Stuck in Tucson AZ | EV bus cross country First Five days
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- We have been on the road for 5 days now on the all electric double decker bus. The heat has been extreme and its causing havoc on the equipment. Charging has been really hard and I wanted to give all of you a update of how the trip is going.
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While I feel bad for your struggles, thank you for documenting them. This is a very interesting adventure.
Adventure. You mean nightmare.
So as someone who has done some design work on these EV charging cables I can tell you they are a huge pain. At the higher power levels like 350 or 400kw you are pushing over 500amps through that cable. If it were just an extension cord that is air cooled it would need to have two 1in diameter copper cables inside of it. At 10ft long it would around 80lbs and super not flexible. So, these cables are actually much thinner and water-cooled. There is a radiator in the charger unit but the whole system adds complexity to the charger and is just another point of failure. If we want to charge faster electric vehicles either need to run higher voltages to drop the amperage or we will soon need mechanized chargers that support the cable weight.
This was a very interesting read. Thanks you for this information
This may seem silly or perhaps not effective but I wonder if VAN-HOOL thought of the idea of an axle generator. Sure this thing has regenerative braking but this idea would have the generator with a magnetic clutch that could be disengaged when not needed. They used the same principle on rail coaches but this would be a more modern version
@@crabbymilton390 What should be the difference between regenerative braking and an axle generator?
You cant create energy out of nothing after all
@@Heimbasteln Regenerative braking would be more effective in a stop and go bus like transit or skoolie. But an over the road coach going over 60mph it may provide supplemental energy. It would only be engaged when needed or at operators discretion.
Will be nice once they perfect the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
best proof of evs large vehicles are a huge pain, thanks for sharing this
Ummmm he’s trying to shove a square peg in a round hole. There’s nothing to prove here. There’s no infrastructure for personal large EVs and nobody is complaining except this guy. It’s interesting but overall he’s proving nothing that people didn’t already know and is honestly being an asshat trying to drive toss thing around and block chargers. I can tell you right now I can’t go to my local supercharger with a bus without blocking people. This guy does it anyways.
Might it be beneficial to have charge ports on the front as well as the rear of the bus? Since maneuvering the bus forward may sometimes be easier? Or even better, would be to have some kind of a connection on the bus on a cord real that you could pull out and give you the extra length needed.
Charge point locations are optional at the time of order and can be had in multiple locations. This demonstrator bus happens to only have one location in the rear of the bus.
For a cross-country trip you might be better off just to go tow a big generator behind your bus so you can charge it when you want to
James have you considered contacting trasit operators in the ares you are going to that have electric buses to see if you can charge at their facilities? Just a thought.
Dude that is an excellent idea
@@MotorcoachWorld I didn't think those auto chargers were going to get it done for you. Have a great rest of your trip.
Thank you for sharing these issues you've experienced. At this point, and on a joking side, you should have loaded a gas generator with a 50 amp plug in one basement bay for situations like this which seems to happen everyday. I'm just thinking out loud
Your EA experience, and the testimony of the guy in the video are common. I would hate to have spent $100k for a Ford Lightening only to discover the risk of being stranded on a road-trip that rely's on EA and other similarly unreliable charge networks.
You mention Silicon Valley having electric busses....As far back as 2013 they had all electric motor coaches in use shuttling employees for their daily commute. I used to regularly deliver freight to a place next door to a bus depot.
What stood out to me was that every bus parking spot had to have a dedicated charger. The busses only operated in a limited area and only during "bankers hours" and were left on the charger the other 12-14 hours each day.
This is a very special use case in an environment where cost is irrelevant and there is no need to be concerned about profitability. This bus service was an employee perk that was used by very few people, rarely more than 10 people on a bus.
They very clearly had a special connection to the power grid, high end chargers, and a repair facility on site. The land use is inefficient compated to a diesel fuel island and traditional parking. As a truck driver I looked at the place seeing a financial world that doesn't exist elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the tech industry lives in a walled garden that makes them believe EV cars, busses and trucks can be this simple nationally if we wanted it to be done. They don't understand the concept of there being a cost to capital for investment.
