Charging experience

[Bobcat17]

I had 1st road trip experience last weekend with my 2021 Mach E. Trip was 235 miles and my max range is about 215. I had great luck with EA charger in
Cambridge Ohio Walmart lot. I just plugged in and off she went. I used banked KWH for purchase that I earned somehow when I bought vehicle in June 2021 which reduced automatically from my account.

Charge Point in Athens, Ohio near Ohio University was not so easy. I noticed I had to add app to set up account. Then I don't know if I plugged in before charger it was ready but charger has "in use" in blue on top of charger but it was not charging. It wasn't registering any miles added on screen so I called Charge Point. They had hard time identifying where charger was and I was out of town. I waited for about 15 minutes on phone back and forth. The women on phone couldn't have been any nicer but wasn't much help. At this point I couldn't disconnect charger from car. I was freaking out a bit. The woman said there was a know repair on this machine. She finally gave me a phone number for some specialist that was able to locate charger and help me disconnect. There is some trick where if you lock and unlock your car 3x it will let you disconnect. Anyways, I did find a free level 2 charger at local Athens library. I think this was called Greenlots.

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[benk016]

I had 1st road trip experience last weekend with my 2021 Mach E. Trip was 235 miles and my max range is about 215. I had great luck with EA charger in
Cambridge Ohio Walmart lot. I just plugged in and off she went. I used banked KWH for purchase that I earned somehow when I bought vehicle in June 2021 which reduced automatically from my account.

Charge Point in Athens, Ohio near Ohio University was not so easy. I noticed I had to add app to set up account. Then I don't know if I plugged in before charger it was ready but charger has "in use" in blue on top of charger but it was not charging. It wasn't registering any miles added on screen so I called Charge Point. They had hard time identifying where charger was and I was out of town. I waited for about 15 minutes on phone back and forth. The women on phone couldn't have been any nicer but wasn't much help. At this point I couldn't disconnect charger from car. I was freaking out a bit. The woman said there was a know repair on this machine. She finally gave me a phone number for some specialist that was able to locate charger and help me disconnect. There is some trick where if you lock and unlock your car 3x it will let you disconnect. Anyways, I did find a free level 2 charger at local Athens library. I think this was called Greenlots.

Only Electrify America stations will do plug and charge, and subtract from your KWh balance. Greenlots supposedly can Plug and Charge, but you can't use the KWh balance there. Any other charging network stations, you will have to activate manually. I think some can be activated from the FordPass app, but I've always just used that companies app directly.

 

[RockwallRick]

Your first road charging experience was much better than mine! It was a total bust at the EA in Gainesville, Florida!!

 

[zvez]

Charge Point in Athens, Ohio near Ohio University was not so easy. I noticed I had to add app to set up account. Then I don't know if I plugged in before charger it was ready but charger has "in use" in blue on top of charger but it was not charging. It wasn't registering any miles added on screen so I called Charge Point. They had hard time identifying where charger was and I was out of town. I waited for about 15 minutes on phone back and forth. The women on phone couldn't have been any nicer but wasn't much help. At this point I couldn't disconnect charger from car. I was freaking out a bit. The woman said there was a know repair on this machine. She finally gave me a phone number for some specialist that was able to locate charger and help me disconnect. There is some trick where if you lock and unlock your car 3x it will let you disconnect. Anyways, I did find a free level 2 charger at local Athens library. I think this was called Greenlots.

chargepoint in theory, if you plug the car in you just have to tap the charge station screen with your phone to get it to start. I didn't have any success with that, I used the RFID card they provide and worked like a charm.

 

[Bobcat17]

chargepoint in theory, if you plug the car in you just have to tap the charge station screen with your phone to get it to start. I didn't have any success with that, I used the RFID card they provide and worked like a charm.

How do you get the RFID card?

 

[zvez]

How do you get the RFID card?

When I created my account online I thought that they automatically send one. A couple weeks later no card so I called them and they sent one, you can also order online I'm sure. The first card is free, I don't believe it ever expires but you can order extras for $4.95 I believe. I just leave it in my car.

