EV sales aren't going downhill

[Ex-Calif]

I bought a 6AH knockoff battery off Amazon which failed after 3 months; it had a 1- yr warranty. I contacted Amazon CS who told be to contact seller. Seller ignored me, so I called Amazon CS back 3X.

I have never had to ask Amazon to honor a warranty. I understand your frustration but I have had bad warranty issues from stick a brick stores too.

On one hand Amazon is "predominantly" an online store front for 3rd parties or a reseller of other company's goods. It is murky water determining who is actually responsible to honor the warranty.

My bottom line is that I don't buy anything online of a value larger than I am willing to lose. Whether eBay, Amazon or any stand alone merchant. Part of the human experience is getting ripped off or feeling ripped off once in a while - LOL...

 

[RedForeman]

It's the charger for the grocery delivery truck.

I was gonna suggest that. Since it's in Ft Smith and not Bentonville, probably not for the virtue signaling executives to charge their EV's with.

 

[Onyrlef]

I have never had to ask Amazon to honor a warranty. I understand your frustration but I have had bad warranty issues from stick a brick stores too.

On one hand Amazon is "predominantly" an online store front for 3rd parties or a reseller of other company's goods. It is murky water determining who is actually responsible to honor the warranty.

My bottom line is that I don't buy anything online of a value larger than I am willing to lose. Whether eBay, Amazon or any stand alone merchant. Part of the human experience is getting ripped off or feeling ripped off once in a while - LOL...

And besides when you buy a Chinese knockoff ( I bought 2-6 aH knockoff batteries for my Milwaukee M12 tools) it's kind of like getting a loan from a bank or a wiseguy. There should be different expectations.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I think that is just where they dumped off the charger to install elsewhere.

The address of that WallyMart CCS charger is:

2425 S Zero St, Fort Smith, AR 72901

-Don- Reno, NV

I was in there Thursday.

 

[TheBar]

Out here in fly-over country, where my grocery store is an hour and a half RT drive north, the closest lake I go fishing at is a 2-hour RT drive south through the mountains pulling my boat, and the closest public charger is back the other direction north by the grocery store an EV would be problematic.

I am not against EV and may own one someday. But what a few people here need to understand is rural America is nothing like what you think it is. According to Wikipedia rural America consists of approximately 97% of the United States' land area. 1/5 of the population lives in rural areas. There are still lots of areas without electric or phone lines. I have relatives in AR living 20 miles from the nearest electric lines. An 1800's lifestyle with kerosene lamps and wood fires for heat. And no, they aren't Amish.

Maps of charging locations are a joke. Roads in rural areas are not "as a crow flies" but more like spiderwebs. Roads have to go around natural obstructions like rivers. For instance from the Mississippi River bridge in Memphis the next one south is 179 miles in Vicksburg with only rural area between.

 

[Onyrlef]

I think that is just where they dumped off the charger to install elsewhere.

The address of that WallyMart CCS charger is:

2425 S Zero St, Fort Smith, AR 72901

-Don- Reno, NV

Nope, those service disconnects to the left of it are run to the rooftop A/C units, the line to the charger would run through the wall directly behind, but they’re in the same place because the mechanical room is on the other side of that wall. Were the charger dumped off to be installed later it would be in receiving.

 

[Ex-Calif]

I am not against EV and may own one someday. But what a few people here need to understand is rural America is nothing like what you think it is.

I lived "Urban" my whole life. I retired "country" - It has really opened my eyes to understanding the thoughts, concerns and even fears of rural people.

I was never as crazy as my super liberal brother though. He used to argue that rural states like most of the flyover states should have less representation in the Senate because the big Urban States like Ca, NY etc, "really do" know what's best for America - LOL...

Honestly on the advice of a mental health professional I was advised to stop arguing with him and I did. We have much less contact now.

 

[Onyrlef]

I am not against EV and may own one someday. But what a few people here need to understand is rural America is nothing like what you think it is. According to Wikipedia rural America consists of approximately 97% of the United States' land area. 1/5 of the population lives in rural areas. There are still lots of areas without electric or phone lines. I have relatives in AR living 20 miles from the nearest electric lines. An 1800's lifestyle with kerosene lamps and wood fires for heat. And no, they aren't Amish.

Maps of charging locations are a joke. Roads in rural areas are not "as a crow flies" but more like spiderwebs. Roads have to go around natural obstructions like rivers. For instance from the Mississippi River bridge in Memphis the next one south is 179 miles in Vicksburg with only rural area between.

