Now, that kind people at the Tesla service center in Linz helped with updating the software for our US Tesla Model 3, allowing to fast charge at CHAdeMO chargers, the search for an US adapter is going crazy, because they are sold out at Tesla’s online store.
Being close to Nuernberg, where we organized private test drives, to educate people about electric cars by driving (the main objective of our project Electromobility), we drove to the local Tesla Center. Saturdays, only sales are open and I could not talk to a service technician, but got some help where to continue the search for a CHAdeMO adapter.
Nuernberg Service Center is a very nice location, with a wide show room space dominated by a Model X, sufficient parking and a kind staff, like at most of the visited ones, during our six months tour in Europe.
Customers coming for test drives or sales discussions, stopped for a while to look at the Michigan licensed Model 3, kind of an odd ball, between all European spec Model 3 cars available for test drives.
This is how I met Marco and his son, who came to see the cars before making the exterior and interior color decision. Marco is a veteran electric car driver, with a passion for solar cars (we had an interesting discussion about Sono Motors and Lightyear One), who has gathered electromobility experience driving a BMW i3 and other electric vehicles.
Our discussion started about real life consumption and I gladly showed the four tab information on our Model 3’s screen: since purchase, since last charge, since last trip start and a “defined trip”.
Our overall 14.4 kWh/100 km was considered to be very reasonable, even by the Tesla sales person, compared to some much higher numbers achieved on German Autobahns. I explained that the 14.4 value was achieved by fluent driving in US, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Hungary and Romania were legal speeds are maximum 130 km/h.
Autobahn driving is a wild roller coaster, where on the few stretches with no speed restriction, some drivers will accelerate to the max, just to violently brake, when the next slower car is passing the endless column of trucks, occupying the right lane. The result is a very choppy and uncomfortable trip for passengers and, in case of electric cars, a spike in consumption. The „Umwelt” impact of the mounstrous Diesel SUVs manufactured by premium German OEMs, while racing at over 200 km/h on the Autobahn belongs to another discussion.
Marco and his son decided to purchase a white car with black interior like our beloved TM 3, and I jokingly asked the sales agent what is my commission on this sale ? … never mind.
The extremely interesting discussion had to stop unfortunately, as I was heading to meet some old friends and in Germany “Puenktlichkeit” (being strictly on time) is a must.
Later that day, I went charging to the nearby Kaufland store and met another father and son happy team, delighted by their one month old red Tesla Model 3 standard range. The owner told me he drives an average of 600 km every workday, using the Super Charger network, without any problem.
Dreaming about getting back to US and enjoying again the fast SC charging, I connected the AC cable of the station. Unfortunately, despite charging at 48 A two days before, which allows for 80 km to be added every hour, this time only 16 A were available and the electrons were “moving” at a painfully slow speed, adding about 15 km of range every hour. One more reason to continue searching for the elusive US CHAdeMO adapter.
Hello everybody reading my blog, if you know about somebody selling or renting a US CHAdeMO adapter, I would gladly receive your message with the information at office@electromobilitate.com THANK YOU!
My lifelong automotive career started with design and testing of ICEs, continued with service and sales, followed by 20 years of global seat design, requirements and knowledge management.
My recent passion for electric vehicles found its home at 24auto.ro and electromobilitate.