 

[Tbird]

I use CP all the time. You shpuld tap the card or the phone on the charger before plugging into the car. Watch the CP screen. It will say authorizing then tell you when it is time to plug into thr car. When finished charging tap the CP charger agin. It will power down and then you can disconnect fron the car. You can always stop charging from the car screen if necessary.

EA Chargers are different. You have to plug into the car first. If you have plug and charge set up then the rest of the connection works automatically. If not set up for plug and charge after plugging into the car you have to activate chatging using the EA app on your phone.

 

[timbop]

chargepoint in theory, if you plug the car in you just have to tap the charge station screen with your phone to get it to start. I didn't have any success with that, I used the RFID card they provide and worked like a charm.

You need the app on your phone and an account first.

How do you get the RFID card?

Ask for one, but your phone should work as long as you installed the app and set up an account

I use CP all the time. You shpuld tap the card or the phone on the charger before plugging into the car. Watch the CP screen. It will say authorizing then tell you when it is time to plug into thr car. When finished charging tap the CP charger agin. It will power down and then you can disconnect fron the car. You can always stop charging from the car screen if necessary.

EA Chargers are different. You have to plug into the car first. If you have plug and charge set up then the rest of the connection works automatically. If not set up for plug and charge after plugging into the car you have to activate chatging using the EA app on your phone.

exactly. Unfortunately you have to do some ground work to set up accounts before charging, or you could simply swipe your credit card at the chargers - but that is typically more expensive. It's similar to setting up credit accounts with different oil companies to enroll in their rewards programs: you need to pay with that company's card to get the slightly cheaper rate.

Theoretically your Fordpass charging account will work at several different charging networks, but you have to set up your fordpass account first - and initiate charging from the fordpass app instead of from the charger.

The links here (and in that thread) might be helpful:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/mach-e-for-newbies.9443/#post-242483

 

[Glen]

So, when your on the road. Does CP seem to be the best one to stop at and use? I am just planning ahead. Dont even have the MME yet. ?

 

[prdude]

So, when your on the road. Does CP seem to be the best one to stop at and use? I am just planning ahead. Dont even have the MME yet. ?

I've been able to activate CP and GreenLots chargers through FordPass and use EA chargers via P&C. I definitely prefer EA chargers, because they offer the fastest charging speeds

 

[Bobcat17]

Only Electrify America stations will do plug and charge, and subtract from your KWh balance. Greenlots supposedly can Plug and Charge, but you can't use the KWh balance there. Any other charging network stations, you will have to activate manually. I think some can be activated from the FordPass app, but I've always just used that companies app directly.

I wonder what happens when you use up the KWH balance? Maybe pay as you go or reload KWH for $$?

 

[benk016]

I wonder what happens when you use up the KWH balance? Maybe pay as you go or reload KWH for $$?

I know when you went to your connected services page in the past, it would say you could buy charging bundles, but there wasn't any way to actually do it. I don't think that is there anymore at all.

All the links to the Ford pages about the $50 yearly membership seem to be gone now as well.

 

[zvez]

You need the app on your phone and an account first.

two different occasions I tried using the phone and yes the account was set up. I tried it with the app on in the background and also with the app opened, neither worked. RFID card worked instantly

 

[timbop]

So, when your on the road. Does CP seem to be the best one to stop at and use? I am just planning ahead. Dont even have the MME yet. ?

NO. They typically have 50kw/62.5kw chargers and at many sites you have to set up an account with that specific provider - such as Florida power, georgia power, or whoever.

EA typically has the best highway locations with 150+ kw chargers. Sometimes a site is renowned for having some flaky chargers that require calling EA to get the charge going, but many work flawlessly with plug-n-charge. I've charged 20 or so times at EA and have never called and have always been able to get a charge. Sometimes I have had to move from 1 stall at a site to another, but 75% of the time the first charger works just fine.

I wonder what happens when you use up the KWH balance? Maybe pay as you go or reload KWH for $$?

They charge the credit card you linked with your fordpass account at the non-member rate.

 

[Tbird]

I also prefer EA charging network to CP when on a trip. (Higher charging rates and more availability). However sometimes you can find a free 50 kw CP charger. For instance, Rhode Island has s lot of free CP charges sponsored by the state energy commission. Most are level 2 But some are DC chargers.

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