@hewhohasnoidentity4377 You are my nominee for best comment, at least one of the top 200 comments 😂. You are exactly right: the niche is local, short loop, regular routes, cheap real estate and huge dedicated solar-battery grid. Thank you.
The best part is they aren’t even common. A lot of tech companies still contract with charter companies that use a 100% diesel fleet. Even soy tech dorks know EVs are a giant psyop.
@@donalddodson7365and 3:53 doesn't help the situation either
“Walled garden” … so true. Excellent comment overall.
Sounds like Electrify America is a complete cluster for operations. Just another reason to NOT own an Electric Vehicle.
And is Ford can figure out how to put cruise control on the Lightening pretty sure ABC Vanhool can figure it out also.
All the third party EV charging operators are trash. Reliability is in the dump. Tesla is the only company who knows how to run a charging network.
@@qwerty112311 Them and the Oil Companies their units seem to always work..
Great example of while I’ll never buy an electric vehicle 😂
Wouldn't have these problems with diesel.
Diesels are 120 years ahead of electric in over the road use. In the early days, trucks used chains to drive the wheels and breakdowns were common. With each breakdown I'm sure there were some who declared horses were better because they didn't have any chains to break.
Duh, but that's not the point
@@BitcoinfunforBoomers horses are still better than evs
This is a very interesting road trip/test drive. Basically VanHool made a fairly solid bus, ABC is amazing (as always), Electrify America sucks. That's the problem with companies today, they simply do not care about customer service. Its almost like you are bothering them, and they can't be bothered. EV's have a very long ways to go, not just with trucks and busses, but cars as well. Too hot or too cold they don't work as well. Too step of terrain, they don't work well. I live in DC and the Circulator buses have some all electric busses, but they have trouble with some of the steeper hills in the city (yes DC has lots of hills, once you are outside of downtown). One day we will probably get there, but its a ways off.
Good luck. At this rate u should hopefully be home by Xmas.
I currently drive BYD electric double deckers on local routes in the UK and have to say they are fantastic at what they do but it definitely looks like the long distance coach needs to stick with diesel or come up with another solution as electric doesn’t appear to be right for the job. It’s also interesting to see that electric car drivers in the US are having the same issues as in the UK when it comes to charging stations not working. As much as I love driving my electric bus I will stick with my diesel van and petrol car for now. Great vid as always 👍
James, by the time you reach your final destination you will have qualified for sainthood. Just letting you know my friend. I thought you would get a CHARGE out of this message😎
Lol thanks Richard 😂
Hopefully they’ll get you going soon. In the meantime, get back in that pool James!! Looks like the pipe dream got ahead of the logistics. I would be interested how this monster will handle sub 0 and snow. Electric and electronic components don’t play very nice with road salt. Thanks for keeping us up to date. Stay safe and God Bless.
Thank you for putting an electric bus through rigorous real-world testing by choosing the southern parts of the US (and driving uphill). You chose the ultimate proving ground and revealed what truly needs to be done to really "electrify America". In the meantime, diesel and jet fuel are becoming increasingly renewable biofuels, so hang on to your diesels!
RUN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AWAY FROM THIS BUS!!!
They just have to perfect technology, infrastructure, and the logistical chain for electric vehicles of all types. Gas vehicles are not sustainable in the long run for the environment.
Diesel way to go
I have to say... The un-split windshields on the newer buses makes me jelly since my 2000 Prevost H3-45 has a split windshield. The unobstructed view on the newer single piece windshields are just beautiful.
James, thank you for an honest evaluation. We hear so much crap that we really don’t know what to believe. When we hear actual true facts from you we can actually know the truth. Thank you for your honest opinion from real life results. So refreshing for a change. Looking forward to the rest of the trip.
Thank you for showing us all why we might not want to get an EV any time soon. Sounds like you might have wanted security with you on this trip
Hope the rest of your journey go smoothly
Thank you. Im hoping so too
This was very interesting and pleasant vs the jumpy and intermittent stream of the past few days. I'm a bit surprised that ABC/ Van Hool hadn't researched the logistics of charging better. It's rather obvious that a leviathan EV shouldn't be feeding with guppies as tensions will arise. Also obvious is the capacity of the bus vs an auto at a charger. A lot of kinks but it seems that this bus will be best suited for metro duty until the commercial charging infrastructure is in place.
