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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: Moto7575 on October 11, 2019, 10:30:02 AM
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We all agree that SRF aside, the 2020 models offer nothing new. So lets discuss what would make you buy a new 2021 model.
For me, sticking to easy fixes:
- i will stay with FXS models - light, powerful, super easy to park vs heavier models
- would enjoy more torque and more range
- stronger headlight (especially in full light mode)
- somewhere to store rain pants+cable
- somewhere to lock an helmet
- ability to set maximum speed down to where regulations limit you (50 km/h)
- higher max speed (highways are up tu 130 km/h so 150 would be good)
- a clock that synchronizes with internet through the that for easier tuning
- keep increasing service and take care of older models owners
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Other things still on my list:
Poor man's traction control (limiting wheelspin)
Ability to program all 3 modes
Variable Regen instead of on/off
That being said, I'm somewhat glad to see signs of maturity in the models.
It would honestly take a lot to get me to buy something so soon. I typically hold my bikes for several years.
Side note, my 2018 FXS goes 89 mph (143 kph).
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I'm probably approaching new-bike time to replace my 2014 SR, and all that stuff would be nice, but the thing that would move me away from Zero and toward Energica is level 3 charging. I won't buy another EV without level 3 (preferably CCS).
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What I ask for every year: a softer seat.
But what Zero probably really needs to work on is dropping their new bike retail prices if they want to grow their market.
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First off 2021 models? Too soon! LOL :)
But I'll play same as every year.
I keep thinking they will make that FXSR like that rode at Pike's Peak. It might need a couple more KWs of battery to counter the increased power though.
Maybe a much beefier FX with more rough off road capability.
As always drop the "R" in the name and make the current SR and DSR 14 kWh the only option as an S and DS.
I'd put the 75-7 motor in all the older models if it can be modified to fit the X bikes. Simple one motor in higher volume.
By streamlining the fleet hopefully the price could drop a grand or so per model.
The CCS would need a whole new battery voltage setup. I just don't know when that would happen. At the crazy cost of CCS charging at this
point I'm not on my knees begging for it.
To me the cell C rate has to go way up so we could fully charge in 10-15 minutes for true convenience for touring.
The SRF has USB ports for phone charging now let us use them for firmware updates. No more over the air failure to upgrade or timing out or any of that.
It's not cool or covenant if it doesn't work.
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I, too, think it’s time that Zero addressed level 3 charging. The SR/F charging modules are good, but have topped out what level 2 can provide.
I think the new platform (SR/F aka FST) should have a new model that actually supports anything but street fighter stance. The platform is too valuable to waste on a niche market (my partner does not feel safe on the SR/F seat.)
I am definitely in favor of hardware support for a fairing by making at least a real cockpit area. Zero bikes are seriously flawed by making it “effortless†to go fast while all it does is waste massive amounts of energy. The rider experience here is disappointing.
The older bikes need more than incremental reliability updates. The DC converter and onboard charger are just holding the bikes back from being reliable as a baseline assumption off the dealer lot. SR/F charge modules back ported to the existing platforms seems like an obviously worthwhile investment to me.
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As someone who lives in the mountains, a true variable regen maybe with some sort of ultracapacitors to catch every last milliamp.
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Maybe some advertising? Everytime I go to a race or bike show, nobody has a clue that electric motorcycles are even a thing. And these are people that are involved in motorcycling! When I tell them it's a Zero, they're like whaaaaaa?
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Small, incremental tech developments that I would love to see as a daily commuter type:
-Separate Control for Regen! If losing a transmission means freeing up two paws, then why not give one of them something to do?
-Heated gear integration! Capitalize on the fact that Zero's are one of the few lightweight machines that actually have the excess electrical capacity for a full set of heated gear options. Make it easy to plug them in.
-Lose the ancient Rosso II's and fit Michelin Power RS from the factory.
Marketing adventure that I would love to participate in:
-Sponsor Motogymkana events in major cities with Zero demo bikes. KTM did this with 390 dukes and it looked super fun.
Backwards kits that I would pay money for:
1 - Rear brake locks when the kickstand is down. The hand brake thing is ridiculous.
