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[DPsSRnSD]

The J plug's only place to live is in a home owner's garage with an over night EV charge up.

Because that's probably the only place you'll find 19.2kW J1772?

[heroto]

I'm sympathetic with the OP. Maybe Zero had too much on their plate to figure this out previously. Too bad they don't have a stable full of MIT and CalTech grads like Tesla.

Good news is that the 2018 models can come with two practical charge options: the same overnight option using US household current, and/or for a lotta money: an 11 lb., mounted high, integrated factory option J1772 "charge tank" that adds an about 30 amp/45-80 mph charging option. This option needs a level two J1772 charge station, which exits in the wild but is not plentiful. 
 
If you go for the pricey charge tank and are willing to lug around another 6-20 lbs of $500++ aftermarket gear, you add the option of charging at RV parks - for a fee.

Zero also now offers their latest greatest battery that increases price by about 20+%, range 10%, and weight 5%.

I'm in, but not claiming it's rational.
YMMV

[MichaelJ]

I was unclear. Is it impossible to have one J1772 interface that can both fast-charge at EV charging stations AND slow-charge at home with a plug/adapter that plugs straight into a standard household outlet? Or does the J1772 charge at only one rate?

No.  It is not impossible.  No, J1772 doesn't only charge at one rate.


J1772 is a protocol (like USB is for computers) that supports different voltages and different current draws.  Multiplying the two tells you roughly how much power the power supply can deliver.  These voltages and currents start as low as 120 V and 16 A and go up to 240 V and 80 A.


For example, Clipper Creek is one company that offers a range of products that can connect your Charge Tank-equipped Zero to a power supply via J1772.  That power supply can be a fast-charging public EV charging station or it can be a slow-charging 120 V outlet on a 15 A circuit in your home...or office (watch the video).




Does that help?

[calamarichris]

Very much so, thank you MichaelJ!

Any idea why Zero would not equip all bikes with them? I just paid an extra $2000+ for my charge tank, so is it primarily a cost-saving measure? What's so special about the J1772 interface?

Just got word from the dealer today that my bike is finally leaving the factory today. Hope to have it next week!

[NEW2elec]

A J1772 charge port does nothing more for your charge rate than your wall pug if you don't have the extra 6kW chargers that are in the "charge tank"

The lower stock chargers on the bike are at 1.3 kW  and that works out because that is all a house wall 120 volt socket can give.

It's like hooking a big fire hose to your kitchen sink. Your still only going to get kitchen sink level water pressure come out of the hose.  You have to have hydrant level pressure to fill up that fire hose.

Hope that helps.

[42Cliffside]

My commute is 35 miles a day round trip atm, I could if I was careful do 3 days on a charge - just barely. but getting home with 2%-4% is a bit nerve racking still.. funny, I brought my fast charger on day 3 when I left with less than 27% (need ~32% to be comfy not driving careful) but forgot the J1772 adapter grr. lucky I had my regular cord with me, so i just went and ate a footlong while it slow charged up to where I could get home with 2% - an extra 1:20; the sub shop with free charging is another 5 miles added to the round trip since its south and I go north =P

or I can plug in every night and not worry at all. The fast charger is great for road trips though.

[Frank]

Please don't use that much battery up on a regular basis!

[TheGap]

but getting home with 2%-4% is a bit nerve racking still..

Range Anxiety

[MichaelJ]

Very much so, thank you MichaelJ!

You're welcome!

Any idea why Zero would not equip all bikes with them?

I don't speak for Zero.  Here's a hypothesis:  maybe their market research suggested that a significant number of customers would not pay for a motorcycle that included the cost of a Charge Tank, but would pay less for a motorcycle that didn't.


To take this to an extreme, I might want to buy a Zero motorcycle that came with the feature "stops all wars and brings world peace".  This feature sounds very attractive.  However, the MSRP might be so expensive that I wouldn't pay for it.  Zero would then lose my business to a competitor who sold a motorcycle without this feature for a more affordable MSRP, or sold the same or similar feature for a lower price.


Or in my case, I bought a competitor's motorcycle (a Brammo Empulse R) that was equipped with a J1772 interface because at the time, Zero Motorcycles did not have a Charge Tank product to offer.

I just paid an extra $2000+ for my charge tank, so is it primarily a cost-saving measure?

It's a time-saving measure.  If you can recharge the bike faster, you can spend less time not moving.  If you arrive at your destination sooner because you spent less time not moving, that saves you time.


If you believe that time is money, then saving time saves you money.



(Minus the cost of buying electricity from the J1772 charging station.)



(Minus the cost of parking in a parking lot that offers the J1772 charging station.)

What's so special about the J1772 interface?

It's a standard?  You don't have to have an electrical engineering degree and bring your own wires and circuit boards to connect to random electricity sources during your travels?  You have a better idea?

Just got word from the dealer today that my bike is finally leaving the factory today. Hope to have it next week!

Congratulations!