BoltEV said:
JoeS said:
As a side note, I think EVgo's DCFC rate structure of charging by the minute sucks for vehicles with low DCFC rates and it's horrendous if someone is trying to simply fill up for a long trip out into the boondocks.
It is what it is, and if there is no alternative available, then it is merely one cost element of a potentially long trip.
I have to agree with BoltEV on this. If you need it, you need it, and thank god it's there.
A related issue : *your* choice of which charging network does sort of depend on what is convenient for *you*. By that, I mean what are the options available to you. If you don't have any ChargePoint or Electrify America units (or whatever network) close to you, then you don't have a choice.
- The cost for ChargePoint units is set by the owner (which is rarely ChargePoint, except for a dozen or two dozen DCFC sites recently installed along highway corridors). ChargePoint units often charge by the kWh, not by time (although there has been a tendency for ChargePoint's more recent DCFC unit installs to now charge for both).
- The cost for charging at EA sites can be cheaper, but they also charge by the minute. If you use EA's DCFCs at least twice a month, it is most likely less expensive to become a 'paid' EA subscription member ($4/month, but price in Calif drop down to about $0.18/min from $0.25/min, and you no longer pay connection fee of $1 per hookup). EA units also have LOTS of reported problems : either bad credit card (CC) readers, or not being able to start a charge without calling EA to reboot the unit(s), or even not at all even after that. Which means EA units are (at this time, and only IMO) a bad choice for when you
have to get a charge without being able to make it to any other site - i.e., a "if I can't charge, I am stuck here" situation.) A "prevent anxiety" quick stop at some other DCFC simply to make sure you can get to (at least) two other DCFCs if the EA units don't work is a good idea at this point in time. And again, if EA units aren't convenient to you, it doesn't much matter.
Frankly, as it stands today, I think that a "free" EVgo subscription (via AAA) is a no-brainer, as you get the lower price without a cost. (The non-free one basically gives you the cost of the monthly sub in "free" charging). Also, the ChargePoint card is free, so have one of those (there are a few free ChargePoint units out in the wild, just not many). And then have an EA subscription. That way you have the choice. Again, if you are going to use DCFC at least twice a month, and it is convenient for you, an EA subscription is probably the cheapest solution as the $4 subscription fee not only charges at a lower price but also eliminates the $1 connection fee (3 charges a month would be, duh, $3 in connection fees). And again, if EA units aren't convenient to you, it doesn't much matter.
................... free subscrip ............. pay sub ..
EA: ............. $0.25/min ..... ...... $0.18/min ...
EVgo (SF) ...... $0.30/min .... .... $0.26/min ...
EVgo (LA) ...... $0.27/min .... .... $0.23/min ...
EVgo units are often 100A (really 38 kW) units, occasionally 125A units (48 kW), and only rarely full 55 kW to a Bolt - so you are getting lower kWh per minute and thus the kWh price is higher than it would seem. You need to actually look at the label on the DCFC unit to tell the difference between the 100A and 125A units, as EVgo calls both "50 kW".
Electrify America units are almost always at least 300A (over 100 kW) units and those will always charge a Bolt at its fastest possible charge rate (there are some lower 50 kW sites) .
GET THE SMARTPHONE APP for all of the networks you *might* use (especially before a trip) as they are generally available for free, and an expensive charge is better than being stuck dead in the water, or forced to charge at 6 kW for 5 hours.
