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California bans per-minute billing; Tesla Superchargers will need displays

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Helped someone out in Placerville CA (they were renting an EV and wasn't able to charge at the Chargepoint). Instead of having the lady call a taxi to get back to Sacramento, I simply swiped my Chargpepoint card and kept going.

What surprised me was that they weren't just charging for the kWH, but also for parking there!

Hence, I do think a "per minute" display would be good as nothing was displayed and though I'm a user of Chargepoint, I have never seen a per minute charge while actually charging.
 
Helped someone out in Placerville CA (they were renting an EV and wasn't able to charge at the Chargepoint). Instead of having the lady call a taxi to get back to Sacramento, I simply swiped my Chargpepoint card and kept going.

What surprised me was that they weren't just charging for the kWH, but also for parking there!

Hence, I do think a "per minute" display would be good as nothing was displayed and though I'm a user of Chargepoint, I have never seen a per minute charge while actually charging.
ChargePoint now owns and operates a lot of the California corridor fast chargers. All of these stations charge $0.25/kWh + $0.10/minute. I don't really like them calling it a "parking fee". It's just a combination fee of energy and time. That is much more fair to drivers whose cars taper way down in charge rate, while still discouraging charging to 100% by having a charging time component in the fee.
 
ChargePoint now owns and operates a lot of the California corridor fast chargers. All of these stations charge $0.25/kWh + $0.10/minute. I don't really like them calling it a "parking fee". It's just a combination fee of energy and time. That is much more fair to drivers whose cars taper way down in charge rate, while still discouraging charging to 100% by having a charging time component in the fee.

I get your thoughts, Miimura. I just question why the time fee should kick in immediately. I would think that perhaps a ten-minute grace period to take advantage of the faster speeds before having the dime/minute fee apply. (Yeah, I know we are talking about a dollar here.) I guess since I am someone whose battery charge speed has been gaffed by Tesla feels the anguish of an addiional 15-20 minutes plugged in to go from 15% to 60%. :)
 
I haven't seen it mentioned (I did read all posts except those by the two arguing pointlessly), but part of the problem with per minute charging is that the controlling company can determine your charge rate. Meaning that all they need to do to double their income is to limit your charge rate by 1/2.

If there is no signage, how would you even know?

I don't trust Ionity or EA, they are only in it for the money and will willingly screw us any way they can. IMO of course. ;)

edit: also agree state is trying to make everything an apples to apples comparison so they can more easily tax it. This wasn't done for our benefit.
 
You can't make one law for Tesla and one for everybody else. Further, you need the measurement system to be certified - which it won't be in a car.

It's about time that this happens. Charging by the minute is just stupid, and leads to bad incentives for the charging service supplier. Hopefully the rest of the continent follows.

Why not they're selling cars without a dealer network and no one else can do that. Perhaps that's not the greatest example but one does need the proper tool for the job.
 
Your house meter is not a "fuel dispenser". Requirements on an electric utility and a EV charging provider are necessarily different.

I beg to differ Yes it is fuel be it electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, whatever you're using to power your house is fuel. The only difference is there are no road taxes applied because it's a residence.
 
I beg to differ Yes it is fuel be it electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, whatever you're using to power your house is fuel. The only difference is there are no road taxes applied because it's a residence.
This is exactly my point. The electric meter on your house is regulated as residential electricity. Charging stations should be regulated differently. The aspects of a charging station that are similar to a "fuel dispenser" would logically apply taxes similar to a road tax if such a tax is applied to liquid motor vehicle fuels in the same jurisdiction.
 
This is exactly my point. The electric meter on your house is regulated as residential electricity. Charging stations should be regulated differently. The aspects of a charging station that are similar to a "fuel dispenser" would logically apply taxes similar to a road tax if such a tax is applied to liquid motor vehicle fuels in the same jurisdiction.
I agree with your reasoning and I'll accept it in practice the same day that pollution is taxed
 
As far as I know it wasn’t a State of CT mandate when Tesla switched from per minute to per kWh back in May. I agree that per kWh is the fairest and most rational method... I mean we have all been purchasing gasoline by the gallon for years. We weren’t charged for how long we were at the pump. But I was able to get a lot of kWh of energy in a short period of time using the per minute method by charging from say 10% SC and stopping at say 50% SC. I was wondering when Tesla would wise up and wasn’t surprised when they quietly switched to kWh.
Regarding the CA requirement to have a display on the Superchargers, don’t all Teslas (even old models) display the purchase on the car’s screen?
 
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As far as I know it wasn’t a State of CT mandate when Tesla switched from per minute to per kWh back in May.

Tesla has always said that they would charge by kWh in the states that they were allowed to. So they must have finally gotten permission to charge by kWH in CT.

Regarding the CA requirement to have a display on the Superchargers, don’t all Teslas (even old models) display the purchase on the car’s screen?

California has already said that displays in the car don't count, it has to be a display provided, and maintained, by the charging provider. (Of course they can change their mind in the future.)
 
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It makes sense that they asked CT for permission to change methods. But I couldn’t find any info on it at the time or since.
Agreed that mandating a display on the Superchargers makes it uniform with other consumer purchases such as gas pumps and supermarket check outs. But it’s not rational since only Teslas can use Tesla Superchargers and all Teslas have a car display. So there’s no risk that the consumer doesn’t know what they are paying for.
 
I'm just waiting for the big, gaudy signs on the sides of the highway with a giant Tesla logo and the per-kWh price (painted because it only changes every few years).

It used to change only every few years Believe me once it becomes a transportation fuel it's going to become as volatile as anything else they'll look for any excuse to jack that rate up it'll be up and down like a yo-yo just like gasoline.