Are the Destination Charging Stations free, like the 8kw and 16kw?

[Dan_LA]

Hi,

Has anyone tried those Destination Charging Station? Was wondering if they were free for M3, I know supercharger you pay for it. But what about those Gray 8kw and 16kw? Anyone tried?

I am assuming those are partnered with Hotels so might be free for guests?

Thanks

 

[dswansonsb]

The only one I've charged at was free...

 

[commasign]

Yes, free to charge though the owner of the property has the right to charge for parking/valet or restrict access to paying customers only.

 

[PhilDavid]

It really depends on the private owner who has the Destination Charger installed and is paying for the electricity. What Tesla has done with the destination chargers is brilliant. Most high end lodgings/resorts we travel to now have Destination Chargers and they are generally offered as a perk for paying customers.

My advice is if you need to use one, call and ask the property owner VERY NICELY if you could use it. And if they allow you to use it, please buy something from them or otherwise compensate them for the service as they are paying for the electricity and the space they are providing you to park and charge your car.

We always go out of our way to thank the property owner for making the Destination Charger available and we always patronize the business by buying something they offer. If it is a bed and breakfast type place only and we are not staying there but they still allow us to charge, we leave a very nice tip with the front desk person.

 

[Canuck]

I've charged at a lot of them, including at an 80 amp one tonight supplied by the town of Princeton, and I've never been charged. There's no real way to charge for them. Unlike public chargers, no card is required to use them, and the power is not monitored by the HPWC, as it is on many public chargers (or EVSEs for the purists since the charger(s) is in the vehicle). I guess the owner could charge a fee per use, hour, or to park, and a lot that I've used are in hotel parking lots that you have to pay for, but that's really unrelated to the destination charger.

So to answer the question -- yes, they are free. As to etiquette, @PhilDavid provides good advice. I always try to let the owner/staff know that the reason I selected their establishment was because of the charger. This is why they are being installed -- especially since Tesla clientele usually have $ to spend -- the charger was free from Tesla -- and their power is the loss leader to get us in the door.

 

[cwerdna]

But what about those Gray 8kw and 16kw? Anyone tried?

The charge rate will depend on the circuit that the wall connector is installed on and its max amperage. The dial or DIP switches inside tell the EVSE the max amperage of the circuit. See Home Charging Installation. Example about the dial on page 21 of https://www.tesla.com/sites/default...l_connector_installation_manual_80A_en_US.pdf.

With the current Model 3, you will not do better than ~11.5 kW at 240 volts (when AC charging via J1772 or Tesla's connector) due to the 48 amp on-board charger. See table at Home Charging Installation under Vehicle on-board charger.

Please also see Three Things Determine EV Charge Time and Range issues - Page 2 - My Nissan Leaf Forum, if unclear.

 

[Lasttoy]

All the hotels I've been in were free.

 

[Missile Toad]

My advice is if you need to use one, call and ask the property owner VERY NICELY if you could use it. And if they allow you to use it, please buy something from them or otherwise compensate them

I agree 110%. Sadly, not all Tesla owners observe this bit of advice/etiquette. I was visiting College Station, TX, and arrived to the hotel about 5:00PM. On arrival, I found the only Wall Connector (WC) occupied by a white Model S. I immediately plugged into the adjacent J1772 charger (since I have the adapter - which not all Tesla owners carry), and checked in as a hotel guest.

It was obvious talking to the front desk people that the white Tesla was neither a guest nor had he bothered to ask the front desk for permission. Further, it was apparent that this person was habitually going to the hotel for a charge. Maybe he has some advance agreement with the owner of the hotel to skedaddle when another Tesla appears -- since he did drive off about 10 minutes after we checked in.

Nevertheless, had I not had the J1772 adapter, I would have had to hike to a _public_ WC (which cranks at 20kW) about 15 miles away to be able to return home (and in the opposite direction of home). Moral of the story, never count on the hotel WC being available immediately on check in, even in the relatively lightly occupied (at least by California standards) destination chargers in Texas and the midwest.

