Free Charging Sucks! Article: Here's Why Free Electric Car Charging Should be Banned

[kltye]

what is unnecessary charging? above 80 or 90%? we can't limit it, sometimes you have to charge to 100% otherwise you risk to do not make to next charging station

We're talking about drivers who are abusing free charging by constantly sitting at stations to charge to 100%, then drive home to their garage that has a power outlet. No one is talking about needing to charge to whatever SoC you need to get to your next destination.

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[IgorKl]

We're talking about drivers who are abusing free charging by constantly sitting at stations to charge to 100%, then drive home to their garage that has a power outlet. No one is talking about needing to charge to whatever SoC you need to get to your next destination.

I'm using DC charging every time when I can, especially at winter months. I do have outlets at home, but solar production at winter sucks big time. my main system produce 500-560kW at December-January that is not enough even to cover my personal use. as result DC rates are cheaper for me. I do not charge to 100% - 90% is my cap.

for example, when I'm driving to work and order starbucks - I got about 8%-10% push while going to and from store to pick up my drink

probably in your eyes I'm not better than free charging folks

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

We're talking about drivers who are abusing free charging by constantly sitting at stations to charge to 100%, then drive home to their garage that has a power outlet. No one is talking about needing to charge to whatever SoC you need to get to your next destination.

I think @IgorKl hit upon a right idea. Idle charges at 100%. That might help alleviate some of this.

As an aside, we are a bit of a microcosm of this issue out here. All our stations are one unit stations and almost all are inaccessible atm due to those who have no charging capabilities at home using them. Even the local “free” L2 are hard to snag. People camp them, unplug at 2 hours (when fees kick in) and plug back in. Spending 1/2 a day at Target or Walmart. The shortage of charging options is real fir many. Add the “free” unlimited plans and irs worse.

 

[IgorKl]

I think @IgorKl hit upon a right idea. Idle charges at 100%. That might help alleviate some of this.

As an aside, we are a bit of a microcosm of this issue out here. All our stations are one unit stations and almost all are inaccessible atm due to those who have no charging capabilities at home using them. Even the local “free” L2 are hard to snag. People camp them, unplug at 2 hours (when fees kick in) and plug back in. Spending 1/2 a day at Target or Walmart. The shortage of charging options is real fir many. Add the “free” unlimited plans and irs worse.

please do not touch free L2 charging ..... i started to hate most Tesla drivers as soon as I bought my 1st EV. ))))

 

[kltye]

I'm using DC charging every time when I can, especially at winter months. I do have outlets at home, but solar production at winter sucks big time. my main system produce 500-560kW at December-January that is not enough even to cover my personal use. as result DC rates are cheaper for me. I do not charge to 100% - 90% is my cap.

for example, when I'm driving to work and order starbucks - I got about 8%-10% push while going to and from store to pick up my drink

probably in your eyes I'm not better than free charging folks

Sitting at a charger for a few minutes to get a few % because it's convenient (you're already there) and because it's cheaper isn't that bad. Charging to 90% means you're still doing ~35kW - slow, but not stupidly slow. It's the last few % where it really ramps down to not much faster than L2 charging that's the problem. I would hope that you'd reconsider doing that if the station is busy/full, though. If it's empty, and you're not camping there for hours - go right ahead! Might as well pay EA instead of PG&E

I think we need to be considerate and graceful at the same time. Believe me, I know what it's like needing to charge to 100% (or very close to it) at a DCFC. I also know what it's like to be waiting on a Bolt charging to 100% on a roadtrip with a couple of cars already in queue. Everyone is busy and has things to do, but if your needs aren't urgent, consider letting others go ahead of you.

I definitely agree about 100% SoC idle charges and immediately towing those who aren't plugged in. I'm thinking a $50 per minute charge after a 5 minute grace period ought to get someone moving quickly. I don't know why EA isn't enforcing that. Seems like a great money maker to me...

 

[RickMachE]

what is unnecessary charging? above 80 or 90%? we can't limit it, sometimes you have to charge to 100% otherwise you risk to do not make to next charging station

It's extremely rare that you need to charge to 100% to make it to the next charging location. It's more likely that people try to skip a station by going to 100%. Going to 100% when there's a line is simply inconsiderate of others unless it's impossible to make the next stop.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

please do not touch free L2 charging ..... i started to hate most Tesla drivers as soon as I bought my 1st EV. ))))

The two free stations in Kona are Target and Walmart. Both are J-1772 stations. Both are usually 100% occupied by Tesla’s. Of those I’ve talked to, they all charge there rather than at home intentionally. Electricity is expensive here, that may be the reason. Both have fees after 2 hours. *shrug*

 

[mkhuffman]

probably in your eyes I'm not better than free charging folks

Absolutely NOT!!! You are using the charger just like you should. You need a charge, you should get a charge.

