As a proud owner of a 23 EQS 450, my recent vacation to a beach town in Florida was an electrifying adventure. Covering over 1,400 miles to and fro, finding the proper charging stations is a daunting task. But with careful planning and some luck, I found the perfect EA stations and kept my electric baby charged throughout the journey.

To my surprise, the trip was smoother than I anticipated. Using EA stations for 98% of my journey, I made only three stops on the way down and the same on the way home. The charging process was seamless, except for the charging drama that ensued on the way home. But before I get to that, let me tell you how my journey went.

Everything went relatively flawlessly, and I only needed to initiate Plug and Charge. Initiating via the MBUX interface or App was unnecessary. However, I didn't have the best positive first impression when I tested the closest EA station to my home when I first acquired my EQS. The actual charge level achieved was only 64 kWh on a Hyperfast charger, far from the expected rate of 150. So, I was worried about the timing of each stop. However, my anxiety was alleviated after three simple and high-speed charging experiences at selected EA locations.

Now, let's return to the "fun stuff" that transpired on the trip home. The temperatures were in the low 90s, and it was humid as hell, with plenty of downpours along the way. The first stop was a nightmare, and I had to deal with a nearly 90-minute waste of oxygen conversation with EA support. I was contending with the inclement weather and a frustrated passenger, and my patience was being tested beyond measure.

After trying over six stations and nearly 12 connections, I attempted to initiate the charge through the MBUX interface with no luck. Since I only charge at home on my level 2, this was my first long-distance traveling experience with charging. Since each previous stop had been smooth and seamless, I was at a loss for why this occurred. But the real problem was that each station had the same issue—Plug and Charge, and the vehicle interface would not initiate.

After attempts at the first location, I initiated a charge via the Mercedes Me Connect app, but I wasn't sure how I got it to work. The next stop had the same problem, and I realized that the App was the only way to initiate charging, but it needed to be smoother and seamless.

The combination of traveling fatigue, incredibly muggy, wet, and hot weather conditions, pissed-off pets and passengers, and the potential reality of not being able to get home promptly were nearly enough to cause me to question why in the hell would I ever get this F****g EV. But I still managed to stay rational and kept my cool.

Although I still do not know the issue, at least by the 3rd stop, I realized the App was the only way to go, so tensions were relieved. However, it caused a nearly 4-hour delay on a 14-hour trip, which wasn't fun. I'll still look for answers, but it all boils down to something with the Plug and Charge not initiating, and I am trying to figure out why.

I am incredibly impressed with the EQS's range and performance. Now that I have gained more experience with the process, future trips should be less stressful, and I will be able to navigate any potential issues easily. Despite any drama with EA, this is an amazing way for those who enjoy it to travel.

Side Notes***

1. As per the instructions on the EQS PSI Tire guidelines and considering the heavy cargo load during my journey, I decided to increase the rear tires to 47 PSI, as indicated by the inside door jamb tag. However, this resulted in an uncomfortably rough ride, and I had to revert to the original 41 PSI for both front and rear tires. While I understand the purpose of this directive, including the potential for compromised handling, suspension issues, tire strain, and wear and tear, the negative impact on ride quality was not worth the benefits. Although not inflating the rear tires to the recommended extra load PSI rating may have caused more wear, it was a fair trade-off for a comfortable driving experience.


2. The Electronic Navigation Intelligence feature of the EQS may sometimes be challenging to navigate. The system sometimes suggests charging stops based on the range monitor that may not align with your intended route or specific charging location requirements, such as Electrify America for those who still have free charging for two years. In such scenarios, you may need to manually select specific locations to make the system follow your intended stops. The system will route you based on its perceived needs, which may not be Electrify America but other charging platforms. Pre-planning your stops to force EV locations may require creative maneuvering, which can be complicated to explain. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not always accept the default choices provided by the system and instead try to force the right charging locations. With practice, you can efficiently navigate the system. I used the App and MBUX interface to override the navigation system's suggestions with my preferred routes.

3. Recently, I came across https://www.plugshare.com/, a tool of exceptional caliber for managing trips and charging stations, specifically designed for EV owners. This tool boasts advanced features and technical capabilities that surpass those of comparable tools currently available. It was highly instrumental in helping me find the optimal route and charging options, making it a must-have for anyone who wants to enhance their EV travel experience. To ensure that I follow the optimal charging routes, I combined this tool with the Electronic Intelligence navigation feature of my EQS. I strongly recommend this comprehensive tool to anyone seeking to optimize their EV travel experience.

