free charging at Ford dealerships US nationwide?

[smunro622]

Ford dealerships that want to sell/service EVs are being forced to install at least one L3 dispenser available to public, or prove there is one 'nearby'. But they are not all in yet. And yes, the L2 charger(s) at dealerships may be free, but usually only available during business hours.

Honestly I have stopped at my Hyundai dealerships as they seem to use Charepoint and been happy... I never seem to find a Ford dealership showing up in my route to stop and charge.

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[PilotMark]

My ford dealer has 4 or more L2 chargers that are free 24.x7.
I'll have to see if they offer DCFastCharging? And if there is a cost?
I would not rely on any dealerships for long distance trips.

 

[Spike]

If you don't have access to a charger at home, or at work; I would not recommend an electric car. Flat out. Yes there are public chargers, but you will most likely pay more that way.

Yes people do it, I would just not recommend it.

(first post)
Mach-E Long Range (~310 miles) recent discounts caught my attention;
it would be my first EV;
living in high rise with no personal parking spaces outlet;
wanting to control overhead during regular work-related road trips;
I read that Ford dealers offer free charging, that some day they may require pay;
but I haven't been able to find definitively...
a. do Ford dealers nationwide offer free fast charging?
b. if not all what percentage? is there map of these specific dealers?
c. can one mostly charge free nationwide during road trips?
d. is it known when they will require pay? all dealers at same time?

any related comments-advice appreciated;
it is free charging that makes Mach-E priority;
previously I'd shopped low mileage 2016 Tesla S-X free lifetime supercharging....
if this topic has been covered, links appreciated;
thanks in advance ? ? ? ? ?

 

[thekat03]

I have seen a few free DC fast chargers (one in Maine, one in NY, and one in Ohio), but expect 25-50 kW max charging speeds. You aren't going to be happy with an EV if you don't have relatively reliable access to a home or work charger, and expect to be able to charge for free on trips.

 

[bbulkow]

(first post)
Mach-E Long Range (~310 miles) recent discounts caught my attention;
it would be my first EV;
living in high rise with no personal parking spaces outlet;
wanting to control overhead during regular work-related road trips;
I read that Ford dealers offer free charging, that some day they may require pay;
but I haven't been able to find definitively...
a. do Ford dealers nationwide offer free fast charging?
b. if not all what percentage? is there map of these specific dealers?
c. can one mostly charge free nationwide during road trips?
d. is it known when they will require pay? all dealers at same time?

any related comments-advice appreciated;
it is free charging that makes Mach-E priority;

previously I'd shopped low mileage 2016 Tesla S-X free lifetime supercharging....
if this topic has been covered, links appreciated;
thanks in advance ? ? ? ? ?

To answer your specific question,

my dealer has 2 l3 chargers. they are 50kw and not free.

i do know of a dc fast charger that is free. it is a corporate one that happens to be accessible to the public and the people patroling don't care. it would still be theft and i don't use it.

free l2 charging is not unheard of. it is rare though.

free l3 charging is entirely unheard of except rare cases like i mentioned.

there are (were?) cars that come with some amount of free fast charging (afair 3 years?), was it vw and ea network? more than our paltry teaser of 250 (750 to 1000 miles roughly) on ea.

if the cost of fast charging stops you from buying an ev, and you won't have a home charger, don't do it

 

[21st Century Pony]

Wow!

So: now you have an EV. Here are some tips to make things work...

1. There are indeed some (!) free Level 2 charging points out there. Most people ignore them yet these L2 points can be useful For example: Tesla "Destination" charge points are all Level 2 and are all free. HOWEVER (!!) they are most often at overnight or at restaurant businesses that will expect you to patronize their business while you are plugged in. To use such a Tesla Destination charging point you need to invest in a (car-transferable) TeslaTap. They have a good web page for more info.

2. Level 2 (240V) whether Tesla or "normal" charge points will give you about (+ -) 25 miles per charging hour when it's a Mach E that is charging. Maybe 24 miles / hour... you get the picture.

3. There are indeed some (not that many) Level 2 free charging points run by public services... i.e. a city hall, a public library etc. Again, the assumption is that you are in their building for citizen business... so likely a 24-hour camping charge will get you towed. Maybe not the 1st time but certainly sooner or later, especially after hours.

4. Any RV plug (usually but not always a NEMA 14-50 plug, sometimes a NEMA 6-22 plug etc.) will charge your big battery overnight. BLM camping spots can have these. Some National Forest Service camping spots also have these. Some (not all) of such camping spots are free. I'm listing these spots to give you a wider aperture.

5. Electricity is all around us. This is not/not like buying a gallon of gasoline... this all depends on being friendly and crafty, now that you are a proud EV owner. There indeed might (!!) be friends cousins and neighbors who'll offer you a place to park and charge... BEWARE of such that only have 120V plugs. You'll get a pitiful 30 miles or less on an overnight charge. However, if you can score a parking place, inside or outside, with a 240V welder, dryer, range or similar 240V receptacle within reach, you will quietly solve your immediate problem for the foreseeable future because your big battery will be full or almost full every morning. Big cities often have such places in unexpected locations... everyone wants to make a buck with a previously unproductive resource under their control. I wish you Happy Hunting!

6. DC Fast charging is comparatively very expensive purely because of the difficulty of zoning and other problems to establish (build) and then to run a DC Fast charging point. This is where Tesla did it right from the get-go...

Hope this is useful. Good Luck!

