Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[wavelet]

You can use NFC off your phone to initiate the charge at EA stations I think. Same as Chargepoint.

I will have to try that at the next EA. But the big hassle is simply turning my SmartPhone on as I always keep it off and it takes a while to boot up.


I think from now on, if I know my next stop will be an EA charge station, I will just leave it on until I get there.


I have plenty of cards for the other machines and that's the best way of them all, IMO. I keep a CP card with my bike keys and another in my wallet (as well has have several others) as CP is what I use the most these days. Such as at Cisco Grove, CA, about midway between my houses.


-Don-  Reno, NV

There's  a California law that went into effect a while ago, according to which all non-free publicly-accessible charging stations need to support payment via CC without need for any smartphone app, chip card, prior registration or any membership -- just like any gasoline pump. Holds for new DC chargers starting Jan. 1 this year, new AC chargers starting Jan. 2023 and all existing chargers starting 2033.
Have CC terminals not started showing up on public chargers yet?
https://calevip.org/sites/default/files/docs/calevip/California_EVCS_Regulations_Guide.pdf

[flynnstig82r]

They’re here, but they hardly ever work. The only chargers I can consistently get to work on the first try are EA chargers when I pay via the app before plugging in. I can’t recall a single time I’ve ever tried to pay via CC and had any DC charger successfully start.

[DonTom]

They’re here, but they hardly ever work. The only chargers I can consistently get to work on the first try are EA chargers when I pay via the app before plugging in. I can’t recall a single time I’ve ever tried to pay via CC and had any DC charger successfully start.

I hate those EA chargers because of that! The only one I need to turn on my Smartphone for, but I sometimes have no choice.


I had to use the EA chargers at the Fernley, NV Wal*Mart a couple of times in the last week. At least I can say those there are very reliable and work well, unlike the ones I tried to use at the Elk Grove, CA Wal*Mart. But I prefer to use the ones that use a card, such as Ev-Go, ChargePoint, Shell-Recharge, EV-Connect and perhaps all the others.


I think you recall the hassles I had getting them started in Placerville. Took about half of the time that I could have been charging.


Anyway, they now have a CC reader on the EAs at Fernley, NV. But I couldn't get it to work. Perhaps not yet connected. But I would rather pay more and just use a credit card than use my EA account. I hate such hassles. I normally keep my SmartPhone off and I realize that's the main problem. I only very rarely have a need to turn it on, but those stupid EA chargers are among those reasons. I don't know why they cannot use their own card, like everybody else. I don't mind carrying a dozen cards with me, at least I don't have to boot those up and need to see the screen in bright sunlight.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[flynnstig82r]

Yes the EA’s do take some fiddling if you’re not used to them. The first time I used one it took 30 to 45 mins to figure out the right steps to get it charging, but once I went through that, I’ve had fewer problems than with any other network.

Those Placerville chargers were also not in a good state of repair. That was the first time I couldn’t get an EA charger to work no matter what I did. I used to say that I’ve never failed to get an EA charger working, but I can’t say that anymore. It will probably become more common as their network ages, unfortunately.

[DonTom]

Yes the EA’s do take some fiddling if you’re not used to them. The first time I used one it took 30 to 45 mins to figure out the right steps to get it charging, but once I went through that, I’ve had fewer problems than with any other network.

Those Placerville chargers were also not in a good state of repair. That was the first time I couldn’t get an EA charger to work no matter what I did. I used to say that I’ve never failed to get an EA charger working, but I can’t say that anymore. It will probably become more common as their network ages, unfortunately.

I don't know why some work so much better than others. But the AE chargers at the Wal*Mart in Elk Grove were the worse I have seen. And the best was the AE Chargers at the Fenley Wal*mart (rated a ten on Plugshare).


But I just now checked Elk Grove. I think those have been repaired as nobody is now having trouble with those. It's been a couple of years since I tried there (and gave up after wasting an hour). To my surprise, that location is now also rated a ten. I will have to go back there one of these days and try one again.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[Richard230]

Yes the EA’s do take some fiddling if you’re not used to them. The first time I used one it took 30 to 45 mins to figure out the right steps to get it charging, but once I went through that, I’ve had fewer problems than with any other network.

Those Placerville chargers were also not in a good state of repair. That was the first time I couldn’t get an EA charger to work no matter what I did. I used to say that I’ve never failed to get an EA charger working, but I can’t say that anymore. It will probably become more common as their network ages, unfortunately.

I don't know why some work so much better than others. But the AE chargers at the Wal*Mart in Elk Grove were the worse I have seen. And the best was the AE Chargers at the Fenley Wal*mart (rated a ten on Plugshare).


But I just now checked Elk Grove. I think those have been repaired as nobody is now having trouble with those. It's been a couple of years since I tried there (and gave up after wasting an hour). To my surprise, that location is now also rated a ten. I will have to go back there one of these days and try one again.


-Don-  Reno, NV

I continue to wonder what the 500K charging stations (read that most would be DC fast chargers) that the U.S. government plans to install all over the country are going to be like and how well they will be maintained?  If they start failing a few years after they are built, I imagine the general public that is driving EVs and depends upon the charging facilities to power their vehicles during a trip (or because they live in an apartment and do not have access to an L2 outlet) is not going to be happy and will be raising a big stink about expensive government programs not working.

[DonTom]

I continue to wonder what the 500K charging stations (read that most would be DC fast chargers) that the U.S. government plans to install all over the country are going to be like and how well they will be maintained?  If they start failing a few years after they are built, I imagine the general public that is driving EVs and depends upon the charging facilities to power their vehicles during a trip (or because they live in an apartment and do not have access to an L2 outlet) is not going to be happy and will be raising a big stink about expensive government programs not working.

