Charging at Electrify America

[sobayimage]

Electrify America appears to be designed to fail. On the 6th of July I tried to use Electrify America in Visalia California and again on the 11 of July in Bakersfield California,each for the first time. It took 45 minutes at each to get one charge plug working and charge my 2017 Bolt after failing at 5 other plugs. The lady on the phone instructed me to lift up on the plug to start charging but it never worked. She had to give me a free charge session each time because none on the 6 card readers would work either. The other design problems at Electrify America are: charge cords very short (horse tail short), inflexible (barge pole flexible), heavy (Sumo wrestler heavy) and with screens only useable at night, invisible in daylight. The layout of the charging station’s lanes are great if your charging port is in the front like the Nissan Leaf. Most cars today have the charging ports on the side and Electrify America charging cords won‘t reach. A driver, with a Chevy Bolt like mine, was just leaving as I pulled up at the Bakersfield site because he had given up and was going to the EV Connect charging station down the street. I own three different electric cars, one from 2012, so I have lots of experience at many different charging stations. The best of all is still the Tesla, just plug and go.

 

[theothertom]

EA has been hit or miss for me. The card readers are particularly troublesome, so lately I've been using the app which works much better. Sometimes I have to back in and sometimes I have to pull in to make the cords work. It's gotten to the point that I don't bother calling EA if a charger doesn't work, I just pull to the next one. I check plugshare before getting to the charger to see which charger might work best. Some people EA before getting to the charger to get up to date info on which one they recommend.
My real worry is what will happen when the Ford Mach-E and VW id.4 start selling. Both of these are relying on charging at EA chargers. EA needs to get their act together before the tsunami hits.

 

[BoltEV]

I also agree: I was never able to get my credit card to work on EA, so I downloaded the app and joined.

Now the app has worked 100% of the time for me so far.

But I avoid EA if I have a reasonable alternative.

For example there is an EA in Mojave, but EV Connect now has 4 chargers located at the Park & Ride in Palmdale, which uses the same FOB as the EV Connect at the LA Metro Train station in Universal City.

 

[cwerdna]

Yes, per https://insideevs.com/news/389891/exclusive-interview-electrify-america-problems-solutions/ don't use the credit card readers and I guess by extension, don't use NFC either. Use the app to start sessions.

As for supporting the handle until the plug's locked to the car, it's been known for a long time and the hint has been circulating around on the net for at least 6 months, if not longer. I've seen it posted so many times on Bolt FB groups and there's https://www.torquenews.com/8861/chevrolet-bolt-ev-and-spark-ev-charging-port-issues-and-corrections and https://www.torquenews.com/8861/fixing-chevy-bolt-ev-and-spark-ev-charging-systems from 2019.

One really stupid thing about EA's iOS app is that I get signed out ALL the time w/my session somehow becoming "expired". So, make sure you have your password saved/handy. About the only iOS app I use which I use that is about as bad in terms of signing users out for no reason is TiVo's app.

I've had so-so luck w/EA but yes, it seems EA is very hit or miss from all accounts, even w/supporting the handle before it's locked to the car. My 1st attempt was at https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=581197#p581197.

Fortunately, after pinging them, they eventually followed up with me and ended up refunding the entire 1st charge cost: session fee and time fee.

 

[imfromjersey]

I concur - I had an awful experience about a year ago at an EA Charger in Newport News, VA, it seemed to be working but would only charge for 10 minutes or so and then stop. I was in an area without a lot of chargers, I was able to get enough charge to drive 30 miles up the road to a non-EA charger and then get home (it was a 2 + hour drive from home). I went back and forth with their customer service, they never did end up charging my credit card but I would be hesitant to use them again. Right now due to the pandemic I'm barely driving my car, have only plugged it in 3 times since March but eventually I'm sure I will be driving more...

