Free Charging Poll..

I don't have a charger at home for my 2019 Leaf, so almost all my charging is at public spots - the exception is the 120V trickle charge at my part-time job. (It's not much, but in 8 hours I get enough energy for the trip home, and why not?). Most of that charging is at free L2 or L3 spots, and about a quarter is at paid chargers. Ikea offers free L2 and L3 chargers here, and there's one conveniently located on one of my regular routes around town.

 

I'm vacationing in Monterey and am happy to have found free L2 chargers at public parking garages downtown. I got to town and plugged in while I had lunch and explored the historic buildings and Fisherman's Wharf, boosting my SOC by 27%. I felt sure this trip would be the first time I'd have to pay at a charging station, but I may get by 100% free. My favorite price!

 

By Cal State Monterey Bay, there is an EvGo charger that is part of Drive the Arc. If you use the Drive the Arc app, the DC Fast charger (CHADEMO or CCS ) is free, just follow the instructions to get a ticket for free charging.

 

Well done!!! Do you have many apps to find the free charging? I’m actually so bad at it as I just charge at home.. I’ve used a couple of bc hydro ones while shopping (free charge).. but we’re taking a longer trip in a couple of weeks and want to learn how to find the best chargers (especially fast ones)


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Just got back. Gonna post a full report in the "First Longish Trip" thread in the Hyundai Kona section.

 

I use PlugShare which lists (and maps) public charging places, free and paid, but almost all locations have prices and hours listed so I can see for myself. I'm interested in other app options too.

 

I just use plugshare.

 

Especially the ones near to $8 beers, air conditioning, and a brass pole exercise demo stage. <rim shot>

Bob Wilson

 

Wow, that is indeed a lot of free quick chargers.

 

Fascinating. Per PlugShare, the only free fast charger in San Francisco or adjacent communities is one Volta station at Stonestown Galleria. The next closest are across the bay in Alameda and Berkeley. There are a fair number of free L2 chargers, with a couple more apparently on the way, but in a town that's crawling with EVs, free fast charging is not really a viable option here.

 

Well there is one place where Plugshare does fall short, in that area, there is Drive The Arc, which offers free charging at many stations that normally charge for using them, so there are more free chargers, but plugeshare rightfully says they require a fee, just not if you use the drive the arc app.

 

I'm pretty sure we've discussed this before. Per Drive the Arc's own site, they have zero locations in San Francisco or any adjacent communities. The closest are in Redwood City and Pinole, each a 40 minute or so drive from SF.

 

You just proved my point, it is only 40 minutes to a free drive the arc station. That is a perfectly reasonable distance, heck I do more than that twice a day, well right now 3 days a week.l, but normally 5 days a week.

 

Uh, I said "San Francisco or adjacent communities." Neither Redwood City nor Pinole are even close being to adjacent to SF. And I guess we just place different values on time. Driving for 40 minutes is something I do maybe twice a month at the most, sometimes not even that, except special occasions like vacations, etc.. I would no more drive 40 minutes to a place I have no need or desire to be, wait for the car to charge, and then drive another 40 minutes home -- thereby blowing half an afternoon if all goes smoothly -- just to get a free charge than I would gouge my eyeballs out with a screwdriver. There are 2 much closer Volta stations at places I do need to visit to shop from time to time.

FYI, there a few more Volta locations in SF, but not in corners of the city I regularly visit. And only one of the SF Volta stations has a fast charger, others are all L2.

 

40 minutes is a nothing drive, litterally twice a day, every day and longer drives in the weekend is very common. Perhaps a so cal thing, we love our cars and spend time in them