When do they start and what type of charge stations? CCS and J-1772?  Zeros could use a lot more J-1772. CCS should now ONLY be put far away from the large cities.  We don't need to see more of those on I-80 in CA, such as around Sacramento.  I wish I could tell them where they are needed, even in CA. Places such as Lake Topaz, Susanville which now each has Tesla Superchargers ONLY. And also, somewhere south of Honey Lake, Quincy, Portola and countless other places, in CA.


I think when we have mostly EVs on the road, they will be much better maintained. And there should then be so many, if a few are broken it won't make a big difference.


Right now, it's to the point of EVs being useless in most of NV. The few fast charge stations we have outside the big cities are usually broken. Right now, the only CCS charger is out in Fallon. So go to the next charger at Silver Springs. All are broken there. If you cannot make it back to Fernley, or to Carson City, you will have to call a tow truck. I assume it has happened a few times in the last week for those who do not check Plugshare and don't have a long-range EV.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[flynnstig82r]

I continue to wonder what the 500K charging stations (read that most would be DC fast chargers) that the U.S. government plans to install all over the country are going to be like and how well they will be maintained?  If they start failing a few years after they are built, I imagine the general public that is driving EVs and depends upon the charging facilities to power their vehicles during a trip (or because they live in an apartment and do not have access to an L2 outlet) is not going to be happy and will be raising a big stink about expensive government programs not working.

If they're anything like the Caltrans chargers I've seen, the maintenance will be piss poor. Whenever I've used one, the charge was free and I still wanted my money back! It often took many tries to start the charge with no apparent rhyme or reason to the success or failure, and that was in the minority of cases that they worked at all. I'd rather pay a few bucks for a reliable charge than deal with that nonsense, so I avoid them at all costs.

[DonTom]

If they're anything like the Caltrans chargers I've seen, the maintenance will be piss poor.

I would be happy with "piss poor" on those. It has been non-existent, so "piss poor" would be a very big improvement!


BTW, where have you seen those besides the Donner Summit Rest Area? Of course, they have both been out of service for around a year. But they did work early last summer in 2021.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[flynnstig82r]

I used one along the I-5 coming back north from Long Beach. That one actually worked fine. There was a bank of 4 of them at a rest stop on the Grapevine that almost stranded me. I was down to 2% SoC after failing to get the nearby ChargePoint to work, it was midnight, and I was still over a hundred miles away from my destination. Would not have been the ideal time to call a tow truck! Each one of the first 3 that I tried would not work, my panic rising with each one, until the last one finally kicked on. I vowed never to use those things again after that.

[DonTom]

I used one along the I-5 coming back north from Long Beach. That one actually worked fine. There was a bank of 4 of them at a rest stop on the Grapevine that almost stranded me. I was down to 2% SoC after failing to get the nearby ChargePoint to work, it was midnight, and I was still over a hundred miles away from my destination. Would not have been the ideal time to call a tow truck! Each one of the first 3 that I tried would not work, my panic rising with each one, until the last one finally kicked on. I vowed never to use those things again after that.

The one at the Tejon Pass Rest Area?  Plugshare says they are all down, but a check-in says one out of four is working, just as you said.


Didn't you know there was a CCS ChargePoint one mile from there at the Jack-In-The Box? One CCS and one J-1772. Both work. You can make it several miles even when the bike says you have 0 SOC left. No need for a tow truck, even if you couldn't get a charge there.


-Don-  Reno, NV

[flynnstig82r]

That’s the one! I couldn’t get the ChargePoint to start for the life of me, and I didn’t want to spend the time it would have taken for the L2 charge given that it was already so late. At the time I hadn’t heard the trick about leaning the bike in the direction that puts downward pressure on the handle, so that might have allowed me to start the charge.

I’ve never ridden to 0% SoC. I used to squeeze every last drop out of my Zero SR until I could only ride in the bike lane at 20 MPH, but when I got the SS9 it was December and 37 deg F, and it would put me into limp mode at SoCs as high as 18%, which was extremely dangerous on the fast-moving I-80. I also had it suddenly shut off at 8% SoC on a country road, also on a cold day. I’m sure I could ride to 0% now that it’s summer, but those experiences have made me very skittish about low SoC’s. Since it has DCFC, I’d rather just make a 5-minute stop if I’m not sure I can make it on one charge. With the Zero, any charging stop was such an ordeal that I would routinely use every last Joule to try to make the trip without stopping.

[DonTom]

That’s the one! I couldn’t get the ChargePoint to start for the life of me, and I didn’t want to spend the time it would have taken for the L2 charge given that it was already so late. At the time I hadn’t heard the trick about leaning the bike in the direction that puts downward pressure on the handle, so that might have allowed me to start the charge.

I’ve never ridden to 0% SoC. I used to squeeze every last drop out of my Zero SR until I could only ride in the bike lane at 20 MPH, but when I got the SS9 it was December and 37 deg F, and it would put me into limp mode at SoCs as high as 18%, which was extremely dangerous on the fast-moving I-80. I also had it suddenly shut off at 8% SoC on a country road, also on a cold day. I’m sure I could ride to 0% now that it’s summer, but those experiences have made me very skittish about low SoC’s. Since it has DCFC, I’d rather just make a 5-minute stop if I’m not sure I can make it on one charge. With the Zero, any charging stop was such an ordeal that I would routinely use every last Joule to try to make the trip without stopping.

I know some Chargepoits have recently been updated (such as Cisco Grove) and those work very well. But I have had trouble with the older ones also, even there. They even put in new machines there, even though the old ones have not been installed for all that long.


I have ridden my SS9 for a few miles below zero SOC with no issues at all. I recall the screen said something, but I forgot what. I was riding around slow near my Auburn house, but I cannot remember if it were in a limp mode or not. But that was in the summer.


-Don-  Reno, NV