i didn't realize you have to pay at charging stations

really, the gov should be subsidizing these things to promote ev use. even better, exxon should be made to do it.

 

Some are free, some are free until a certain date, some are pay at the 'pump', and some are by subscription. You do not mention what company yours was with so it is hard to be more specific.

(Your personal information lists you as having a 2011 Prius, none of them plug in anyway)

 

Not sure why you got an idea that it would be free. With governments being in red, energy costs still being high, it is probably not a right assumption. (May be during EV1 time, it was all free? I dont know if it was)

However, there are some stations run by big box retailers who may offer it free. But you need account with company like chargepoint to unlock those chargers. You can also use credit card with micro-chip/nfc to unlock the chargers without an account. I believe all chargepoint chargers will accept credit cards that has NFC/microchip as payment even if you dont have account.

Anyway, it is not good situation right now. But for PiP it should not matter as the range you get from a full charge (best time is 1+ hour) is still 12 miles. I charged once in Target (which offers free), but realized that it is not a great option unless you are really shopping for more than an hour. So, more or less I charge only at home.

 

I didn't need credit card to set up an account with ChargePoint

 

The two major brands are ChargePoint and Blink. They have separate signups and RFID cards and I have both. There are also some smaller ones and new ones may come along.

Typically, charging is initially free after installation for some time. ChargePoint let's individual charging station owners choose whether to be free or how much to charge. Blink sets their own prices for all of their stations and has several different pricing plans. Depending in state law, ChargePoint may also allow pricing by kWhs consumed but typically pricing is by time connected to the charging station (even after your battery is full). Some parking garages charge to park but provide free charging.

At least in my area, the best place to find free charging is at public city parking garages. The ChargePoint system has a website and smartphone for finding stations and checking if they are being used. Another good phone app is called Recargo (yeah, weird name) and it covers all charging locations including ChargePoint and Blink and includes notes from users and charging site photos.

 

New US Federal buildings are required to follow LEED, (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) one easy way to get LEED points is via charging stations. It is an international standard, I do not mean to imply that only US Federal Agencies might choose to require LEED certification, but my experience is with the US government.

AeroVironment: AV Connect Newsletter
LEED Overview | Getting Started With LEED | Everblue
http://gsacriteria.tpub.com/gsaleed/gsaleed0038.htm

These are likely to be free.

 

I highly recommend using plugshare for finding stations. One benefit is that once you sign up for an account, you get access to personal, home charging stations that people might be willing to let you use. It also lets you easily filter between paid and free charging stations.
Everyone else has already covered everything. Just want to confirm that yes, ChargePoint works with any NFC-based card without requiring an account.

 

The BLINK stations around here were free until just recently. And the day they weren't anymore, I stopped using them. (like that will send a message…bwa ha ha) If the government (all of us) was serious about making a transition to energy efficient electric vehicles, we'd/they'd do more than just subsidize the purchase price.

There's no incentive for me as a Prius PHEV owner to use a pay charge station. Now if I had an EV, I might just need them as a safety net. But if they were all-you-can-charge for free, I'd probably trade-in for an EV this afternoon.

We're often short-sighted about making big changes. That's why WE'RE still using the English measurement system - while the Brits have converted to METRIC! Anyone who was around in the 70s should remember the last big push for metric conversion. We're still measuring in 4ths, 32nds, and 64ths of inches. So why would I think we could make a transition away from fossil fuels.

But if we considered the "free" energy give-away as an investment along with the infrastructure, at the point where we have EVs and PHEVs as n% of the vehicles on the road (whatever the tip-point is) we could turn on the meter and the investors would benefit. Unfortunately, the only investors with that much time to take the initial hit is us. And we won't do it.

So you pay at the pump, to multi-nationals, or you pay at the pole, to start-ups. Your choice.

 

According to my British coworkers, English units of length and speed are still commonly used in the UK, even though as a EU member, they officially use metric. Speed is still miles/hour, football ("soccer") fields are measured in yards, and so on.

 

I shall owe you a pint next time I get up to the Bay Area!

 

568ml or 473ml?

Speed still uses mph because it's so fecking expensive to change everything over.But I believe new short-distance road signs are all in metres. And maybe new road signs are dual. Gasoline is now purchased in litres.

Football still uses yards because the actual measurements are easier in yards. Some other sports have gone metric: track and field went long ago and Rugby changed over in the 80s.

It'll just become more metric over time.

 

Stores are always looking for gimmicks to capture your attention long enough for you to buy.
Commercials, freebies, and discounts all cost the stores.
Letting you plugin for I would think would be a cheap alternative for them to capture you for a while in their store.

Free oil changes, discount hotdogs etc at Costco, TVs hanging from the ceilings in Walmart, all are designed to make you hangout and spend time.

Hopefully as EVs and plugin catch on. They will be competing for our attention with free plugin.... Would sure make traveling across the country easier.

I'm not sure I would invest stock in outlets that charge. At first they will be needed, but I predict it will be free.

Then as it catches on globally and seemingly everyone has it, they will become less available for free and they will charge.... "like free air and water once was for your car".
Gas stations could become a thing of the past like leaded gasoline in time... Woo-hoo! Wouldn't that be a peach!

Wonder if exxon can continue to block progress or if they are shaking in their boots yet concerning the future?

Alan... The second mouse gets the cheese!
galaxy S3 with Tapatalk 2

 

What part of the world do you live in? It's hard to be helpful if we don't know that... Out here on the west coast US there are lots of free charging options... Is your car a plugin prius? Your profile identifies your car as not being a plugin vehicle, which means you can't plug it in to anything anyways? Or maybe you own an after market plugin conversion?

 

As more plugins hit the road, local, state and the federal govt(s) will be looking for ways to offset the reduction in gasoline highway taxes (IE: think revenue enhancements). Paying to plug in is a fair system: you pay for what you use. Think of it as a consumption fee. Taxes will be levied on the consumption, much like the taxes, usage fees applied every month on your home electric bill.

The company running the charging stations have every right to charge the consumer a fee as well as make a profit.
That is the nature of being in business. This is the free enterprise system and it is alive and well.

Charging stations can't be "free", the costs to running them and supplying energy is a cost onto itself.

If everyone thinks these stations are free, the society, as a whole, has turned into a welfare mentality: always holding out their hand, expecting more and not having to pay for it.

The question arises: if free charging stations are installed in gas stations, where is the fairness?
Oil companies that own the stations, or independent owners lose out, gas buying public lose out.

Outside of a strict local, state and federal mandate requiring free charging stations along side gas pumps, there is really not incentive for the free charging stations.

Charging stations, must and will be expecting a price to be paid.

Nothing is free.

DBCassidy

 

But, you have not problem feeding a parking meter to park on a busy city street.

DBCassidy

 

I avoid cities that have parking meters

 

When the international auto show starts in January, I take the bus (1 dollar, r.t.)

 

I was shocked to find out that the people at the gas station expected me to pay for the energy I got from them. What is this world coming to?

 

Right. They are already doing that. Saying fuel eco cars are buying less gas but driving the same miles and so are paying less gasoline tax..... Boooo hooo!
They are lighter and cause less road damage too!

The government giveth and the government taketh away. ie: "tax breaks / incentives to go ev" , but then charging you for miles driven thus off-setting the incentive to go ev!

Alan... The second mouse gets the cheese!
galaxy S3 with Tapatalk 2