Safe travels.
Are you coming through Phoenix? If so, that would be awesome to see the bus and meet you.
I'm definitely a huge fan.
Hey Matthew that would have been fun but we are currently in Tucson and moving Eastward so we've already passed Phoenix.
If heat is affecting the black hoses they need to insulate them somehow. And what happens in the winter?
The black cables are water cooled, probably need antifreeze or active heating in the winter.
Pretty awesome of them to allow you to be honest on camera of the issues regarding the unacceptable, infrastructure falling way short. This speaks volumes of their integrity and transparency.
ABC is a really nice company with a team of dedicated and kind people. I trust them impeccably.
@@MotorcoachWorld I believe they wanted the truth put out there
@@Ole_Lige We all have to remember that this doesn’t reflect on VAN-HOOL or ABC. It’s the charging units and their owners /operators that need to improve.
@@crabbymilton390 sorry, I thought I made that clear
@@Ole_Lige Oh no apology needed. You stated it well. I’m sure some would want to blast ABC and VAN-HOOL so reinforcement never hurts.
We need James to repeat the adventure this winter on a trip between Boston and Seattle during a polar vortex.
To do it appropriately it should use the same bus, or at least the same model. It could have winter retrofitting and any available features for traction control and such. It should be done this coming winter to provide a same year review of the two extremes.
What do you say James? Take a winter drive in mid January? Test out the charging stations up north in -20F°?
Or Alaska.
@@crabbymilton390 across Canada ... from Vancouver to St. John's. 7,821 km (,4859.74 mi).
I'll see if ABC will invite me to do so 😔
Thanks for going over the difficulties of charging at Electrify America. I didn't know charging stations were a common place for disputes. That really takes away the interest in BEVs for me. Tesla seems to do much better with this than you are experiencing.
I really think with a large vehicle it would be much more hospitable to have a 50-foot D.C. fast charger extension cord with some drive over cable protection boxes so the bus could be parked across the parking lot access way where it is not blocking any charging stations. The long extension cord would also allow changing to other charging stations within a few feet of each other. This would take some time to setup and tear down, but you're are probably there for 2-4 hours. It also shows that you're trying to be accommodating to other BEV users. These extension cords would be heavy because they have to allow for high current without active cooling which is done for the fast charger connection cable.
I'm not coming up with a CCS fast charging extension cord. The extension cords for CCS are only for class 1 and class 2 charging which is using the AC 240 volts part of the CCS connection and not the high current high voltage DC conductors. Somebody might have to make one custom. There is 14-foot long extension cord advertised for fast Tesla Superchargers. I did find a CCS plug and 1 meter long cable showing it is likely possible to source components for making a high current CCS extension cord. www.ebay.com/itm/125898982305?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1L5roHDP2QR-IznSTkDf0cQ61&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=125898982305&targetid=1644837434603&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9016136&poi=&campaignid=20125739985&mkgroupid=149128855676&rlsatarget=pla-1644837434603&abcId=9312975&merchantid=757822813&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl930nL-6gAMVL6RaBR28vQ57EAQYAyABEgKsrfD_BwE.
Maybe once way from highly populated areas the charging stations will not be so busy.
Sounds like they just need to send out a truck to follow you with one of those massive portable generators on it for charging lol
Electrify America is absolutely embarrassing themselves. Not a shock (pun intended) that they're owned by VW.
No doubt they will probably work just fine on those IC(NAVISTAR)electric school buses since VW owns NAVISTAR.
Electrify America is part of VW's "punishment" for Dieselgate. Not necessarily an incentive for them, more like an obligation. Can they do better? Of course. Do they want to? Time will tell. If their availability issues are all hardware related, then they have to get their hardware supplier (Siemens? ) in line.