2 - High torque belt/gear option (I don't need a 95 mph max cruise - bring it down to 80 and give me more mechanical advantage off the line)
I would quickly pay $300 for either of these things.
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First off 2021 models? Too soon! LOL :)The CCS would need a whole new battery voltage setup. I just don't know when that would happen. At the crazy cost of CCS charging at this
point I'm not on my knees begging for it.
Don't forget, CCS charging is not stuck with CCS. You may still use J-1772, which is usually (if not always) free here in the Reno area.
Even on the road, I have used J-1772 because sometimes the CCS is too fast. Such as if I want to stop at a restaurant for an hour or so. With CCS, I have choices. I can charge first then go eat in the restaurant or just connect a J1772 and go. But of course we won't always have this choice as not every place has both types of chargers nearby..
With my Energica, I sometimes feel like I only have two charging choices, either too fast (25 KW) or too slow (3 KW) <g>.
-Don- Reno, NV
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The CCS would need a whole new battery voltage setup.
Granted. That's why they need to get moving on it -- it's already too late, by the time they get something to market.
I just don't know when that would happen.
Later and later, the longer they put off doing it.
At the crazy cost of CCS charging at this point I'm not on my knees begging for it.
It is expensive, but I wouldn't use it very often. It's there when I need it, so the bike can do longer rides on the occasion when I decide to, even if I have to pay a bit more (right now) for it. And the prices will come down.
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The CCS would need a whole new battery voltage setup.
Which means the entire bike must be redesigned to use 300 VDC instead of the 116.5 VDC.
That will be a major change, but a very important one, IMO.
-Don- Reno, NV
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I changed mine for 200$ - extra cushion, small backseat, nice carbon look. It has been done by the bike shop near me (not a Zero dealer) reusing the stock seat.
What I ask for every year: a softer seat.
But what Zero probably really needs to work on is dropping their new bike retail prices if they want to grow their market.
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Hey I get fast charging > slow charging but like you just said you wouldn't use it very often. ;)
A battery redesign won't be cheap. Let Harley and Energica be test rabbits for the long term
effects on the battery from fast charging in the real world.
Both of them have limited or at least less than a fully optioned Zero for the AC charging speed.
When Nikki from Transport Evolved tested the Esse that was what she complained about the most.
If the DC option was down or nowhere near, your screwed.
At 3 kWs you looking at 3-4 hours charging. If your not going past a DC charger a 200 mile one way trip will be about 7.5 hours.
There could be a whole new battery tech by the time CCS really starts gearing up. I still prefer the idea of 400 miles range and no charging
till I get there. :)
Oh and softer seat +1
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Problem with kits : you loose insurance protection in case of accident. In Europe that's fine - public healthcare pays everything. But in the US...
Small, incremental tech developments that I would love to see as a daily commuter type:
-Separate Control for Regen! If losing a transmission means freeing up two paws, then why not give one of them something to do?
-Heated gear integration! Capitalize on the fact that Zero's are one of the few lightweight machines that actually have the excess electrical capacity for a full set of heated gear options. Make it easy to plug them in.
-Lose the ancient Rosso II's and fit Michelin Power RS from the factory.
Marketing adventure that I would love to participate in:
-Sponsor Motogymkana events in major cities with Zero demo bikes. KTM did this with 390 dukes and it looked super fun.
Backwards kits that I would pay money for:
1 - Rear brake locks when the kickstand is down. The hand brake thing is ridiculous.
2 - High torque belt/gear option (I don't need a 95 mph max cruise - bring it down to 80 and give me more mechanical advantage off the line)
I would quickly pay $300 for either of these things.
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A battery redesign won't be cheap. Let Harley and Energica be test rabbits for the long term
effects on the battery from fast charging in the real world.
I'm an EE and I get that. The battery isn't actually a very difficult redesign, it's the motor and controller that would consume the most design time.
But they're going to have to do it, and the sooner the better. Energica and Harley already have it, and it's going to be very important very soon. 6kW charging is barely adequate now, it's not going to cut it in just a couple of years.
Tesla has far more data on fast-charging EV batteries than any electric motorcycle company ever will have, and by all accounts it's fine, especially if only on an occasional basis. As long as the battery temperature doesn't rise to unhealthy levels, no damage occurs.
