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[DonTom]

It is very rare that I need to charge so long that I could enjoy a meal in a restaurant.

Whenever  I think I could need more time than the charge will normally take, I turn the charge all the way up to 100% to get the max time. The charge rate slows down a lot near the end, so if I get back late, I won't have to pay an idle fee. And still have five minutes after the charge is completed. It's usually enough time for a meal. I keep an eye on the Tesla app while it's charging so I know when I need to get back.

I have had the issue more on my Energica motorcycle. But I hear now in CA, they can no longer charge by time, only KWHs used. So I should be able to turn the charge rate down to buy more time.

I have not yet looked this year at a CA CCS charger. Can somebody here in CA explain how that now works?  Higher connect fee or what did they do and how does it effect cost?

Lately, I have been riding my ICE bikes mostly.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[JaimeC]

Okay, Wawa and Sheetz stations are an exception because they're not JUST gas stations.  I'm thinking of the pure gas stations that MAYBE sell cigarettes and cans of soda besides gasoline.  Those are the majority of the stations I see where I live.  We don't have any Wawas or Sheetz stations here.  Upstate there are Cumberland Farms stations that are similar in concept.

The eastern most charging station I could find on Long Island is at a police station on Shelter Island.  I have no idea how I would kill time there unless there's a doughnut shop nearby...

[DonTom]

Okay, Wawa and Sheetz stations are an exception because they're not JUST gas stations.  I'm thinking of the pure gas stations that MAYBE sell cigarettes and cans of soda besides gasoline.  Those are the majority of the stations I see where I live. 

Same with every gas station I mentioned there with the Chargers. You can get food and drink at all of them, right at the same gas station. One of them also has a Burger King right next to it, another a Pizza place, besides the store at the gas station. That is the norm these days. I cannot remember the last time I was at a gas station that only sold gasoline. That must have been many years ago.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[JaimeC]

Okay, Wawa and Sheetz stations are an exception because they're not JUST gas stations.  I'm thinking of the pure gas stations that MAYBE sell cigarettes and cans of soda besides gasoline.  Those are the majority of the stations I see where I live. 

Same with every gas station I mentioned there with the Chargers. You can get food and drink at all of them, right at the same gas station. One of them also has a Burger King right next to it, another a Pizza place, besides the store at the gas station. That is the norm these days. I cannot remember the last time I was at a gas station that only sold gasoline. That must have been many years ago.

California is FAR FAR more progressive than the other 49 States, I'm afraid.  New York has a LOT of catching up to do...

[Crissa]

Gas stations are about the only thing open over night.  Unlike restaurants.

But that's why there's pushes to require charging in some number of any new parking spots added.

-Crissa

Don:  Well, CostCo gas stations sell only gas, Renner stations and other commercial stations sell only gasoline...  They still exist.  The station in my town (a Shell) sells some candy and sodas, and the soda machine isn't very reliable.

But I wish we had a charger in town.

[DonTom]

But I wish we had a charger in town.

PlugShare shows dozens of charge stations in Santa Cruz and surrounding area.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Crissa]

PlugShare shows dozens of charge stations in Santa Cruz and surrounding area.

...And Santa Cruz is ten miles from which small town I'm in, which has only one gas station.  And no charge points.

Not all the chargers on Plugshare are public, either.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

PlugShare shows dozens of charge stations in Santa Cruz and surrounding area.

...And Santa Cruz is ten miles from which small town I'm in, which has only one gas station.  And no charge points.

Not all the chargers on Plugshare are public, either.

-Crissa

People normally don't need chargers closer to home while on the road as most charges, by far, are done at home.

On PlugShare,  you have to read about each charge station to see if there are such issues as not being open to the public, or not working, etc. Some have key pads to operate and often the codes are listed on PlugShare. Such as this one, which I have used (you can see I logged in there).

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Crissa]

I don't need a charge point here; but the town could use a charge point.  The restaurants and bar and grocery store depend upon tourists.

If you look at the Plugshare map, you'll see a big blank area to the north and west of Santa Cruz.  And most of the little green dots are hotels or resorts which do not allow public charging.  Yes, I can get free charging downtown, but pretty much only downtown.  And the three dots that say CCS are confusing, as I think they're only chademo, at least when I looked.

-Crissa

[Richard230]

I don't need a charge point here; but the town could use a charge point.  The restaurants and bar and grocery store depend upon tourists.

If you look at the Plugshare map, you'll see a big blank area to the north and west of Santa Cruz.  And most of the little green dots are hotels or resorts which do not allow public charging.  Yes, I can get free charging downtown, but pretty much only downtown.  And the three dots that say CCS are confusing, as I think they're only chademo, at least when I looked.

-Crissa

West of Santa Cruz?     Are you looking for a floating charge station for your boat?   

[Crissa]

I'd just like to be able to charge in Bonny Doon or Davenport.  Maybe Pescadero.

My friend had to drive his i3 in limp mode and if there were a charger out there, he'd have been able to take the easy coast route back to the city.

-Crissa

[DonTom]

And the three dots that say CCS are confusing, as I think they're only chademo, at least when I looked.

Are you aware that you can have Plugshare only display the type of chargers you wish to see on the map?

Click on "Charging Locations" on the bottom right and you will get a new window pop up where you can set the type of chargers you wish to see. Default is to see everything, which can be a big mess in some areas.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Crissa]

Are you aware that you can have Plugshare only display the type of chargers you wish to see on the map?

Are you aware there are plug types that are on the map but aren't really there in reality?

-Crissa

[DonTom]

Are you aware there are plug types that are on the map but aren't really there in reality?

Can you give me  an example? I find Plugshare to usually be up to date as such problems usually get reported by the users. What I have seen is different chargers a block or so apart, such as in Colfax, the CCS chargers on the opposite side of the train station from the J-1772, which can cause some confusion when trying to find what you need.

BTW, there is a charger at the Colfax Train station that uses the disks instead of the plug. I don't think there is an EV in the entire USA to still  use such. It's there, and I assume it works, but it doesn't show on the PlugShare page, I assume because there are no vehicles left that can use it.

The disk itself is the primary of a transformer. Works by induction. The old EVs that used them contain the secondary windings that you slide the disk into. There's a story about what happened to such vehicles. Some expect the gas companies were behind it in the early EV days. But I really don't know the story.

Anybody here know the proper name for that old type of charge station that used the disks?

I guess those who do not know what I am talking about will have to visit the train station in Colfax.   It's right next to their J-1772 station.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[ESokoloff]

............

BTW, there is a charger at the Colfax Train station that uses the disks instead of the plug. I don't think there is an EV in the entire USA to still  use such. It's there, and I assume it works, but it doesn't show on the PlugShare page, I assume because there are no vehicles left that can use it.

The disk itself is the primary of a transformer. Works by induction. The old EVs that used them contain the secondary windings that you slide the disk into. There's a story about what happened to such vehicles. Some expect the gas companies were behind it in the early EV days. But I really don't know the story.

Anybody here know the proper name for that old type of charge station that used the disks?

I guess those who do not know what I am talking about will have to visit the train station in Colfax.   It's right next to their J-1772 station.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

Assuming it’s a Magne, there MIGHT be a few ev’s left that use it. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magne_Charge