Don't worry about the EV Choach James. There's plenty of Dead dinosaur fuel for all of us.😂 🇺🇸
Should add a trailer hitch to the buss and tow your own diesel generator + charger. Lol
You’re doing a good “road test” with high ambient temperatures on your route so far. Put it through absolute hell now so the bugs and kinks can be worked out. Interesting what they say about the charging cords getting too hot in the sun and it affecting the charge rate. Another test they should do in the near future is how everything would work in really cold weather. I’ve been in Quebec City many times with the temps way below zero, on trip it was -35 F overnight. So how they charge and how they start and drive in frigid weather would be interesting.
With charging stations for trucks and buses, has anyone heard if any major truck stops are going to install them with the space designs solely aimed at these large vehicles?
Quite surprised VanHool would let one of their buses get the Desert/charging station torture test.
Like the old saying goes, if you get thru the fire, you’ll come out shining like gold.
5 days cal. to Ar. lol and America wants to go EV not in the next 25 years infrastructure will not handle it
I've been following every day and your videos have been so informative and entertaining! Every bus manufacturer, Operator and charging provider CEO should watch this series!
Proterra filled for bankruptcy today
i think all the stuff you are going through with the chargers really shows that for the moment EV buses/coaches only really works as a concept in towns and cities mass transit systems, could you imagine trying to make the journey you are making or even a part of the journey with a coach load of tourists getting angrier and angrier
With the state of battery caps as they are...EVs are going to remain a major headache.
That's alot of issues for electric buses talk about rough start
Well I'm glad to see you're in a cool hotel! It has been an adventure. So have a great rest of your trip I hope it goes smoothly.
Seems like a 100' extension cable would make this easier. Also... just plain more charging hardware right? Plug it into more chargers.
The longer the cable, the more resistance. The more resistance, the more energy is lost as heat. So either the conductors have to be made thicker to compensate or the voltages needs to be increased to higher levels inorder to reduce the current (i.e. Super Chargers). Otherwise it would be like filling a swimming pool with a garden hose.
@@BradHouser Yep. 350MCM would be a good place to start. It would be well over a pound per foot, but if it's that or what they're doing now... I'd rather an extension cable.
So I drive our DD and they don’t have cruise control, either so maybe it’s just a DD thing
Hmmm interesting 😊
Good Luck James & Team :-)
I don’t understand the charger company, a battery is a battery! Just a different capacity. Hopefully they will build bigger stalls at the outer edges of the charging stations. I wonder when truck stops will get in on the act?
This has to be bad publicity for Electrify America. But knowing how much my friends in electric cars struggle, they deserve all of it.
you should think about investing time in making a social media referal machine around your channel.
Your content is OP and you are a really good host, you just need to be viewed around the world outside the motorcoach ecosystem to make this channel M+ subs channel.
I'm glad to see a company take risk. We don't get better by being by not failing, we get better by overcoming failure. Unfortunately it seems it not the vehicles that are the issue it the infrastructure that supports them.
It's too early for electric coaches
When I started driving a truck, I
didn't have a coffee cup holder, had to buy a holder from a truck stop.
OMG! Did you just say NO CUP HOLDERS!!!!!! What the heck is wrong with manufacturers ? Do any of these knuckleheads, ever drive one of these things before designing them. That’s just plain stupid! If you remember me James, I go off a lot about cup holders in buses LOL. How in the world could they leave out a cup holder (s) yes, their should be at least TWO of them for the driver. I bet these people use their cup holders in their fancy cars they drive 😡
Electric isn’t the future 😢
Are the Electrify America charging stations 480 VDC "rapid DC charging stations", or the 208 - 240 VAC "light duty" stations??
If they are DC, that means that they use an AC-to-DC first stage conversion section feeding a DC-to-DC conversion section fed directly into the bus's charging port(s?). Both stages are almost assuredly microprocessor controlled, and when you consider the heat index, and the fact that the DC is created right at the "pump" via a highly controlled heavy duty diode array (BIG diodes), and a 'filter/smoothing' capacitor array (BIG capacitors), which is taking 3-phase AC and converting/cleaning it up enough to become what is largely considered to be "dirty DC" (DC, with a wee bit of 'wall wort style noise').
Semiconductors HATE heat!