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There could be a whole new battery tech by the time CCS really starts gearing up. I still prefer the idea of 400 miles range and no charging
till I get there. :)
That's not an issue to me. I like to stop about every hour anyway. I mainly bought my Energica to ride between Reno and Auburn. Even when I take an ICE bike, I stop around mid way for a short ten minute or so break.
On the way to Auburn from here, there is a CCS charge station about every 20 miles. Now there is also one on Hwy 20 in Grass Valley and I prefer going that way when I have the time.
Going either way, a 15 minute charge stop in KingVale, CA is more than enough.
-Don- Reno, NV
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Doug S, I know your an EE that's why I want you to fix all this stuff. :)
Now Tesla is a whole other beast with all it's liquid cooling so how well it can handle fast charging is it's own thing.
The bikes are still pretty young and Harley isn't even out there yet. All I'm saying is I see Zero's dilemma.
The west coast is well covered for CCS but look in the midwest and southeast and you'll see huge gaps even for level 2.
Will Zero find they need cooling for fast charging with their current cells? I'd say likely as they would over heat with the 10kW Diginows
if pushed too hard, and that's more cost.
If you really want a lot of people to own this type of bike you need to get it closer to $10k for a full spec bike.
I think some of the LW guys will be very limited to a handful of routes that they can connect enough CCS stations to get them very far.
DonTom I looked up your route on Google, that looks like a real nice ride.
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Doug S, I know your an EE that's why I want you to fix all this stuff. :)
You have no idea how much I'd love to! My dream job is working on EVs of one sort of another. I truly do believe they're a big part of saving this planet from us.
Yeah, heat is clearly the issue. But don't fall into the trap some people do of thinking that "water cooling good, air cooling bad". In a water-cooled system, water does NOT actually cool anything. It just moves the heat from wherever it's generated (cylinder head, battery bank, whatever) to a radiator, where it's ultimately dissipated into the airstream just like an air-cooled system. Air-cooled systems are lighter, simpler, far more reliable, less susceptible to high ambient air temps in some cases (it's true), cheaper and can cool just as well if properly designed. They even usually have less aerodynamic drag than a big draggy radiator. There are good reasons water-cooling has never had much presence in aircraft.
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It's hard to believe we're talking about features on a model that would be five years from when I got an FX. Seems like yesterday.
Here is my wish list for 2021 FX:
More power at slow speed
(Better wheelies in ludicrous mode)
Progressive regen instead of on/off
(For brake application and for coasting throttle roll-off)
Keyless proximity fob
Radius 8 ft
Traction control
Charge at somewhat higher rate than 650W
Maybe 800W or 1000W (A/C inlet already gets quite hot)
Easy-to-replace C14 inlet module
Less/no delay from sidestand-up to throttle operable
Stronger sidestand
Belt tension fine adjustment screws (L and R)
that don't require loosening axle or adjuster lock nuts
App features when connected via Bluetooth
Firmware version info
Firmware update
Auto clock set (at least, fix any drift of 15 min or less)
Helmet lock
Small metal loop for padlock
(Could be integrated as part of rack)
Another 11% battery update, at least for non-modular
ZF8.0 large battery. Modular could still be 2 x ZF3.6.
(Why shouldn't a single large battery have a little more space than two small?)
Button to move in reverse at 1/2 MPH
Slightly different front fender shape
To stop water shooting over
Display
Show battery voltage
Show regen Wh/mi (perhaps as negative number)
Hold J. Juan to better standards or drop them
(Break pad fit problems, small replacement parts unavailable)
Non-squealing OEM brake pads
All LED lighting (super-bright high beam)
Full automatic self-driving with flywheel balancing
(Just checking if you're still reading)
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For the front fender there is an easy fix : buy (30$) a ZeroS fender on af1racing and mount it under the stock fender.
It's hard to believe we're talking about features on a model that would be five years from when I got an FX. Seems like yesterday.
