in all EVs the charge rate drops the fuller the battery is, to about 50 kW from 80 to 90 percent, and to the low teens north of 90 percent.
Yeah, just what I'd love to do - spend a ton of time at a 7-Eleven with young kids in tow.
Not ready for prime time.
You think that's bad, put a trailer behind it and watch your battery amount.
BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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I live in a condo. The cost of adding a dedicated charging station to my parking space is...formidable.
The infrastructure ain't there (yet) and until it becomes "there" people are going to be more than a bit unhappy.
I'm posting this with an eye on the recent "regulation" which requires almost impossible emission standards for gasoline-powered vehicles which the Biden administration has proposed.
They will make gasoline/diesel vehicles unaffordable in the next ten years.
What is this administration doing to improve charging station availability and efficiency?
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They have charging points where I work. It might be a good choice for the daily grind to work. With the new house and the stupid management in the office rule I'm commuting 350 miles a week, and the gas cost is adding up.
Of course, there's no way I can afford another car. I humbly suggested it was high time I got promoted - the next level up get a car allowance. I suspect my pleas fell on deaf ears.
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They have charging points where I work. It might be a good choice for the daily grind to work. With the new house and the stupid management in the office rule I'm commuting 350 miles a week, and the gas cost is adding up.
Of course, there's no way I can afford another car. I humbly suggested it was high time I got promoted - the next level up get a car allowance. I suspect my pleas fell on deaf ears.
@Doctor-Phibes said in Charge up!:
They have charging points where I work. It might be a good choice for the daily grind to work. With the new house and the stupid management in the office rule I'm commuting 350 miles a week, and the gas cost is adding up.
Of course, there's no way I can afford another car. I humbly suggested it was high time I got promoted - the next level up get a car allowance. I suspect my pleas fell on deaf ears.
I get it.
How long would it take to charge up if you can't do it overnight in your garage?
Are your charging points at work "free?"
You're burning 70 gallons a week (at 20 mpg). That's probably about $220 a week in gas.
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@Doctor-Phibes said in Charge up!:
They have charging points where I work. It might be a good choice for the daily grind to work. With the new house and the stupid management in the office rule I'm commuting 350 miles a week, and the gas cost is adding up.
Of course, there's no way I can afford another car. I humbly suggested it was high time I got promoted - the next level up get a car allowance. I suspect my pleas fell on deaf ears.
I get it.
How long would it take to charge up if you can't do it overnight in your garage?
Are your charging points at work "free?"
You're burning 70 gallons a week (at 20 mpg). That's probably about $220 a week in gas.
@George-K said in Charge up!:
@Doctor-Phibes said in Charge up!:
They have charging points where I work. It might be a good choice for the daily grind to work. With the new house and the stupid management in the office rule I'm commuting 350 miles a week, and the gas cost is adding up.
Of course, there's no way I can afford another car. I humbly suggested it was high time I got promoted - the next level up get a car allowance. I suspect my pleas fell on deaf ears.
I get it.
How long would it take to charge up if you can't do it overnight in your garage?
Are your charging points at work "free?"
You're burning 70 gallons a week (at 20 mpg). That's probably about $220 a week in gas.
I think we might have to pay, but they're cheap. There's a ton of them, but they never seem to be used.
I'm not using anywhere near that much gas - it would be 70 gallons a month at 20mpg, but I think I'm getting between 32 and 35 mpg - it's pretty much all highway, and it's not a big car, so that's what, 10 gallons of gas a week commuting, maybe slightly more
