EV Road Trips Suck Now (Except in a Tesla)
Aging Wheels
AI-assisted summary of EV Road Trips Suck Now (Except in a Tesla) — original source. Check the original for full context.
Source published:
Key ideas
- Major automakers including Ford, GM, and Rivian are transitioning to Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS), gaining Supercharger access via adapters in 2024 and adopting native ports in 2025. (0:13)
- A 400-mile comparative road trip between a Polestar 2 (CCS) and a rented Tesla Model 3 revealed severe CCS reliability issues, including a 20% success rate for full-power charging across tested Electrify America stations. (25:25)
- Many non-Tesla fast chargers advertised as 120–150 kW are bottlenecked by 200-amp cables, capping standard 400V electric vehicles at approximately 80 kW regardless of dispenser ratings. (2:15)
- Tesla's V3 Superchargers deliver seamless, consistent power up to 170 kW but face physical constraints for third-party EVs, including short cables designed for rear-left ports and a 500V limit that throttles 800V vehicles like the Lucid Air to ~50 kW. (34:17)
Detailed notes
## Background Published on October 15, 2023, by the YouTube channel Aging Wheels (hosted by Robert), this video examines the state of North American electric vehicle fast charging. The video description features sponsorship information for Rocket Money alongside links to the creator's Patreon and merchandise store.
## TL;DR To evaluate the significance of automakers adopting Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS), Robert drives a 400-mile road trip from St. Louis to Chattanooga twice: first in a CCS-dependent Polestar 2, and again in a rented Tesla Model 3 using Superchargers. The Polestar trip devolves into an ordeal of broken credit card readers, unlabeled cables, 200-amp hardware bottlenecks, and derated charging speeds across multiple networks, hitting full power at only one of five Electrify America dispensers. In contrast, the Tesla Model 3 encounters near-flawless plug-and-play reliability, consistently reaching its 170 kW peak at Version 3 Superchargers. While highlighting technical hurdles like short cables and 500-volt Supercharger limits for 800-volt vehicles, the journey demonstrates why access to Tesla's charging network is essential for mainstream EV road-tripping.
## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries a weary, darkly humorous, and relatable tone as Robert navigates the slow-motion collapse of CCS public infrastructure. Filmed against gloomy rain, cramped hotel parking garages, and highway traffic, his deadpan delivery and wry disbelief make the endless dispenser shuffles and sluggish 2 kW charging trickle feel agonizingly real. That frustration makes the effortless, zero-friction experience at spacious Tesla Superchargers feel like an almost surreal relief, giving the comparison a sharp, experiential weight.
## Bulletin - [00:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=13s) Major automakers including Ford, GM, and Rivian are transitioning to Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS), gaining Supercharger access via adapters in 2024 and adopting native ports in 2025. - [25:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1525s) A 400-mile comparative road trip between a Polestar 2 (CCS) and a rented Tesla Model 3 revealed severe CCS reliability issues, including a 20% success rate for full-power charging across tested Electrify America stations. - [02:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=135s) Many non-Tesla fast chargers advertised as 120–150 kW are bottlenecked by 200-amp cables, capping standard 400V electric vehicles at approximately 80 kW regardless of dispenser ratings. - [34:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=2057s) Tesla's V3 Superchargers deliver seamless, consistent power up to 170 kW but face physical constraints for third-party EVs, including short cables designed for rear-left ports and a 500V limit that throttles 800V vehicles like the Lucid Air to ~50 kW.
## Key takeaways - [00:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=13s) The North American EV market is consolidating around Tesla's NACS standard, phasing out CCS and CHAdeMO across major manufacturers. - [02:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=135s) Discrepancies between advertised dispenser wattage and cable amperage frequently limit 400V EVs to around 80 kW on 200-amp hardware. - [05:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=334s) Tesla's plug-and-charge ecosystem operates without external apps, screens, or payment kiosks, providing a dramatically superior user experience compared to fragmented CCS networks. - [10:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=630s) Non-Tesla public charging suffers from persistent broken hardware, unlabeled cables, failed payment terminals, and extreme derating down to single-digit kilowatts. - [12:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=727s) Electrify America stations along major travel corridors frequently suffer from out-of-order stalls and unexpected power throttling across active dispensers. - [16:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=986s) Tesla Version 2 Superchargers (150 kW) share power between paired stalls and will remain exclusive to Teslas, as upcoming NACS adapter interoperability requires Version 3 or newer hardware. - [21:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1302s) Station density disparities are severe: while CCS users in Nashville faced broken chargers and full queues, neighboring Supercharger sites offered 24 stalls with abundant availability. - [30:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1808s) Electrify America's flagship charging hub at Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant underperformed significantly, failing to deliver full charging speeds to a preconditioned Polestar 2. - [25:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1525s) Highway fast-charging reliability has visibly deteriorated compared to previous years, turning road trips in non-Tesla vehicles into frustrating ordeals. - [34:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=2057s) V3 Superchargers present growing pains for third-party EVs due to short cable reaches and a 500V architecture cap that throttles 800V vehicles via onboard boosters. - [34:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=2057s) Tesla's upcoming V4 Superchargers resolve existing hardware bottlenecks by introducing longer cables and a 1,000-volt architecture.