Here is my wish list for 2021 FX:
More power at slow speed
(Better wheelies in ludicrous mode)
Progressive regen instead of on/off
(For brake application and for coasting throttle roll-off)
Keyless proximity fob
Radius 8 ft
Traction control
Charge at somewhat higher rate than 650W
Maybe 800W or 1000W (A/C inlet already gets quite hot)
Easy-to-replace C14 inlet module
Less/no delay from sidestand-up to throttle operable
Stronger sidestand
Belt tension fine adjustment screws (L and R)
that don't require loosening axle or adjuster lock nuts
App features when connected via Bluetooth
Firmware version info
Firmware update
Auto clock set (at least, fix any drift of 15 min or less)
Helmet lock
Small metal loop for padlock
(Could be integrated as part of rack)
Another 11% battery update, at least for non-modular
ZF8.0 large battery. Modular could still be 2 x ZF3.6.
(Why shouldn't a single large battery have a little more space than two small?)
Button to move in reverse at 1/2 MPH
Slightly different front fender shape
To stop water shooting over
Display
Show battery voltage
Show regen Wh/mi (perhaps as negative number)
Hold J. Juan to better standards or drop them
(Break pad fit problems, small replacement parts unavailable)
Non-squealing OEM brake pads
All LED lighting (super-bright high beam)
Full automatic self-driving with flywheel balancing
(Just checking if you're still reading)
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Being able to adjust regen while riding would be nice. Having to stop and connect to the app is nonsense.
Also would like level 3 charger since that's the most common station in my area, and the easiest to use. No membership required, just use a debit/credit like any gas station.
I've heard people say how expensive it is to use L3 charge stations, so what does it cost to charge at the electrify America stations? If it's comparable to the price of fuel, I wouldnt be concerned.
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Being able to adjust regen while riding would be nice. Having to stop and connect to the app is nonsense.
Also would like level 3 charger since that's the most common station in my area, and the easiest to use. No membership required, just use a debit/credit like any gas station.
I've heard people say how expensive it is to use L3 charge stations, so what does it cost to charge at the electrify America stations? If it's comparable to the price of fuel, I wouldnt be concerned.
Regarding altering regen drag: On my Zero S, all you have to do is to toggle a button on the right handlebar to move from eco, to sport, to custom settings, which will change regen and power settings as soon as the throttle is shut, assuming that you have your custom program set differently than the other two factory settings. That seems like a reasonable number of choices considering the relatively minor differences between zero and maximum regen braking of the factory Zero settings. I really like that system as you don't have to look at a screen or come to a stop to change regen and power settings.
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As noted above, some sort of reverse (backing up my steep driveway into my garage may be good exercise, but I'd rather find another way). I spoke to a Zero rep at the SRF intro who indicated that factory options for a center stand and accessory lighting were coming (for the SRF), but as those haven't rolled out yet please add those to the 2021 wish list (and to other versions).
Something I have run afoul of a couple of times even in the temperate Bay area --- active temperature control of the battery when plugged in. I understand that charging would be unsafe at low temperatures, but having a built-in resistive heater to boot strap the process to get the battery to minimum temperature on a cold morning to permit safe charging would be great. After commuting to work in Decembers past and needing to resort to heating pads and hair dryers to coax the process along to commute home sometime before spring, I would want an integrated function in a new motorcycle.
A directional audio sound to alert drivers immediately ahead that someone lane splitting will be alongside them soon would be welcome. This should have a tight angular distribution forward, and needn't be grossly loud even in that lobe, but I anticipate it would be useful. If nothing else, it would warn bicyclists (I've had to call out 'on your left' to alert chatting side by side cyclists who didn't hear my approach) and pedestrians.
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I've heard people say how expensive it is to use L3 charge stations, so what does it cost to charge at the electrify America stations? If it's comparable to the price of fuel, I wouldnt be concerned.
If it's done correctly even fast charging can be cheaper than gas. Don't charge above 80% unless you need to when at a fast charger. And even that can be made up for when charging at home and the many free J-1772 stations in many areas.
If you pay $4.00 per month to EA, the rate per minute is cheaper and you save the one dollar just to activate the machine. So if it's always cheaper or not depends on many factors.
I pay the $4.00 per month even if I never use it. But I will not miss $4.00 per month. But if I use it there times per month, I come out ahead.
-Don- Reno, NV
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The SR/F supposedly has ten Custom settings you can toggle through which all could have different regens.