That first stage feeds a DC-to-DC converter stage, which 'cleans up' the dirty DC, which feeds to your bus's charging control and monitoring circuitry. With 22,000 lbs of Li-ion receiving that charge, I'm making an educated guess that all of these stations are seeing a higher than normal amperage draw, or a potential for it, and activating some type of auto-protection mode. Lower outdoor temps would almost certainly benefit charging duration, endurance of the charging station, and the TDX25E's front end charging circuitry.
Questions for the ABC techs:
№1. Is the charging system proprietary, or vendor supplied (Siemens??)?
№2. Can the charging comm link/data be monitored (both directions, charger-to-bus/vice-versa)??
№2.5 How clean is the DC? (good thing that scopes are cheap these days!)
№3. Can a long retired industrial engineer (avionics support at the vendor level for a very large airframe manufacturer) purchase a case of beer for the enjoyment of the techs when off-duty, and how do I go about doing so??
№4. Has anyone from the USDOT, ICC, or state-level DOT's tried to assist, or provide answers about such ineffective infrastructure support/design/implementation?
Cheers and Godspeed James, with the same intentions going out to your family, your PCC family, and the support staff of Van Hool and ABC!!
№1. Vendor supplied.
№2. Only via CAN trace at this time.
№2.5 Great question for Electrify America.
№4. Not that we are aware of. Keep in mind most of these vehicles cross the country enroute to delivery and then are based out of a central region with captured infrastructure so the problems arise and then are minimal when the vehicles are limited to operation in their respective markets.
@@TheCoachABC Many thanks for taking the time to reply! Having driven for two MCI-dedicated companies, and also having been "Pembina trained" on Carrier Semi-hermetic compressors and their 'electricals and electronicals', my service van visited Hausman in Pitman quite often. I've actually been to ABC Winter Haven, to pick up a 102-A purchased used from ABC directly (late 1980's). You guys always have been a first class operation!! I'd still like to work on "RMAing" a №3 for the techs, or maybe a "Buc-ee's" gift card for a meal on me?? ;-)
It will get better James. We spoke about some of the solutions coming.
Thank you Ollie. Much appreciated.
I bought a gasoline new SUV. No electric for me.
I have been watching from the time you announced your trip. I found alot of your info very interesting. Thanks.
Thank you Robert
Very impressive bus
Disappointed in charging stations across the us😊
You amazing person in the world with serious movement actions
You amazing person in the world with serious movement actions
Ea sucks. The bus needs it’s on ext cord to have better charging options.
James, some of your struggles are self imposed. You are definately making the same mistakes that many new EV Drivers make when "Road Tripping" in an EV. The biggest mistake you are making is not taking into consideration how the batteries operate when being charged. When batteries are at 50% State of Charge (SOC), they can not accept Electrons as fast as they can when they are empty, less than or equal to 10% SOC. What you are doing is trying to charge from 50% to 100% SOC, which is the absolute slowest way to charge the battery. Typically what experienced EV Drivers do is charge up to 80% SOC, and stop at the Charging station they are closest to when they will reach between 15% to 10% SOC. When they plug in at these lower charge levels, the batteries can accept Electrons very fast and as they get closer to 80% the rate of charge slows down. Once they reach 80%, they unplug and head down the road. You are doing just the opposite, you are trying to stuff Electrons into your battery when the battery is not ready to accept them. Think of it like this; immediately after eating your Thanksgiving dinner, you must now eat a whole apple pie (it is going to be some slow going).
I do hope you read this before you get back on the road, and can make the adjustment to operate the bus between 15% and 80%, where your charging sessions will be much faster and the charging stations can opperate at a higher rate.
Good luck my friend.
Excellent point
Thank for the update and be safe
ev's can't go out of business soon enough, what a waste of resources
I manage the fueling network for a trucking company. This is very valuable and well presented information. Thank you
So if you drove a van who motorcoach with a diesel engine, how far can you get from your starting point across the USA including fuel stops and brakes?
It would probably only take 2 or 3 days.
Imagine having a group onboard 😢
Oh man I've thought of the same thing. They would have bailed on me long ago. But then again. This is not the bus anyone should be sending out long range with any group unless they purposely want to experience a EV bus trip.. which would be my family and Dennis' s wife lol.