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=13s) The EV Charging Shift and the Experiment Setup
Automakers including Ford, General Motors, Rivian, and others announced earlier in the year that starting in the first half of 2024, their electric vehicles would gain access to Tesla's Supercharger network. Initially, access requires physical adapters, but starting in 2025, new vehicles will come equipped directly with Tesla's charging port—now designated the North American Charging Standard (NACS)—instead of the Combined Charging System (CCS) connector they currently use. In North America, three DC fast-charging standards have coexisted: Tesla's NACS, CCS (used by almost every other manufacturer), and the older CHAdeMO connector, which is actively being phased out. The mass pivot toward NACS effectively cements Tesla's proprietary design as the standard for the continent.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: North American EV Charging Transition accDescr: Diagram showing legacy DC fast charging standards consolidating into the NACS standard. subgraph Legacy["Existing Fast Charge Standards"] CCS["CCS (Combined Charging System)"] CH["CHAdeMO (Phasing out)"] NACS["Tesla NACS"] end subgraph Future["Industry Transition"] ADAPT["2024: Adapter Access to Superchargers"] NATIVE["2025+: Native NACS Ports on New EVs"] end CCS --> ADAPT ADAPT --> NATIVE NACS --> NATIVE ```
To demonstrate why opening Tesla's charging infrastructure to competitors is such a monumental development, Aging Wheels sets up a direct comparison experiment. He embarks on a 400-mile road trip from St. Louis, Missouri, down to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The journey will be driven twice: first in his own Polestar 2 relying solely on CCS rapid chargers, and then repeated in a standard-range Tesla Model 3 rented from Hertz using only Tesla Superchargers. To showcase as many charging stations along the route as possible, both trips intentionally incorporate far more charging stops than strictly required.
- The Polestar 2 has a maximum DC fast-charging rate of 150 kW. - The standard-range Tesla Model 3 has a peak charging rate of 170 kW. - Both test runs utilize on-route battery preconditioning and aim for a low 10% arrival state of charge (SoC) to maximize peak charge speeds at every stop. - As a contextual note, Aging Wheels reminds viewers that the vast majority of EV charging occurs at home, making these challenges primarily relevant to road trips. - Summarizing the impact of the transition, Aging Wheels remarks: “The automakers that have announced the switch will be switching their cars from the CCS port to the next port on their upcoming Vehicles effectively making it the new North American charging standard which is the epitome of manifesting these automakers working with Tesla so their cars like my Pulstar will be able to access Tesla Supercharger network is a big deal.”
---
[02:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=135s) Stop 1 (Polestar 2): Francis Energy in Perryville, MO
The first charging stop in the Polestar 2 is 66 miles south of St. Louis on Interstate 55 in Perryville, Missouri. PlugShare lists two 150 kW DC rapid chargers operated by Francis Energy. Geographically, it fills a critical corridor between Cape Girardeau and the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Tesla trip later bypasses this town entirely because there are no Superchargers in Perryville, meaning this CCS location is the only DC fast-charging stop for dozens of miles.
Upon arrival, the Polestar 2 pulls in with a 16% state of charge—slightly higher than the 10% target due to an interruption from the car's navigation voice guidance, but still plenty low enough to hit peak charging curve speeds. The location immediately earns criticism for being in a hotel parking lot rather than at the gas station across the street, leaving drivers with little to do for half an hour.
The activation and technical design present immediate hurdles. The Francis Energy station lacks a functional credit card reader; while a tap-to-pay icon is present, it does not take standard credit cards. Drivers must install and use the proprietary Francis Energy app, which does not interoperate with roaming networks or support digital wallets like Google Pay, forcing the manual entry of payment details.