Also, a variable regen brake lever would be an awesome addition for hill riding ^-^
-Crissa
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IMHO, REPAIRING 10,000 BIKES. They can start with those is Israel, none of which seem to have made it past 35,000-40,000 miles without major breakdown.
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IMHO, REPAIRING
Do you have a citation for that?
You should make its own thread for it. Everyone else seems to be having no trouble getting spare parts or warrantee repairs; that an importer fell down is not unprecedented.
-Crissa
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The SR/F supposedly has ten Custom settings you can toggle through which all could have different regens.
Also, a variable regen brake lever would be an awesome addition for hill riding ^-^
-Crissa
On the SR/F the regen is proportional to the throttle position and not just on/off like on the other models (S/SR/DS/DSR/FX/FXS). Just set the custom mode to max regen and you have single pedel driving. You can coast by holding the throttle at (let's say) 10%, if you then set the throttle to 5% the regen is at 50% of the maximum amount you have set it at in the settings. At throttle close the regen is at it's maximum setting for the mode.
When touching the brake lever (just a bit so the brake light switch is activated but the pads do not touch the disc yet) the regen becomes even stronger (if you have set it that way in the settings).
I personly have set all setting to maximum (power,speed,neutral regen and brake regen) and I hardly have to use the brake pads at all. just using the regen or lightly using the brake lever slows the bike down like you have a 1500 cc one-cylinder :) ;)
The SR/F indeed can contain 10 custom riding modes but unfortunately there can be only 1 custom mode loaded into the memory. So to change between custom modes you would have to do that via the smartphone app
I'm not sure if this is possible with the sevcon controller but if it is, it is surely something that could easily be implemented for all previous generations
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Here is my wish list for 2021 FX:
Traction control
Charge at somewhat higher rate than 650W
Maybe 800W or 1000W (A/C inlet already gets quite hot)
I agree with these. I ended up waiting until now to get my 2020 FXS and I was so hoping these would be in there. Why not max out a 20A circuit?!
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Why not max out a 20A circuit?!
...Because that would melt most household wiring and require an actual charging station to be installed? Circuits are rated at a peak consumption, not a constant. So you could only pull about 20% more tha the current S-line does before you have to do electrician tricks.
Tho I don't quite understand why the FX charges slower than an S. Cell configuration of the modular packs, maybe? Then why does the non-modular not charge at the rate of the S?
-Crissa
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I agree with these. I ended up waiting until now to get my 2020 FXS and I was so hoping these would be in there. Why not max out a 20A circuit?!
A 20 amp household breaker should not have more than 18 amps on it. It's "code" for most electrical wiring of houses, etc.
I have my Tesla Wall Connector on a 60 amp circuit breaker and I can only use 48 amps max. The wiring is also for 60 amps.
No electrician will go over the 80% rule, AFAIK.
So for a 20 amp circuit, expect 18 amps max per house fuse or circuit breaker. And most equipment wants to say well under that, as you may have other stuff on another outlet coming from the same breaker.
IIRC, our Zero OBCs draw around 13 amps at 120 VAC (~1500 watts AC input). Half that at 240 VAC, around 6.5 amps, which is stupid, IMO.
My Energica current stays the same as the voltage is increased so it has 1.5 KW charging at 120 VAC and 3KW charging at 240 VAC. Why Harley and Zero does it differently, I have no idea, but most likely because it is cheaper and less heat when 240 VAC is used compared to the Energica chargers.
-Don- Reno, NV
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Reverse would be nice in the future. Even on the current models if the hardware is capable and a software update enables reverse, then it'd be great to get reverse.
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1. More range! L3 would be OK, but for many of us outside CA, we have few L3's where we ride. L2's are plentiful
2, More range! With more range we can make a round trip without needing to charge. Who wants to overpay for L3 and the waits get longer and longer defeating the benefit of fast-charging.
3. Did I mention more range. Stop wasting money on bigger unnecessary motors that goes 135mph, no one does that other than on a track. We simply want to travel farther and safer.
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Hero's original claim was the bigger motor on the srf got more range because it doesn't have to work as hard as a smaller motor. I think thats been proven wrong from what I've read on here regarding range. Can anyone verify that?
