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I didn't expect charging stations to be such a hassle

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by priusenvious1, Dec 10, 2012.

  1. priusenvious1

    priusenvious1 Member

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    LA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I should have done some research before buying the plug in. Ii still really love the car but this has been my first few days with it and here's what I'm discovering:

    • Didn't realize different stations had different providers (Blink vs Chargepoint)
    • Didn't realize most places aren't free (The free/pay ratio is about 1:4 in my experience)
    • If the station is free, sometimes the parking lot is not
    • Didn't realize you couldn't pay with a credit card like a meter
    • Even after you download the providers app and sign up, places like chargepoint still won't allow you to use their service through the app. You have to wait for the physical card and have the serial number (or call Chargepoint to activate the charger)
    • In LA, a lot of the spaces are taken and you have to wait awhile for a plug at times
    • If you pay $1/hour charge, its about the same as not charging at all because its almost the same as what you pay for hybrid in terms of gas. A dollar won't even get you a full charge, but when you do a full charge, the car can go full electric about 15 miles. So you're getting about $0.07 a mile which is about the same as not charging at all and using only hybrid.

     
    #1 priusenvious1, Dec 10, 2012
    JMD likes this.
  2. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

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    To travel 10 miles in a Prius Hybrid costs me $0.076 a mile or 76 cents. To charge the car at lunch time costs $2.00.
     
    #2 JMD, Dec 10, 2012
  3. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

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    Maybe it is easier to charge at home.
     
    #3 JMD, Dec 10, 2012
  4. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    If your card is RFID-enabled, you CAN use it without an account, including on the free chargers.
    And yeah, at current gas prices, even $1/hour is too much.
     
    #4 lensovet, Dec 11, 2012
  5. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

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    The Diamond Lane access is worth a fortune. Getting home at a decent hour to be with your children is worth it.
     
    #5 JMD, Dec 11, 2012
    SuperMookie and Rebound like this.
  6. John H

    John H Senior Member

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    well, there are two things working against you. 1) the PiP charges slowly so paying by the hour is expensive, and 2) the battery is rather small to take advantage of overnight charging in your own garage and paying by the kWh.

    enjoy the HOV lane access.
     
    #6 John H, Dec 11, 2012
  7. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    ^^^
    Yep. With BEVs w/6.6+ kW chargers, it might be closer to "worth it" to pay to charge publicly. Examples include the Ford Focus Electric, Coda, Rav4 EV, etc.
     
    #7 cwerdna, Dec 11, 2012
  8. Joeypip

    Joeypip New Member

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    Location:
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    While you are waiting for a chargepoint card, you can call the toll free number on the station. Chargepoint will activate the station remotely.
     
    #8 Joeypip, Dec 11, 2012
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