 

Thanks for the detailed narration. I'll be taking my LX570 or renting a vehicle on my next road trip and skip the challenge. Originally, I thought charge stations were pay with a card, plug it in, and charge away similar to a gas pump. But needing multiple apps, and getting it to plug and initiate is just not worth the headache. If I had my way, charge stations wouldn't be like a glorified cheap 50 cent tire pressure station at gas stations. It is as if charge station are the step child of refills.

Why don't EA or any charge station corporation partner with major gas station across America, and build decent charge stations with a canopy, and why is it so difficult to have a charge station charge an EV of different makes. Is there not a standard protocol for charge connection negotiation?

 

I believe that it is possible to preprogram the MB Intelligent Nav to exclusively select Electrify America Fast Charging stations with real time availability (or any other charging provider). I have mine programmed accordingly and it automatically routes to EA stations.

 

Let me preface my answer by saying that your experience sounds accurate and more likely for single-set destinations. It gets trickier when 2 or more charging stops are required when reaching your final destination. In my case, I had 3+ charging stops and that changed the game. I was still able to hit EA stations for each stop but not without some creative and often frustrating maneuvering.

The Intelligent Navigation system is designed to automatically select the best charging station based on the user's preferred percentage range and range monitor settings for destinations. However, in reality, the system may sometimes override the driver's preferred choice settings and choose what it thinks is a more appropriate charging station. Despite trying various scenarios in the settings, I found that this behavior persisted. Although you can filter to Electrify America charging stations, the Intelligent Navigation system will still choose a charging station based on other settings. In my experience with the system, I often had to manually ignore the chosen station until it determined the EA location. There were also times when I had to set a midpoint location for that EA station manually, as the Intelligent Navigation system wanted to choose a more "appropriate" area rather than my preferred choices. The bottom line is that the one primary element of the Electronic Intelligent Navigation system's purpose is to ensure that the EV doesn't run out of juice before reaching the final destination. And in my opinion, it actually works very well. However, there isn't an option to force the system to recognize that I'm preferring EA stations because they are currently free for me. It's just not that intuitive yet. I tested the system over a distance of 1400 miles and exhausted every option and scenario trying to get it to use my preferred charging locations, but it just didn't always work that way. YMMV!

 

EDIT*** After rereading my post, I noticed I mistakenly wrote 64 kWh, but I intended to indicate 64 kW.

A kW measures power, i.e., the rate at which something uses electricity, whereas a kWh measures energy, the total amount of electricity used, or the capacity to use.

To further elaborate for those of us who aren't always in the know.

One kilowatt (kW) is a power unit representing the rate at which an electrical device uses energy. On the other hand, one kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy that measures the total amount of electricity consumed or produced over time. While kW denotes the instantaneous power demand, kWh represents the amount of energy consumed over an hour at a constant power demand of 1 kW.

To elaborate even further...EVs rely on a battery to power themselves, and it's essential to understand the difference between kilowatts (kW) and kilowatt-hours (kWh) when it comes to charging them up. The size of an EV battery is measured in kWh, and each model has a different battery capacity. On the other hand, the power needed to charge an EV battery is measured in kW. Generally, the higher the kW of an EV charger, the faster it can charge the battery. However, several factors affect the charging time, such as the EV charging level, the EV charge acceptance rate, the battery size, and any number of mysterious factors. However, it's important to remember that what is advertised may not always be the reality. For example, during my recent experience, I was only able to achieve a maximum of 64 kW on a Hyper-Fast charger, despite the label stating that it offers up to 350 kW for a CCS-compatible EV.

To sum it up, in the EV world, kWh refers to the battery's size, while kW refers to the power used to charge it. The EV chargers are rated in kW, and their duration will determine the energy consumed by the charger and the amount of energy delivered to the EV battery in kWh.

 

Plug share is the essential app for every non Tesla EV owner. Virtually every charger is there. On road trips it gives you the flexibility you need. Living in the midwest you quickly get used to using 50kw chargers which are plentiful in the area.
BTW about plug and charge. It didn't start to work reliably for me till this year (my second yesr of ownership). The chrgepoint RF tag works perfectly at chargepoint stations. Not all EA stations seem to be "networked" I found that ot while crossing Montana and Wyoming, At those stations you have to use your credit card.