```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Charging Power Bottleneck accDescr: Flowchart showing how cable amperage limitation caps Polestar 2 charging power below rated dispenser capacity. A["Dispenser Rating: 150 kW"] --> B["Hardware Bottleneck: 200 A Cable"] B --> C["Polestar 2 Battery: ~400 V"] C --> D["Theoretical Max: 80 kW (400V x 200A)"] D --> E["Observed Stall 1: 50 kW"] D --> F["Observed Stall 2: 79 kW"] ```
The hardware setup reveals a deceptive specification. While advertised as 120–150 kW units, the dispensers are fitted with 200-amp cables. Power in watts equals volts multiplied by amperes ($P = V \times I$). Because the Polestar 2 operates on a ~400-volt battery architecture, a 200 A cable mathematically caps charging power at roughly 80 kW ($400\text{ V} \times 200\text{ A} = 80{,}000\text{ W}$): - To actually pull 150 kW through a 200 A cable, an EV would need a battery pack operating at 750 volts or higher. - Plugging into the first dispenser yields only 50 kW instead of the expected 80 kW, indicating either an internal hardware fault or software misconfiguration. - Moving the car to the neighboring dispenser requires manually re-entering credit card details from scratch. - The second dispenser successfully maxes out the cable hardware, pegging at 200 amps and pulling 79 kW—just over half the advertised 150 kW dispenser rating. - Frustrated by the poor user experience at the dispenser, Aging Wheels complains: “God forbid you put a credit card reader on these things and make it easy.”
---
[05:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=334s) Stop 1 (Tesla Model 3): V3 Supercharger in Cape Girardeau, MO
Driving the rented Tesla Model 3 in heavy rain, Aging Wheels arrives at his first charging stop in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The location is an eight-stall Version 3 (V3) Supercharger site situated in a gas station parking lot, which provides easy access to food, restrooms, and shelter.
V3 Supercharger dispensers are rated for up to 250 kW. While the dispenser markings list an official rating of 350 amps, Tesla uses real-time thermal monitoring across the charging cable and connector rather than a rigid hardware amperage ceiling, allowing the system to deliver close to 700 amps on compatible vehicles.
Arriving with a 9% state of charge, the Model 3 is plugged into stall 1D. The vehicle initiates the session instantly without external apps, screens, or payment steps; the handshake occurs automatically, and billing is handled natively through the Tesla account tied to the car. The charge rate ramps quickly from 80 kW and 90 kW up to the Model 3’s maximum theoretical intake of 170 kW right away.
Aging Wheels observes that once non-Tesla vehicles gain Supercharger access in 2024, the process may lose some of its seamlessness, likely requiring users to authenticate through the Tesla mobile app unless plug-and-charge interoperability or dedicated kiosk hardware is deployed. Looking ahead to the next stop just north of Cape Girardeau, the in-car navigation projects an arrival at 12% SoC with a 20-minute drive. - Highlighting the seamless plug-and-play experience of the network, Aging Wheels points out: “Payment for Tesla superchargers is done through the car with your Tesla account next year when all these non- Teslas are able to use superchargers I don't expect the payment process to be this easy if I'm honest.”
---
[08:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=481s) Stop 2 (Polestar 2): EV Connect in Cape Girardeau
Arriving back in Cape Girardeau with the Polestar 2, the next charging stop sits directly across the parking lot from the Tesla Supercharger site. To Aging Wheels' amusement, the charging unit displays the name "super space charger."
Like the Francis Energy unit in Perryville, this EV Connect dispenser is throttled by a 200-amp cable and has no integrated credit card reader. The session must be started through the EV Connect app. On the positive side, the app offers a guest checkout option with support for Google Pay and PayPal, avoiding manual card entry.
Operational confusion begins immediately at the charger: - The app asks the user to choose between "Connector 1" and "Connector 2," but the physical holsters and cables on the unit are completely unlabeled. - After an initial failed initiation, switching to the opposite heavy cable gets the session started. - Despite being labeled as a 120 kW unit, the charger fails to reach the 80 kW ceiling of its 200 A cable, sitting stagnant at just 60 kW.
Giving up on the 60 kW output, Aging Wheels moves down the road to an identical EV Connect unit located at another branch of the same gas station chain. Here, the cable retractor mechanism is broken, and the cables remain completely unlabeled. He initiates the charge through the app, enduring an extraordinarily long digital handshake. When current finally flows, the unit delivers a dismal 30 kW—one-fourth of its advertised rating and half the speed of the dispenser he just abandoned. - Confronted by the abysmal power output, Aging Wheels expresses his bewilderment: “That's not 60 Kow this one's pulling 30 what is what the hell all right so do I go up the road back to the last one that was doing 60 Kow cuz that's twice as fast as this one I'll be stuck here.”