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Electrics appropriately get dinged for range. Offer a stock fairing.
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Offer a variation of the SR/F with lower and more forward pegs and higher bars - with a fairing .
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*snip*
A 20 amp household breaker should not have more than 18 amps on it. It's "code" for most electrical wiring of houses, etc.
As an EE, no.. 80% of 20A is 16A..
I have my Tesla Wall Connector on a 60 amp circuit breaker and I can only use 48 amps max. The wiring is also for 60 amps.
This is correct when keeping with the 80% load..
No electrician will go over the 80% rule, AFAIK.
Not for constant load no. However, we willingly overload a circuit up to 135% if shorter than 1 hour.. The automatic fuse would even accept it. ;)
So for a 20 amp circuit, expect 18 amps max per house fuse or circuit breaker. And most equipment wants to say well under that, as you may have other stuff on another outlet coming from the same breaker.
*snip*
-Don- Reno, NV
For constant load (more than 1 hour at rated), and 16A, yes.. For burst loads (ie a teawaterboiler) lasting less than 1 hour, it shouldnt be an issue.
Proper installations are sized to handle this.
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As an EE, no.. 80% of 20A is 16A..
Of course! I was only checking to see if people here were awake and paying attention. ;)
You passed the test! ;D
-Don- Reno, NV
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I agree with these. I ended up waiting until now to get my 2020 FXS and I was so hoping these would be in there. Why not max out a 20A circuit?!
A 20 amp household breaker should not have more than 18 amps on it. It's "code" for most electrical wiring of houses, etc.
I'm not sure where the lecture came from. I already knew that. I never specified "max" as being a constant 20A.
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Offer a variation of the SR/F with lower and more forward pegs and higher bars - with a fairing .
YYYYYYEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
or
+1
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There's one final consideration nobody has mentioned yet. Very rarely is a circuit dedicated to a single outlet. In order to be a good citizen, you really shouldn't design an appliance that uses the entire 15A available, just to avoid nuisance circuit breaker trips. We've all turned on the toaster and the microwave at the same time, and blew a breaker, right? You always want to leave at least a bit of headroom for whatever else may be on the circuit at the same time -- at least a couple of amps for some room lights, if nothing else.
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There's one final consideration nobody has mentioned yet. Very rarely is a circuit dedicated to a single outlet. In order to be a good citizen, you really shouldn't design an appliance that uses the entire 15A available, just to avoid nuisance circuit breaker trips. We've all turned on the toaster and the microwave at the same time, and blew a breaker, right? You always want to leave at least a bit of headroom for whatever else may be on the circuit at the same time -- at least a couple of amps for some room lights, if nothing else.
The city that I used to work for had an electrical system in their engineering and building departments that never saw an electrical permit. There were extension cords going everywhere to hook up computers, printers and other stuff that was never envisioned when the building was built in 1947. But the real trouble was when people started hooking up personal electric heaters under their desks, started bringing in their own microwave, toaster ovens to complement the ones in the lunch room. When that happened it was circuit blowing time, which happened a couple of times a week. :o It apparently was easier to reset the breakers than it was to upgrade the electrical system or to tell people that they couldn't turn on their personal heaters or microwave popcorn. ::) And then there was the electrical fire one day that toasted one section of the engineering department's file storage area. After that happened there were finally some changes made. ;)
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I think most people buying an electric motorcycle are familiar with circuits at at least a basic level. I've got multiple circuits in my kitchen and the microwave is on its own dedicated circuit. I didn't even put it in that way. The house was like that when I bought it.
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in .no you are required to have a dedicated circuit for EV charging..
Only way to get out of that requirement is when loadsharing outlets.
The circuit still needs to be dedicated for EV charging, but you don't have to have one for each EV.
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Universal Building Code requires a dedicated circuit for each built in appliance or EV charger. (which is weird when you find out your oven and fridge only use a couple hundred watts, but better safe than sorry, right?)
Zeros are designed not to draw more than a personal space heater. But I've pointed out, I've popped 15a circuits with mine, so I make sure it's the only thing on a 20a circuit (well, aside from some LED lighting. I gotta see what I'm doing.) when I'm charging now. Technically I'm running it on a 130' run of cable so I'm careful.