My take on the whole thing is “The Bike Shed Effect” aka The Law of Triviality, ie., if I buy a Tesla, the fact that if every ice car and truck on the planet disappeared today it wouldn’t do sh/-, to reverse the effects of industrialization on the climate notwithstanding, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over.

 

[DonTom]

I was in there Thursday.

I assume you didn't notice the new ChargePoint or you would have said so.

I wish all the Wal*Marts would use the ChargePoint's instead of Electrify America.

BTW, when I first heard Wal*Mart had the contract with Electrify-America, I assumed they were going to put them in every Wal*Mart. But they did the same as many others. They select the Wal*Marts where such charging is the least needed and ignore the Wal*Marts where it is very needed. For an example, the Wal*Mart in Susanville, CA. No CCS at all in that area, the closest will be here in Reno, almost 100 miles south of there. Even farther in any other direction from there.

But they do have Tesla Superchargers near there that are Version 3 (250 KW) that should soon be able to be converted to CCS. Tesla has that area well covered, but nobody else. And that is all in CA, the state with the most EVs. So improvements for the non-Tesla cars are coming, thanks to Tesla. But the older Telsa Superchargers (V1 and V2) cannot be converted to CCS unless they make some major modifications to them. Perhaps they will change them out someday to V4 (the newest Tesla Superchargers). The very first V4s in the USA are near here. Installed in Sparks, NV. Less than ten miles from me here.

These chargers could do as much as 650 KW but perhaps nowhere in the USA can supply that yet without changing things, such as the wiring. So even in Sparks, it's 250 KW.

They look different than the normal Tesla SuperCharger:

Tesla V4 Supercharger, Sparks, NV (first in the USA):


-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tulecreeper]

I assume you didn't notice the new ChargePoint or you would have said so.

I wish all the Wal*Marts would use the ChargePoint's instead of Electrify America.

BTW, when I first heard Wal*Mart had the contract with Electrify-America, I assumed they were going to put them in every Wal*Mart. But they did the same as many others. They select the Wal*Marts where such charging is the least needed and ignore the Wal*Marts where it is very needed. For an example, the Wal*Mart in Susanville, CA. No CCS at all in that area, the closest will be here in Reno, almost 100 miles south of there. Even farther in any other direction from there.

But they do have Tesla Superchargers near there that are Version 3 (250 KW) that should soon be able to be converted to CCS. Tesla has that area well covered, but nobody else. And that is all in CA, the state with the most EVs. So improvements for the non-Tesla cars are coming, thanks to Tesla. But the older Telsa Superchargers (V1 and V2) cannot be converted to CCS unless they make some major modifications to them. Perhaps they will change them out someday to V4 (the newest Tesla Superchargers). The very first V4s in the USA are near here. Installed in Sparks, NV. Less than ten miles from me here.

These chargers could do as much as 650 KW but perhaps nowhere in the USA can supply that yet without changing things, such as the wiring. So even in Sparks, it's 250 KW.

They look different than the normal Tesla SuperCharger:

Tesla V4 Supercharger, Sparks, NV (first in the USA):
-Don- Reno, NV

No, I didn't see it. But that picture of the charger you posted prior is sitting on the back/east side of the building in the loading area. No one would be back there except employees and drivers. I'm trying to think of where they would eventually install it and I believe it would probably be put on the south side of the building where the tire center is. This is a screen shot of the store, the red circle being where it is sitting in your picture.

 

[Tulecreeper]

An edit to my above - I think I was wrong. I think this picture is of the charger already over on the south side by the tire center. Attached in a screen shot with what looks like the charger, but that whole section seems to have some kind of fencing around it. I'm never on that end of the store so I can't say if that fencing was there last week. The red circle is, I believe, the charger already installed.

 

[DonTom]

An edit to my above - I think I was wrong. I think this picture is of the charger already over on the south side by the tire center. Attached in a screen shot with what looks like the charger, but that whole section seems to have some kind of fencing around it. I'm never on that end of the store so I can't say if that fencing was there last week. The red circle is, I believe, the charger already installed.

Every Wal*Mart charger I have seen has been in the main parking lot for customers and all have been Electrify Amerca. And four of them.

That this one is a single one and a ChargePoint far from the main parking lot, makes me think this one is only for Wal*Mart vehicles.