[10:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=630s) Cape Girardeau Charging Troubles and Broken Hardware
Departing from the initial Cape Girardeau stop highlights the massive real-world gulf between theoretical charging curves and the reality of compromised DC fast chargers. In the Tesla Model 3, a brief 15-minute Supercharger stop takes the battery from 9% to 60%, still pulling a brisk 100 kW right up until unplugging. In contrast, the Polestar 2 is stuck dealing with throttled hardware. A session at a 60 kW charger nets a sluggish jump from 12% to only 41% across 22 long minutes. Under ideal conditions on high-powered hardware, the Polestar can handle a 10% to 80% charge in roughly 30 minutes, making the sluggish delivery an agonizing waste of road trip time.
Before clearing town, a detour to another local ChargePoint installation exposes even worse infrastructure failures. These units feature 200-amp cabling, lack integrated credit card readers, and theoretically should deliver up to 80 kW. Upon plugging in, the charger output flatlines at a comedic 2 kW, which would require an entire hour just to gain a single percentage point of battery charge. Giving up on Cape Girardeau's broken plugs, the drive moves eastward across the historic, narrow, 1913-built Mississippi River bridge in gloomy rain toward Kentucky.
> “I was here at 60 kW for 22 minutes and I went from 12% to 41%—that's pathetic.” — Aging Wheels
- **Tesla Model 3 session:** 9% to 60% state of charge in 15 minutes, maintaining 100 kW output. - **Polestar session:** 12% to 41% state of charge in 22 minutes at 60 kW. - **Broken ChargePoint site:** 200-amp cables, rated for 80 kW, outputting only 2 kW.
---
[12:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=727s) Paducah, Kentucky: The Shambles of Electrify America
Crossing into Paducah, Kentucky brings the Polestar to its first Electrify America station of the trip, located on the fringe of a Walmart parking lot. On paper, Electrify America represents the premier tier of non-Tesla DC fast charging, generally deploying stations with four stalls split between 150 kW and 350 kW units equipped with properly specced cables and standalone credit card terminals. However, checking the mobile app upon arrival with a 12% state of charge reveals immediate red flags: stall 1 is occupied by a Volvo, stall 2 is marked unavailable, stall 3 shows as degraded to 50 kW, and stall 4 claims to offer its full 150 kW rating.
Plugging into stall 4 quickly disproves the app's optimism. An initial handshake error forces a restart, and once power begins flowing, output stalls out at 78 kW due to an unexpected 200-amp hardware limitation. Moving over to stall 3—the unit labeled derated in the app—proves unexpectedly faster, delivering 92 kW at 230 amps while operating in free "complimentary mode." Glancing over at the neighboring Volvo XC40 Recharge reveals it is pulling merely 84 kW at over 50% state of charge after more than 20 minutes plugged in. Because both vehicles share the same CMA platform battery pack and charging profile, every single active stall at the site is severely throttled or completely dead.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Paducah Electrify America Stall Status accDescr: Operational condition of all four charging stalls at the Paducah Electrify America station.
subgraph Paducah["Paducah EA Station (Walmart)"] S1["Stall 1 (150 kW)<br/>Occupied by Volvo: Derated to 84 kW"] S2["Stall 2 (150/350 kW)<br/>Completely Broken / Dead Screen"] S3["Stall 3 (150 kW)<br/>App says 50 kW: Delivers 92 kW (Free Mode)"] S4["Stall 4 (150 kW)<br/>App says 150 kW: Throttled to 78 kW (200A)"] end ```
Derated charging speeds penalize different EV models unevenly. The Polestar holds its 150 kW peak until approximately 30% before tapering linearly, so capping input at 90 kW adds roughly 10 minutes to an 80% charge. For a vehicle with an exceptionally flat charging curve, like an Audi e-tron that maintains 150 kW all the way to 80%, a 90 kW derating nearly doubles the total dwell time. Between physical screen failures, unresponsive payment terminals, and widespread power drops, the station is an operational mess.
> “I'm happy to be leaving that station; it's in complete shambles, nothing works properly.” — Aging Wheels
---
[16:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=986s) Kuttawa, Kentucky: Tesla Version 2 Supercharging
While the Polestar wrestles with broken hardware in Paducah, the Tesla Model 3 bypasses the town entirely. Paducah lacks Supercharger access, and using the local Electrify America would require a CCS adapter that is outside the parameters of the comparison. Instead, the route continues roughly 32 miles further down the road to Kuttawa, Kentucky, where a Tesla Version 2 Supercharger installation sits tucked behind a hotel.
