If you're considering a new Tesla, use my referral for up to $2000 off - click the Order Now by Explore Inventory to browse inventory and potentially find a discounted car: bflasch.com/tesla Tessie referral for 30 day trial: bflasch.com/tessie Rivian referral for $750 off new Rivian: bflasch.com/rivian Purchase the A2Z NACS to CCS1 adapter here and use "FLASCH" at checkout for a discount: a2zevshop.com/?ref=FLASCH
I love the retro graphic design of these chargers/buildings. And the functionality with the power delivery/cable length seems like a winning combination.
Tesla desperately needs to release the ability to Precondition for third party NACS/CCS stations. Only power-users are going to know to navigate to a Supercharger prior to visiting IONNA, and many Teslas will be arriving with cold batteries and therefore experiencing dreadfully slow charging sessions.
Hey Branden! I just recently discovered your channel and love the work youre doing! Glad you could make it to Apex NC. I saw you there but was way too shy to say hi lmao. This event was fun and im excited to see what's next for Ionna!
I may have missed him saying this, this location used to be a regular gas station/garage. Then a farm stand. Then an antique store. Then a kitchen/bath remodel shop. And now...
I don’t think that canopy is solar.. I saw no cells in the opening footage. But you’re correct charging sites should have solar canopies, unless they’re too shaded to be practical.
@@pauld6967 This site is very new. Construction renovation of site started 2 months ago. Even if they were to get solar, getting it online will take some time. Heck getting solar at home in most places after install usually takes a few months longer than that.
Ironically I lived about 1/2 a mile from this location until a few months ago. Apex Utilities was hacked in July and they lost everything. They couldn’t bill us until October and it really was a mess. Do you know if that delayed anything with this site opening?
Looks really good, hopefully a model that can be duplicated in many places. I agree that emergency stop is just going to be tampered with, well hit by haters and jokesters to turn off the entire site perhaps some security cameras including one that faces directly at it with lighting so it's less tempting. Will it have windshield washing capabilities as I see bins but wasn't sure if those were washing as well although someone would have to maintain them.
Thanks for tour. I certainly hope these Alpitronic units are reliable. Looks like a decent design. A dozen 200 kW bays needs to be minimum spec. 12 and counting up to 30,000.
Nice execution, just hope they can fulfil even a fraction of the ambitious build out to similar quality. Thanks for bringing us the tour so quickly (and succinctly!)⚡
I always get a kick out of these multilingual stations that show a flag of Spain when showing Spanish as a language choice. 9 out of 10 times it’s going to not be Spain Spanish 😂
At first I questioned if anyone would use them, but if they were fairly high power, it might free up a DC charger if there was encouragement to move to AC at high SoC once the rate tapers.
@@ChuckvdL What EV owners focused on travel often forget is that people work at these locations. Workplace charging is a big benefit. Also, some e-bikes, older EVs, PHEVs, etc. don't have DCFC ports.
That looks almost like... what a highway refueling station should be! Weird. I mean, i love hanging out by the Walmart dumpsters, but this will do i guess.
Great site. Hopefully the reliability is there. My only complaint is that there's no pull-thru stalls. What type of local food company did they partner with?
I see they’ve got “Plug & Charge / Autocharge” - do you know if they’re going to offer a MAC address-based Autocharge similar to EVgo? For us with cars that don’t support Plug & Charge? Or are they just showing both phrases to mean Plug & Charge standard? Will probably require the app if so.
Nice, maybe we’ll get one of these out here in the middle of the country in 10 years or so. Until then, they will all be built along the east and west coasts and down in Houston on the Gulf Coast. Usual thing
@ I-70 is well covered now but try to drive north-south from there and it’s a no-go, hundreds of miles till the next charging site, which is probably located along I-80. We don’t just drive east-west out here, we drive north/south too but those US and State highways are not covered. They carry most of the traffic but are totally unserved.
This is the second video where I have heard you complain about the Emergency Shut-off Button. The whole point of it being prominently placed is for it to be easily and rapidly located and actuated by someone who may be in a state of panic when an emergency arises.
