Charging in public charger daily as main charger

[lacrosseboss18]

I’m just wondering how many people charge daily or on a regular basis at a public charger as their main means of charging?
I pass an EA station daily on my way to work and always see the same 2 Mach E drivers there daily in the morning.

My Mach e will be here in 2 weeks and ordered the ChargePoint Home flex which should be here in the same time frame.

Sponsored

 

[iankellogg]

that's a good way to knock a few more percent off your range a year.

 

[JRT]

Why buy a expensive charger? It comes with a charger already that seems to work just fine. I wish there were EA stations in greater numbers in my area. I was looking a a road trip this weekend, Huntsville Al to Milton, GA to Dunlap, TN and the lack of fast chargers means I'll be driving my daughter's 2003 Nissan Altima instead. At least it gets 35 mpg on the road, just said I can't treat my parents to a road trip in the MME but EVgo are the only stations available and only 50kw which 1) I've never used before and 2) seem very slow compared to the EA stations I've used

 

[Chuck]

I've had my car for a year and have yet to charge at a public charger. I still have my original 250kw of energy given by Ford.

 

[RickMachE]

Why buy a expensive charger? It comes with a charger already that seems to work just fine. I wish there were EA stations in greater numbers in my area. I was looking a a road trip this weekend, Huntsville Al to Milton, GA to Dunlap, TN and the lack of fast chargers means I'll be driving my daughter's 2003 Nissan Altima instead. At least it gets 35 mpg on the road, just said I can't treat my parents to a road trip in the MME but EVgo are the only stations available and only 50kw which 1) I've never used before and 2) seem very slow compared to the EA stations I've used

You're inhibiting your enjoyment of your car by not planning your trips better. I just spent 5 minutes coming up with two alternatives.

GoogleMaps shows a 170 mile drive in 3 1/2 hours.

Option A: Detour to Kennesaw, GA and charge at EA. Adds 15 miles to the trip. Georgia charges by the minute at EA, so charge to 90% at least.

Option B: Detour to Rome, GA and charge at the ChargePoint there. 125kW and $0.25 per minute.

As to why buy a charger instead of using the one that comes with the car, that's been beaten to death.

Reasons:

1) Always having the portable charger in the car with you.

2) Wanting the flexibility to charge faster, if necessary, at home.

3) Getting a discounted charger, or a rebate, from the electric utility company. My 48amp charger cost less than $650. I got a $500 rebate. I also got a 30% tax credit (expired last year). I'd be an idiot not to do that.

 

[shutterbug]

I’m just wondering how many people charge daily or on a regular basis at a public charger as their main means of charging?
I pass an EA station daily on my way to work and always see the same 2 Mach E drivers there daily in the morning.

My Mach e will be here in 2 weeks and ordered the ChargePoint Home flex which should be here in the same time frame.

Quiet apart from degrading your battery much faster, consider the cost. Once you've used up your 250kWh that Ford gives you, EA charging is significantly more expensive then charging at home.

 

[kltye]

I only charge at public chargers since I have no way to charge in my apartment building. I charge at EA maybe 1-2 times a month, and charge at 50kW chargers about 3-4 times a month. The other times I use L2, and a parking garage close to work has free fast (10.5kW) L2 charging, which I use 2-4 times a month. Between all those chargers, I've never had a real issue keeping the car topped up with enough reserve for errands and trips.

Oh, and I generally charge to at most 80% at DCFC stations, unless I'm going on a roadtrip, of course.

 

[RockwallRick]

Why buy a expensive charger? It comes with a charger already that seems to work just fine. I wish there were EA stations in greater numbers in my area. I was looking a a road trip this weekend, Huntsville Al to Milton, GA to Dunlap, TN and the lack of fast chargers means I'll be driving my daughter's 2003 Nissan Altima instead. At least it gets 35 mpg on the road, just said I can't treat my parents to a road trip in the MME but EVgo are the only stations available and only 50kw which 1) I've never used before and 2) seem very slow compared to the EA stations I've used

I would have said this a week ago but just last night my Ford Mobile charger started acting up. I set up a fan blowing directly on it to keep it pulsing blue all night!

 

[MONDO]

As to why buy a charger instead of using the one that comes with the car, that's been beaten to death.

Reasons:

3) Getting a discounted charger, or a rebate, from the electric utility company. My 48amp charger cost less than $650. I got a $500 rebate. I also got a 30% tax credit (expired last year). I'd be an idiot not to do that.

My ChargePoint Home was provided free of charge by my utility, with agreement to have them schedule charging between 11PM-7AM on weekdays. After 3 years, I’m provided a $10/ month discount on my bill to continue this agreement. Now I get plenty fast home charging and my house is a little more attractive when I go to sell.

 

[RickMachE]

My ChargePoint Home was provided free of charge by my utility, with agreement to have them schedule charging between 11PM-7AM on weekdays. After 3 years, I’m provided a $10/ month discount on my bill to continue this agreement. Now I get plenty fast home charging and my house is a little more attractive when I go to sell.

Yup. So many don't even look into it.

 

[SnBGC]

I’m just wondering how many people charge daily or on a regular basis at a public charger as their main means of charging?
I pass an EA station daily on my way to work and always see the same 2 Mach E drivers there daily in the morning.

My Mach e will be here in 2 weeks and ordered the ChargePoint Home flex which should be here in the same time frame.

According to most of the studies that I've seen, most EV owner's charge at home or work via L2. Very few (Tesla excluded) use DCFC as their primary method of charging. Generally speaking, DCFC should be your last choice and only used when other options are not available or practical (such as when on a road trip). DCFC is expensive, inconvenient, inconsistent and not really very good for the high voltage system (not just the battery....other stuff gets hot as well).

You should like that CPHF unit. Those are pretty good. I have mine wired to a 60A circuit but I lied to the app and said it was on a 40A circuit just so it would only charge at 32A which is what my car likes best. I can charge faster when needed but I almost never need it so the slower the better (all else being equal).

Generally speaking, the slower your charge speed, the less thermal gain for your car to manage. As with most all things, in the end it comes down to heat so the less the better when it comes to longevity.

 

[OrchidMania]

My ChargePoint Home was provided free of charge by my utility, with agreement to have them schedule charging between 11PM-7AM on weekdays. After 3 years, I’m provided a $10/ month discount on my bill to continue this agreement. Now I get plenty fast home charging and my house is a little more attractive when I go to sell.

Interesting.. Do you pay a monthly fee for the ChargePoint? Florida Power & Light has been talking about a new program, available this summer, that would install a charger at your house with free charging 11-7 and weekends. SInce no details yet exist on the new program from FPL, I was wondering if there was also a monthly fee involved to cover the charger and installation costs for you? Who is your power company?

 

[Polar]

I charge almost exclusively at work on the public SemaConnect chargers.

Of course - it’s basically free. So there is that.

I’ve had my home ClipperCreek HCS40 for nine years - and still use it but not nearly as often as I used to.

 

[Garbone]

Three things to avoid if possible, public schools, public restrooms and public charging.

 

[kkriskal]

I have talked to few Uber drivers who only charge it at public charging (mainly fast charging) and they said they have done it for few years and didn't thing they had any issues. Maybe they don't notice the battery degradation or there is not much noticeable degradation? Not sure but they had no complaints

Sponsored