Unlike newer Version 3 sites, Version 2 Superchargers max out at 150 kW and are easily identified by their silver collars and notably thicker, heavier charging cables. These V2 cabinets share power pairings between stalls (such as pairing A and B), requiring drivers to space out their vehicles to avoid splitting the available power. Furthermore, these older V2 stalls will remain exclusive to Tesla vehicles, as upcoming NACS access for non-Tesla manufacturers is engineered strictly around Version 3 and newer hardware. After deliberately picking an unshared stall away from an already parked car, the Model 3 initiates a seamless handshake and ramps cleanly up to 147 kW.
> “It's worth noting that the NACS-compatible cars will not be able to charge at this Supercharger; the NACS compatibility is for Version 3 and up, so this is and will remain for only Teslas.” — Aging Wheels
- **Hardware specification:** Tesla Supercharger Version 2 (150 kW max capacity). - **Physical indicators:** Silver collar around the handle holster and thick, uncooled liquid cabling. - **Power distribution:** Cabinets pair stalls to share capacity; spacing out is mandatory for peak rates. - **Observed performance:** Reached 147 kW upon handshake lock.
---
[17:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1068s) Clarksville, Tennessee: The Electrify America Charger Shuffle
Reaching the next Electrify America station at another Walmart in Clarksville, Tennessee, brings yet another encounter with charging station etiquette and hardware roulette. Upon arrival, two stalls are actively in use, including a Chevrolet Bolt occupying the sole high-output 350 kW dispenser despite the Bolt's hardware limitation of around 55 kW. Forced into an available 150 kW dispenser, the Polestar hits another wall: although the session runs in complimentary mode without requiring payment, the station throttles output to 86 kW.
When the Bolt driver unplugs and leaves, the opportunity arises to execute the classic "Electrify America charger shuffle." Relocating the car to the 350 kW stall pays immediate dividends. The charger handshake completes and instantly ramps up to 150 kW, delivering the exact charging curve the Polestar was engineered to achieve. Because the car draws full power, the battery is topped off and ready to roll after just 8 minutes. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 cruises straight through the Clarksville region without stopping, as there are no Superchargers located within roughly 50 miles in either direction along that corridor.
> “Second attempt at the second Electrify America, I finally find a full-power charging station.” — Aging Wheels
- **Clarksville stall 4 (150 kW):** Operating in complimentary mode, derated to an 86 kW ceiling. - **Clarksville 350 kW unit:** Delivered full vehicle maximum of 150 kW. - **Total stop duration:** 8 minutes once moved to the functional 350 kW charger. - **Tesla route constraint:** Clarksville represents a 50-mile Supercharger dead zone along the interstate.
---
[19:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1182s) Nashville: EVgo Frustrations and Hotel Parking Garages
Entering North Nashville requires the Polestar to detour approximately three miles off the interstate to visit an EVgo installation. The station layout features one 350 kW unit and two 100 kW units, with each cabinet supporting dual cables capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously. Pulling in beside another Polestar and parking next to a Ford Mustang Mach-E at the 350 kW stall, the intent is to avoid smartphone apps and pay directly using a contactless credit card. The card reader rejects five consecutive attempts with an authorization failure before going completely blank, forcing the session to be initiated through the ChargePoint mobile app. Compounding the frustratingly slow handshake times characteristic of EVgo hardware, sharing the dual-cable cabinet with the neighboring Mach-E caps current delivery at 200 amps.
```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: EVgo Nashville Power Sharing Bottleneck accDescr: One 350 kW EVgo cabinet splitting output between a Ford Mustang Mach-E and a Polestar 2.
Cabinet["EVgo 350 kW Cabinet"] MachE["Port A: Ford Mustang Mach-E"] Polestar["Port B: Polestar 2"]
Cabinet -->|"Shared Power"| MachE Cabinet -->|"Capped at 200 Amps"| Polestar ```
Across town in the Tesla Model 3, navigation contends with evening rush hour traffic, heavy rain, and an unfamiliar Supercharger routing. The vehicle directs the driver away from the primary travel corridor to a Version 3 Supercharger featuring 12 stalls. The site turns out to be tucked inside a cramped parking garage located behind a hotel—reigniting frustrations regarding the impractical placement of rapid highway charging infrastructure in tight urban hospitality structures. Arriving at the stalls reveals a Mercedes-Benz EQS parked among the banks of chargers.