Unfortunately it also is effectively an attractive temptation for luddites to mess with EV owners. And a complete boon to would be copper thieves. I’m also curious what scenario you envisage it being needed? It’s not as if I can mis-handle the cable to do the electrical equivalent of pouring gallons of gas on the ground. And there’s not an EV made that will go into gear while still connected to a charger.
@ChuckvdL I am not an electrical engineer but for every electrical device I had to work with or around in both my military and civilian careers that had an emergency shut-off, the cautionary explanation ran along these lines: If the overhead sprinklers come on or if the cabinet faults and begins to short out, hit the button. I hear you when you speak of mischief makers. As for copper thieves, I thought IONNA planned on having a security patrol at their sites. No?
I'm surprised by this location as it's not adjacent to major thoroughfares. Even US-1 is nearly a couple of miles away. There are some lovely restaurants / coffee shops nearby, though, and perhaps IONNA wanted to be able to get their first site up quickly be re-purposing this former gas station. Looked like there was a good turnout of attendees at today's event when I drove by this afternoon.
@brandenflasch they absolutely are. If there is an active arc anyone needs to be able to stop it. This is designed to supply thousands of amps in nominal conditions, so if those amps aren't going where intended they are extremely dangerous.
@homomorphic There are multiple layers of protection between the EV, EVSE and upstream electrical. Most EV sites do not have an e-stop and no Tesla sites have exposed e-stops. If needed, it should be in a KnoxBox or similar.
@brandenflasch what happens if all of those layers of protection fail? There always has to be a manually activated stop. If there isn't then whoever is deploying such a system will be held liable if a manual stop would have avoided catastrophe.
Usually, the cap for the 350 kW chargers is based on only having enough power modules to provide 500 A current at up to 700 V, which is why you'll see current reduced with two cars splitting power when charging at higher than 350 V pack voltage, even when the charger is capable of bridging current as well as voltage. I'm assuming a "400 kW" rated charger can provide 500 A up to 800 V, unless you're saying that that current value is available at an even higher voltage. The good news is, we're finally seeing chargers that can max out the 200 kWh Ultium packs so we can start seeing more valid charging profile tests.
I routinely pull 170-185KW off many chargers rated at 150KW because I’m still below the amperage limit with my GV60 due to the 800v architecture. So with a 500A/400KW unit it’s entirely possible it could deliver >400KW to something with a >800V pack. The bummer on the power ratings for most chargers that support the full NEVI voltage range is that lower voltage cars will be limited to roughly half the ‘rated’ power of the charger. And that’s a hard thing for many people to grok
@@ChuckvdL It wouldn't be half the rated power because the charger's rated power is based on the highest voltage where max current is available. For 350 kW chargers, that's well short of the 920+ V max voltage. In theory, these 400 kW chargers should have a slightly higher voltage where 500 A is available, but it would still be well short of 920+ V. So an EV that can pull 500 A on a 350 kW charger will typically pull 200+ kW. Also, NEVI only requires 150 kW per stall, which will typically be a max of 350 to 400 A. At a very common 350-400 V charging voltage, that would allow a 500 A car to charge at 140-160 kW. Well within the rated power range for the charger. The 900-100 V max voltage has been a standard for >80 kW North American public DCFC for 6+ years at this point.
@@brandenflasch Interesting. So that would be 600 A up to ~666 V combined. Does the 600 A max current also apply to CCS1? I saw H+S advertise a 600 A CCS1 Radox cable, but I still haven't seen any installed.
I hope its better than Electrify America WHICH SUCKS SOOOO BAD... Talking about the downtown Cary location (Crossroads). Do they support the free BMW charging promotion one gets with a new Beamer?
Great site and idea. My only concern is the profitability at this location being outside of California with its high EV uptake there. So can this make a profit in a state like NC at this point in the EV adoption rate here.
What a cool Station! Having 2 handles but only having one screen is a bit of a downside imo. Is that a cost thing or there isn't a possibility to have a 2nd screen on the other side? Thanks!
@@gchetail I wonder if its easy to stop other peoples session? I used similar that are a bit more difficult from the interface to accidentally stop the wrong cars as it will prompt the phone app, or enter other details.
