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Charge point

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by yoyoman, Mar 2, 2017.

  1. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

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    Alternatively, you can use the Chargepoint app to activate the free chargers. We were using a proximity-chipped credit card to activate the ones that didn't work right until recently.
     
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    OK, I am new to all this EV charging business. I just purchased my Prime yesterday. I am bit baffled with the idea of charge station. I can see using a charge station at work or maybe somewhere you would park your car and charge it while you do some business near by. But if the charge station is not near where you would normally park your car, what do you do? There is no charge point within 20 miles from my home. The closest charge point station at work is 5 miles away. I would not want stop at charge station and wait 2 hours for my car to be fully charged on a way home. That's why I bought HV not pure EV. What do people who drives pure EV do? Don't they ever use the car for a trip longer than its range? I think I will be tossing my Charge Point card too.
     
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  3. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    To those of you that don't need your ChargePoint card...I'd be willing to give you some money for it. I have a Leaf with a few paid charging stations around here I can use them on. Could be a win for each of us.
     
  4. Team ChargePoint

    Team ChargePoint Active Member

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    If you've already searched for stations using the ChargePoint map and stations are few and far between, I wanted to suggest requesting stations in locations where you would find them helpful, or for your office building, too!
     
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  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Thanks. I will find out at work who is right person to contact. It would be nice to have one at work at least for me, but I have no idea how many other EV drivers are there.
     
    #25 Salamander_King, Jul 30, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2017
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  6. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    One waits for a full charge only when it is needed to get to the destination. For example, driving a LEAF from NJ (near Philadelpia) to State College PA requires a stop in "Harrisburg" to fill up. They should post a sign "Last electricity before State College". If the battery is not full you'll get close but will need a tow to get on campus. Best to stay behind the trucks going up the mountain and keep the speed down to 55mph.

    Going home you don't need a full charge in "Harrisburg" or you'll have enough juice to make it to a Chademo in "Lancaster".

    Best to plan the trip so that the charging session coincides with the meal break.
     
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  7. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Wow, I haven't done that since my college time driving 74 Vega with an empty tank on I80. May be too much thrill for me now.:)
     
  8. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Being behind a tractor trailer going up to State College is not a thrill.

    The thrill is going down the mountain. There is a lane for trucks to come to a stop before proceeding and a runaway truck ramp. That mountain will fill your battery.

    Sections of US322 are one lane so if you get stuck in slow traffic just sit back and enjoy the ride.

    Driving a LEAF adds about an hour to the elapsed time for the trip due to the charging and slower speed.
     
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  9. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I did quite bit of driving back and forth between MA and OH taking I-80 trans-Pennsylvania rout back when there was no cell phone. I hated that long stretch of no city lights with empty gas tank. Certainly there was no charge station along the way then. Maybe that has changed since the time I last drove. :)
     
  10. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    OMG, I had a '72 Vega notchback. Coming from a '68 VW Beetle, it was a real hotrod. :)
     
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  11. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    That was my FIRST CAR! Bought it used, don't even remember how many miles, for $300, drove a half of continent several times, then sold it for $30 a few years later! Well worth it. ;)
     
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  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Yea they were great alright... until it (& every single last one on the road) imploaded - typically right after their 12K mile warranty expired .... just in case you were wondering where they all went so quickly. Thank you gm .... great car ...
    .
     
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  13. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Oh, did I tell you it was bright orange color! That was the only thing I didn't like about the car, so I spray painted it BLACK! :cool:
     
  14. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    "imploded vs exploded"

    I had to reread that. I thought you were talking about a Pinto for a second. :D
     
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  15. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Having absolutely no clue what a near future POS my soon-to-imploade Vega was, I spent over $1,000 on a beautiful gold - pearl blended into Orange paint. That was easily a ½yr's rent back then. Orange paint ... yea thx for reminding me of THAT painful memory that i thought i'd blocked out. Being young back then, I'm sure I've outlived all of the scumbag GM board members & equally lowlife salespeople who smirked, when i asked if they'd at least return a bit of my money. Their demise & my out living them is my only solace.

    .
     
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  16. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Tesla put two superchargers along I-80 in PA and there are other charging stations along the route according to http://www.plugshare.com but for the most part one will be between Booneyville and Nowhere. I took the I-80 route once from Ohio. I made a stop in Bellefonte and got gas there. The rest of the trip home was roughly US322/US30/US202. There is an awful lot of "empty" in Pennsylvania where one would not want to cope with any issue.
     
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  17. skruse

    skruse Senior Member

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    Force the conversation and clearly state you want a lifetime subscription, not a month to month subscription. Pay once and forget about it.
     
  18. scm2000

    scm2000 Active Member

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    I have the free $100 card to ... Good thing I bought the car never expecting to use a public charger... I studied the chargepoint map in my county... its silly... they are free, but with stipulations... You need to be a resident of the apartment complex. you need to have the right to be in an employee parking lot. You need to be a student at the university... You need to seriously want a charge to go to the cell phone lot at the airport. You need to bring your dry cleaning to the dry cleaning place that owns the charger. You need to have the nerve to bring a toyota to a nissan dealer... you need to pay for parking for a free charge even though you have no other reason to be there.

    And then I'm wondering what do people do for 2 hours? Listen to books on tape?

    But I have submitted my workplace to Chargepoint... we'll see if they can make that happen.. that would be handy...
     
  19. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    We have plenty of non-subscription chargepoint units around here, as well as private ones. As for chargepoint units at the Nissan dealership, we've taken the Tesla in there, hooked up with the CHAdeMO adapter, & they had no issue. Of course we asked 1st, but they were very accommodating, & we were greatfull. YMMV
     
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  20. scm2000

    scm2000 Active Member

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    ok... but that's a tesla -- you need a charge. Maybe I'll break the ice on that and go to the Nissan dealer owned by the same group as my toyota dealer.... but it still remains... what do you do there while it's charging?