> “Stop putting rapid chargers in hotels!” — Aging Wheels
- **EVgo hardware configuration:** One 350 kW cabinet and two 100 kW cabinets, each supporting simultaneous dual-cable charging. - **Payment failure:** Five consecutive direct credit card attempts failed before resorting to the ChargePoint app. - **Power split limitation:** Simultaneous session on the 350 kW unit throttled current to a 200-amp ceiling. - **Nashville Supercharger site:** 12-stall Version 3 location positioned inside a hotel parking structure.
[21:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1302s) Nashville Gridlock and the Tale of Two Stations
After briefly topping up at an EVgo for just a couple of minutes to secure enough range, Robert begins an agonizing crawl through Nashville rush hour traffic. It takes thirty minutes to cover a mere eleven miles to reach the Electrify America station, which he finds tucked away in a distant corner of a commercial parking lot. Robert observes that Nashville feels tragically underserved by EV infrastructure. Pulling up to the eight-stall Electrify America site, the app confirms the worst: the station is completely full, with stalls 2, 3, and 8 completely out of order. Had those three broken dispensers been operational, there would have been plenty of room for waiting drivers.
While waiting for a spot to open up, the contrast with the other side of the parking lot becomes glaring. Directly opposite sits an expansive Tesla Supercharger station boasting twenty-four stalls, the vast majority of which sit completely empty. Robert notes that stall 2C is marked out of order—the first broken Supercharger stall seen on the trip—yet it barely matters because drivers still have twenty-three other working stalls to pick from. When a Chevrolet Bolt unplugs at the Electrify America station, Robert has to scramble into the stall before an incoming Volkswagen ID.4 can take it.
Plugging the Polestar into the open Electrify America stall yields immediate disappointment. Although the dispenser is running in complimentary session mode, charging speed crawls at a derated 83 kW at 209 amps, well below the car's 150 kW capability. Because every single operational stall is occupied, jumping to another dispenser is impossible. Meanwhile, on the Tesla side, the car effortlessly pulls its maximum 170 kW. Robert leaves the Electrify America station as soon as the battery reaches 45%, enough to limp down interstate highway corridors to the next scheduled stop.
- **Nashville Electrify America status:** 8 total stalls, 3 broken (stalls 2, 3, and 8), remaining 5 fully occupied. - **Nashville Tesla Supercharger status:** 24 total stalls, 1 broken stall (2C), leaving 23 available working stalls. - **Polestar charging performance:** Stuck at 83 kW and 209 amps instead of the car’s 150 kW rating. - **Tesla charging performance:** Immediate ramp to 170 kW without delay.
[25:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1525s) Infrastructure Recaps and Vanishing Reliability
Sitting in snarled Nashville highway traffic, Robert tallies up the grim statistics of the road trip so far. Across three separate Electrify America locations, he has plugged into five distinct dispensers and received a full-power charge exactly once. This 20% success rate marks a dramatic decline compared to past electric vehicle journeys. Robert recalls a road trip he took early the previous year from Chicago to Orlando with Alec from *Technology Connections* in an Hyundai Ioniq 5. That earlier journey went smoothly without drama, encountering only a single derated dispenser the entire way, a consistency matched by his earlier Polestar road trips.
Robert reflects on how radically different the charging landscapes now feel between networks. Looking at the route between Nashville and Chattanooga, Electrify America provides only a single location along the corridor, whereas Tesla drivers have access to four Superchargers in towns like Smyrna and Manchester, followed by three additional Supercharger sites clustered around Chattanooga. Despite this being Robert's first ever road trip in a Tesla, the stark disparity leaves an indelible impression on him.
> “By the way, this is my first ever Tesla road trip, never done this before, and already I trust the Superchargers completely.” — Robert
[26:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1589s) Smyrna and Manchester: The Dispenser Shuffle
The contrast between charging networks intensifies as Robert travels south through Tennessee. At Smyrna, the Tesla Supercharger sits a mile off the interstate at a gas station with a Dunkin', offering twelve Version 3 stalls with only two cars charging. Plugging in immediately delivers the expected 170 kW with zero fuss. However, the subsequent Electrify America stop in Manchester, Tennessee, proves to be the most frustrating stop of the entire route. Hidden nearly two miles off the highway behind a Dollar General, Robert jokes that the network planners must have simply sneezed at a map when picking the location.
