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[JaimeC]

I've gotten spoiled.  Most of the Level2 Chargepoint stations around here are free though some of them do require a fee.  Today I met a friend for lunch at the Huntington Hilton and they had EVConnect stations in their parking lot.  They charge $.25 a kilowatt, so having lunch with my friend cost me $1.48 above what I paid for the buffet at the Indian Restaurant inside.  Still a LOT cheaper than a tank of gas even in my Yamaha XMAX with it's 3.3 gallon tank.

[BigPoppa]

Yeah...my gut tells me that within 5 years "free" charging away from home or certain places of employment will be a thing of the past. In fact, I can see "free charging" being a "benefit" some employers will probably start touting in the not too distant future.

[JaimeC]

I'm old enough to remember when ALL bank ATMs were free... so I've a strong feeling you're right.  Once everyone is hooked, you've got them right where you want them...

[Doug S]

I must be older...when the ATM went in at my bank back in the early 80s, we had to PAY a 50 cent surcharge to use it. The tellers were still free during working hours.

Stuff changes.

[vinceherman]

Next week is my chance to try this in the wild.  Oh, I have a number of free places around me in Cleveland.  But I will be down in Daytona Beach for Bike Week. 
There is a distillery with some Tesla stations that I hope to hit.  Oh darn, have to have to take the tour.
A few J stations near the airport.
Many B&Bs and hotels with various stations but for guests only.
It will be a chance to try to find a non-ICEd station free.

Edit: We will have a wall socket at the AirBnB but there are several of us who will be there so I don't know how much I will get to use it.

[Hans2183]

Here in Belgium free charging has already mostly died. There were some charge stations in the past where you could charge for free from bigger companies like Mc Donalds and shops like Lidl and Ikea. But if you go there now they're all replaced by paid option.

On the plus side you can get a single charge card that works with (almost all) the chargers and there are many available. You can even have a charge point installed at home that you let other people pay to charge for.

Prices differ a lot so you have to keep an eye on that when looking at the available points on the map. But most are set to 0.30 to 0.35 EUR per Kwh.

[NervEasy]

Hi Hans2183, I use the plugsurfing app as I can pay via paypal for my charges as I found the card option very confusing... what card do you use?

[Ooook]

In France, free charging is extremely rare.
And public charge stations are dying fast :

• the main energy supplyer (Corri-door by EDF) just announced the closure of 90% of its 250 highway charge stations
• city services offers an overpriced connexion time fee (0.27€/minute (0.30$/min) !), not a Kwh price, AND a monthly subscription
• Ionity has just raised its price to an insane level (0.79€/Kwh (0.88$/Kwh))
• and Tesla... but just for Tesla (I know what brand I'll choose for my next car...  )

and almost each supplyer has its own mandatory card.

My employer has a maintenance and exploitation contract with a company specialized in charge station (Ze-Watt, with its own card too). The price is 0.23€ / ZW (0.26$/ZW), where 1 ZW is approximately 1 Kwh.

[Hans2183]

Hi Hans2183, I use the plugsurfing app as I can pay via paypal for my charges as I found the card option very confusing... what card do you use?

NewMotion, it's free (apart from charging costs obviously) and most chargers are supported.

The website doesn't show a map, for that you have to use their app. I think they rebranded it to something Shell (part of that company). You must hold the card against the charger to start charging. Stop charging can be done with the same NFC on the card or you can use the app to remotely stop charging.

Most important (for me) is that they give you an invoice monthly.

[fredx]

I actually prefer stations that cost money, rather than free.  They tend to be better-maintained (more likely to be online and functional), and people with EVs won't park there and plug in just to get the parking space.

I mostly charge at home, but when I need a charge somewhere, I like to go somewhere that works and is available.  That's worth a few bucks to me.

[togo]

I actually prefer stations that cost money, rather than free.  They tend to be better-maintained (more likely to be online and functional), and people with EVs won't park there and plug in just to get the parking space.

I mostly charge at home, but when I need a charge somewhere, I like to go somewhere that works and is available.  That's worth a few bucks to me.

Yes, $1/hr for 240vac J-plug is about right.  Millbrae draws a lot of commerce with 4 lots with 4+ stations each, and they are all well maintained.

[Doug S]

I agree. It seems only fair to pay a fair price for a charge. Places like casinos give free charges as an incentive to get people inside, but out in the wild, I don't expect free juice.

Assuming it's a fair price, that is. Some of these outfits charge way, way too much, to the point it's cheaper to ride/drive ICE. That does cause me some indigestion. I imagine it will work itself out at some point.

[Richard230]

I visited the Pt. Reyes National Seashore (north of San Francisco) visitor center yesterday and saw a row of free L2 charging stations in the parking lot in front of their building.  And not an EV in sight.

[JaimeC]

$.25 a kW is almost twice what I pay for it at home, BUT it is still a damned sight cheaper than paying for enough gasoline to get me the equivalent distance down the road.  I have no complaints.

[Hans2183]

Prices will likely go up (both at home and on location) once more and more people have converted to EV.

And because of rising sea levels we get more rain and we'll get more CEL showing up on SR/F models