Driving/Charging Habit Changes Over Time

One more thing. I think the people charging $2 per hour fall into one of three categories:

1) They don't really want to provide electricity to anyone and are just doing it to appear "green" for PR. They probably got the charging station for free or with tax breaks via DOE program.

2) They don't know anything about the EV/PHEV market. All they've heard (via their self imposed filter) is about how Tesla is doing well and selling very expensive EVs. They think these rich guys will pay them $2.

3) Government offices. DOE provided them with money to get an EVSE station, so they have to install it else look non-green. They can't provide free electricity because it doesn't makes sense to have this in their budget and they'd get bad PR for doing it. (I see one of these 2 blocks from my house. In over a year I've seen a car charging 2-3 times)

Mike

 

Add to that the fact that a full charge on the PiP saves you roughly 1/5 gallon of gasoline, or about 80 cents. So paying more than that for a charge is rather pointless from a dollars-and-cents perspective. Other factors, such as environmental issues, may make it worthwhile for particular person, but not the fuel cost.

 

Agreed. $2/hour is easier to accept if you have a 6.6 kW charger.

I hope this 2 hour grace period gets more popular as it frees up the charger from EV squatters.

 

I could easily spend 2 hours wandering a Target. IMO the 2 hour fee is a good thing. I could see someone parking there and heading off for several hours at the theater, having lunch, etc.

I take the cord when we go to friends/families houses. They don't care if I juice up, and most of the time we are there more than 3 hours anyway. It does make for interesting conversation! Most are just outside of the 15 or so miles range we get, so its up and back for (almost) nothing. I bring an extra beer for the host - rather support a local craft brewery than than Big Oil

Otherwise ours gets juiced up whenever it returns to the garage. It get backed in, which means the driver has to walk pasts the cord on the garden hose hanger anyway. Its also a back up to remind you to UNPLUG the thing before heading out since you must step over it. Had it come in nose first, it is not nearly as convenient - you'd have to conscientiously walk around the car to do it. That might wear off the novelty...

 

The car won't go anywhere if it is plugged in. The control unit sees to that.

 

+1 for leaving EVSE plugged in my garage outlet. if i could plug into a 110 at work i would definitely bring the EVSE with me. the only time i take it with me is when i plan to stay at someone's house for a while, and don't mind leaching some kwh.

Fremont Target's bold 2hr free charging move will surely attract those EV (tesla, leaf) drivers that need to juice up when commuting up/down 880. you can buy a lot of stuff in 2 hrs, and i'm sure they'll make it back easy...

 

. My philosophy exactly.

 

i'm still getting in the car and trying to start whilst plugged in. it's a darn good thing it won't start, or i would have dragged half my garage down the street by now.

 

Happened to me 3 or 4 times in a year. With at least 2-3 trips per day that is about 1000+ trips, so an error rate of less than 1%. A 99% success rate isn't bad.

Mike

 

great for baseball batters and meteorologists.

 

I foresaw a Clark W. Griswold moment.

Already had an issue years ago where someone (not me!) tried to leave the gas station with the nozzle in the car!
You can't pump your own in NJ, so that someone was a bit confused when in NC.

 

With the special vapor recovery nozzles in California, that boo-boo can cost the driver $300-$400, or so I am told.