New EV Chargers at Bethany Beach DE

Trev5501

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I was in Bethany Beach this weekend and saw several new EV chargers along the main drag (Garfield Pkwy). I looked all over the units to see the charging rates but they weren't posted on them so i went on the Town of Bethany website and I saw this:

Ford Mustang Mach-E New EV Chargers at Bethany Beach DE 1654009257157


Can anyone comfirm this as it seems likely to be a misprint? If it's not, Town of Bethany Beach is providing L2 charging at almost L3 rates which is pointless. No cost conscious EV owner would use this.
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iam-s-Hon

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I was in Bethany Beach this weekend and saw several new EV chargers along the main drag (Garfield Pkwy). I looked all over the units to see the charging rates but they weren't posted on them so i went on the Town of Bethany website and I saw this:

Ford Mustang Mach-E New EV Chargers at Bethany Beach DE 1654009257157


Can anyone comfirm this as it seems likely to be a misprint? If it's not, Town of Bethany Beach is providing L2 charging at almost L3 rates which is pointless. No cost conscious EV owner would use this.
The town will make money off needy tourists wanting convenience all summer long. You've been on vacation before, right? There's not a lot of competition in the area and the town probably knows it. It's that, L1 at the rental place or head to OC or Rehoboth (in summer beach traffic).
 
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Trev5501

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Yes I've been on vacation and I get that it can be more expensive. Thanks for that.

I'm just looking for helpful info from people that have actually used it.
 

timbop

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Yes I've been on vacation and I get that it can be more expensive. Thanks for that.

I'm just looking for helpful info from people that have actually used it.
If those really are only L2 and those prices are correct, they will get almost zero use and then the town will remove them with the justification "no one really wants these electric car chargers".

I suspect the reported pricing might be incorrect, though. It could be that the rate is $.20 per KWH and not per minute. Why don't you call the township and see?
 
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Trev5501

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If those really are only L2 and those prices are correct, they will get almost zero use and then the town will remove them with the justification "no one really wants these electric car chargers".

I suspect the reported pricing might be incorrect, though. It could be that the rate is $.20 per KWH and not per minute. Why don't you call the township and see?
Well I did call and they pointed me back to the website. I asked if i was correct and they said they wouldn't know why it wouldn't be. The people I talked to had no sense of what L2 charging typically costs or EVs in general.
 


ChasingCoral

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Well I did call and they pointed me back to the website. I asked if i was correct and they said they wouldn't know why it wouldn't be. The people I talked to had no sense of what L2 charging typically costs or EVs in general.
I'm not surprised. There are a number of places that have installed L2 chargers and are billing at DCFC rates. Kaiser Permanente has been installing SemaConnect L2 chargers at their DC area health centers at $0.30/kWh.
 

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Yes its true.

I was in Bethany in late May. I thought I would pay the exorbitant price just to check if the system would work...because the same company Bethany contracted to install the L3 units [Electric Vehicle Institute out of Baltimore] operates an older L3 [50kw] at the Nanticoke River Discovery Center incompatible with the MME firmware or vice versa. EVI have been aware for more than a year but will not fix the issue. And blame Ford when you reach them for help.


To Bethany's credit I think ~10 L2 units have been installed in town. On a very slow Tuesday afternoon two were ICEd. Two were out of service with the screen dark. Two had a functioning screen but the card reader serving them both would not process any of the three cards I tried. Finally I found a unit along Garfield that read one card and I charged at the same rate as in my garage, ~6kW per hour. I added 16% to my extended range battery in 2.5 hours.

As it was after May 15 I also had to pay to park, $2.50 per hour. Parking is free from 11pm thru 10am.

I was nudged to comply despite there being about 60% free spaces in the main restaurant area just a block or so away, after noticing the one other car along that block of Garfield, a Nissan Leaf charging away, had a parking ticket slipped under the wiper.

I discussed the high rates with someone in the Bethany Town Hall early this year when I first read the press release after seeing the units going in. The Town does not seem to appreciate the issue.


Can anyone comfirm this as it seems likely to be a misprint? If it's not, Town of Bethany Beach is providing L2 charging at almost L3 rates which is pointless. No cost conscious EV owner would use this.
 
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timbop

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I'm not surprised. There are a number of places that have installed L2 chargers and are billing at DCFC rates. Kaiser Permanente has been installing SemaConnect L2 chargers at their DC area health centers at $0.30/kWh.
Yes, but the website is saying $.20/minute for L2, which would work out to something like $2/kwh if they're 6kw chargers - PLUS the parking fee
 

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Yes its true.