All I am saying is it should not be free. You pay for gas, you should pay to fill your car with electricity. When it is free, people do stupid things like DCFC their car to 100% to avoid having to actually pay for the electricity at home, reducing the life expectancy of their battery. It is free, so why not? So they think....

 

[mkhuffman]

I think you are overrating free DC charging.

1. I charge DC often and as soon as I bought alternative to EA network membership I started to feel much better and have much less charging fears.
2. I had unlimited charging for 2 months - it was one of the secondary reasons why I enjoyed selling my Ionia 5 and getting back to MME . - I got back plenty of my time.
3. Majority people who use excessively DC free charging usually are GIG economy drivers. They drive a lot and they need to charge more than regular consumer. Even if we carmakers would drop free charging these drivers would still occupy stalls.

Free charging corrupts L3 and L2 stations.

When it happens at L3 stations, people who are on a trip and really, really need the charge to get to their next stop have to wait for the free charging car to get their free stuff when they could have charged at home. People who travel a lot and really need to charge are now much more likely to have that stop take an hour or more because of the free charging that is given out by car makers.

It sucks and it needs to stop.

 

[IgorKl]

It's extremely rare that you need to charge to 100% to make it to the next charging location. It's more likely that people try to skip a station by going to 100%. Going to 100% when there's a line is simply inconsiderate of others unless it's impossible to make the next stop.

we never know and cannot proof it

 

[mkhuffman]

Your economic analysis is correct. This is a “tragedy of the commons” situation. But I’m not sure it is accurate to call them freeloaders. Many people correctly believe they’re just getting what they paid for. If the expensive car they bought includes a year or two of L3 charging, use it! They are making an economically rational decision (well, without getting into what their time is worth sitting at a charger instead of plugging in at home). The problem is the manufacturers bundling the free charging.

If you were referring to the folks who clog the free L2 chargers, then freeloader is a more accurate term. I engaged in this practice for a while when there was a bank of free L2 a couple blocks from my office, but I was careful to only do it once per week and to wait until I was sufficiently low that I could justify hogging a space all day. The thing that really pissed me off were the bolts, leafs, and plug-in hybrids occupying spots all day with their much smaller batteries.

I agree the freeloaders are more common at L2 stations, because there are more of them that are free. Not every automaker includes free L3 charging, and many limit it in some way as has been pointed out before. But regardless, those who have it are definitely having an oversized impact on DCFC capacity.

And the L2 freeloaders are out of control.

 

[mkhuffman]

please do not touch free L2 charging ..... i started to hate most Tesla drivers as soon as I bought my 1st EV. ))))

Oh, the L2 freeloading is off the charts. It needs to go away, and the sooner the better.

 

[ArthurDOB]

all lithium battery chargers do this to some extent. (your phone, ipad etc.)

Fun fact:
As lithium batteries charge, the charge current will fall because they are constant voltage chargers and as the cell voltage rises, the current falls...

Specific to your car:
The Battery management system in the car throttles back the charge it asks for from the charger to minimize heat in the cells as the state of charge rises. The level of throttling (AKA charge curve) depends on a few things, but mostly how much stress the engineers are willing to put on the batteries. The level at which the charge rate has to fall off to minimize heat (and thus cell damage) is usually around 80% state of charge.

Thanks for the thorough explanation. If you were in my class, I'd give you an A+!

 

[mdolan92869]

What needs to happen is some thoughtful planning. Chargers should be installed near clusters of apartments where they can't charge at home, but inconvenient to highway traffic. Chargers should be installed near a highway, but inconvenient for apartment dwellers. The trouble is that the apartment chargers would fill up and they'd go to the highway one, inconvenient or not.

 

[RickMachE]

I hope that @mkhuffman doesn't give up EVs, because that would eliminate a major source of pleasure I get at reading his posts and laughing...

I used one level 2 charger, in Holland, Michigan, that was free with a time limit of 2 hours. I got there just before the end of the period, and unplugged. I looked around, not an EV to be found (not a surprise there), so I plugged back in.

I was at their Tulip Festival, and we spent money at several local businesses.

That's very different from dropping your car off, going home, and then coming back when it's done or after it's done. That's wrong IMO. If you're not in the store, or not at the businesses, then you should not be charging there.

A relative was the controller of a county near us. She got a call about an employee that was parking across the street at the high school's free charger. I believe the person was dismissed from their job, because any reasonable person would not use a school's free charger if they weren't a student or staff.

Yet, 5 years ago I had a PHEV. Took classes at a local community college (brewing), and was discussing the handful of chargers the school had (free). The instructor was also senior admin staff, and he said "I put those in, and we have no issue with local people parking there to charge and then going to work nearby".

So, you never know.

I think @mkhuffman should quit his job and be hired as "Huffman - The Enforcer". He'd drive around Virginia catching people abusing charging and do a Charging Court, where the possible punishments are 10 lashes, loss of a hand, or loss of both hands for flagrant offenders.

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