I just got my ChargePoint Card,

[bobo]

I am new to all this. So thanks...
What kind of plug do I have?
And what do I look for on Chargepoint site regarding charging my Bolt regarding "plug".
I assume I will always be looking for only for Fast Charging Sites? I guess I have no choice?? But "fast".
Boy.... I am really dumb on all this stuff...
Again... I thank you.

I will be traveling in CA/OR, up and down Interstate 5.
So I guess Chargepoint membership is my best choice?

 

[SparkEVPilot]

I am new to all this. So thanks...
What kind of plug do I have?
And what do I look for on Chargepoint site regarding charging my Bolt regarding "plug".
I assume I will always be looking for only for Fast Charging Sites? I guess I have no choice?? But "fast".
Boy.... I am really dumb on all this stuff...
Again... I thank you.

I will be traveling in CA/OR, up and down Interstate 5.
So I guess Chargepoint membership is my best choice?

You are able to slow charge using the J1772 plug or fast charge at charging locations with CCS plugs. Log onto PlugShare.com and you will have a means to locate working stations and plan your charging along your travel route.

Electrify America (EA) is just starting to develop quite a network across the USA and especially here in California. Chevy Bolts have been successfully charging at EA locations and many new locations are under construction. ChargePoint works great but is quite limited in availability. EVgo stations have been quite reliable too.

 

[WetEV]

I am new to all this. So thanks...
What kind of plug do I have?

CCS
Chargepoint's site calls this "DC- Combo"

And what do I look for on Chargepoint site regarding charging my Bolt regarding "plug".

Check the box saying DC - Combo, and only the CCS capable sites will show up on Chargepoint's map.

I'd also suggest Plugshare.com's web page and app.

I assume I will always be looking for only for Fast Charging Sites? I guess I have no choice?? But "fast".

An L2 charger is a handy thing to have at a long stop. Like a hotel or someplace else you are going to be for hours.

So I guess Chargepoint membership is my best choice?

You are not limited to one. I have Flo, Greenlots, Blink, EVgo, Electrify America, Semacharge, Westabo,... and Chargepoint.

 

[cwerdna]

Checking Plugshare for stations along the way is a MUST!

Filter by J1772 and SAE Combo, assuming your vehicle has SAE Combo. If you don't have the orange dust cover under an orange flap covering 2 holes for 2 pins, you do NOT have SAE Combo inlet. If you don't have it, then you'll be limited to level 2 (200 to 240 volt) charging, which is too slow for a road trip.

You REALLY should get accounts on and register methods of payments for all the networks you might be using along the way. Also, getting RFID cards from them would help in addition to installing and logging into their apps.

At minimum, get on ChargePoint, EVgo and Electrify America. Avoid the 24 kW chargers, if you can, they're too slow. Example is these guys: https://www.chargepoint.com/products/commercial/cpe100/. https://www.plugshare.com/location/73333 and https://www.plugshare.com/location/81743 are examples.

If a location has a low Plugshare score and people not reporting successful charges recently, then you should probably avoid or count on not being able to charge there.

ChargePoint's app may also list the last successful (?) uses of a given CP station.

You want to arrive at low state of charge and take off once it's gotten too slow and you have enough juice to make it to the next station and its backups. You can see at https://electricrevs.com/2018/07/17/watch-a-bolt-ev-at-a-chargepoint-express-250-charge-at-up-to-55-kw/ that after 55%, the charging has slowed way down (rate is in kW) and it eventually ramps down further. This is on a "62.5 kW" DC fast charger'.

Those CPE 100 crap units seem to be like 19 kW at low SoC and ramp up to a higher amount like 21 kW as you get fuller, maybe because of the higher pack voltage at that point.

 

[bobo]

Thanks everybody.... what great information!!!
And yes, my Bolt has the SAE Combo.