Having said this, I have, on a dozen occasions, asked for, and been granted permission to charge at three hotels local to my house. One of these hotels has the circuit switched off to the WC. So I wouldn't be able to get a charge if I casually did a 'drive by charge', without asking first. Why even get these charges, and try out the 'ask then use' charging routine? So that if my wife or my daughters are sloppy in getting a charge on the home-ward leg, they have a possible back-up plan, which is entirely permission-based. Importantly, if such a charge were to be needed, the likely replenishment would be no more than 5 miles and take less than 10 minutes (12 minutes if you include asking the hotel front desk).

One more thing. The Tesla DB his highly inaccurate about the kW delivered by the WC. This is evident only if you have a 72A or 80A on-board chargers in your Tesla. The public charger, delivers 20kW to compatibly equipped Teslas (and not the 'up to 16 kW' from the Tesla DB). However, this is an anomaly among the (soft) errors in the Tesla DB. Some 20-30% that are alleged to be up to 16 kW, are really 'up to 8 kW', or less in some cases.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Who can charge, and the cost depends on the host.

 

[cwerdna]

One more thing. The Tesla DB his highly inaccurate about the kW delivered by the WC. This is evident only if you have a 72A or 80A on-board chargers in your Tesla. The public charger, delivers 20kW to compatibly equipped Teslas (and not the 'up to 16 kW' from the Tesla DB). However, this is an anomaly among the (soft) errors in the Tesla DB. Some 20-30% that are alleged to be up to 16 kW, are really 'up to 8 kW', or less in some cases.

Thinking about it more, I think I see why they want to indicate "up to 16 kW". Common commercial power in the US is only 208 volts, not the typical 240 possible at home.

If the wall connector were installed on a 100 amp circuit, allowing for a max continuous 80 amp draw: 208 volts * 80 amps = 16,640 watts = 16.64 kW. That'd be the max possible with 80 amps of OBC (twin "10 kW" OBCs). 72 amps of OBCs would yield 14,976 watts or almost 15 kW.

For a 50 amp circuit, permitting a 40 amp continuous load at max: 208 volts * 40 amps = 8,320 watts = 8.32 kW.

 

[BerTX]

I've charged at a lot of them, including at an 80 amp one tonight supplied by the town of Princeton, and I've never been charged. There's no real way to charge for them. Unlike public chargers, no card is required to use them, and the power is not monitored by the HPWC, as it is on many public chargers (or EVSEs for the purists since the charger(s) is in the vehicle). I guess the owner could charge a fee per use, hour, or to park, and a lot that I've used are in hotel parking lots that you have to pay for, but that's really unrelated to the destination charger.

So to answer the question -- yes, they are free. As to etiquette, @PhilDavid provides good advice. I always try to let the owner/staff know that the reason I selected their establishment was because of the charger. This is why they are being installed -- especially since Tesla clientele usually have $ to spend -- the charger was free from Tesla -- and their power is the loss leader to get us in the door.

This is not entirely accurate. There definitely are Destination Charging locations that require payment. They are fairly rare, with most allowing free charging to patrons. A few are simply free to all. But some do require payment of a nominal fee.

 

[Canuck]

This is not entirely accurate. There definitely are Destination Charging locations that require payment. They are fairly rare, with most allowing free charging to patrons. A few are simply free to all. But some do require payment of a nominal fee.

Did you actually use one where they charged you based on a set fee --- and not a tip? If so, please tell us where. If not, then what are you basing this on?

Of course, there's always exceptions but what I said was "entirely accurate" since I did say this:

I guess the owner could charge a fee per use, hour, or to park...

I've just never seen it in person, having used them a lot, nor have I ever seen it on Tesla destination charger website when I go to plan a trip:

Destination Charging | Tesla Canada

Many will say patrons only but never have I seen one where there's a fee aside from parking and I would guess that Tesla does not allow for that since this is not intended to be a money making venture except to the extent that it's a loss leader to get us in the door, as I said in my post.

Please let us know where you paid to destination charge, or what you base you statement on. Has anyone else here ever paid to destination charge at a HPWC?-- aside from the parking fee, of course, or tipping which many of us do.