I think it's a miss to not put a screen on both sides. Or at least if it's one screen, I think it should have been on the front. I don't want somebody standing that close to my car operating the screen.
could always install it the other direction. But Ive also seen plenty of charger installed backwards to avoid facing the LCD screen to the southern sky and burning out.
If you're considering a new Tesla, use my referral for up to $2000 off - click the Order Now by Explore Inventory to browse inventory and potentially find a discounted car: bflasch.com/tesla
Tessie referral for 30 day trial: bflasch.com/tessie
Rivian referral for $750 off new Rivian: bflasch.com/rivian
Purchase the A2Z NACS to CCS1 adapter here and use "FLASCH" at checkout for a discount: a2zevshop.com/?ref=FLASCH
lol we already have wawa gas stations here with fast chargers.
A canopy, trash cans, and windshield washing… Be still my heart!
Tesla needs to step up their game. These charger sites look glorious
Desperately hoping to see these folks succeed AND to bring rechageries here to Upstate NY!
Hey, at least we've got the one on I-81 in Scranton!
Your wish is IONNA's command.
Yes bring up the north way, thru way, and even on the taconic!
Ionna hits all the spots, what a great addition to our EV charging world!
Austin unfortunately wouldn't allow them
I love the retro graphic design of these chargers/buildings. And the functionality with the power delivery/cable length seems like a winning combination.
Awesome video, Branden. It was great to finally meet you in person! -Lanny
Likewise! Glad you could make it.
Alpitronic charger's are the best in the world, we love them in europe 😍
I never thought I’d see a charging station nicer than the Mercedes Benz Charging Hub in GA. Just did.
I’m 30min out and excited to see it in person!
Okay, it has been two hours since you commented. What did you think about it?
Tesla desperately needs to release the ability to Precondition for third party NACS/CCS stations. Only power-users are going to know to navigate to a Supercharger prior to visiting IONNA, and many Teslas will be arriving with cold batteries and therefore experiencing dreadfully slow charging sessions.
Great video , explains a lot. Was cool seeing everyone at the event today !
Super awesome meeting you and many other EV fans in person today! Love the site and the chargers!
When are they coming to Florida?
State needs to support
That's a really slick setup! Kids are going to absolutely love the arcade and parents will appreciate the food/drinks available and the seating space.
Hey Branden! I just recently discovered your channel and love the work youre doing! Glad you could make it to Apex NC. I saw you there but was way too shy to say hi lmao. This event was fun and im excited to see what's next for Ionna!
Exactly what an EV rechargery should be and hope to see lots more. I'll definitely put this on my radar if I'm driving through Apex, NC.
So happy for you man! this project has to feel good :)
Looks like the Tesla Supercharging network has got some real competition now
I may have missed him saying this, this location used to be a regular gas station/garage. Then a farm stand. Then an antique store. Then a kitchen/bath remodel shop. And now...
Funny how this looks like any smaller Aral Pulse / EnBW / Fastned site in Germany but is a big thing in NA :D
Looks awesome, sad I couldn't be there today but family stuff requires me at home!
Very nice, thanks for the info. We hope to see you soon in the NY/NJ area.
Like the vending machines, love the coffee shop
Thanks, Branden, for this content.
I like the retro appearance of the cabinets.
The solar panel awning over the parking spots is something all charging sites should have.
I don’t think that canopy is solar.. I saw no cells in the opening footage.
But you’re correct charging sites should have solar canopies, unless they’re too shaded to be practical.
@ChuckvdL If it doesn't have solar panels, they have really missed an opportunity.
@@pauld6967 Brings costs down though.
@@pauld6967 This site is very new. Construction renovation of site started 2 months ago. Even if they were to get solar, getting it online will take some time. Heck getting solar at home in most places after install usually takes a few months longer than that.
@@pauld6967 Price & ROI to install pv & bss is probably too expensive currently, hopefully future-proofed?
Very very impressive. The instruction is so clear.
Cool to see B4 the event started.
