Author Topic: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?  (Read 2090 times)

FrugalSaver

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Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« on: February 18, 2017, 10:36:06 PM »
I do and am trying to get some info from my work on how to use it, etc.  So far, I haven't been able to track down the info but I'll get it next week.

If you have one at work, how does it work? 

Do you pay a monthly fee to use it? 

Or is there a way to pay when you hook up to it? 

Is it free? 

If it takes 30 min or so to charge your car, are you expected to move it rather quickly so others can plug in? 

What's appropriate car charging etiquette on the shared use car charging station?

Not Your Monkey

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2017, 11:19:39 PM »
If you have one at work, how does it work?  At work, there's a fancy looking post with 4 outlets. One would bring one's own charging cable and hook it up to the car after plugging into the plug

Is it free?  It's free for me but depends on where you work. I have seen charging stations at other offices that use blink which I think requires a monthly subscription. Nissan usually has a couple free charging stations in their lot. Also around me, Kohl's has a few free ones.

If it takes 30 min or so to charge your car, are you expected to move it rather quickly so others can plug in?  Yes. Move it when you can. Since our office provides free outlets, they are not the fancy fast changing ones but rather the super slow 110. I move the car at lunchtime when the battery reaches about 80% charge to leave room for others. On occasion when I get to the office late, all the outlets are in use and I park elsewhere. When I return during lunch time, several spots open and that is very much appreciated.

What's appropriate car charging etiquette on the shared use car charging station?  Move your car when it is adequately charged. If you haven't already, I would suggest that you read up on how to extend your battery life.  Apparently it is not good for the battery to be or remain fully charged.

A major annoyance will be when you are ICE'ed... meaning a car with an internal combustible engine has parked in the clearly designated EV spot.

Seems like it would be easier to just walk around the garage or lot and see what the charging station looks like rather than trying to ask work. Non EV users are generally totally clueless about EV questions. If you happen to catch an EV user parking or leaving, that person will be the best person to get all the information you need. EV users are generally very friendly and enthusiastic about their car. I have gotten wonderful tips, like when is the best time to come, where there's a secret plug, etc.

Also apps like Plugshare are helpful. It's like a yelp for ev charging stations. Includes information like where are stations around you, whether or not they are free, how reliable they are.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2017, 11:28:26 PM by Not Your Monkey »

FrugalSaver

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2017, 11:45:31 PM »
thanks for the info

alsoknownasDean

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2017, 03:39:08 AM »
There's a carpark near my work that offers EV charging points, I guess it'd be free for use by EV owners, but of course using the carpark itself is not free (parking near my workplace is expensive).

CheapScholar

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2017, 06:57:01 AM »
I work at a university that has 6 or 8 stations.  I know it costs $25 for the year for unlimited use.  You get a special parking sticker when you pay.

I don't have an e-vehicle so I don't know more than that, although when it's time to buy a new car it will make me strongly consider getting one.  I live 9 miles from work - I think I could get by just charging at work once a week and wouldn't need to charge at home.

gaja

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2017, 07:40:45 AM »
If you have one at work, how does it work?
We have about 15 type2-chargers at work, ranging from 3.7-7.2kW, made by Garo, Mennekes, Schneider, etc (it has been part of a testing scheme to see which chargers are most reliable). You use a RFID tag to open or start it (depending on the type). Bring your own cable. One place is reserved for a company EV that anyone can use.

Do you pay a monthly fee to use it? 
It is free for now, but we are planning to start charging about 1-2 cents per minute to get people to move their cars when they are done charging.

Or is there a way to pay when you hook up to it? 
When the payment scheme is implemented, it will be connected to the RFID tag. We'll be using Fortum's system to get payment. 99 % of the EV owners in Norway already have a customer relationship with Fortum.

If it takes 30 min or so to charge your car, are you expected to move it rather quickly so others can plug in? 
We don't have speed chargers at work. We are starting to see a mainstream market i Norway now, where commercial companies make money on centrally located speed chargers. Competing with that would be counterproductive if we want a functioning market.

But, in general, charging beyond 80 % at a speed charger is costly, bad for your battery, and impolite if other people are waiting in line.

What's appropriate car charging etiquette on the shared use car charging station?
-if you can get by with charging at home; do it. Do not take up space at work unless you need it. (Or there are no other people using this places).
-move your car as soon as possible after it has finished charging enough to get you home (or where ever you are going next). Most cars have apps that will alert you when the car has reached the necessary level.

Fastfwd

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2017, 11:42:45 AM »
Don't have an EV yet but I'd like to even if it makes no financial sense yet with my travels and the cost of non-Ev vs EV car.

I do not have parking at work; much less charging. I drive to the bus terminal just outside Montreal and there are front row parking places there with charging which I think if free.

The car I would get would be a fusion energi so I could do to and from home to bus terminal on a single charge. It takes up to 7 hours to charge so I would probably plug it in anyway so I can go somewhere else after work if needed.

The close parking spots and access to HOV lanes are rewards for driving an EV; I would park there even if I don't need a charge. Maybe this will change later when EV outnumber parking spots.

gaja

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Re: Do you have an electric car charging station where you work?
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2017, 12:45:57 PM »
The close parking spots and access to HOV lanes are rewards for driving an EV; I would park there even if I don't need a charge. Maybe this will change later when EV outnumber parking spots.

The charging spots are not there as rewards for driving an EV. They are there to make it possible for people to choose an EV even if they live far from work or the train station. Since you're not a EV driver yet, you haven't experienced range anxiety, or the annoyance of finding the charger you need occupied by someone who isn't even plugged in. There are many times as many EVs as there are charging spots. If you take that spot, someone else might have to spend an extra hour finding and charging at a speed charger, or if the infrastructure is really bad: several hours at a trickle charger. Just because you didn't want to walk 5 extra meters.

One of my tasks at work is convincing the politicians that they should spend more money building charging infrastructure. How much money do you think they will set aside for this if they see people using the charging areas as parking spots? It makes it extremely difficult for me to convince them that EV owners need the chargers, it is not just a ruse to get prime parking. And there are plenty of people who think EV drivers, with those fancy expensive cars, should loose all insentives.

Several Norwegian towns have now changed the rules. The spots used to be reserved for chargable cars, now they can only be used by charging cars. After getting juicy fines a couple of times, people learn to plug in the car, or find a different parking place. And, like magic, those who need the charging places have much less trouble finding one that is available.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!