Helpful Tesla Driver

Were these free spots?

 

That's part of the problem. Freeloaders looking for free spots - rather than showing grace to folks truly in need. I even had one plug-in driver (who hogged the plugin spot over 4 hours after he was done) tell me, "serves you right for buying an all electric". Yea, THAT's really going to foster good will. Yea, the fact that the Tesla gave it up for a car that can keep on driving on gas shows the attitude that seems few & far between.
.

 

Do you own a Leaf?

 

Yeah...free charging has to go away. It would be nice, but as soon as the EV/PHEV numbers grow by even another percent or two, there will be charging wars. I expect it will be the next reality show series. I don't expect stores and malls will keep adding capacity to keep up. Refueling belongs either at home or in a gas station.

 

I'd rather chance those dreaded Charging Wars than have free go away !
I haven't seen any issues in the Boston area - there are free stations at The 99 restaurants, Whole Foods, some car dealerships... the only time I've had to wait was when a couple SUVs were hogging up the spots at a Whole Foods

 

Here is the situation in LA where free doesn't or rarely exists. When the garage also charges to park and Blink charges to get volts, people will squat the space and do not plug in.

Most people are inconsiderate of others. Nothing is going to change about that.

The nice thing about the PiP is it only takes 1.5 hours to top off. The Volt takes longer, the leaf even longer, and the model s takes the longest. So expect them to be squatting the spaces much longer (if they are plugged in).

We don't need the EV to get home because our cars can switch to gas and get 50+ mpg. Maybe you don't want to use the gas, but leaf owners don't have the same luxury.



iPad ? HD

 

I've mostly given up on charging in public. The times I've looked up a charger location and driven there? It's been occupied. And then I have to find another place to park. A lot of work to potentially save 40 cents, assuming I was going for a full, free charge of my PiPA. The only time I now use public charging is about once every three months when I go to the Target in southern Fremont. They have about 8 free ChargePoint chargers.

I'd never pay for a public charger. How can that ever be cost effective or necessary? That's a beauty of the PiP, or any PHEV. Public charging not necessary.

 

^^^^
That Target is the only place I ever charge at. Some 12+ spots to park but last weekend, there were only 3 chargers available. The first one refused to release the handle. So I took the second one. The third one was a handicap spot. Honestly, the percentage of EV to ICE is very low. The percentage of EV drivers that are handicapped? Come on! They need to repurpose that spot to regular parking or at least make the spot next to it regular parking because we have approached max capacity.

 

In three years of driving Tesla vehicles I have not once needed a charge at a public charging station.
Keep in mind if an EV has a range sufficient to drive all day, there is no need to use public charging.

 

I have never charged anywhere except my garage.

I've had the opportunity (unbelievable as it may sound, as I live and work in NJ), but I don't bother to take my cord.
I don't understand why a PIP would ever use a Public charging station.

Charging at work is something that I consider a Private charging situation, so don't bash me on that one

In my opinion, for a PIP driver a Public mid-day charge isn't a need, it is a want, and that just seems to be selfish.

...let my flogging begin.

 

THEEEEE _WHACK!!!

Seriously over here in the UK EVs and PHEVs didn't take off as some councils expected them to, so it is rare to find the bays with chargers occupied if they are reserved for electric vehicles (as most are). I park in a car park where I pay for the parking but only a nominal £10 a year for the charging provider, and put a sign in the window giving my phone number, haven't been rung in the two months I've had it. Get free 3 hr parking spaces in Central London too, which is a massive luxury. On the other hand, my own local council in Guildford has none at all, and outside London the coverage is extremely patchy.

However, London might be changing in a year; the current scheme is funded by the Mayor, but is going out to tender for a commercial provider in 2014.

 

no flogging, just don't agree

When I do my grocery shopping and there's free charging stations (and always open btw) - why on earth would I not use them ? That's why they put them there ! I do my shopping come out 25-30 min later and drive off fully charged.
As I was disconnecting today another car parked to use the adjacent chargepoint cord. That was the first I'd seen in 5 months and also a PiP...

we do agree on something though - I don't take my cord either, just not needed

 

42k...I just realized in your sig it says you don't really care about MPGe...why not? Regular MPG is somewhat meaningless in the PiP. Unless you never pay for electricity and it all comes from renewables then MPGe is very important.

 

I'd call it opportunistic. I'm never going to plan on it. Nor would I be upset if a spot was taken (by someone charging). And I'd be pissed for about a minute and be done with it if the spot was ICEd. But the several times I've found a free charger I gladly used it.
IMO, using electricity instead of gas (seperate from the costs and who is paying) is a benefit to all.

If you walked into a store to buy something and found a $.50 off coupon for just what you were going to buy would you not use it?

Mike

 

If you walked into a store to buy something and found a $.50 off coupon for just what you were going to buy would you not use it?


Yep! Point taken

 

probably was being too flip
I do care about polluting less although I'm not one of those who would've bought a PiP if it didn't make financial sense too. What I don't really care as much about is MPGe as a measurement - I'd say 25% of my charging is done elsewhere when out and about and for free. The rest is home at 30 cents a full charge.

I went over 4 months and bought 8 gallons of gas, over 500MPG - I care a lot about that !
not trying to argue - trying to understand here but why wouldn't that MPG matter ?
I mean I am helping the environment with my PiP habits even if my preferred measurement is different...

 

Relevance?
.

 

Your info shows that you own a 2004 Prius- I guess that's the reason for someone asking why you were told, "Serves you right for buying an all electric".