Hey James, big fan of yours I stopped at Buckees These beaver nuggets are going to get me in trouble. Delicious. 😂
They're addictive aren't they 😂
Well, what an exasperating adventure, James! I really admire your patience. As a coach operator, no doubt you've come by it honestly! Is Electrify America a monopoly by any chance? Is that why their service is so poor? Sounds like they need some robust competition.
Electrify America is funded in large part by Volkswagen as punishment by the EPA for cheating on emissions testing on their TDI diesel vehicles several years ago. They're not exactly in it as a money-making operation.
EA is majority owned by Volkswagen as a mandated investment from their diesel emissions cheating settlement. I think what happened is VW wrote them the check they were forced to, and they blew the whole thing at once. When it turns out it's not enough to keep the stations running and there's hardware flaws that need expensive fixes, there's no money.
Why Can't you get a 30 foot or 50 foot extenstion cord
Thanks my man. You are an amazing person sharing these with us. Love your trip and knowledge you are giving us. I feel relaxed watching your videos.
Maybe you can ask ABC and Vanhool why they stopped making the TX bus for North American and only make the CX now. Here in Palm Springs, CA where you drove thru not to long ago by Cabazon, we ordered 3 new CX45 buses last year and have 2 more 2024 models coming this year, we just put them on tour and they are NOT comfortable like the TX models were. Im curious as to why. My boss sounds like he will order the new Prevost model now or go with MCI again. He would like to stay with Vanhool cuz the maint costs are lower but when you get a brand new bus and half the stuff doesnt work when you get it and its uncomfortable, then why buy it.
The point you seem to miss is that a bus/coaçh operator seriously taking up EVs (and, admittedly, they are not YET viable for long haul) has its own charging system in their depot/garage. I'm speaking of the UK by the way. Good work on the poor customer service of the charging companies. Stick with it - one day, the batteries of motor coaches will be able to take a vehicle on journeys of hundreds and hundreds of miles. It just needs a few more years work. I could tell you shocking ( ha ha!) tales about experiments with battery operated buses here in the 1970s!
Hi from Tucson, Arizona. I'm sorry you were stranded/forcedCationed here. We have a lot of the best Mexican food this side of the border (the Mexican border, not the one with Texas.)
The problems with people getting into fights, not enough working chargers, people using up spots, this has happened once before (switching to unleaded gasoline, you'd pull up to a gas station with 1000 regular pumps and 1 unleaded pump and some Karen would be filling up her SUV at the unleaded pump).
It also still happens to those of us who drive work trucks and we pull up to a gas station with 1000 unleaded/premium fuel and 2 diesel pumps... and that same 1970s Karen in her new Range Rover SUV is filling up at the diesel...
This is a culture thing, and consideration of others needs, and that is something that ought to be taught, and maybe it is, but some people are all about themselves.
Electrify America is the greatest common factor ("lowest common denominator") of crappy product, crappy maintenance, shit-poor customer service, and AI-written letters that are hallucinations.
Sure, your cellphone when used *in* a bus rings the special EA "We won't answer it because it's not a light vehicle" line, but if you go outside your vehicle it still knows you WERE JUST IN a bus and routes the call appropriately, but man if you'd entered a McDonald's or a Chevron they'd have picked right up. /s But hey, what a cool patent for call routing based on what "class of customer" you are.
I'm disappointed your visit to Tucson was not what it could have been, and under the circumstances, who can blame you? If you're passing through next time around, HMU and dinner's on me. We're a UN Gastronomy city winner a few years back, but like Karen and her SUV we have a "My child made dean's list" pride no matter how long ago Karen's child made the dean's list and today he's nobody.
One final note. Electrify America is a rollup plan. They don't want to serve customers any more than the minimum to keep churn down. They want EVs to become popular enough so someone more well-funded will buy them for $10 on the $1.
Your trip looks like fun. Your rig looks awesome. Thanks for being honest and sharing all the viewpoints of the many people you had on!
Ehud in Tucson
9:27 thats Van Hool for ya XD
Drove a diesel VH at Croswell once and the steering was so good it felt like my 2020 Corolla
Electrify America is absolutely the winner of the WORST charging network in the USA! Tesla superchargers are going to keep opening up more and more and they are the most reliable; rarely broken chargers.