 

[Uncle Paul]

It makes sense that businesses would like to not have spots taken up by freeloaders. Would like to leave at least one open for customers.

 

[sammyfan711]

In 2016 paid 40.00 in Bar Harbor, ME at the Acadia Inn.

Did you actually use one where they charged you based on a set fee --- and not a tip? If so, please tell us where. If not, then what are you basing this on?

Of course, there's always exceptions but what I said was "entirely accurate" since I did say this:



I've just never seen it in person, having used them a lot, nor have I ever seen it on Tesla destination charger website when I go to plan a trip:

Destination Charging | Tesla Canada

Many will say patrons only but never have I seen one where there's a fee aside from parking and I would guess that Tesla does not allow for that since this is not intended to be a money making venture except to the extent that it's a loss leader to get us in the door, as I said in my post.

Please let us know where you paid to destination charge, or what you base you statement on. Has anyone else here ever paid to destination charge at a HPWC?-- aside from the parking fee, of course, or tipping which many of us do.

 

[Gwgan]

In Rockland I charged at the Berry Mannor Inn once while dining downtown. They did not have a Tesla owner as a guest and we settled on $5. There is a BnB in Bar Harbor that only lets guests charge since non-guests have been rude and badly parked. A little polite conversation goes a long way.

 

[Rocky_H]

Did you actually use one where they charged you based on a set fee --- and not a tip? If so, please tell us where. If not, then what are you basing this on?

The Blue Lakes Inn in Twin Falls, Idaho even has pre-printed forms to fill out at the front desk for their charging fee for non-guests, and yes, I have paid it.

 

[BerTX]

Did you actually use one where they charged you based on a set fee --- and not a tip? If so, please tell us where. If not, then what are you basing this on?

Of course, there's always exceptions but what I said was "entirely accurate" since I did say this:



I've just never seen it in person, having used them a lot, nor have I ever seen it on Tesla destination charger website when I go to plan a trip:

Destination Charging | Tesla Canada

Many will say patrons only but never have I seen one where there's a fee aside from parking and I would guess that Tesla does not allow for that since this is not intended to be a money making venture except to the extent that it's a loss leader to get us in the door, as I said in my post.

Please let us know where you paid to destination charge, or what you base you statement on. Has anyone else here ever paid to destination charge at a HPWC?-- aside from the parking fee, of course, or tipping which many of us do.

I have never experienced it because a) I don't Destination Charge much, and b) when see on Plugshare that they have a fee, I don't go there.

The Tesla list does not indicate a fee in any case I know of. I do know of at least one on Plugshare, at Home Made Kitchen in George West, Tx. When I posted on TMC about my surprise, several members informed me of other sites with this policy.

 

[davewill]

Don't be surprised if the people you call are a bit clueless. On a recent trip, I asked the hotel I was staying at if they had charging. I expected a "no" since they weren't listed on Plugshare. By surprise they said, "Yes". I asked them if their charging station was Tesla specific (I don't have a Tesla) and they told me that it was not. Of course, when I got there it was an HPWC and I couldn't charge.

However, In my eighth year of EV ownership, I've learned better than to count on such things, and there were plenty of CHAdeMO stations around that I could use, so no harm done.

 

[PhilDavid]

Don't be surprised if the people you call are a bit clueless. On a recent trip, I asked the hotel I was staying at if they had charging. I expected a "no" since they weren't listed on Plugshare. By surprise they said, "Yes". I asked them if their charging station was Tesla specific (I don't have a Tesla) and they told me that it was not. Of course, when I got there it was an HPWC and I couldn't charge.

However, In my eighth year of EV ownership, I've learned better than to count on such things, and there were plenty of CHAdeMO stations around that I could use, so no harm done.

In all fairness, you can;t expect a front desk person, likely not making much to know the intricacies of car charging standards. We usually go by Plugshare data confirmed by others and if we call, that is to make sure the charger is working and available but always have a backup.

If you are a Tesla owner it will reach a point soon where there are just as many charging options as gas stations!

 

[Brentt]

Mine is free. Always happy to visit with other Tesla owners
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