It probably should be listed as "restricted" on Plugshare.

See here.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tulecreeper]

I am beginning to wonder if this will be a restricted employees only charger. Every Wal*Mart charger I have seen has been in the main parking lot for customers and all have been Electrify Amerca. And four of them.

That this one is a single one and a ChargePoint far from the main parking lot, makes me think this one is for employees only.

-Don- Reno, NV

That's possible. I think that fenced off area is just a coincidence due to construction that just happened to be in progress when the picture was taken. Otherwise that fencing is blocking the entire area which includes a drive-thru part of the parking lot that leads to the tire center. In the picture there is no way to get to the tire center other than from Zero St. thru that driveway on the SE corner, and you have to be on that side of the street because it's usually impossible to get across traffic to that driveway if you're heading east.

 

[DonTom]

That's possible. I think that fenced off area is just a coincidence due to construction that just happened to be in progress when the picture was taken. Otherwise that fencing is blocking the entire area which includes a drive-thru part of the parking lot that leads to the tire center. In the picture there is no way to get to the tire center other than from Zero St. thru that driveway on the SE corner, and you have to be on that side of the street because it's usually impossible to get across traffic to that driveway if you're heading east.

I was editing my message as you were typing that, so please read it again. I think I figured out what that charger is all about.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tulecreeper]

I was editing my message as you were typing that, so please read it again. I think I figured out what that charger is all about.

-Don- Reno, NV

Haven't seen any of those driving around.

 

[DonTom]

Haven't seen any of those driving around.

But you probably soon will.

What made me think of it, as while I was charging up my motorcycle at a Wal*mart (Elk Grove, CA), A Wal*Mart van was using a public charger and I managed to talk to the driver. He mentioned he didn't like using the public chargers when the other three are in use, but often had no choice.

Elk Grove, CA WallyMart:

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Tulecreeper]

But you probably soon will.

What made me think of it, as while I was charging up my motorcycle at a Wal*mart (Elk Grove, CA), A Wal*Mart van was using a public charger and I managed to talk to the driver. He mentioned he didn't like using the public chargers when the other three are in use, but often had no choice.

Elk Grove, CA WallyMart:
View attachment 170646
-Don- Reno, NV

Those ones I have seen. Just not the ones pictured in your link.

 

[DonTom]

Those ones I have seen. Just not the ones pictured in your link.

Same with me. Never saw the new style. BTW, the driver of that van at the Elk Grove WallyMart told me he was NOT a Wal*Mart employee. But he moves small items around between different Wal*Marts. I forgot exactly what he told me (it was July 25, 2023) and I do not remember if Wal*Mart owns his van or not, but it is painted as if they did.

Anyway, it would make sense for them to have their own charger away from their customers since they are now using E-Vans.

And they may need even larger chargers as look what they will do next.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Ray-IN]

I am not against EV and may own one someday. But what a few people here need to understand is rural America is nothing like what you think it is. According to Wikipedia rural America consists of approximately 97% of the United States' land area. 1/5 of the population lives in rural areas. There are still lots of areas without electric or phone lines. I have relatives in AR living 20 miles from the nearest electric lines. An 1800's lifestyle with kerosene lamps and wood fires for heat. And no, they aren't Amish.

Maps of charging locations are a joke. Roads in rural areas are not "as a crow flies" but more like spiderwebs. Roads have to go around natural obstructions like rivers. For instance from the Mississippi River bridge in Memphis the next one south is 179 miles in Vicksburg with only rural area between.

Look up and read what the CEO of Stellantis said to the rest of automaker CEO's about EV sales.

My neighbor sold his house and moved to KY. The new owner and his girfriend moved in and immediately had REMC put up a huge nightlight on the pole in front of their house. When she comes home after dark she still parks in the yard next to the front door instead of the driveway on the dark side of the house.
Now I can mow my front yard at night without headlights.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Same with me. Never saw the new style. BTW, the driver of that van at the Elk Grove WallyMart told me he was NOT a Wal*Mart employee. But he moves small items around between different Wal*Marts. I forgot exactly what he told me (it was July 25, 2023) and I do not remember if Wal*Mart owns his van or not, but it is painted as if they did.

Anyway, it would make sense for them to have their own charger away from their customers since they are now using E-Vans.

And they may need even larger chargers as look what they will do next.

-Don- Reno, NV

My dad had a friend who did that when I was a kid, except it was for Penney's.