Oh heck, your name didn’t click when I met you today. I’m sorry I’m so glad to have met you.
now put these along the highways, I'd gladly pay a little bit more to charge for some nice clean bathrooms
Great to see! I hope to visit the Springfield, Ohio location when it opens shortly
I wanted to be there, but work had other ideas.
Thanks for the walk around.
the alpi ad we needed!
Very helpful sharing, thank you
Ironically I lived about 1/2 a mile from this location until a few months ago. Apex Utilities was hacked in July and they lost everything. They couldn’t bill us until October and it really was a mess. Do you know if that delayed anything with this site opening?
Looks really good, hopefully a model that can be duplicated in many places. I agree that emergency stop is just going to be tampered with, well hit by haters and jokesters to turn off the entire site perhaps some security cameras including one that faces directly at it with lighting so it's less tempting. Will it have windshield washing capabilities as I see bins but wasn't sure if those were washing as well although someone would have to maintain them.
Southwest Florida needs a Rechargery
We need a few of these on the Northside of Chicago it’s like a charging desert here.
Thanks for tour. I certainly hope these Alpitronic units are reliable. Looks like a decent design. A dozen 200 kW bays needs to be minimum spec. 12 and counting up to 30,000.
Nice execution, just hope they can fulfil even a fraction of the ambitious build out to similar quality. Thanks for bringing us the tour so quickly (and succinctly!)⚡
Can't wait to check one out.
Well done. Was there and love the dispenser.
It does look good. Seems like they have thought of everything, hopefully the rollout goes well.
Wow, great setup. Hopefully other stations move in this direction.
Great video would be nice to see these expand out to the northeast region.
The scranton, PA site is opening up soon.
Brandon, what’s your role in designing or building them? I love these Alpitronics chargers.
Great start, hope they build out more, and that they include a lot of chargers per station as demand will rise for public DC fast chargers.
Strange launch location - guessing it's not near existing charging locations (You didn't say) .
Doubt we'll see this on the West coast anytime soon.
The nearest charging station is a single 10+ year old CHAdeMO only unit in the city parking lot a block away
This site is fire! Hope to see more soon!
I always get a kick out of these multilingual stations that show a flag of Spain when showing Spanish as a language choice. 9 out of 10 times it’s going to not be Spain Spanish 😂
I would have loved to see them include some L2 AC at those standard parking spots next to the lounge.
At first I questioned if anyone would use them, but if they were fairly high power, it might free up a DC charger if there was encouragement to move to AC at high SoC once the rate tapers.
@@ChuckvdL What EV owners focused on travel often forget is that people work at these locations. Workplace charging is a big benefit. Also, some e-bikes, older EVs, PHEVs, etc. don't have DCFC ports.
@@newscoulomb3705don’t forget about the electric motorcycles. Not all of them support DC. Some even support dual AC.
That looks almost like... what a highway refueling station should be! Weird.
I mean, i love hanging out by the Walmart dumpsters, but this will do i guess.
I love it....need a few of these in Georgia!
48¢ per? That’s pretty expensive, yes? I’m used to 34¢-40¢ here in GA.
Very normal for non-Tesla charging
@@brandenflaschTesla will be cheapest
Yea, that's expensive ! Hopefully the price reflects the benefit of charging in 15 min or less?
These are awesome. I'll never see these in Idaho 😢
Unless you get better leaders
Bummed I couldn't make the event! Looks like a fun time
Looks nice Branden,
Great site. Hopefully the reliability is there. My only complaint is that there's no pull-thru stalls. What type of local food company did they partner with?
I agree but it’s not a deal breaker for this type of location. But for interstate travel it’s a must.
@@tkmedia3866urban sites are less likely to have trailering
Highway rest stops need those
Wish Central Florida had more stations!
Does the Alpitronic charger dispensers come with a folding chair for service technicians? I see them!
Those are for the event
I see they’ve got “Plug & Charge / Autocharge” - do you know if they’re going to offer a MAC address-based Autocharge similar to EVgo? For us with cars that don’t support Plug & Charge? Or are they just showing both phrases to mean Plug & Charge standard? Will probably require the app if so.
They're grouped because the end experience is essentially the same
Your awesome !!