 

[ElectricAdventure]

The issues with the Bolt charging on the EA system seems to be pretty weird. I have charged a Bolt on their units a few times and haven't had a hitch. First try, with the app (only just started using a credit card at their locations). Both ABB, Signet. A friend of mine drove his Bolt from Califorina to Utah just on EA chargers and had one crappy charging session at the Chargepoint station in St. George (because the EA station wasn't online yet) and it was because it was hot and only giving 35kW out.

The eSpark however was quite the pain. It finally started working enough for me to drive from Sanatquin UT to St. George on EA stations and every one worked just fine- even if I had to move a stall once. I have at least 18 failed attempts in my spreadsheet I created to document their broken chargers. But like I said, now that they fixed the problem I use them at least once a month to get around.

 

[TheLondonBroiler]

If you value your sanity, use the app. If your OS is too old (this was my issue), it's probably time to buy a new phone anyway. The app drastically improves reliable session starting and avoids the potential for getting your card skimmed at a station.

 

[Kirknc]

Here in NC and Virginia, they have shutdown virtually all their stations. On PlugShare they have posted messages saying they are “upgrading the site to improve performance “. Any idea what the heck they are doing. Nice they did it right before Labor Day as in many cases they were the only option within hundreds of miles.

 

[theothertom]

Here in NC and Virginia, they have shutdown virtually all their stations. On PlugShare they have posted messages saying they are “upgrading the site to improve performance “. Any idea what the heck they are doing. Nice they did it right before Labor Day as in many cases they were the only option within hundreds of miles.

EA used at least 3 manufacturers of chargers during their start up. Some were more reliable than others. They are removing the unreliable ones and replacing them with more reliable units. They started this process maybe 6 weeks ago....I don't know how long it will take to complete the process.

 

[ElDobro]

They are also updating the stations that did work to faster charging ones.

 

[theothertom]

They are also updating the stations that did work to faster charging ones.

Are you sure about that? I think the charging rate is the same as the old ones, but hopefully the new ones actually work.

 

[JamesG]

Here in NC and Virginia, they have shutdown virtually all their stations. On PlugShare they have posted messages saying they are “upgrading the site to improve performance “. Any idea what the heck they are doing. Nice they did it right before Labor Day as in many cases they were the only option within hundreds of miles.

[I drive a 2020 Chevy Bolt]

I got burned in Asheville NC Sat 9/5 at the Sams Club on the north side. I checked all the usual apps before arrival into town (including EAs own) and saw nothing about EA being down at the site. Arriving with a very low SOC, the EA chargers were blocked off and crews were actively installing updated pedestals (none of which were available for charging).

I managed to get a charge from EVgo at the Biltmore mall on the south side.

The rest of my EA experiences on my 2400 mile road trip (10 EA total) were ok, once I realized how you MUST start the chargers (any deviation from this exactly would fail for me until I learned the process)

SIGN UP for a membership. Pay the $4/mo. In my case it was way worth it to save money and hassle.

Make sure the port is shown as working on the display

Plug in first, hold the plug by pulling up firmly so you maintain full contact with your vehicle port

Have your app ready to swipe with your other hand

WAIT TO SWIPE on the app until the credit card screen comes up on the pedestal screen

THEN swipe. If you swipe too early, it will fail.

Each time I would call, EA reps would tell me to "swipe within a couple seconds of plugging in", while the "initiating" box was showing on the pedestal and app. That guarantees a fail, temporarily rendering that port/cable unusable until it times out.

Now that I have the EA dance down, I'm good.

A separate post will be forthcoming with stats about my 2400 mile trip on labor day weekend.

 

[ElDobro]

They are also updating the stations that did work to faster charging ones.

Are you sure about that? I think the charging rate is the same as the old ones, but hopefully the new ones actually work.

Here you go, it's under checkins.
https://www.plugshare.com/location/172095

 

[theothertom]

They are also updating the stations that did work to faster charging ones.

Are you sure about that? I think the charging rate is the same as the old ones, but hopefully the new ones actually work.

Here you go, it's under checkins.
https://www.plugshare.com/location/172095

Thanks for the link. EA throttled back some chargers from 150 to 50. It looks like they are trying to fix that. They were always supposed to be 150, so in that sense it's not a change. But in the sense of it actually working at 150 it is a (welcome) change.

