Fordpass charging logistics: when will we know?

[timbop]

I was just presuming (a bad thing I know), that the FordPass app would (eventually) have the capability to authorize/pay at all participating network DCFC. Not a good presumption I see though.

That may very well be completely correct; I certainly have no idea. Ideally plug-and-charge would just work, but if not the fordpass app may very well work in all situations.

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[GoGoGadgetMachE]

?when will we know (FordPass logistics)?
when will we know?
when will we know (reviews are deceiving)?
when will we know??

 

[BlueMach]

We use our hybrid mostly around town. I don't consider the 16 gallon gas tank "kinda wasted"--just convenient. I will use my Mach-E mostly around town and went for the extended range. Don't consider that "kinda wasted"--just convenient. Felt the same when I moved from my 80 mile range Leaf to my 235 mile Bolt.

And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying that I don't think it's appropriate to assume that all other Mach-Es will be city cars, didn't mean to come off strong on that first reply. I'm planning on taking mine from coast to coast as soon as it's safe to do so. Ideally I want to take it down the Trans-Canada from Vancouver to Halifax as well now that there are fast chargers along that route too. I'd figure half my charging will come from DCFC.

 

[Dan G]

I'm really expecting to go primarily pay at the pump (er.... plug). I have a 40A Grizzl-e at home (installed today!) so I expect to charge on the road very rarely. I doubt I'll use DCFC more than 10 times in a year, and I've been swiping credit cards at gas pumps all my life so I don't think it'll feel significantly inconvenient to do so with an EV.

I dunno, we'll see how it goes, but I think most people get worked up about fast charging out of proportion to how little they use it.

My only hesitation with this would be most of the problems I've seen people have at charging stations is trying to pay with a card. It's such a simple thing, but for some reason charge companies just can't seem to make it work reliably.

Having a secondary way to start a charge session is, in my mind, a must at this point in time. NFC with your phone or starting the charge in an app can be a nice alternative if your credit card approach isn't working. Fingers crossed FordPass can be there alternative.

 

[Woeo]

Having a secondary way to start a charge session is, in my mind, a must at this point in time. NFC with your phone or starting the charge in an app can be a nice alternative if your credit card approach isn't working. Fingers crossed FordPass can be there alternative.

What a reasonable attitude. If only everyone on the forum were open to your advice and would plan to take your approach. Hope Ford Pass works as ideally as possible. Prepare for the possibility that it won’t in all circumstances.

 

[JamieGeek]

My only hesitation with this would be most of the problems I've seen people have at charging stations is trying to pay with a card. It's such a simple thing, but for some reason charge companies just can't seem to make it work reliably.

Having a secondary way to start a charge session is, in my mind, a must at this point in time. NFC with your phone or starting the charge in an app can be a nice alternative if your credit card approach isn't working. Fingers crossed FordPass can be there alternative.

Typically DCFC's (even networked Level-2's as well) have an 800# on them so a secondary way is always: call them. Some will take your CC info over the phone and remotely activate it. If they don't have a number, use your phone's browser and search for the company..

No app, no card needed.

(There are many EV reviews with the reviewer that usually only reviews ICE's where they describe this very process.)

There is always a way.

 

[DaveRuns]

Typically DCFC's (even networked Level-2's as well) have an 800# on them so a secondary way is always: call them. Some will take your CC info over the phone and remotely activate it. If they don't have a number, use your phone's browser and search for the company..

No app, no card needed.

(There are many EV reviews with the reviewer that usually only reviews ICE's where they describe this very process.)

There is always a way.

Can you imagine having to call an 800 number to authorize a CC each time you pulled into a gas station? I'm glad this will be a secondary alternative, because that would get old real quick! Using an App, or even swiping a card at the station would be ideal.

 

[JamieGeek]

Can you imagine having to call an 800 number to authorize a CC each time you pulled into a gas station? I'm glad this will be a secondary alternative, because that would get old real quick! Using an App, or even swiping a card at the station would be ideal.

Oh yeah not arguing with you there, just mentioning that there is a "method of last resort" available (you also often read reviewers having to call the 800# anyway because the station doesn't start or needs to be reset so....).

 

[DaveRuns]

Oh yeah not arguing with you there, just mentioning that there is a "method of last resort" available (you also often read reviewers having to call the 800# anyway because the station doesn't start or needs to be reset so....).

Fantastic! ?

 

[dbsb3233]

Oh yeah not arguing with you there, just mentioning that there is a "method of last resort" available (you also often read reviewers having to call the 800# anyway because the station doesn't start or needs to be reset so....).

True, better to have a PITA backup when you're otherwise stranded if you can't get the charger to work.

But they better get all this cleaned up if they expect BEVs to get very far into the mainstream. Most people won't put up with that kind of thing, and would just stick with ICE or PHEV instead.

 

[timbop]

But they better get all this cleaned up if they expect BEVs to get very far into the mainstream.

Absolutely

 

[JamieGeek]

You know, if there were forums back in...oh 1910s, 1920s....

"They better get these gas stations figured out if they expect people to start driving cars over horses!" and "They aren't close enough together. How am I supposed to go to my aunt's house 300 miles away when there isn't a gas station 1/2 way between us???"

 

[ChasingCoral]

My only hesitation with this would be most of the problems I've seen people have at charging stations is trying to pay with a card. It's such a simple thing, but for some reason charge companies just can't seem to make it work reliably.

Having a secondary way to start a charge session is, in my mind, a must at this point in time. NFC with your phone or starting the charge in an app can be a nice alternative if your credit card approach isn't working. Fingers crossed FordPass can be there alternative.

This gets to the other issues with charging companies. When you say card do you mean a charging RFID card or a credit card?

For the newbies, I really don't think you need to go to the trouble of ordering RFID cards. It is possible that Ford will include one. We received one from Nissan (two actually) with our Leaf that work across multiple charging companies. You still have to set up accounts with each company before your first charge and even if you do all of this right some chargers didn't necessarily connect without a phone call to the company. Generally these things have gotten much better through time. Whether that's because it took a while for the companies to get our information pushed out to all the systems or if the companies got better, I just don't know.

 

[ajmartineau]

I've used an RFID card when cell service was not available. I keep them now because I already have them and they don't cost anything. No signal means your app won't work. I often travel where that happens.

 

[Badger_Prof]

You know, if there were forums back in...oh 1910s, 1920s....

"They better get these gas stations figured out if they expect people to start driving cars over horses!" and "They aren't close enough together. How am I supposed to go to my aunt's house 300 miles away when there isn't a gas station 1/2 way between us???"

Fun observation. And, in fact, once those gas stations got closer together ICE cars started to go mainstream (or was it once ICE cars went mainstream gas stations got closer together? Probably chicken and egg at the same time).

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