I was in Bethany in late May. I thought I would pay the exorbitant price just to check if the system would work...because the same company Bethany contracted to install the L3 units [Electric Vehicle Institute out of Baltimore] operates an older L3 [50kw] at the Nanticoke River Discovery Center incompatible with the MME firmware or vice versa. EVI have been aware for more than a year but will not fix the issue. And blame Ford when you reach them for help.
I was in Ocean City, MD for Cruisin' 2022 (entered Marlin in the Mustang Club of MD show). While there I tried the 4 EVI DCFC chargers on Ocean City's Coastal Highway. 3 of 4 wouldn't talk to my Mach E, the 4th was dead.

This is a real shame as folks will see there are chargers present and think they will work. I had to drive to Salisbury State University to charge at a Shell Recharge station. I highly recommend Guido's Burritos across the street while you wait!
 

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There is a L2 at the Nanticoke River Discovery Center in Vienna, Md.

I was unable to get the Salisbury Royal Farms 50kW unit to function this winter. It seems to be
in a state of permanent disrepair now according to PlugShare.

On the recent Bethany trip I was unable to activate either 50kW EVGo unit at the Queenstown Outlet Mall. PlugShare rates them poorly at 1.4 out of 10.

Fortunately the extended battery gives us just enough range to make the trip to Bethany and back without charging, so these failed efforts weren’t necessary to allow us to continu. Be careful if you aren’t able to destination charge or at least make it back over the bridge to Annapolis, the DelMarVa peninsula is a charging desert.
 
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iam-s-Hon

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I'm not surprised. There are a number of places that have installed L2 chargers and are billing at DCFC rates. Kaiser Permanente has been installing SemaConnect L2 chargers at their DC area health centers at $0.30/kWh.
I am not surprised.
 

iam-s-Hon

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Yes its true.

I was in Bethany in late May. I thought I would pay the exorbitant price just to check if the system would work...because the same company Bethany contracted to install the L3 units [Electric Vehicle Institute out of Baltimore] operates an older L3 [50kw] at the Nanticoke River Discovery Center incompatible with the MME firmware or vice versa. EVI have been aware for more than a year but will not fix the issue. And blame Ford when you reach them for help.


To Bethany's credit I think ~10 L2 units have been installed in town. On a very slow Tuesday afternoon two were ICEd. Two were out of service with the screen dark. Two had a functioning screen but the card reader serving them both would not process any of the three cards I tried. Finally I found a unit along Garfield that read one card and I charged at the same rate as in my garage, ~6kW per hour. I added 16% to my extended range battery in 2.5 hours.

As it was after May 15 I also had to pay to park, $2.50 per hour. Parking is free from 11pm thru 10am.

I was nudged to comply despite there being about 60% free spaces in the main restaurant area just a block or so away, after noticing the one other car along that block of Garfield, a Nissan Leaf charging away, had a parking ticket slipped under the wiper.

I discussed the high rates with someone in the Bethany Town Hall early this year when I first read the press release after seeing the units going in. The Town does not seem to appreciate the issue.
I have spent much time in Bethany & Rehoboth. Even though they are more year-round towns than they used to be, the towns will not pass up an opportunity to make the extra buck Memorial Day thru Labor Day. Not surprised at all the rates are above average. It could be a bit of price gouging, but it may also be to account from time over the off-season when there may be little use. That's a different scenario from a charger placed on a busy route or a business location with enough EV traffic year-round.
 

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Yes I've been on vacation and I get that it can be more expensive. Thanks for that.

I'm just looking for helpful info from people that have actually used it.
Just trying to save you some angst over it.
 

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@ChasingCoral did you try the new DCFC near the OC Library? I used those on my last visit in March and they worked great. I also used the chargers near the Convention center however they kept crapping out. I called the service line to let them know of the failures.

Was down this past weekend as well and saw every single L2 charger at the convention center being used, however the DCFC were empty. Maybe because they weren't operational LOL.
 

ChasingCoral

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@ChasingCoral did you try the new DCFC near the OC Library? I used those on my last visit in March and they worked great. I also used the chargers near the Convention center however they kept crapping out. I called the service line to let them know of the failures.

Was down this past weekend as well and saw every single L2 charger at the convention center being used, however the DCFC were empty. Maybe because they weren't operational LOL.
On 5/21 I used the 2 at the Convention Center: 1 was dead, other wouldn't talk to the Mach E; and the 2 at the Library: neither would talk to the Mach E.
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