 

[SparkE]

Electrify America sent me an email : "You asked for it and now it's here! Learn all about our new pricing." Their email talks about how wonderful it is that their pricing (in states where allowed) are moving to per- kWh pricing, instead of per-minute.

Also, "in a state not making the switch to per-kWh pricing, we’ve made paying for charging simpler as well. In these states, where charging is still priced on a per-minute basis, we are simplifying it to two power levels (and reducing these per-minute prices across the board) and eliminating the $1 session fee. "

Ummm, I just checked a few sites in Calif, and the prices have gone up for Bolt drivers, to $0.43/kWh. Considering that the "subscription" (Pass+) price before was $0.18/min, that is a significant increase. If you were charging below 50% SoC, you were paying about $0.20/kWh. If you were charging between 55-70% SoC, you were paying a bit under $0.30/kWh.

Not a great change, IMHO.

 

[SparkE]

Great for VW-conglomerate vehicles which charge at over 100 kW rate, however ....

 

[ElectricAdventure]

I just checked the Salt Lake Sam's Club Electrify America Supercharger and the one in Green River, UT on plugshare. Both are by the minute still which is a godsend for eSparks and Bolt EVs.
Imna stick with free Chargepoint superchargers though (Price CP instead of Green River EA for instance).
That was actually a really hard part about the Bolt for me. My first car was the eSpark so charging was almost always under $5 but now the Bolt costs over $10 to fill sometimes which is really hard for me to swallow. A trip to Logan UT from Santaquin could be free if I used 25kW units but if I paid it cost $6 in a Spark. Now it will cost me $8 / $10 in a Bolt. I assume it is better than paying for gas though~

 

[theothertom]

I just checked the Salt Lake Sam's Club Electrify America Supercharger and the one in Green River, UT on plugshare. Both are by the minute still which is a godsend for eSparks and Bolt EVs.
Imna stick with free Chargepoint superchargers though (Price CP instead of Green River EA for instance).
That was actually a really hard part about the Bolt for me. My first car was the eSpark so charging was almost always under $5 but now the Bolt costs over $10 to fill sometimes which is really hard for me to swallow. A trip to Logan UT from Santaquin could be free if I used 25kW units but if I paid it cost $6 in a Spark. Now it will cost me $8 / $10 in a Bolt. I assume it is better than paying for gas though~

Much better than paying for gas and don't forget the cost savings on maintenance (no oil changes, etc). Plus you're not polluting as much....

 

[ElectricAdventure]

I just checked the Salt Lake Sam's Club Electrify America Supercharger and the one in Green River, UT on plugshare. Both are by the minute still which is a godsend for eSparks and Bolt EVs.
Imna stick with free Chargepoint superchargers though (Price CP instead of Green River EA for instance).
That was actually a really hard part about the Bolt for me. My first car was the eSpark so charging was almost always under $5 but now the Bolt costs over $10 to fill sometimes which is really hard for me to swallow. A trip to Logan UT from Santaquin could be free if I used 25kW units but if I paid it cost $6 in a Spark. Now it will cost me $8 / $10 in a Bolt. I assume it is better than paying for gas though~

Much better than paying for gas and don't forget the cost savings on maintenance (no oil changes, etc). Plus you're not polluting as much....

The not-polluting part is really the only part I care about with regards to an electric car. Not spending money out the ear in gas is just a side effect I guess.
I've never owned a gasoline (combustion) powered car before so I don't really think about all those things. But I really want a Gasoline powered WRX- those things are so cool!

 

[theothertom]

The not-polluting part is really the only part I care about with regards to an electric car. Not spending money out the ear in gas is just a side effect I guess.
I've never owned a gasoline (combustion) powered car before so I don't really think about all those things. But I really want a Gasoline powered WRX- those things are so cool!

wow! You must be considerable younger than me. Wouldn't it be cool to be one of the first to never own an ICE in your lifetime?