Tensions concerning charging stations.

Your frustrations with these charging stations is understandable. I am quite familiar with this charging location at the Galleria and frequent the mall and have carefully watched how these spots are utilized. There are at least a couple problems.

For one, these stations are funded by the City of Roseville and are free to the public. They are mainly blocked daily by a few Leaf drivers who use them as their personal charging stations. I have spoken to the City of Roseville and the problem is that ChargePoint will charge the city at least $1/hr per charger in use if Roseville turns around and tries to charge any nominal fee to the public.

Roseville is giving away charging free as a service to encourage plug-ins, but it only encourages those who have enough EV range to make it worth their time to block the spot. There is no point in locking up the spot for half or more of the day with a PiP since the car will charge fully charge in the time it takes to visit the mall (in 1.5 hours or less).

Really, these spots should be designed to encourage shopping at the Galleria, but this backfired.

You are right, the 220V portion of one of the two dual chargers is broken but has been for at least a couple months. I believe it is up to the City, not the Galleria management to fix it. This is leading to even more irritated plug-in drivers here.

I don't have anything personal against the Leaf drivers. I think they have many of the same good intentions we do. But the "you have an ICE backup" argument is just sad. The city owes nothing to us who can afford to drive a plug-in. We shouldn't be complaining if we can't plan our EV use well and ask the city for free electricity. There is also Rav4 EV driver who frequents there who told me he uses it as his personal charging spot. I just think giving away something like this is counterproductive and only creates animosity and is lose/lose for business and the city.

 

They are right you have an ICE. You are just cheap.

 

Well reasoned argument.

 

good one its gonna be hard to fight that argument

 

I look at it like this. Yes, you know that at least a few of the Leaf's (leaves?) are using it as their personal charging station, and that's not too cool. However, it is impossible for you to know that with any one individual (unless they tell you). Maybe that isn't their specific situation and they drove there truly needing the charge.

My point is, try to look at the good in people and assume they aren't abusing the system. If you go under that assumption then you should probably give them the spot. Why? Not because it is necessarily "fair" but because it's the respectable thing to do. We have backup, they don't. We are very lucky, look at it that way.

I think if more people simply are trying to do the best they can for other people the world would be a better place. This seems like a small easy place to start. And if we say, "but they aren't," then we are no more mature than school children.

 

Someone on plugshare had the audacity to ask if they could charge their Volt at my 240 home station. Uh.. Throw me some money for the electricity and it's cool.. but otherwise.. That's listed on the site in case you drive a pure EV and you're in trouble.

 

Does it say that on your listing? Otherwise I can totally understand why someone would think you are offering it for free.

 

I strongly agree on good faith and not jumping to any conclusions. I believe strongly in data driven conclusions. This is a bit of a unique situation. But as I said, I have spoken to the RAV 4 EV driver so do have definitive proof. He goes there routinely, rarely uses the mall and reads a book in his car for half or more of the day to charge. It's the same guy, same car.

With the Leafs, I can specifically tell you that there are two leafs who are there nearly every business day (I suspect they work there, same plates). They get there early, so these are not emergencies - they are planned. If their employees owned these EVSEs it would be much less of a deal, but they don't. They belong to the City of Roseville. The city has explicit purposes for this equipment and this is not it. I spoke with the manager of the program with the City of Roseville and this is all confirmed.

Their behavior would likely be different if they had to pay for the spots. There are other spots around the city that cost $2/hr and they are largely unused. I don't look at it as lucky or unlucky. They have other charging options and these two, when both working, are free. When I spoke with the city manager of the program, she noted they wanted to charge for the spots for this specific reason, but as noted above, CharePoint makes this a difficult option.

There are lots of plug-in drivers at who frequent the Galleria who would love to get 1-2 hours of charge. That is best for business, the plug-in community, and the City of Roseville. I don't have to use the spots because I plan my EV use, so hold no personal grudge. Just trying to think about the bigger picture here.

 

So Chargepoint does not allow anything between free and $1/hr. Maybe that explains why my employer charges $1/hr with $5/hr after 5 hours. They don't want them to be free, so people don't just park there all day, but they could have had a lower charge for the initial period. I guess Chargepoint doesn't allow that.

 

Yes, that is what The Roseville EVSE manager said.

 

Again. I think if this is your biggest worry you should be extremely thankful that it is your biggest worry (that or you have some priorities misaligned).

 

Who has what biggest worry?

 

As a Volt owner I've already concluded that the guy with the BEV will win any access argument. Because I have an ICE.

While charging at a public station might be fun sometime, the last thing I want to find myself doing is arguing with someone else over my right of access.