You're right
Nice, maybe we’ll get one of these out here in the middle of the country in 10 years or so. Until then, they will all be built along the east and west coasts and down in Houston on the Gulf Coast. Usual thing
Abilene, KS is listed on their website. I-70.
@ I-70 is well covered now but try to drive north-south from there and it’s a no-go, hundreds of miles till the next charging site, which is probably located along I-80. We don’t just drive east-west out here, we drive north/south too but those US and State highways are not covered. They carry most of the traffic but are totally unserved.
@glenngore6609 tell your leaders
This looks so retro. This is what it would have been like if GM had not killed the EV1.
Very exciting
Are these some of the first mainstream Alpi units in North America?
Yes
This is the second video where I have heard you complain about the Emergency Shut-off Button.
The whole point of it being prominently placed is for it to be easily and rapidly located and actuated by someone who may be in a state of panic when an emergency arises.
Unfortunately it also is effectively an attractive temptation for luddites to mess with EV owners. And a complete boon to would be copper thieves.
I’m also curious what scenario you envisage it being needed? It’s not as if I can mis-handle the cable to do the electrical equivalent of pouring gallons of gas on the ground. And there’s not an EV made that will go into gear while still connected to a charger.
@ChuckvdL I am not an electrical engineer but for every electrical device I had to work with or around in both my military and civilian careers that had an emergency shut-off, the cautionary explanation ran along these lines:
If the overhead sprinklers come on or if the cabinet faults and begins to short out, hit the button.
I hear you when you speak of mischief makers. As for copper thieves, I thought IONNA planned on having a security patrol at their sites. No?
Emergency stops are redundant with multiple layers of protection in the EV, in the chargers and in the upstream electrical
How about airing up a tire or purchasing washer fluid?
QT has free air but no chargers (conservative owners)
I'm surprised by this location as it's not adjacent to major thoroughfares. Even US-1 is nearly a couple of miles away. There are some lovely restaurants / coffee shops nearby, though, and perhaps IONNA wanted to be able to get their first site up quickly be re-purposing this former gas station. Looked like there was a good turnout of attendees at today's event when I drove by this afternoon.
E-stops accessible by anyone are absolutely essential safety equipment. Where did you get your degree in electrical engineering, from a stip mall?
They absolutely are not.
@brandenflasch they absolutely are. If there is an active arc anyone needs to be able to stop it. This is designed to supply thousands of amps in nominal conditions, so if those amps aren't going where intended they are extremely dangerous.
@homomorphic There are multiple layers of protection between the EV, EVSE and upstream electrical. Most EV sites do not have an e-stop and no Tesla sites have exposed e-stops. If needed, it should be in a KnoxBox or similar.
@brandenflasch what happens if all of those layers of protection fail? There always has to be a manually activated stop. If there isn't then whoever is deploying such a system will be held liable if a manual stop would have avoided catastrophe.
Grew up in Kannapolis i miss living in charlotte.
Nice!
Usually, the cap for the 350 kW chargers is based on only having enough power modules to provide 500 A current at up to 700 V, which is why you'll see current reduced with two cars splitting power when charging at higher than 350 V pack voltage, even when the charger is capable of bridging current as well as voltage.
I'm assuming a "400 kW" rated charger can provide 500 A up to 800 V, unless you're saying that that current value is available at an even higher voltage. The good news is, we're finally seeing chargers that can max out the 200 kWh Ultium packs so we can start seeing more valid charging profile tests.
I routinely pull 170-185KW off many chargers rated at 150KW because I’m still below the amperage limit with my GV60 due to the 800v architecture. So with a 500A/400KW unit it’s entirely possible it could deliver >400KW to something with a >800V pack.
The bummer on the power ratings for most chargers that support the full NEVI voltage range is that lower voltage cars will be limited to roughly half the ‘rated’ power of the charger. And that’s a hard thing for many people to grok
@@ChuckvdL It wouldn't be half the rated power because the charger's rated power is based on the highest voltage where max current is available. For 350 kW chargers, that's well short of the 920+ V max voltage. In theory, these 400 kW chargers should have a slightly higher voltage where 500 A is available, but it would still be well short of 920+ V. So an EV that can pull 500 A on a 350 kW charger will typically pull 200+ kW.
