Blink Charging: Never Again!

I have had good luck with chargepoint free stations. It seems like the only thing they want is a a few different pieces of info that they can database and sell later, which doesn't bother me.

 

Yeah, I recall there have been pretty vocal folks bashing Ecotality over on mynissanleaf.com. My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - Ecotality down to .89 cents a share was posted awhile ago. From ECTY Technical Analysis | Ecotality, Inc. Stock - Yahoo! Finance, it's down to $0.47 now.

 

I want to preface below with this thought - I don't go on a rant but maybe once a year. I think it's time.
So if I understand:

1) Even though EVSE providers can easily pay OVER 50¢ per kWh that they then sell to Plug-in's ...
2) Even though EVSE providers hope to recover the cost of of their EVSE through electricity charges ...
3) Even though EVSE providers typically also have to carry liability insurance ...
4) Even though EVSE providers sometime have to pay for vandalism and/or maintenance

You're upset to pay 20¢ for juice - as though commercial rates are set at what your home rates get set at.
You're upset having to pay - even though your charge is full.

Why are you upset with the vendor who was pro active enough - that they installed a charger (of ANY kind of price structure ... some are more than $5/hour) that would otherwise not even be there? ... Shouldn't you be mad at Toyota for installing an on board charger that can't pull a full 30 amps? You DO understand that, right? ... that if the on board charger pulled more, you'd got more for that same fee?

The EVSE owner ONLY has a chance to recover his investment (before (s)he even makes a single penny) if (s)he can have the stall OCCUPIED for PROFIT. Why are you mad that you can't just continue to BLOCK a charge stall to someone in need? ... someone that's left in the lurch, because you just leave your car there after it's charged and have to keep paying anyway? That's making you mad !?!?!



Some folks ONLY have a plug (no gas) ... and when squatters just block EVSE's then those folks are hosed. I run into charger stations WAY too frequently where they're blocked ALL day long ... as though it's someone's personal parking space. No one else gets to use 'em - because they're either too darn lazy to move their plug-in when they're done ... or they're just too inconsiderate. Then, when it not free ... waaaah. Why do plug-in's just leave the car blocking a stall? because they're FREEEEEEEEE !!! Weeeee !! free stuff! Every leach in the world comes out of the woodwork for free. Here's a couple jerk-offs (BELOW) that have continued to block one of our local mall's 2 EVSE's, for FOUR of the last 7 days now. Why? Because they can ... the chargers are free - no penalty attached. Rudness shines:



Yep ... these turds are finished each day charging by 1:30pm (or earlier) ... yet they just squat. No one else gets to use 'em. No one else can even COUNT on those spots for charging. It's as though these kind of folk never got taught by their mommy how to act right. I hope ALL chargers get set at high costs to get rid of the dead wood. And I hope they tow 'em off - than make 'em pay $150 to get their car out of impound ... after they pay a ticket, too. For cryin' out loud ... use your gas if you can't afford a few bucks for electricity ... if all it is - is just about the $$$ to you - wrongly comparing your great residential rates for electricity to someone who is trying to invest in a new charging infrastructure. Unfortunately - harshness is what it takes to get some PHEV drivers to do what they ought to be doing anyway .... move on!

 

Here are some complaints from Tony Williams (a prominent Leafer) re: Ecotality:
My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - Letter to Ecotality/Blink concerning Balboa Park Failures
My Nissan Leaf Forum • View topic - Vendors for commercial charging stations in US?

 

I suggest you look up PG&E commercial rates. Once you understand how high commercial electricity rates are (they can even run into the DOLLARS per kWh) your cost comparison to a Prius burning gas and its equivalent miles per BTU will fade. Remember also - in regards to Blink receiving heavy tax dollar payouts. Gas, even though it includes many state & fed taxes, gas too is ALSO is heavily incentivized - just as Blink is incentivized. Multinational oil companies pay virtually no tax. To be even handed you may want to complain more about why we can't all pay $8 or $9 a gallon, like much of Europe and Asia pays. You don't seem to complain about military costs either - not being factored into petro based fuel costss. We ought to bemoan the $3 or $4 cost that this SHOULD add to gas too. If that doesn't bother you - then doesn't that come across as being hypocritical?

 

First, let me say that I don't have a dog in this fight. I charge at home, and don't expect to charge anywhere else, although it might happen some day. Anyway, I agree that if there is to be a charge for parking after the charge for charging (sorry, couldn't resist) it should be clearly posted as to what it will cost. Such a sign, in fact, might help get rid of the all-day parkers blocking the spot, along with ICE drivers parking in EV designated spots.

 

I agree, they could be treated more like a parking meter. A vehicle that is not plugged in and being charged by the hour should be ticketed as if they didn't pay the meter, and if they are still in violation an hour later, towed to the impound.

 

From the chart you provided I think I understand your mistake now. Perhaps you don't understand what demand fees are, on that chart. That chart shows (presuming this is near your service area) the demand fees in that service area can run some where between $400 & $500 per month. That's before the commercial customer uses any power at all ... it represents the mear potential to draw large sums of power. Incorporate demand fees across the kilowatts use per month and you have a large number. Consider yourself lucky ... Southern California charges over 30x that much for demand fees. So no ... it's unreasonable to expect EVSE owners to bear demand fees, all by theirselves. As for EVSE's charging after their users are full charged - that took me by surprise the first time I saw it on my bill. But you can be sure they don't charge unless they have it in the boiler plate - or on the chargers digital readout or somewhere. I simply didn't expect it - and I wasn't looking for it - but yes, it was there. Do I wish it was in bright red blinking lights? Yes, but it's not their obligation.

SGH-I717R ? 2

 

I'm no expert (not even an amateur) on PG&E's commercial billing and schedules but I did have to do a group project on a commercial building for an energy efficiency class. We got about a bit over a year's worth of PG&E bills and they had two separate meters, each on a different PG&E schedule (one for a set of a offices (on A-1) and another for the "house meter" that covered common/shared loads like the elevator, exterior and hallway lights, bathrooms, etc. (on A-10S)

A-1 has no demand charge. I don't recall seeing any demand charge on the bills for the other (on A-10S). I believe the demand charges are only billed once a year, not every month. There are many schedules for businesses (Business Customers).