 

[Donna216]

(first post)
Mach-E Long Range (~310 miles) recent discounts caught my attention;
it would be my first EV;
living in high rise with no personal parking spaces outlet;
wanting to control overhead during regular work-related road trips;
I read that Ford dealers offer free charging, that some day they may require pay;
but I haven't been able to find definitively...
a. do Ford dealers nationwide offer free fast charging?
b. if not all what percentage? is there map of these specific dealers?
c. can one mostly charge free nationwide during road trips?
d. is it known when they will require pay? all dealers at same time?

any related comments-advice appreciated;
it is free charging that makes Mach-E priority;
previously I'd shopped low mileage 2016 Tesla S-X free lifetime supercharging....
if this topic has been covered, links appreciated;
thanks in advance ? ? ? ? ?

Lol. No they don't.

In my experience, the number of Ford dealerships that currently offer fast charging is tiny. And even when more do, it’s unlikely that it will be free. If they treat them like they currently treat Level 2 chargers, they’ll also likely be blocked by dealer cars most of the time.

Honestly, if you don’t have home charging, I don’t think you should be considering an EV. It’s just not practical, IMO.

This person is absolutely correct. I stay in a high rise and there are chargers here but the company sets the price. It can be costly. Knowing what I know now, I would have waited to move into a house. Ford dealers are usually using the 1 level 2 charger most of the time. I called the dealer across the street from my job and they said it is not for the public use.

 

[bshaw]

Even if you find a free charger and plan your routine around using that location, keep in mind that "free" is most likely being phased out everywhere. Energy has a cost, and someone somewhere is paying the bill for a free charger.

The Ford dealer near me just dropped in 3 Big Chargepoint cabinets. There are 6 cables total and rated for 200kW. $0.60 per kWh is a high rate, but they are conveniently located and open to the public 24x7. I expect this is the direction ALL Ford EV dealers will be heading in.

 

[Mirak]

Ford shouldn’t sell EVs to people who lack home charging. Sometimes we impose restrictions for everyone’s well-being, like spaying and neutering your pets.

 

[richsi]

As others have posted here, if you can't charge at home or at work, an EV (or PHEV) is not for you. Buy a hybrid instead.

Second that, if you can't charge at home or work, a full EV is not for you. You will be extremely disappointed and relying on DC fast charging will shorten battery life for your EV, don't do it!

 

[CThomas]

(first post)
Mach-E Long Range (~310 miles) recent discounts caught my attention;
it would be my first EV;
living in high rise with no personal parking spaces outlet;
wanting to control overhead during regular work-related road trips;
I read that Ford dealers offer free charging, that some day they may require pay;
but I haven't been able to find definitively...
a. do Ford dealers nationwide offer free fast charging?
b. if not all what percentage? is there map of these specific dealers?
c. can one mostly charge free nationwide during road trips?
d. is it known when they will require pay? all dealers at same time?

any related comments-advice appreciated;
it is free charging that makes Mach-E priority;
previously I'd shopped low mileage 2016 Tesla S-X free lifetime supercharging....
if this topic has been covered, links appreciated;
thanks in advance ? ? ? ? ?

When we bought our Mach-E, we were told we could have free charging at the dealership without limit and we did not even need to check in when we used their charger. I have yet to find an available charger whenever I stop in. They have two slow chargers and one fast charger. The fast charger is always being used on their own inventory. The slow charger is rather useless because it is ridiculously slow. Maybe your dealership has more charging stations available. We almost exclusively charge at home. While it is slow, it is still about 75% less cost than gasoline. We love love love our new Mach-e!

 

[wrcontact]

If your plan is to rely on free charging, you will be highly disappointed.

4800 miles on my mache and 90percent has been free in my city. About 15 free chargers.

 

[RIB-JIG]

number of responses in short time amazing !!
clear majority predict easy long distance free fast charging a myth;
forgot to mention we dine & lodge on road trips;
are there restaurant chains offering free fast charging with meal purchase?
hotel chains? we use IHG (platinum level) but could switch...
other businesses nationwide offering free fast charging to consumers...?
advice here has me looking into hybrid with charging,
list of 2024 highest range hybrids:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/best-gas-mileage-hybrids/

• 2024 Toyota Crown | 42 mpg
• 2024 Lexus ES 300h | 43 mpg
• 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid | 44 mpg
• 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid | 50 mpg
• 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid | 54 mpg
• 2024 BMW 750e xDrive| 56 mpg-e
• 2024 Toyota Prius | 57 mpg
• 2024 BMW 330e | 76 mpg-e
• 2024 Toyota Prius Prime | 129 mpg-e

(I want Prius Prime + solar roof, wifey don't ?, so maybe BMW 330e...)
thanks in advance, regards...

 

[generaltso]

number of responses in short time amazing !!
clear majority predict easy long distance free fast charging a myth;
forgot to mention we dine & lodge on road trips;
are there restaurant chains offering free fast charging with meal purchase?
hotel chains? we use IHG (platinum level) but could switch...
other businesses nationwide offering free fast charging to consumers...?
advice here has me looking into hybrid with charging,
list of 2023 highest range hybrids:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/best-gas-mileage-hybrids/
(I want Prius Prime + solar roof, wifey don't ?, so maybe BMW 330e...)
thanks in advance, regards...

The fact that you keep asking about FREE charging tells me that an EV probably isn’t for you.

 

[tfitzgex]

In my experience, the number of Ford dealerships that currently offer fast charging is tiny. And even when more do, it’s unlikely that it will be free. If they treat them like they currently treat Level 2 chargers, they’ll also likely be blocked by dealer cars most of the time.

Honestly, if you don’t have home charging, I don’t think you should be considering an EV. It’s just not practical, IMO.

For the first 2 years of owning my mme I lived in an apartment. I charged publicly. City dwellers are often in the same situation. If you want more ev adoption stop telling people they shouldn’t buy one because they don’t have a house with charging.

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