GregKet1 Posted May 17, 2013 at 11:19 PM Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 at 11:19 PM I just picked up my Energi a couple of days ago. Looking at PlugShare I see there are several different ChargingService providers around here (the SFBay Area). Is there one that is better/more common than the others? Should I get both/all/??? Any advice from folks who have been driving electrically for a while would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russael Posted May 17, 2013 at 11:39 PM Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 at 11:39 PM If your destinations contain one or the other, go with the one that you'll use. But if you think you'll have destinations that are under different providers, you could go with both. I went with Chargepoint since they were giving away free cards for Earth Week and I set my account up to only use the free ones (and pretty much all of them are free in Michigan sans 1 I was able to find that makes you pay). It also depends on if they charge you fees to use their services, or monthly "service" fees, etc as well. I would not have picked up any of these if they charged me a monthly fee say, 10 bucks a month. None of my current destinations have charging stations, but there is a Meijer by the parent's home that houses 2 (and they're free). Most of those networks have a guest access mode too... it's a bit more annoying to do, but you should still be able to charge at most of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokicat Posted May 31, 2013 at 06:51 AM Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 at 06:51 AM I got both Chargepoint and Blink Networks. Both offer free cards and have pros and cons. Chargepoint tends to be from Palo Alto to SF while Blink is South Bay. Chargepoint costs are set by the facilities owners. Blink is a flat $1 per hour which gets you about 40% charge. Even at that rate it's still cheaper than gas. One thing I like about Chargepoint is that it also has a 120 port that is rarely used. If I just need to top off or I plan to park for a long time, I just use the level 1 charger so I leave the level 2 for someone who needs it. The cover of the 120v socket locks over your plug to deter theft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhyalus Posted May 31, 2013 at 09:13 AM Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 at 09:13 AM Really guys - is it worth it for a PHEV that only gets 21 miles on the battery? You are going to sit at a charging station for 1-2.5 hours for this? I guess if there are no other hidden fees, etc., it is better than gas, but the only time you would probably use this is if you were at a mall or workplace or somewhere that you were going to be doing something for that long, right? R GregKet1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest drfeltersnatch Posted May 31, 2013 at 06:05 PM Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 at 06:05 PM i love going to the mall and getting front row parking and free miles. eat lunch, do some shopping, come out to full battery. winning. FusionEnergi, Russael and GregKet1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokicat Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:45 PM Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:45 PM My lifestyle includes a lot of dining out so yes 10 free miles for an hour charge has bumped up my EV usage to over 80% of my total miles for where I need to drive every day. This also gives me the extra juice to run climate controls and have some fun driving. The only difference from before my NRG is I don't have to hunt for parking. I generally see more Volts than other EV or PHEV. On a funny note there are literally lines of Leafs at Blink chargers because their DC charger is free for the remainder of 2013. That one is worth sitting in your car for 30 min to get a 90% charge. I have a picture of a busy day and I added a caption "too many leaves and not enough trees". GregKet1 and TX NRG 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombsAuthor Posted June 2, 2013 at 02:53 PM Report Share Posted June 2, 2013 at 02:53 PM I signed up for both, but in Dallas it is mostly Blinks or independent stations. The infrastructure is pretty good, so I seek out the stations to see if there are any near my destination. One primary reason why I bought the Energi is to save gas, so it is worth the extra effort to me even if it is a quick one hour charge. Plus, we get a little extra walk under our belts and enjoy the experience of finding new places. On the negative side, those places that offer free charges are sure making a lot of money from us! GregKet1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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