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Chargepoint Usage, people?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by stevepea, May 17, 2017.

  1. stevepea

    stevepea Senior Member

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    Was just wondering how many of the users here actually use chargepoint regularly (especially if it's not right by their work). At first glance, if there's not one right by your work, it seems totally not worth the effort, especially for a car like the Prime.

    Though there's supposedly a "free" one about 2 miles away from me (at a car dealer) I haven't wanted to waste 2.5 hours of my day (and 4 miles of my EV charge) to save $1.08.

    But I still have 60 days left since I activated it, so I want to try it at least once. But I haven't had much luck so far.

    As a freelancer, I work in different places all the time, and when I looked at Chargepoint's map, there seemed to be a location just about 3 blocks away from a place I work at every 2-3 months. And I happened to be there in the area a week or two ago, so I thought I'd give it a try. One problem. The location doesn't actually exist. Or if it does, it's so well hidden I couldn't find it no matter how many times I drove past. It's the location in Santa Monica, on Santa Monica Blvd (just a mile or two west of the 405). The name (according to Chargepoint) was "City of Los Angeles" -- strange, as that address was just a strip mall, with no charger either in front or in back, anywhere to be seen nearby. (Anyone in the Santa Monica area, did I miss it? Or is it not there?)

    Also, does one have to always be AT the car as it charges? So I could leave the car there while it's charging, and walk to work, which might be 3 hours or so (pretty close to the charging window). But what's to stop someone who has an 8-hour workday, from driving up to the chargepoint location and just leaving their car there from 8am until 5pm, making sure no one else has a chance to use it? Whether it's pay or free, that (very likely) possibility makes it something you can't really count on.

    Add to that the fact that the Prime's range is only 25ish or so on EV (unlike a Bolt or Tesla, you won't be stuck if you run out of EV charge) and it just seems that, for the Prime anyway, Chargepoint is pretty useless -- unless there's one right by your work.
     
    #1 stevepea, May 17, 2017
    Last edited: May 17, 2017
  2. Prius from Dad

    Prius from Dad Senior Member

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    Never used it. Nothing near work. If I had one near, I might have used it till the free $100 was up. There is one fairly close, but they charge for parking too.
     
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  3. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Steve, I completely agree with you and "Dad": ChargePoint is practically useless. As you've pointed out, people park in the station all day, and (my repeated experience) the other station is inoperative. Or stations are occupied or the station is on private property (you're not allowed), or the station is miles away from your destination. My $100 card got me about $2.50 of use in 3 months!! Maybe if they gave you a year to use, it might have value, otherwise, please just give me the money! To be successful, they've got to setup charging stations on more shopping centers (Walmarts use to have older style chargers; Costco could also offer them) and work parking lots, high schools, colleges, etc.


    .
     
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  4. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    There isn't a ChargePoint charger, nor any other type of charger, anywhere I ever go outside of home and work.
     
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  5. Jnbrown

    Jnbrown Member

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    There is one about 3 miles from house and would like to use up the $100 credit to save on my electricity bill but have not figured out a way to drop it off and pick it up. My best option is to put my bike in the back and ride it home. Not sure it is worth the effort.
     
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  6. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Sorry. I'll use every penny of mine. There are 6 stations at work and 2 at each of the nearby parks.

    The 2 at the grocery store are free.
     
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  7. priuscatprimeguy

    priuscatprimeguy Senior Member

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    When I visit my son in Ypsilanti Michigan I make it an all day affair ( I have time to do this so I do it) It's approximately 21 miles to Schoolcraft College, the Charge Point terminals there are free as well as the parking (two Charge Points in the front of the school and two Charge Points at the library) After charging my car there I drive another 21 miles to Washtenaw Community College where there are ten Charge Points, all free and parking is free too, then I drive another 7 miles to my son's house spend time there then drive back to Washtenaw CC charge up then to Schoolcraft CC then drive home all EV 107 miles round trip.
     
  8. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    You folks in Michigan definitely have a better situation with ChargePoint.

    .
     
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  9. MartyPrime

    MartyPrime Junior Member

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    I've actually had a lot of success with Chargepoint. There are a ton of stations and I figured I may as well use my $100 card for the summer and save some money on charges. I live in LA and there are a ton of charge point stations and the app is very user friendly. I definitely recommend trying it if you haven't already.
     
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  10. White 17

    White 17 Junior Member

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    There is a program that keeps track of the charge and how much longer it will take to complete. Hopefully people will not be taking up space after the charge is complete.
     
  11. CaliforniaPrius

    CaliforniaPrius Active Member

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    $46 left in the card then it came the accident. It took Geico 4 weeks to get everything fixed. Then time's up.
     
  12. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    Aw man, that's terrible; everybody ok?
    What happened? Sorry to hear that.

    .
     
  13. ArcPrime

    ArcPrime Active Member

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    My 1st ChargePoint was to try out at a Walgreens parking lot totally wasted my 70 minutes to save $1.06. Even it was 2 miles away there is no easy way to leave me car charging to do something else. Right now I use ChargePoint station at work. After my free 100 days up that will be my ChargePoint account. They are charging by the time of usage not KW. It just can't justify to spend more on electricity than gasoline. I will charge at home after that.
     
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  14. HPrimeAdvanced

    HPrimeAdvanced Senior Member

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    It seems to be the case that if you've got a ChargePoint station at or near work or school, you're good. Another situation is the mall/shopping center. I'm working at different sites every day, none of which has a ChargePoint. None of the shopping centers I visited in Anaheim have convenient ChargePoint stations.
    They are more common in uppercrust communities like Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, and Newport Beach, but I don't live or shop there anymore.

    .
     
  15. ArcPrime

    ArcPrime Active Member

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    Westfield mall has ChargePoint station in Arcadia, however there is $3.00 surcharge if you charge more than 2 hours. Prius Prime normally takes 2 hours 10 minutes to get full charge.
     
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  16. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Actually, there is one a long walk across the entire parking lot near the Costco I'm going to tomorrow. However, it's EVGo, not Chargepoint and it's $2 an hour which is about the equivalent of getting 15mpg in the Prime. Or, I can gas up at Costco in 3 minutes or charge at work for free. Not a difficult choice.

    A friend who also goes there does use the station for his Leaf. But he gets the first half hour free at L3 which basically gets him 15KWh for free while he's shopping.
     
  17. Prime Example

    Prime Example Junior Member

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    It would be nice if ChargePoint gave us the option of the $100 card or as a credit/rebate if we purchased a ChargePoint Level 2 unit for a home. That would have made it of value to me since I'll probably be installing a ChargePoint in my garage pretty soon.
     
  18. Breatheintheair

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    I agree they should have given $100 credit on L2 purchase. Went with clippercreek instead.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  19. ArcPrime

    ArcPrime Active Member

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    ChargePoint apps said: There is no status after I plugged into ChargePoint station at work this morning. After 20 minutes I had to walk back to check car was charging correctly. Luckily I set my alarm clock after 2 hours 10 minutes charge was completed. My ChargePoint apps didn't show any charge status/history for this morning. Does overcast weather affect the ChargePoint signal?
     
  20. CharlesH

    CharlesH CA HOV Decal #5 on former PiP

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    Public Chargepoint stations use a built-in cell phone to call home. Usually there is a menu on the public chargers where you can see how strong the cell signal is.

    Home Chargepoint stations use the owner's WiFi.

    While a home charger does not NEED the Internet connection to work, it's a bit different on the public stations that have to deal with billing.
     
    #20 CharlesH, May 31, 2017
    Last edited: May 31, 2017
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