The Manchester Electrify America consists of four dispensers, with dispenser 1 reported broken. The mobile app claims dispensers 2, 3, and 4 are 350 kW units, which Robert discovers is completely incorrect—one of them is actually a 150 kW unit. The real ordeal begins when trying to draw power:
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Manchester EA Charging Attempts accDescr: Three consecutive charging attempts at Manchester Electrify America showing derated speeds.
subgraph EA_Manchester["Manchester Electrify America (4 Stalls, 1 Broken)"] A["Dispenser 4 (350 kW)"] -->|"Ramps slowly"| B["Peak: 58 kW (Severely Derated)"] B -->|"Unplug and swap"| C["Dispenser 2"] C -->|"Stuck at 172 Amps"| D["Peak: 69 kW (Severely Derated)"] D -->|"Wait for EV6 to leave"| E["Dispenser 3"] E -->|"Acceptable compromise"| F["Peak: 120 kW (Settled for 50% SoC)"] end ```
After burning time cycling through three separate pedestals, Robert gives up and accepts 120 kW on dispenser 3 just to reach 50% state of charge and escape to Chattanooga. Over on the Tesla side in Manchester, the Supercharger is located pleasantly behind a Dunkin' Donuts and features ten Version 2 stalls. Because Version 2 stalls lack the communication protocols for upcoming NACS adapters, they will remain Tesla-only. Upon plugging in, Robert encounters his first speed limitation on the Tesla network: the car caps at 136 kW, and moving to a cabinet connected to another stall only yields 132 kW. While technically derated, the speed remains far above the abysmal numbers seen at the neighboring Electrify America.
- **Manchester EA Dispenser 4 (labeled 350 kW):** Ramped up to just 28 kW before stalling out at 58 kW. - **Manchester EA Dispenser 2:** Capped out at 68–69 kW at 172 amps. - **Manchester EA Dispenser 3:** Delivered 120 kW at 24% state of charge. - **Manchester Tesla Supercharger:** 10-stall V2 setup, pulled 132–136 kW across two tested stalls.
[30:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1808s) The Mountaintop Runs and the Chattanooga Factory Letdown
South of Manchester, the Tesla Supercharger experience remains largely uneventful and seamless. At Monteagle, Tennessee, high up on the mountain, Robert stops at a 12-stall Version 3 site where all stalls are pull-through, immediately securing 170 kW. In Kimball, another 12-stall V3 installation between a Cracker Barrel and a Taco Bell provides an identical 170 kW. Arriving in Chattanooga, Robert tests a random 12-stall V3 station at a local shopping mall and effortlessly hits 170 kW once again.
| Supercharger Location | Hardware Version | Stall Count & Configuration | Charging Power | |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **Monteagle, TN** | Version 3 | 12 stalls (all pull-through) | 170 kW | | **Kimball, TN** | Version 3 | 12 stalls (commercial lot) | 170 kW | | **Chattanooga Mall, TN** | Version 3 | 12 stalls (standard lot) | 170 kW |
The final destination of the trip is the premier Electrify America station situated at the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant, where Volkswagen manufactures the ID.4. Electrify America was originally established as part of Volkswagen's consent decree penalties following the Dieselgate emissions scandal. Robert anticipates that this flagship station—featuring six brand-new 350 kW dispensers covered by expansive solar canopies—will serve as the triumphant showcase where Electrify America finally demonstrates peak performance.
Reality fails to meet expectations. Upon plugging the Polestar in, charging power reaches only 107 kW. Robert switches cords and tests three different dispensers at the Volkswagen factory, but power refuses to rise beyond 113 kW. The chronic underperformance leaves him wondering if the fault lies with the car rather than the dispensers.
To conduct a sanity check once back home, Robert visits a 350 kW EVgo charger without preconditioning the battery pack. Plugging in at a low 9% state of charge, the car immediately pulls 155 kW and maintains that speed cleanly all the way to 30%, confirming that the Polestar was functioning properly and that the brand-new dispensers at Electrify America's showcase site were malfunctioning.
> “I thought for sure we would get a full power charge session here, but look at this: we're getting 107 kW at the Volkswagen factory.” — Robert
[33:07](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1987s) The Broken Non-Tesla Highway Experience and the Promise of Superchargers
Reflecting on the grueling journey, Robert explains that the day's test route was originally inspired by an earlier trip he took down to Florida. That previous excursion started on the exact same corridor, and he was astonished by how terribly it went. During that Florida journey, he did not secure a single decent charging session until driving ten miles out of his way to the Electrify America station at the Volkswagen assembly plant—where he had previously achieved the full 150 kW rate, though his performance on the current test was mysterious. While charging conditions eventually improved as he drove through Georgia and Florida, with several stops turning out downright flawless, those later successes failed to erase the misery of an entire first day fraught with broken hardware and slow speeds. As Robert bluntly confesses, “If I was a normal person and not an EV nerd, I would have sold my Polestar after that trip.”