-Crissa
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in .no you are required to have a dedicated circuit for EV charging..
It depends. An electrician who has a connection to Tesla in any way has that requirement. I wish I knew that when I had my "Tesla Wall Connectors" installed. I could NOT get it done the way I wanted. I wanted a Circuit breaker panel right next to it at three different houses. I wanted to use the CB panel as a switch to turn off and on the Tesla Wall Connector. One house I used a Tesla guy (this house in Reno), the other two I did not. I was told by the electrician with a connection to Tesla that he had to take a photo of the work they do and send it into Tesla. It would not pass Tesla's requirements if there was a way possible to add circuits to it. Since a CB box could be added to, it was a no-go. But I was able to get an air conditioner type disconnect added, as there is no way to add to such.
In the other two houses, I made sure the electrician had NO connection to Tesla. I got the work done exactly the way I wanted and all three houses were inspected by the city inspector and all was fine.
It's just that Tesla has their own ways of doing things. And that isn't my way. So if you're too lazy to install your own Tesla Wall Connector (like me), do NOT get an electrician who has to report back to Tesla, if you want the work done your way. The city codes are NOT the issue. It's Tesla. It's possible for other EV companies as well, but I can only tell you about Tesla.
-Don- Reno, NV
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Sure, there's a requirement for an "EV charger". But we have generic 110 VAC cords, with generic plugs, that plug into generic 110 VAC outlets. The outlet doesn't know anything, and the breaker doesn't know anything about the nature of the load plugged into it. It's just a plug-in device. It might as well be a table lamp.
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No, the Universal Building Code states that there should be only one installed appliance per circuit.
Now, Tesla might be extra-careful, trying to make sure that no one violates that. There's liability and there's what makes them look bad, and they don't want that.
There's nothing in the rules saying you can't put a cut-off box. But the universal rule still is one installed appliance per circuit.
A table-lamp and a television or a Zero aren't 'installed', so they can legally share their outlets. Just don't overload the circuit! ^-^
-Crissa
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@DonTom: Perhaps it depends where you are, but in .no the rules are quite clear. ;)
Coming from a family of EE and EI's, i created my own CB setup.. But then again.. having 3 EV's where some can handle 400v 3phase charging and some don't, i wasn't about to pull more than one supply cable from the house..
So.. Having built my own setup (not recommended if you don't know how this stuff works) of charge controllers, circuits for each outlet/pigtail, transformer, relays and EMC filters, i have no issue proclaiming to people without knowledge that this is not something to take lightly.
IF YOU USE AN EV CHARGER REGULARLY AT HOME, INVEST IN A PROPER CHARGER INSTALLATION!
In that sense, it's kinda weird to see the zero's (pre SR/F) with a normal pin plug.. Looking forward to getting the DigiNow charger installed instead.
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Even a Tesla can charge from a regular ol' outlet. It's just about not pulling more than the infrastructure.
I like that more things are being built where the stuff at the ends is smart enough to ask (from L2 charging to the variety of USB charging standards out there now) what the pieces connected can handle.
-Crissa
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Even a Tesla can charge from a regular ol' outlet.
If you have three or four days to wait for the charge to complete!
-Don- Reno, NV
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If you have three or four days to wait for the charge to complete!
Why does everyone assume 0->100%?
Besides, a Tesla is smart enough to keep itself warm or cool when plugged in, which maintains battery charge instead of exhausting it.
-Crissa
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Better charging options would be nice, even if they are off board. The quiq chargers are very outdated and slow compared to the aftermarket stuff you can get now. Actually factory on board chargers would be a good upgrade too, the FX pulls a whole ~5 amps at 120v.. that stock charger is a joke!
I doubt we'll see DC fast charging anytime soon, as they will have to change the motor wingdings, charger and controller as well as the battery. The bikes are pretty decent as they are now and from what I understand are selling well, I dont think they have went this long without any changes to the X line at least
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Why does everyone assume 0->100%?
Yeah, then get your 50% charge in only 48 hours or so!
-Don- Reno, NV
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Yeah, then get your 50% charge in only 48 hours or so!
Better than coming back and having lost range sitting in the car park.
-Crissa