James, there is a massive, MASSIVE difference in the automobile charging experience between Electrify America and Tesla. Electrify America was built out by Volkswagen as a result of a huge fine from their diesel gate debacle. Drivers experiences like those that you heard indicate a system that was cursed to be unreliable from day one. The Tesla Supercharger network is virtually flawless with an uptime of 99.79%. Please resist judging the entire EV charging system from the experience offered by one horribly designed, monitored and operated company with no interest in customer experience. The majority of EV manufacturers have realized that the Tesla system is the only reliable system offering a successful customer experience, and are transitioning the charging of their cars to the Tesla system. Some brands like Ford and GM have already begun the switch. It will take a couple of years for the non Tesla industry to switch over. At that point, charging an EV will be as reliable as fuelling a hydrocarbon powered vehicle. For a look at the near future, check out Norway, where almost 90% of all new automobile purchases are electric, and where a robust and successful heavy duty charging system is in place.
Electrify America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America
. Here is a breakdown of the ownership of Electrify America:
Electrify America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc
In June 2022, Siemens became the first external investor in Electrify America with a $450 million investment, acquiring a minority shareholder stake, Siemens also holds a seat on the board of Electrify America, Therefore, Volkswagen Group of America is the majority owner of Electrify America, and Siemens is a minority shareholder.
I hope that the new controller card has a fan on it, or maybe you can find a way to cool it. You might need to carry 2 extra with you, in case it happens again. I still say run it at 55 to get longer range. And why a Black bus? Too hot for the desert 🌵 Finally, running at night, like the Bennet bus delivery drivers, might yield better performance. But I realize you have your family on board. Thank you for posting your adventures for all to see.
Is there any possibility that you would post the daily miles, daily cost to recharge, and daily time on the road, including charging times? Some of us bus geeks are nerds too! And some of us keep track of that stuff. Like my career. After an accident in 1982 in a Buffalo 🦬 (dented the luggage door, avoiding a car crossing 3 lanes) I went 11655 days without another one. And yes, I gave up counting the miles after 2 million. I also gave up counting my passengers after 20 years. (48 year career. )
Yes, I am part of the Motorcoach World. Thanks, James.
What goofballs dreamed up this trip using consumer car charging network? 😉😆 8:11 Electrify America sloppy software engineering ☹️😡 10:09 36 MPH uphill @ Tejon Pass - seems awful. WTH 11:14 no cruise!
Charging issues that you experienced, although upsetting, are to be expected in a charging industry in its infancy. Tesla have designed and built out a proven reliable system for automotive charging, and will likely be the one who brings reliable heavy duty charging to the bus and truck market when their semis enter full production. Pepsi/Frito Lay have been running Tesla semis for a few years without a single hiccup, but with a Tesla charging system specific to their operational locations. It is interesting to follow Pepsis experiences with their Tesla trucks pulling fully loaded payloads up and over Donner Pass. The future of heavy transportation is clearly electric and possibly hydrogen, but it is still in its infancy.
Any time I read the sadly predictable posts predicting the failure of electrically powered transportation, I think back to social media at the turn of the previous century, letters to the editor. A letter from a naysayer who believed that gas powered transportation would never be successful in the future wrote, “Your car may run out of gas, but my horse will never run out of grass.” And the saddest part was that this gentleman truly believed what he said, and what he predicted. Let’s give the heavy duty transportation charging system time to evolve.
Every time I refuel My dual fuel vehicle (Petrol and LPG AutoGas) I remind Myself that I did not design the Gas Station and that any inconvenience I may be causing to Others, by My refuelling process is entirely NOT MY FAULT.
Brutal joke
Thank you for reaffirming that we should NOT buy electric vehicles .
I hear your plight with the power supplier you chose but a reel with 100 feet of extension cord (X-10) in two 50-foot sections should be something that ABC procures and brings out to you to complete the journey. The bad press is stupid for the want of an extension cord. Just pull past the last spot on the side and don't block the other slots. In the bus build, there should be a power inlet (shore/charge connector) on all four corners till EV charging becomes ubiquitous.
