Idle fee hate

[NY_Rob]

Free charging in all its forms creates charger congestion. It sucks. I don't support a government ban, but man I wish it could be banned. I hate it.

If what's happened around here is any indication, I don't think you'll have to worry about free charging for very much longer...

When I first got my Chevy Bolt in early 2017 there were 22 "free" L2 charger slots/plugs (meaning you could charge 22 vehicles simultaneously for free) within a reasonable driving distance of my home. Today, not even one of those are in existence any longer. Out of those 22 "free" plugs, 18 were physically permanently removed, the other 4 were replaced with pay-for-use stations. The only free L2 chargers that show up on Plugshare within a 10 mile radius of my home are at new car dealerships.. and good luck trying to access one of those since the dealers block them on purpose to keep people from using them.

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[emoore]

If what's happened around here is any indication, I don't think you'll have to worry about free charging for very much longer...

When I first got my Chevy Bolt in early 2017 there were 22 "free" L2 charger slots/plugs (meaning you could charge 22 vehicles simultaneously for free) within a reasonable driving distance of my home. Today, not even one of those are in existence any longer. Out of those 22 "free" plugs, 18 were physically permanently removed, the other 4 were replaced with pay-for-use stations. The only free L2 chargers that show up on Plugshare within a 10 mile radius of my home are at new car dealerships.. and good luck trying to access one of those since the dealers block them on purpose to keep people from using them.

I think they are talking about the free charging on DCFC stations like EA that manufactures use as an incentive to buy an EV. Not L2 free charging.

 

[NY_Rob]

^ oh, okay.. never used one of those.

 

[SwampNut]

I was really dumbfounded when I had a conversation with a fellow retiree

The entitlement generation. "I got mine, you get yours." I live near an area where these people come in for the winter (snowbirds) and basically make that area inhospitable.

 

[mkhuffman]

I think they are talking about the free charging on DCFC stations like EA that manufactures use as an incentive to buy an EV. Not L2 free charging.

No, I was referring to free charging in all forms. Definitely L3, but also L2. @NY_Rob was on point.

Free L2 charging needs to go away forever, and I have also noticed it has been slowly going away as Rob pointed out. Many of the "free" L2 EVSEs are now either gone, or replaced with pay.

Some are free for four hours, and then they charge you. For those you have to use a payment method, or you can't start the charge. That seems like a reasonable compromise, but even four free hours creates issues. It is better, though.

I would rather it just be a fee per kWh, so if you really need a charge, you can get as much as you want. Some of the "four hour" ones turn off after four hours. And then they threaten idle fees even though you might only be at 30% SoC. Whatever. It is still better than free and no idle fees.

 

[SwampNut]

You remind me of one of the stupidest charger paradigms ever. There’s a free set of AC chargers in a spot that is super useful for me with the motorcycle. No idle fees, but charge time is one hour max. You have to walk in and ask a human to go out and activate it. WTF. It’s in a place where I’d love to go do something for two hours (bike charges slow).

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