Arizona’s EV Plan Provides Us A Clue About Tesla CCS Charging

By Staff Last updated Jan 31, 2023

Final 12 months, I shared particulars that got here out of a web-based Arizona DOT assembly about its plan for federal Infrastructure Invoice funds, often known as funding from the NEVI program. Since then, the state has narrowed down its selections for EV charging websites to fulfill federal necessities, and it reveals one thing fascinating that’s most likely taking place behind the scenes with Tesla, confirming plans to deploy CCS-compatible charging stations within the state.

Some Background

2021’s Infrastructure Invoice supplied billions of {dollars} to broaden EV charging in america. The primary spherical of funding is meant to give attention to Interstate highways, and states had been required to submit plans for his or her state’s share of the funding. The plans for these first highways needed to meet the next standards:

Gaps of not more than 50 miles between chargers.
Chargers inside a mile of the interstate.
A minimum of 4 150 kW or higher-rate chargers, with CCS connectors.
Skill to concurrently cost 4 automobiles at that price or higher.
Exceptions can be found for any of those on a case-by-case foundation (unavailability of electrical energy, and so forth.), however funding can be utilized to organize a web site for stations by including power-generating functionality, and so forth.

So, Arizona sought numerous public enter, did some research, and produced a plan. Its plan was among the many first authorized by the federal authorities.

One fascinating query requested final 12 months on the on-line assembly was which stations would require new development and which of them want upgrading to ensure that them to fulfill the above federal necessities. To make sure that numerous plans might be applied when it comes time to acquire permits, draw up blueprints, and start constructing with contractors, ADOT mentioned its last plan should stay open-ended sufficient in order to not restrict itself or potential third events.

However, the general public didn’t let ADOT off with that reply. One other individual requested very particularly about Tesla’s attainable function in Arizona’s NEVI plan. ADOT mentioned that it had already reached out to Tesla and requested the corporate about upgrading Tesla stations to have some CCS plugs to fulfill the plan’s necessities (clearly, in change for a few of these federal funds). In keeping with ADOT, Tesla’s consultant indicated that they had been undoubtedly open to the thought of working with ADOT to place in some CCS stations at Supercharger websites, however Tesla was nonetheless wanting into it to ensure it could work for them, each bodily and legally.

New Maps Present Us That These Talks Should’ve Gone Someplace

Trying on the newest variations of the Arizona charging plan maps reveals us that utilizing Tesla’s Superchargers have to be a part of the plan. Let’s check out the websites they’ve chosen and I’ll clarify how I arrived at this conclusion.

Picture by Arizona DOT.

Let’s begin by Willcox, Arizona. It’s listed as a possible web site that requires upgrading as a substitute of latest development. However what occurs once we search for CCS websites that may be upgraded within the space?

In Willcox, the variety of not solely CCS websites, however even J1772 websites is, as Agent Okay in Males in Black would say, “exactly d*ck”. It’s a charging wasteland when you’re rolling up in, say, a Nissan LEAF or Chevy Bolt with a low battery. Actually, the one means you will get a cost with a CCS or CHAdeMO automotive within the metropolis is to move to an RV park and BYOEVSE (Carry Your Personal EVSE).

I do know this from expertise.

Charging an EV at Fort Willcox RV Park. Picture by Jennifer Sensiba.

Nonetheless, the Tesla drivers who’ve been by Willcox and are studying this are most likely simply itching to leap into that remark field and inform us all about how a lot simpler it’s to drive on that stretch of I-10, and the way silly I used to be to purchase a LEAF. In spite of everything, there’s a Tesla Supercharger proper subsequent to the TA truck cease at one of many accommodations!

Yeah, the LEAF was a considerably silly buy (and it’s a automotive I now not personal), however this was earlier than the Mannequin 3 got here out, and it was what I might afford on the time, however that’s not likely the purpose. The purpose is that the one EV charging station in Willcox is a Tesla Supercharger, and if Arizona goes to improve something, that’s the one they’re going to improve.

I gained’t bore you with the entire boring particulars about my charging stops at RV parks in locations like Cordes Junction and Holbrook. I stayed the evening at a lodge in Cordes simply to get charged up, and I slept in an Arizona state park in Holbrook as soon as. You may examine that significantly dumb journey right here.

As soon as once more, the purpose to take from that is that these locations seem on the map as locations the place they need to add CCS ports to an current station, and there’s actually nothing else there for Arizona to improve, in order that they have to be speaking about including CCS charging to the one lady on the town: Tesla’s Supercharger station.

When you look on PlugShare, this occurs but once more in Gila Bend and Tacna alongside I-8 when you’re headed out to San Diego. I haven’t slept in a automotive in both of these locations, however I believe I’ll go forward and belief PlugShare on this. Plus, my Bolt EUV would make that journey, so there’s no want.

So, backside line: practically the entire locations ADOT needs so as to add CCS ports are Tesla Supercharger stations. And, when you’ve been following the Tesla CCS story, there are some very, superb causes to do that.

Tesla’s Obtained A Low-cost Means To Add CCS Charging

When you’ve been following Tesla’s coming opening of its community to CCS automobiles, you may need seen this little bit of stories from a number of days in the past:

It seems to be like Magic Dock is now proven within the @Tesla app – see second picture for what has proven beforehand which displays Euro CCS2 deal with. I believe Magic Dock / open Supercharger in NA launch is imminent. pic.twitter.com/HYbUj26db9

— Branden Flasch (@brandenflasch) January 21, 2023

The Magic Dock goes to combine CCS charging into Tesla Superchargers with out eliminating the Tesla (or “NACS” when you’re a fanboy and need to name it that) plug like they did in Europe. When you want the Tesla plug, you pull out the Tesla plug similar to you at all times have. When you’ve bought a CCS automotive at one in all these upcoming stations, you pull out the bigger a part of the Magic Dock and it offers you a CCS adapter on the top of the cable.

This seems to be a picture that Tesla didn’t intend to launch but, but it surely reveals simply how cheaply the change might be made. This not solely makes it attainable for Tesla to make it cheaper for states to make use of their stations to fulfill NEVI necessities (and save that cash for stations on rural highways), but it surely additionally means Tesla ought to flip a wholesome revenue from no matter preparations it makes with state governments to supply this.

So, my educated guess is that Tesla will roll out CCS charging spots at Supercharger websites because it will get state governments to pay one thing for them. Because of this Tesla will get a reduce of the Infrastructure Invoice funds, and hopefully fund additional rollout of the Supercharger community as states transfer onto overlaying different highways with subsequent funding rounds.

Featured picture by Arizona DOT.