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Circuit électrique / Electric Circuit Charging Costs Done Right

Discussion in 'EV (Electric Vehicle) Discussion' started by Tideland Prius, Feb 11, 2024.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I was browsing the Circuit électrique website and noticed that they have tiered their DCFC charging costs similar to Tesla SuperChargers where it's directly linked to the power your car is pulling (Unlike EA/EC where it's linked to what your car could pull theoretically under ideal conditions). They have also increased the cost of slow charging at higher power charging stations to encourage slower charging EVs to use the "proper" unit within a charging station area (e.g. if there are 100kW and 150kW stations, encourage owners of 50-100kW DC EV owners to use the 100kW station instead).

    Also, charging costs double above 90% SOC.

    Cost of charging

    If you're on a computer, use the links on the left to cycle through the different stations. I think it puts everything in a single page on mobile.


     
    #1 Tideland Prius, Feb 11, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2024
  2. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Is this charging infrastructure popular? I'd never heard of them.
    .
     
  3. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    I used them twice. Both with issues. The first time was last March in Kazabazoua, QC with my Model 3. Couldn't get the stall to initiate the charge. Although it was mid day on a work week, it took 13 minutes for tech support to answer and it took him an extra 6 minutes to get the stall to initiate the charge session. At a Supercharger, I would have been done by then.

    The second time was last week at a Level 2 charger at the Gatineau park (I was with my Prime there). The app said the stall didn't response and the stall didn't unlock the cable. Tech support answered after just a minute or two this time but after resetting the stall several times (so it was communicating if he could remotely reboot it), it still wouldn't unlock its cable from the stall. I ended up having to use the ICE on my way back (from cross country skiing) as I didn't have enough charge left. When I explained my frustrations at the tech support, he said he gets about 50 calls like this per day and said their stations need to be more reliable.
     
  4. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    It's in Québec only I think.
     
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  5. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    If EA is Electrify America like I suspect it is, they seem to charge a flat $0.48/kWh for private customers, no matter whether you are using their Level 3 or Level 2. (Again this is just from observation)…
     
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    In Canada, EC just switched to per kWh billing and pricing went from 57¢/min to 70¢/kWh!!
     
  7. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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  8. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    Yeah, let's say you charged at an average of 70 KW for 30 minutes, it would have cost you before $17.10 before taxes. Now, 35 kWh (70 KW for 30 minutes) would cost $24.50 plus taxes. That's an increase of 43%!
     
  9. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Compare and contrast:
    • Tesla builds SuperChargers as part of selling their EVs and incrementally adds the operational expense.
    • CCS-1 builders have to charge all of the design and manufacturing costs along with operational expense.
    On my current 650 mi, each way, I have used both CCS-1 and SuperChargers. Given a choice, SuperChargers:
    • Lower cost per kWh
    • Higher reliability
    • Higher charge rates, 150 kW to 250 kW, versus too often 50-60 kW CCS-1 chargers
    I use CCS-1 chargers to 'fill the gap' as my aging battery has 216 mi range. Using 100% SOC ages the battery faster than charging only what is needed for the next segment. The triangular charging profile encourages efficient charging instead of dragging it out for 100%.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  10. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Luckily in my part of the world 100kW-200kW aren't as rare as some places.

    Oddly enough, I find teslas charging at CCS stations but that was before the switch to kWh. Now with cheaper SuC, hopefully that'll free up the CCS stations for the rest of us (even though prices are exorbitant now)


    Or to use a real life example, I charged 53kWh for $13.83 over 21.5 minutes (148kW average)

    Now it'll cost $37.10 (53 kWh by 70 cents), 2.68x more expensive! (168% more)
     
  11. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    Ouch!
     
  12. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Please express in dollars per mile driven and specify county of denomination. That allows a comparison.

    And for comparison, my hybrid fill up today was (for 199 us miles at $3.269) $17.85 US or 11 cents a mile which is higher than my lifetime average of 7 cents US a mile. Gas has gone up more than 50 cents in the last 10 days. Yet crude has gone down. Why?
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Assuming 21kWh/100km because it’s highway and mountainous driving. 53kWh gets me 252km.

    The old price of $13.83 equals 5.49 Canadian cents per km.

    The new price of $37.10 equals 14.7 Canadian cents per km.

    Of course this only applies on road trips. There are still cheaper options that I’ll likely use until EC lowers their rate or the other rates becomes comparable.


    I’d like to point out that EA’s price of 43 cents per kWh is still cheaper even factoring the CAD-USD exchange rate.
     
  14. Louis19

    Louis19 Active Member

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    I have been using it on occasions for 2 years....about 38 charges without any problems at different locations in the province . I mainly use the card (RFID) instead of the cell . ON some occasions the cell did not unlock the cable but the card did unlock it. :rolleyes:
     
    #14 Louis19, Feb 23, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2024
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  15. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    Nice to know. I've just ordered one.
     
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  16. Louis19

    Louis19 Active Member

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    I think that in some case it could be very usefull . One day In the Laurentians at ST Sauveur , One guy pulled off a stall and i took his place . He rolled down his window and told me it was no use trying to charge here because the stall would not unlock. He told me that tech support could not remotely reboot it . I use my RFID card and it worked . ..the guy did exactly what you did , he ordered one. BTW I just wanded to top off the battery , in worse case scenario i would have left in hybrid mode ... I understand the EV owner being turn off .....searching for another charging station..
    In some areas , the cell coverage is not to good , the card could be usefull.
     
    #16 Louis19, Feb 24, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2024
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  17. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    At those rates, you seem to be better off burning gas - financially speaking. I do feel sorry for the BEV people, who have no choice but to take it in the shorts or worse, need to get towed to the next charging station....
     
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  18. Louis19

    Louis19 Active Member

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    Price of gas here in Québec is 4.75$ USD ......1.65 $ CND per litre ....it is another story:eek:
    electricty rates are in CDN
    1USD =1.35CAD
    so I do not feel sorry for the BEV people , they are winning
     
    #18 Louis19, Feb 24, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2024
  19. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    Last November, I went to Toronto (round trip from Ottawa). Because I was able to charge for free during the weekend there, it had cost me, including the charge at home to top it off to 100% before leaving and to bring it back to 70% on arrival home, $52 dollars. That's still lower than what it would have cost me to drive my Prime instead.
     
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  20. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Was where you stayed more expensive than an alternative place without charging? Have you factored in that?