Which charging networks are worth paid plan?

[ARK]

I agree that it seems like a pretty unusual choice, to put it mildly, to actually go more out of pocket on electricity just to maintain the illusion that you are not paying for any electricity by not charging at home.

What happens if you generate more electricity than you can use? Does your utility pay you for the electricity you give them? At the market rate?

Because if not, that’s doubly wasteful - paying more at commercial stations instead of home charging AND giving your utility a bit of free electricity because you’d rather generate say 105% of your usage and throw 5% of that away rather than say generate 90% of your usage and pay your utility for the difference at a residential rate.

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[Southern92]

I have absolutely no problem using a free L2 charger up to the max time allowed. Free to the public is just that. Course I'm not gonna walk 2 miles (up hill, both ways!) for that privilege, but to each their own.
NO WAY am I going to pay more to DCFC that it would cost to charge at home. Especially if the equipment is already installed. . . makes no financial sense?!?
I believe the OP said they upgraded their appliances to electric to take advantage to solar savings. . . why wouldn't an EV be treated the same?

 

[jgillmer]

I agree that it seems like a pretty unusual choice, to put it mildly, to actually go more out of pocket on electricity just to maintain the illusion that you are not paying for any electricity by not charging at home.

What happens if you generate more electricity than you can use? Does your utility pay you for the electricity you give them? At the market rate?

Because if not, that’s doubly wasteful - paying more at commercial stations instead of home charging AND giving your utility a bit of free electricity because you’d rather generate say 105% of your usage and throw 5% of that away rather than say generate 90% of your usage and pay your utility for the difference at a residential rate.

In Virginia, kWh overage rollover as credits for up to 12 months...so, when we overproduction in March-June (usually about even July-August) and September-October, it helps to offset the electricity use in the colder months (we have electric only to the house). With the upgrades to the house, we are at or really close to 100% offset over a 12-month period - but it was a long haul to get there.

So, we, I. Effect, don't have any surplus. Of course, I would use it if we did. And I use the charger in the garage when I need it - I just don't make a habit of it.

These responses have been, something, to put it mildly, on assumptions and then racing with those assumptions to some wild conclusions.

Guys - here, story of my house aside, the original request comes down to this: of all the DCFC systems out there, which are the best to pick up a plan for when I need to use it - going from about 1 time per month to as much as 3 or 4 possibly when I'm out all day for work.

I think.I got the answer- EA could make sense if I find myself using more than 34 kWh at EA DCFC stations per month, and EvGo if their chargers / software improve.

Done. Now we can close this thread.

 

[Vulnox]

We have solar also, and it's a bummer for sure to see us having overproduced for the day and if all other things were equal, we would end the day with excess production or close to breaking even. Then my wife plugs in her FE and we go from break even, to having used 14-20 kWh over what our solar produced. But I still enjoy that most of our car charging can be attributed to clean energy production instead of going to a public charger that is using energy produced from who knows what.

But if you are enjoying the walk, then more power to both of you (literally and figuratively). I just hope I am not misunderstanding your request and you are considering using DCFC in place of your free local L2 chargers, because then the car will finish too quickly for you to get that walk in, and it will cost you a bunch of money.

I just finished walking on the treadmill and I am always happier walking outside. I think I would be drawing the line on doing it with some of the days we have had here with high 80s to mid 90s and high humidity though. I have to imagine Virginia gets much the same at times. Would rather skip running the electric washer and dryer for my charge day than come home smelling like swamp thing.

Glad you are enjoying your car, and glad you don't take some of the comments that have veered off topic too personally. Everyone has their own stuff and if you're happy that's all that matters. As for the DCFC, I would probably get the EA pass if you do enough charging per month (using the 34kWh guideline that someone posted earlier), and when Ford gets their integrated plug and charge where it gets you the discounted price that way, I would sign up there.

Good luck!

 

[GreaseMonkey]

You can also charge at home and pay your wife the full amount that you would have paid EA. At least it’ll save your battery some unnecessary deterioration.

 

[dbsb3233]

I know that, mathematically and logically, it doesn't make sense and she and I both agree that electric is electric. Her take is that we didn't drop 40k in upgrades at the house so I could use it as an EV fuel station

You must REALLY REALLY REALLY love your wife to pay more for charging and exchange a ton of convenience for inconvenience just because she thinks eliminating the home electric bill is more important. ?

But to each his own. FWIW, there's other reasons beyond cost that make home night charging better. First, it's much better for the grid. Night charging helps the grid by leveling demand thru the day. Day charging hurts it. If you want to "do the right thing", charge overnight whenever possible.

DCFC is also very precious, and needed by travelers. Tying it up unnecessarily is not good for the whole. Even more so as way more CCS EVs are hitting the roads.

Perhaps more ammunition to try and convince her to get onboard with the right thing.

 

[joep]

@jgillmer, I live in the DMV and recently finished using my last free Blue Oval charge as well. Two things I noticed right away:
1) There is no model where paying for electricity from any L3 paid charger isn’t at least 2-3x more ($0.30–0.45) than charging at home ($0.15)
2) EA is easy for traveling up and down the east coast, because they are within a mile or two of Rte 95 everywhere from GA to ME. However, you’ll will be getting off the highway and becoming incredibly familiar with Walmart Super Centers.
3) The NJ Turnpike appears to be installing an EA competitor at all the rest stops.

**** Most importantly, YOU PAY MORE IF YOU KEEP PAYING VIA BLUE OVAL! I was shocked when I did it the first time and realized Ford charged me more than if I had just paid the walk up rate with no membership.

 

[RickMachE]

@jgillmer, I live in the DMV and recently finished using my last free Blue Oval charge as well. Two things I noticed right away:
1) There is no model where paying for electricity from any L3 paid charger isn’t at least 2-3x more ($0.30–0.45) than charging at home ($0.15)
2) EA is easy for traveling up and down the east coast, because they are within a mile or two of Rte 95 everywhere from GA to ME. However, you’ll will be getting off the highway and becoming incredibly familiar with Walmart Super Centers.
3) The NJ Turnpike appears to be installing an EA competitor at all the rest stops.

**** Most importantly, YOU PAY MORE IF YOU KEEP PAYING VIA BLUE OVAL! I was shocked when I did it the first time and realized Ford charged me more than if I had just paid the walk up rate with no membership.

1) Not true. While most people can get less than 31 cents per kWh sometime at home, some can't. And, in about ten states, EA charges by the minute, and it is 24 cents. That works out to around 14 to 15 cents a kWh (up to 80% charge), equal to or cheaper than many pay at home.

I am surprised that Blue Oval is charging more than the EA rate, including the tax that EA charges. Given that Blue Oval doesn't provide a breakout on receipts, how do you know this? I'll bet you're not taking tax into account.

I am part of a test of incorporating the EA discount into the Blue Oval Network. At a recent stop, my receipt shows $9.97 with no tax, for 30kWh. That works out to 33.23 cents per kWh. However, there in fact was tax, 67 cents. $9.30/30 = 31 cents, the discounted rate. Tax of 7.2 cents. Every state charges tax.

 

[kennethjk]

@jgillmer, I live in the DMV and recently finished using my last free Blue Oval charge as well. Two things I noticed right away:
1) There is no model where paying for electricity from any L3 paid charger isn’t at least 2-3x more ($0.30–0.45) than charging at home ($0.15)
2) EA is easy for traveling up and down the east coast, because they are within a mile or two of Rte 95 everywhere from GA to ME. However, you’ll will be getting off the highway and becoming incredibly familiar with Walmart Super Centers.
3) The NJ Turnpike appears to be installing an EA competitor at all the rest stops.

**** Most importantly, YOU PAY MORE IF YOU KEEP PAYING VIA BLUE OVAL! I was shocked when I did it the first time and realized Ford charged me more than if I had just paid the walk up rate with no membership.

I though it you signed up for Blue Oval and are charged a $50 annual fee you get the discounted rates from EA.

 

[RickMachE]

I though it you signed up for Blue Oval and are charged a $50 annual fee you get the discounted rates from EA.

That was rolled out, didn't work, and withdrawn. It is being tested again.

 

[Logal727]

I really don’t understand this relationship

 

[Vulnox]

I think some are getting mixed up, at least I hope so. He isn't asking to charge at EA stations ALL the time in place of his L2 chargers. It sounds like he still intends to use free L2 chargers for most charging, but the EA chargers would be for when he has longer commuting days and that, and just wants to know which to use for those.

I suspect in that case, he may not charge at home, and instead leave home with 50% battery level and drive to work then intend to stop at an EA charger on the way home since at maybe now 20% battery, it would take too long at a free L2. So it's just for those times when he wants to get charged back up but not hold up an L2 for 6 hours.

 

[tannerk89]

In Virginia, kWh overage rollover as credits for up to 12 months...so, when we overproduction in March-June (usually about even July-August) and September-October, it helps to offset the electricity use in the colder months (we have electric only to the house). With the upgrades to the house, we are at or really close to 100% offset over a 12-month period - but it was a long haul to get there.

So, we, I. Effect, don't have any surplus. Of course, I would use it if we did. And I use the charger in the garage when I need it - I just don't make a habit of it.

These responses have been, something, to put it mildly, on assumptions and then racing with those assumptions to some wild conclusions.

Guys - here, story of my house aside, the original request comes down to this: of all the DCFC systems out there, which are the best to pick up a plan for when I need to use it - going from about 1 time per month to as much as 3 or 4 possibly when I'm out all day for work.

I think.I got the answer- EA could make sense if I find myself using more than 34 kWh at EA DCFC stations per month, and EvGo if their chargers / software improve.

Done. Now we can close this thread.

I doubt you’ll break even at an EA or any DCFC station. That post was quoting CA residential electricity rates. In SW VA my rates are .13 cents per kWh delivered and EA stations are still about .40/kWh. Looks like you are in northern VA so you might want to check the other peoples math before you assume they’re right.

 

[dbsb3233]

1) Not true. While most people can get less than 31 cents per kWh sometime at home, some can't. And, in about ten states, EA charges by the minute, and it is 24 cents. That works out to around 14 to 15 cents a kWh (up to 80% charge), cheaper than many pay.

I am surprised that Blue Oval is charging more than the EA rate, including the tax that EA charges. Given that Blue Oval doesn't provide a breakout on receipts, how do you know this?

I am part of a test of incorporating the EA discount into the Blue Oval Network. At a recent stop, my receipt shows $9.97 with no tax, for 30kWh. That works out to 33.23 cents per kWh. However, there in fact was tax, 67 cents. $9.30/30 = 31 cents, the discounted rate. Tax of 7.2 cents. Every state charges tax.

That's what I assumed too, that he just wasn't accounting for tax. And that it really is the same price.

I happen to be in the EAP 25% discount test program (which works perfectly BTW), and charged with FP P&C about 15 times on a trip 2 months ago. Unfortunately I deleted those charge log entries already so I can't go back and confirm it, but I remember checking a few at the time and I got the same 31c rate (plus tax) as I would have gotten with EA Pass+.

 

[RickMachE]

That's what I assumed too, that he just wasn't accounting for tax. And that it really is the same price.

I happen to be in the EAP 25% discount test program (which works perfectly BTW), and charged with FP P&C about 15 times on a trip 2 months ago. Unfortunately I deleted those charge log entries already so I can't go back and confirm it, but I remember checking a few at the time and I got the same 31c rate (plus tax) as I would have gotten with EA Pass+.

I've told Ford that they need to provide the same level of detail on the sessions as EA would. To not even report the sales tax, and instead include it in the total, is either due to EA not passing the different numbers, or Ford not importing them.

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