Agree but they need to figure out a charging infrastructure before they start building these busses. That's the major bonus with tesla their charging network
@@angelica351a Sorry but if you look back that is simply not the way technology deployed historically. The technology has to adjust first and the infrastructure follows. When cars came out you had to get gas at a pharmacy. For instance, in the premium market, an RV has a connection on both sides for utilities.
@@superbmediacontentcreator The first thing I thought when seeing this bus's charging (or not...) fiascos is why aren't there charging inlets at all four corners? I'm converting a bus into a motor home, and I installed two shore power inlets at diagonally opposite corners to avoid needing to drag electric cables under the bus. Why is this not standard for all large vehicles? Did nobody at Van Hool or ABC Bus think of this eventuality? If something as basic and simple as this was 'overlooked' by all those experts, what other unwelcome surprises will there be?
@@icenijohn2 as I mentioned to another commenter most of the higher-end bus conversions accept all utilities including fuel, power, water, dump, etc on both sides of the vehicle usually aft just in front of the first set of tires.
This is kind of groundbreaking as far as a fully electric bus for over-the-road work is concerned. At the lowest level and as I mentioned a couple of 50 ft X-10 cords (100 ft) could have eliminated a lot of these hassles and in any bus position. It's a lot of cable pulling but you gotta do what you gotta do till the infrastructure adjusts to the need.
Commenting on the 50-100’ extension cords; at that kind of draw and the time to charge it, you would probably have problems with current and voltage drops with longer cords. The best would be as short as possible from the charger to the “chargee “. Stations for trucks and buses and larger vehicles would need to be designed strictly for them.
No cupholders!!!!! What were they thinking? Seems that EV bus technology is lacking. The lack of reliable charging stations is terrible. I feel your pain.
Super interesting video. Thank you. I’ve watched several videos of EV pickups hauling a camper, testing the charge/distance and the ability to maneuver into a charging station. It’s ridiculous.
Seems like Van Hool should have anticipated these charging problems and done something about them. After all this bus wasn't built for short commutes only.
Admittedly a very different comparison, when Bertha Benz took the first long-distance car trip it also wasn’t without problems.
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen had no fuel tank and used whatever fuel was in the carburetor, for example. When it needed she, they stopped at a pharmacy that became the world’s first gas station. She invented brake liners and solved many problems that the Patent-Motorwagen had before the trip while on the trip. And many times, her kids had to push the car up steep roads.
But everything has to start somewhere. I’m sure other things on the bus will break. I’m sure charging will still remain difficult.
I just hope we don’t see you pushing the bus up a hill.
Sorry your being stuck, poor planning all the way around, feel sorry to your combined family’s that have to endure this mess… and your government is pushing this idiotic venture…. Safe journey James & families
Five days from California to Arizona. Not inspiring confidence for cross country travel via EV until the charging network quantity and reliability catches up.
I'm watching your video while I'm charging my car next to you😂
Keep the good work man
I think the best way to get around the bus is to build four mini turbines and mount them using the side racks. You can also build some hydro generators and swamp the mini turbines for the hydro generators or solar panels. You can also build two high capacity batteries or even a roof battery for the extra capacity. that should be enough to help you survive in the olympic exclusion zone out there in the pacific north west....wait a minute.
haha wrong video. :D
Wow what a waste of time traveling with an electric vehicle. They’re great if you want to use around town. But for road trips I think you need to wait till the technology gets a little better and there’s actually a sufficient amount of power and more reliable charging stations.
Why even sell electric busses if there is no infrastructure to support them? The infrastructure and time to charge is gonna be the roadblock to EVs. Meanwhile synthetic/bio fuels might silently take over.
Zeus battery charger coming to market soon. These charging stations should be giving off beacon signals constantly to Google maps verifying they are actually up and charging. Technocrats are letting you down and no excuses are welcome.
Ev buses are a big mistake right now since there's no infrastructure for them to charge. Diesel is the way to go. The whole ev thing is something we're not ready for.
I have been on the diesel version of this coach in the UK very fast and powerful
Disappointing that the powertrain supplier, Proterra just filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Van Hool will have to strike up a partnership with someone else.