 

This is my charging page

 

My experience with the Plug and Charge feature was initially flawless, quite the opposite of your experience. However, on my return trip, it failed to function at the exact same stations. Electric America (EA) seems to have yet to streamline its operations and achieve synchronization. Additionally, I highly recommend avoiding contacting customer service at all costs if you want to maintain your mental composure. Their customer service is highly frustrating and time-consuming. It is absolutely useless!

 

Got a loaner and was told if I pay at EA I can call them to get a refund or they can waive the cost.

I began charging last night, and called EA phone number right away, I waited about 15 min on the phone, and the lady promised to waive the cost, and after one day, I got nothing in my email....

Charge about 20 min, and 30% of the battery and they are trying to charge me 24 bucks...

 

*** Update***

I think I have figured out why I had trouble with Plug and Charge during my return trip from vacation. The three charging stops I made at EA locations on the way to my destination went smoothly. However, on my way back, the three charging sessions at the exact EA locations, but in reverse order, would not start using either Plug and Charge or the MBUX screen at those locations.

I stumbled upon the probable culprit while browsing the ChargePoint app on my iPhone for information on the Mercedes Charging Network. Under the "Activity" tab on the CP app, I noticed that six charging sessions at the exact three EA locations on my vacation were still pending. They were still displaying as "Charging" instead of completed like my other charging sessions. While the first three charging sessions via Plug and Charge worked seamlessly, I stopped at the exact three EA locations in reverse order on the way back home. New Plug and Charge sessions couldn't be initiated because the charging sessions were still registering as active. I can only hypothesize that the first three "Handshakes" didn't break or end. Therefore, during subsequent attempts to initiate Plug and Charge sessions on my return trip home, the ChargePoint network wouldn't allow them. Hopefully, the attached video recording will offer a better visual representation of what I'm attempting to describe, and some useful information can be gleaned from it.

 

I have had similar experiences with charging sessions as well registering as charging long after the sessions were closed out. At the time I couldn’t figure out how to delete them in the app. I even asked for any suggestions in this forum. One response was why do you care if they still register as active. Now I think I have a valid reason for deleting them as active sessions. At least now there is a delete function. In fact I just opened my ChargePoint app and found 3 active sessions as we speak.

 

Yes I have noticed that on the Chargepoint app. That sessions stay on. Whether that is the problem with consistency on plug and charge is an interesting idea. However, I have "sessions@ going on for months yet my system works plug abd play almost all the time any way.

 

I have had a few episodes where the EA handshake didn’t work. Have no idea if it was due to charging session reporting as still connected as I haven’t looked at the ChargePoint app in months. In any event going forward I will delete any charging session listing as connected.

 

You can't. It says that the owner has disabled that function. So apparently, its something that has to do with whoever own's that particular site.

 

At the EA site here in Jensen beach,FL I was able to delete the sessions that still were reporting as active for months. I have no active sessions listed now.

 

A lot of these guys that have charger installed have zero clue what to do or what their responsibility is regarding the charger.

 

I ran across a guy at an EA charging station who said he was thinking of investing in charging stations but when he researched the economics of the process said it would take over 30 years to make a profit. He apparently has invested in cell phone towers all over the country. I haven’t looked into the finances of owning charging stations but I am a bit skeptical it would take 30 years to make a profit.

 

You've got a captive audience for 45 minutes and you make them stand outside in the rain in the middle of nowhere charging instead of selling them $2 cups of coffee and $10 bags of beef jerky while they wait. :slapself: Buncha fookin' idjuts I tellz ya!

 

I looked into it. Its a ton of cash. 1/2 a million for 4 units. Thats why they don't do retail.

 

It’s going to get worse. It’s going to get more expensive. The only charging station you will be able to rely on, is your own, or friends/family who might have a charging station along your way.

 

EA 150kW+ seems to be the most expensive bar none if not part of our free 2-year MB offer. CP 62.5kW+ appears to be the most reasonable outside of my own charger, which runs about 1/2-1/3 of public charger rates per kWh but takes all night. Best to eat at home!

 

Mmmmm, no.
It has been getting better all the time.

 

I think these guys have the right idea. Don't install chargers at gas stations, replace them completely with "electric forecourts" (not a fan of the name though).


How can anyone make money? LOL, these suckers bought $20 worth of gas and then spent $150 on junk food and trinkets: