Which charging networks are worth paid plan?

[dbsb3233]

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.

I always thought Ford went about this the hard way. Rather than taking the difficult path of having to interface with each charger to have to change the rate on the fly, simply make the 25% discount a month-end credit adjustment in your FP wallet.

Let FP pay the normal rate like it already does, for all the networks it does (and will do). Then it wouldn't be limited to EA only, and can just expand with the network as they add more P&C. That way the discount is totally internal to FP with no partner changes needed. Easy peasy.

Just call it the "BOCN 25% Rebate Program".

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[RickMachE]

I always thought Ford went about this the hard way. Rather than taking the difficult path of having to interface with each charger to have to change the rate on the fly, simply make the 25% discount a month-end credit adjustment in your FP wallet.

Let FP pay the normal rate like it already does, for all the networks it does (and will do). Then it wouldn't be limited to EA only, and can just expand with the network as the add more P&C. That way the discount is totally internal to FP with no partner changes needed. Easy peasy.

Except we don't know what rate Ford pays. Do they have to pay EA $Y a month for everyone getting a discount? And if you don't pay Ford $50 they don't pay EA the $Y?

 

[dbsb3233]

Except we don't know what rate Ford pays. Do they have to pay EA $Y a month for everyone getting a discount? And if you don't pay Ford $50 they don't pay EA the $Y?

Even if Ford is getting a discount rate from EA, that would be easy for them to adjust for in their invoicing to each other. They have the data. Much easier to aggregate and add that adjustment once a month between the 2 companies than make it work on every charger for thousands of transactions.

 

[kennethjk]

Off topic for this thread I guess but in order to get the EA discount and pay $4 a month for that benefit, don’t you have to deselect the P&C on FordPass.

if so a shame since P&C works well so far using my free 250 kw

 

[dbsb3233]

Off topic for this thread I guess but in order to get the EA discount and pay $4 a month for that benefit, don’t you have to deselect the P&C on FordPass.

if so a shame since P&C works well so far using my free 250 kw

Well, usually no. If you activate the session via the EA app before plugging in, it *should* grab the session before FP P&C grabs it. But some people have said that occasionally fails and then P&C grabs it.

The safest way is to turn P&C off though. Which is easy to turn on/off at any time in the FP app.

I think your broader question was more just about wanting to use the convenience of P&C with the EA Pass+ discount. That's a no-go. P&C is only an FP service, and pays with the FP wallet. If activating that way, you're paying thru FP. The only way to get the EA Pass+ rate is to activate and pay through the EA app (either swipe, or via phone tap which I think is even easier).

That is, untl Ford rolls out the $50/yr discount plan in FP to everyone.
Right now it's just some EAP beta testers (and a few that snuck in at the initial launch when they found problems).

 

[timbop]

I have a Juicebox 40 at home, but the better half prefers I fill up elsewhere whenever I can - We have installed solar and high efficiency HVAC/Waterheater/Appliances over the last 5 years that combine to finally get us just to 100% net coverage of our annual electric use, but if I tap the house for the car, we go tumbling back down the proverbial hill.

I'm sorry but paying $0.11/kwh at home is a far better choice than paying $0.31 to DCFC. When the weather is good and you don't mind walking for free L2 that is a fine economic choice. However, the unspoken social contract is that you'll only charge at those free L2's when patronizing that business.

Regardless of what is "morally right", the plain and simple choice is to pay 1/3 the cost to charge at home with an L2 charger instead of a DCFC that does do damage to the battery over the long term. This mental block makes absolutely no sense: It's akin to eating out at a restaurant to get the vegetables you don't grow in your garden instead of buying them from the market and cooking them at home - just so you can say "we grow all our own vegetables".

 

[DYohn]

Plug and charge was fine during the initial ownership period with "free" 250Kwh from EA. This was also the learning curve time for "how to use a public charger" in my opinion. After that, turn the function off and use EA or CP app. If you can't spend the extra 13 seconds to not have P+C convenience, then maybe electrics are not for you.

 

[DYohn]

I'm sorry but paying $0.11/kwh at home is a far better choice than paying $0.31 to DCFC. When the weather is good and you don't mind walking for free L2 that is a fine economic choice. However, the unspoken social contract is that you'll only charge at those free L2's when patronizing that business - not every day of the week.

Regardless of what is "morally right", the plain and simple choice is to pay 1/3 the cost to charge at home with an L2 charger instead of a DCFC that does do damage to the battery over the long term. This mental block makes absolutely no sense: It's akin to eating out at a restaurant to get the vegetables you don't grow in your garden instead of buying them from the market and cooking them at home.

+ one million. If you can charge at home do it. Always. Even during peak times, utility rates are less than public chargers.
I also have solar that can supply 100% of my normal home needs, and charging has made me dip into the grid again. But it's cheaper than EA by 2/3. Plus I am adding a half dozen additional panels to my solar array once cooler weather arrives this fall to help bring me back to parity for charging.

 

[kennethjk]

Plug and charge was fine during the initial ownership period with "free" 250Kwh from EA. This was also the learning curve time for "how to use a public charger" in my opinion. After that, turn the function off and use EA or CP app. If you can't spend the extra 13 seconds to not have P+C convenience, then maybe electrics are not for you.

Having built my own computer , stereos amplifiers etc , has nothing to do with electronics not being for someone

PC is just easier , especially for the vast majority of people who just want to plug it in and not worry, kind of like gas. Not a big deal to others but you should be able to do it and get better EA rate. If their electronics was up to date, you could get P&C and discount if you signed up with Ford but alas their electronics, either EA or Ford is not capable

 

[dbsb3233]

Having built my own computer , stereos amplifiers etc , has nothing to do with electronics not being for someone

PC is just easier , especially for the vast majority of people who just want to plug it in and not worry, kind of like gas. Not a big deal to others but you should be able to do it and get better EA rate. If their electronics was up to date, you could get P&C and discount if you signed up with Ford but alas their electronics, either EA or Ford is not capable

So far the pilot program (BOCN EA Discount) has been working perfectly for me. Did a 2600 mile trip with 15 EA charges 2 months ago and it worked great. I would guess they'll open that up for general signup before too long. They already tried that in January, only to find it wasn't working on the chargers. So they suspended signup capability days later. Then a few months later it started working at the chargers for the small% of people that got signed up initially. Then in mid-June Ford allowed some of us in the Early Access Program to turn it on and test it.

What's still unknown is how it will mesh with the regular BOCN subscription (P&C, FP Wallet, etc). We're all on a 2-year free trial right now. But that's due to end soon for the earliest buyers (I believe the earliest Mach-E sale in the US was 12/30/2020). Not sure whether there will be one price for BOCN and another price for the 25% discount, or whether they'll just roll those into a single all-or-nothing subscription. Or whether there will be BOCN only vs BOCN+discount. Obviously to use the discount, one needs the basic BOCN subscription too. Could affect the timing of when they'll offer the discount to each owner. No one really knows yet.

 

[Maquis]

PC is just easier , especially for the vast majority of people who just want to plug it in and not worry, kind of like gas.

If you want it to be “kind of like gas” just swipe your credit card at the charge station. That’s exactly like gas.

 

[DYohn]

Maybe someday driving an EV will be "just like gas," but right now it isn't. It requires a higher level of involvement and understanding. Maybe a higher level of intelligence. It is not (yet) for everyone.

 

[kennethjk]

If you want it to be “kind of like gas” just swipe your credit card at the charge station. That’s exactly like gas.

I guess I should have said easier but your right

 

[Mr. Toejam]

I'm sorry but paying $0.11/kwh at home is a far better choice than paying $0.31 to DCFC. When the weather is good and you don't mind walking for free L2 that is a fine economic choice. However, the unspoken social contract is that you'll only charge at those free L2's when patronizing that business.

Regardless of what is "morally right", the plain and simple choice is to pay 1/3 the cost to charge at home with an L2 charger instead of a DCFC that does do damage to the battery over the long term. This mental block makes absolutely no sense: It's akin to eating out at a restaurant to get the vegetables you don't grow in your garden instead of buying them from the market and cooking them at home - just so you can say "we grow all our own vegetables".

TIMBOP won't say "stealing" electricity. So I will say "abusing" a privilege of "free charging". Come to think about it....you are stealing from them if you are not patronizing their business.

When a charger is at a mall, restaurant, hotel.... they are paying for that electricity. They put them there so that people will come and patronize their business. they are not doing it to help you save money...they are doing it so that you will spend money in their establishment.

I stay at a particular hotel specifically when visiting family because they have "free chargers for customers" there. Is it the cheapest hotel? No. Is it the closest hotel? No. But my sister doesn't have an outlet accessible to me. So I am willing to pay that extra $30 a night to get that $15-$20 worth of charging while I sleep. Still cheaper than gas and I didn't have to drive an extra 10 miles and wait at a DCFC. The last time I stayed there, there was a Model S and a Model 3 (not Tesla bashing) charging at mid-night with the owners in the driver seats (who shut off their phones when I drove up). Since the other 2 Free customer chargers were taken, I asked the front desk to check if they were staying at the hotel. One driver immediately unplugged and drove away quickly without acknowledging the manager (Model S). He knew he was stealing. The other claimed they didn't know it was for customers only and then drove way not before the manager pointed at the sign right above the charger that stated "EV charging for hotel guests only".

In CA, there are very few truly "Free Public Charging" stations. There is a business(es) behind it trying to draw in customers. Nobody gives away electricity (well, except for the sun). If it is free at a rest stop, then your taxes paid for it.

If people continue to abuse the benefits of "free charging", those companies will see benefits of providing it erode away and they will just remove those chargers.

That hotel I stay at has already replaced some of the free chargers with pay chargers. Way to go...cheapskates, abusers, thieves....

I remember back in the 70s (I was a kid) and during the gas crisis, there was a hotel (don't remember who) that would offer a few gallons of gas per stay. Travel was down because of the fuel costs/availability. I remember standing in line to check in with my dad and a man was arguing with the manager to give him his free gas. This person was checking out each day and then rechecking in to get the gas. I guess the hotel didn't think it fully through, but they probably weren't expecting someone to try and abuse there incentive to get people to stay at there hotel. They killed the program within a week.

Getting back to the original question. EA is an absolute bargain when it comes to DCFC. In CA, no Peak and Off-Peak rates. $0.43 w/o and $0.31 w/ membership. No guessing on how much I will pay. Only 30KWH and you make the $4 back. That is only90 miles of driving. On road trips, I try to stay on EA to support them and help them grow. But if EA is full, I use a charge point charger to support a business who is offering the ability to charge. At almost double the rate, I charge enough to get to the next set of EA chargers. I could wait 30+ minutes for the next EA charger...but even at $0.60.kWh to grab 10kWh (roughly 25-27 miles). I am still saving on what it would have cost in my 2016 Mustang GT. So I don't don't worry about it.

And now, I will step away from the soapbox...
Have a great EV week!

 

[timbop]

I will say "abusing" a privilege of "free charging". Come to think about it....you are stealing from them if you are not patronizing their business.

When a charger is at a mall, restaurant, hotel.... they are paying for that electricity. They put them there so that people will come and patronize their business. they are not doing it to help you save money...they are doing it so that you will spend money in their establishment.

Yes, exactly. They are not doing it to encourage BEV adoption or to be philanthropic; it is a business decision to provide a perk that brings in additional customers. If they lose money or don't get the added customers they were hoping for, they'll stop doing it.

I guess the hotel didn't think it fully through, but they probably weren't expecting someone to try and abuse there incentive to get people to stay at there hotel. They killed the program within a week.

Further proof of the adage "a few ***holes are bound to ruin a good thing for everybody".

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