Also, NEVI only requires 150 kW per stall, which will typically be a max of 350 to 400 A. At a very common 350-400 V charging voltage, that would allow a 500 A car to charge at 140-160 kW. Well within the rated power range for the charger. The 900-100 V max voltage has been a standard for >80 kW North American public DCFC for 6+ years at this point.
HYC400 can do up to 1200A per unit at up to 600A per cable or 400kW
@@brandenflasch Interesting. So that would be 600 A up to ~666 V combined. Does the 600 A max current also apply to CCS1? I saw H+S advertise a 600 A CCS1 Radox cable, but I still haven't seen any installed.
@@newscoulomb3705 yes
$.48 kWhr is expensive. Must be “premium high octane” electrons. Still a great setup and facility.
Expensive based on what?
@ In comparison with other charging rates by Tesla here in my region with hydro power. Assumptions are that e prices are higher there?
Might as well have free coffee and a lounge if youre paying as much as gas! ⛽
it was nice. Sorry we didn't get to speak.
All that straw on the ground, and I'm looking for Li'l Sebastian.
It is so small compared to ROVE Charging in Santa Ana California
I hope its better than Electrify America WHICH SUCKS SOOOO BAD... Talking about the downtown Cary location (Crossroads). Do they support the free BMW charging promotion one gets with a new Beamer?
Those promos are EA only
Nice not to hear big fans, like with the Efacec QC45's I usually use. Those Alpitronics are remarkably quiet.
Just as it really gets rolling we get the ev haters or the ff lovers back in charge. This
is great
$.50 is crazy man. it should be $.20
Based on what?
@@brandenflasch looking out for the people
@@brandenflaschthey would need solar/batteries like Rove
Glad to see they aren't making us download yet another app.
They will have one soon. They are using ChargePoint initially. Just like EA didn’t have a app when they launched.
Beside the stand alone sites, Ionna will partner with Sheetz.
Hi Jose!!!
Great site and idea. My only concern is the profitability at this location being outside of California with its high EV uptake there. So can this make a profit in a state like NC at this point in the EV adoption rate here.
It's more than gas
These setup seemed to be fairly high cost …
The only thing that impressed me was the café. Nine times out of 10 if there’s a supercharger nearby, I’ll use that instead.
Free coffee is only fair for the charge price
Thank you for showing off the place.
Wrong restroom my guy...
so the chargers actually worked?
Yes
See you at 2pm!
Beautiful! Hope to experience one of these locations.
Someone tell ionna what "pull through" means. Im not really feeling the whole drive through the trees vibe of this pull through charging station.
They know
Cool idea. Not liking only having one screen on the units.
i dont think the marketing is "corny", the branding reminds me of Overwatch, or future-retro vibe from Fallout or some other video game type styling.
I mean corny in a bit of a non-traditional fun way. It's not a bad thing.
We need Ionna in the PNW! Personally, I am not a big fan of the color scheme they chose. Please tell me the dispensers look better in person!
They look great in person
What a cool Station! Having 2 handles but only having one screen is a bit of a downside imo. Is that a cost thing or there isn't a possibility to have a 2nd screen on the other side? Thanks!
What for?
@ so people who are on the B side don’t have to go near the cars of the A side. Also I worry about people stopping the wrong session.
@@gchetail I wonder if its easy to stop other peoples session? I used similar that are a bit more difficult from the interface to accidentally stop the wrong cars as it will prompt the phone app, or enter other details.
@ it seems like you press 1 button to show the session and 2 buttons to stop. If you mix up between 1a and 1b it’s easy.
Every time I hear "rechargery" I think "Stop trying to make fetch happen."
$58 cents/KWH is too steep!
I think it's a miss to not put a screen on both sides. Or at least if it's one screen, I think it should have been on the front. I don't want somebody standing that close to my car operating the screen.
could always install it the other direction. But Ive also seen plenty of charger installed backwards to avoid facing the LCD screen to the southern sky and burning out.