Even though the overwhelming majority of day-to-day EV charging happens comfortably at home and certain owners may never touch a fast charger, seamless long-distance road-tripping remains an essential pillar of a complete car ownership experience. This reality underscores why opening the Tesla Supercharger network to third-party manufacturers is such a transformative development. Currently, Electrify America stands as the sole non-Tesla network designed around comprehensive highway route planning, yet it remains plagued by unreliability. Nearly every other competing fast-charging option is poorly arranged, confusing to navigate, unreliable, or simply delivers an unpleasant user experience.
- **Routine vs. Road-Trip Realities**: Most EV owners recharge at home and rarely need public DC fast charging, but highway infrastructure dictates whether an electric vehicle can serve as a dependable, all-around primary vehicle. - **Network Monopolies**: Electrify America is the only non-Tesla charging brand with true interstate corridor coverage, leaving drivers stranded or delayed when their stations underperform.
[34:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=2057s) Supercharger Growing Pains, V4 Upgrades, and NACS Adoption
Welcoming non-Tesla vehicles onto the Supercharger network will not be completely seamless right out of the gate, as two notable technical hurdles exist. First, Superchargers were engineered specifically for Tesla vehicles, which feature their charge port on the rear-left corner. When an EV with a different charge port placement parks at a Supercharger stall, the factory cable proves too short to reach without parking across stall lines or occupying the wrong space. Second, existing V3 Superchargers operate at a 500-volt ceiling. Modern 800-volt vehicles must rely on their onboard DC-to-DC boosters to step up the voltage, severely hamstringing peak power delivery. For instance, a Lucid Air charging at a standard Supercharger is throttled to approximately 50 kW via its onboard booster.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Supercharger Generation Compatibility accDescr: Diagram illustrating technical bottlenecks of V3 Superchargers with non-Tesla EVs versus V4 solutions.
subgraph V3["V3 Superchargers (Current Standard)"] V3Port["Short Cable Length<br/>(Designed for rear-left Tesla port)"] --> V3PortIssue["Parking alignment issues for non-Teslas"] V3Volt["500V Output Limit"] --> V3VoltIssue["800V EVs capped via onboard booster<br/>(e.g., Lucid Air limited to ~50 kW)"] end
subgraph V4["V4 Superchargers (Rolling Out)"] V4Cable["Longer Reach Cables"] --> V4CableSol["Accommodates varied port locations"] V4Volt["1,000V Architecture"] --> V4VoltSol["Native high-speed charging for 800V EVs"] end ```
Both bottlenecks are engineered out of Tesla's Version 4 (V4) Superchargers, which introduce longer cables and 1,000-volt hardware, though those dispensers are only beginning to appear in limited numbers. Even with these initial growing pains, widespread access to Superchargers represents a massive breakthrough for frequent road-trippers. Looking ahead, Robert contemplates repeating this exact journey in his Polestar 2 once V3 Supercharger access opens up to the brand. Concurrently, the North American EV market's broader pivot toward the North American Charging Standard (NACS)—adopting a connector that is noticeably lighter and less cumbersome than CCS—is a positive step forward, though managing a wholesale connector standard transition this deep into EV adoption will inevitably generate substantial consumer confusion for years. Finally, Robert brushes aside the predictable pushback from combustion-engine advocates who brag about five-minute gas station visits or 500-mile tank ranges, pointing out that anyone who prefers combustion is free to keep driving those cars.
- **V3 Supercharger Voltage Cap**: 500 volts maximum, forcing 800-volt vehicles (such as the Lucid Air) to step up voltage internally and suffer reduced charging rates of around 50 kW. - **V4 Supercharger Solutions**: Upgraded 1,000-volt capability and extended cable reach to accommodate varied charge-port locations across various automaker designs. - **Connector Standardization**: The industry-wide migration to the NACS plug replaces the bulky CCS handle with a far more ergonomic design, despite short-term transition confusion.
## Notable quotes > [19:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1182s) Stop putting rapid chargers in hotels! — Aging Wheels
> [25:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8&t=1525s) By the way, this is my first ever Tesla road trip, never done this before, and already I trust the Superchargers completely. — Robert
## Mentioned Aging Wheels, Robert, Tesla, Tesla Model 3, Polestar, Polestar 2, Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Volvo, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen, Volkswagen ID.4, Audi e-tron, Lucid Air, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint, Francis Energy, EV Connect, PlugShare, NACS, CCS, CHAdeMO, Alec, Technology Connections, Walmart, Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant, Rocket Money, Hertz
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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92w5doU68D8)