EV Charging Companies: Fix Your Charging Stations!

I admit it: I’ve been spoiled by proudly owning a Tesla. If I journey round Florida to go to buddies, attend a convention, or discover a cultural attraction, I can at all times depend on with the ability to cost at one of many quite a few Supercharger stations up and down I-95. As a common rule, they’re well-maintained charging stations, situated in brightly lit areas the place I can purchase a snack or store retail.

As I trip in New England, nonetheless, I’ve discovered my charging expertise to be totally totally different each time I enterprise away from my Stage 1 dwelling charging. A used 2017 Chevy Bolt is my EV of alternative, and my travels can take me to six states, to shorelines and mountain villages, to city areas simply contained in the Connecticut/ New York border, and into rural small farming communities. Touring 3 hours from my cabin within the woods isn’t uncommon, and plenty of these are freeway miles. So, with the guess-o-meter studying about 200 miles vary totally charged after I depart, I do know I might want to cost a few instances on a New England journey.

As emissaries of all-electric transportation, we EV drivers attempt to not impose on our hosts for charging at their properties. Anyway, not everybody has an outside plug close to their parking areas. Meaning till the NACS turns into pervasive, I’ve bought to find dependable, accessible, environment friendly, and dealing charging stations. I really want to seek out quick charging stations, too, so I can zip in and get again on the highway.

Good luck with that.

Charging firms simply don’t appear to be sustaining their charging stations. I learn so many feedback on PlugShare that describe damaged chargers, sluggish or interrupted charging, boundaries across the charger that stop multiple car from charging, and the like. Charging firms say they’re pleased with being on the cusp of US transportation electrification, however, except they spend much more time addressing the pervasive points at their chargers, their enterprise fashions will probably be going proper down the bathroom.

As I plan for my remaining month of New England summer time travels, permit me to share a few of my charging legwork and makes an attempt. It’s not pretty.

I used to be invited to a Saturday night engagement social gathering in Norwalk, CT. Clearly, the hosts could be attending to friends, so charging at their dwelling was out of the query. I’ve been on the lookout for a charging station close to the restaurant, proper on Fundamental Avenue. I’d park, plug in, and stroll to the restaurant. What might be simpler? Nope. The parking storage charger hasn’t been dependable for some time, in response to feedback left on PlugShare. A close-by inn appeared promising till I learn concerning the convoluted charging directions: Obtain AmpUp – EV charging app to start out charging to make use of the station. NOTE: It won’t present within the app, you’ll HAVE to scan the QR code. Attending the engagement social gathering seems to be like an excessive amount of of a trouble, so I’m sending a present card as an alternative.

Youthful brother has a trip dwelling within the Vermont mountains, and there’s a plan floating round for a household rendezvous overlooking Mad River Glen. You’d assume that I-91 would have plenty of quick charging stations, proper? I’d definitely must cost alongside this freeway, as a consequence of needed excessive journey speeds. Mistaken. There’s a complete quick charging desert alongside the Massachusetts part of the route. Certain, it’s pleasant to see 3 icons with “Coming Quickly” descriptors, however that received’t assist me this yr. Lastly, I’ve discovered a quick charger within the Greenfield Massive Y car parking zone which appeared to truly work. I’ll plug in right here on the best way up and again and can in all probability be advantageous.

Greenfield, MA quick charger feedback

I’ll be visiting buddies in a packed seaside group, Falmouth Heights, Massachusetts, on the finish of the month. I used to be so excited to see a quick charger as quickly as I searched PlugShare! Alas, it seems that it’s a campground, and also you have to be a visitor to make use of the charger. One charger of unknown kW is obtainable at Falmouth Marine Park, with feedback from relieved patrons who discovered it to be working. Hopefully, my weekday journey will permit me to get onto the charger and not using a wait. Fingers crossed.

On the identical journey, I’ll be heading a lot farther east to the tip of Cape Cod. I wouldn’t anticipate finding a quick charger close by, however I do know the realm sufficient to plan a cease in Hyannis on the best way out and presumably again. The Cape Cod Mall is a well-liked central location, so I’ve checked the report on the quick charger situated there. Nope. Actually? That is getting ridiculous.

Cape Cod Mall quick charger feedback

We have now pricey buddies that dwell in Marblehead, MA — dwelling to world class crusing, an attraction that brings plenty of rich of us to the realm. You’d assume there could be a quick charger in that space, proper? No. However I used to be relieved to discover a Stage 2 charger on the Marblehead Municipal Mild Division. We will go away the Bolt there, hop into our buddies’ car, and return for the automotive later within the day. However, wait! Of the 5 chargers listed, just one is working! This will show embarrassing for us and our hosts.

Marblehead Mild Division chargers

I have to relate my most amusing disappointing unacceptable public charging expertise so far this summer time in closing. Whereas we have been having some electrical upgrades carried out on our Connecticut cabin within the woods, I headed to the supplier the place I purchased the Bolt to seize some electrons. It was one other torrential wet day, so I pulled into the lot, tucked into my hoodie, and stepped out to cost on the quick charger out again close to the people who smoke’ space. I dragged the charging cable to the Bolt, wrestled with the awkward plug, and bought it to click on in place. Nothing occurred on the charging station touchscreen. Unplug and repeat — nothing.

Okay. So I moved the automotive to the opposite facet of the constructing and the service bay, the place I had been informed one other quick charger was situated. I eased into the bay and bought out, able to cost. A ZZ High-wannabe technician got here barreling over, yelling at me to maneuver the automotive, that they wanted to make use of it to scrub the automobiles. I defined succinctly that I wanted to cost (Perhaps you don’t see the quick charger proper there, dude?).  He held his floor and informed me to make use of the charger within the showroom.

I drove to that bay, the place I knew a Stage 2 charger was situated. In the course of the unique gross sales transaction, the power supervisor informed a narrative about putting an Out of Order signal on it as a result of a neighbor who owned a Nissan LEAF was charging there every day, utilizing the dealership’s electrical energy — and hadn’t even purchased the LEAF there! The audacity! I believed, as an precise patron of the dealership, I would have the ability to use it. Nope. The identical supervisor stated the cable ties on it couldn’t be launched, even for an current buyer. One other Stage 2 charger contained in the showroom was blocked by a automotive prepared for supply.

However the supervisor informed me that there was a fifth charger again by the unique damaged quick charger I’d tried. I’d acknowledge it, he informed me, as a result of a Cadillac was parked in entrance of it. If I angled my Bolt in good, the cable would attain. Again out into the raindrops I went, and — behold! Hidden in a weedy space close to the Caddie was a Stage 2 charger. I plugged in, jumped in my automotive, and tried to dry out whereas I charged for a few hours and browse.

Why don’t these charging firms and sellers acknowledge that their reputations relaxation with problematic makes an attempt to cost comparable to I’ve described right here? Their ineptitude is unquestionably affecting my capability to journey this summer time. We early EV adopters are essentially resilient, however we do want to have the ability to cost to drive. And we want these services to step up their video games and fulfill their contracts with shoppers after they say they supply charging.

It’s actually not an excessive amount of to ask.

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