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bollar
Disgruntled Member
Thx, I'll check into that. I didn't think there were any plans that didn't have a monthly fee.
Mike
reddy
Active Member
I signed up with EvGo a couple weeks ago. The Flex/Free plan costs $4.95 to join. If you use a Chademo charger it costs $4.95 per session plus $0.20 per minute, vs paying $14.95 a month + $0.10 per minute for the "On The Go Total" plan.
I haven't received the cards in the mail yet. They emailed me "Your account has been activatedto access the NRG eVgo network. If you already have your card you may beginusing it immediately. If you do not yet have a card you should expect toreceive one via USPS within 5-7 business days. If you need to charge beforeyour card arrives, contact us at 877-455-3833 from an eVgo charginglocation."[FONT="][/FONT]
Since I plan on less than 3 sessions a month, the choice was easy. Sure, $4.95 seems high just to start up one session, but if they have them in locations not served by superchargers and I need a fast charge, I'm willing to pay that. My time is worth more than $4.95 an hour.
SW2Fiddler
We Are Cognitive Dissidents
There's a Blink CHAdeMO downtown, in the Tranquility parking garage, near the underground entrance of Jones Hall.
However. When I looked, ~six months ago, it was busy erroring out.
Thanks - I agree - I signed up.
Mike
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Thanks Rick. Yeah, I think CHAdeMO is an acronym for "Doesn't work very well". The different CHAdeMOs out there make one really appreciate the Tesla Superchargers.
Mike
SW2Fiddler
We Are Cognitive Dissidents
You know what? If EVgo placed Tesla adapters at their CHAdeMO stalls, I believe they would quickly make back many times the cost in monthly plan subscriptions.
Too radical? OK, consider the fact their parent company gives their electric customers a free Nest thermostat (retail value $249) for signing up. They could subsidize half the cost of a Tesla CHAdeMO adapter for a years' commitment to their monthly plan.
They gave LEAF buyers a year of free juice. So it's not like they don't know how and why to do promotions...
Either one of these would get me off the fence, but I haven't yet bought an adapter because the sum total cost vs. value proposition just hasn't impressed me for my personal needs.
Too radical? OK, consider the fact their parent company gives their electric customers a free Nest thermostat (retail value $249) for signing up. They could subsidize half the cost of a Tesla CHAdeMO adapter for a years' commitment to their monthly plan.
They gave LEAF buyers a year of free juice. So it's not like they don't know how and why to do promotions...
Either one of these would get me off the fence, but I haven't yet bought an adapter because the sum total cost vs. value proposition just hasn't impressed me for my personal needs.
I have to give eVgo (NRG) credit - they seem to have aggressively "cornered the EV charging market" in Houston. They are everywhere.
While I wish them (EVgo) well, since more chargers everywhere is better, requiring a monthly subscription AND charging 10-20 cents per minutes seems high. Here in Minneapolis, the CHAdeMO chargers are all Greenlots powered and they all charge 20 cents per minute but with no subscription required. My use is erratic and I don't want to pay a monthly fee for something that I'm not regularly using. If that means they need to charge more per minute, so be it. Actually, I don't think there's much of a business market for chargers. I think you'll see clusters of businesses making them available in order to draw customers in. But electricity is so cheap, and most EV owners mostly charge at home, such that I don't know that a charger business can be made viable. I could be wrong, though.
I think the stations were installed for Leafs that can't make it from one end of Houston to the other and back. Only locals who use it regularly would pay a monthly fee. It doesn't make sense for locals with Teslas but it's nice to have for someone passing through from out of town-- if they know ahead of time to pay the $4.95 to get the card. It's obvious NRG didn't have long range EVs in mind when they set up this model.
So, I enrolled in the Flex/No monthly fee plan while I was sitting at the Lake Charles Supercharger. When I got to Houston I was able to call eVgo and have them turn on the CHAdeMO at the HEB on Alabama St. with good results (the first one I tried at a Walgreens in Spring didn't work).
A guy in a Leaf pulled up when I was about 15 minutes into charging and I felt kind of bad because he had to wait about 45 mins for me to finish. But we chatted in the interim.
Here was the beginning of my charging session:
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On another note, I found a HPWC on plugshare right down the street from where I'm staying at the Texas Orthopedic & Spinal Institute that is available for public use. Fantastic! I got 204V 80A and charged at over 42 miles/hr with the A/C blasting to combat the Houston HEAT and HUMIDITY.
The generosity of fellow Tesla owners never ceases to amaze me.
A guy in a Leaf pulled up when I was about 15 minutes into charging and I felt kind of bad because he had to wait about 45 mins for me to finish. But we chatted in the interim.
Here was the beginning of my charging session:
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On another note, I found a HPWC on plugshare right down the street from where I'm staying at the Texas Orthopedic & Spinal Institute that is available for public use. Fantastic! I got 204V 80A and charged at over 42 miles/hr with the A/C blasting to combat the Houston HEAT and HUMIDITY.
The generosity of fellow Tesla owners never ceases to amaze me.
No reason to not try, but in general chargers at dealerships are sometimes not available for a variety of reasons. I wouldn't ever plan a trip where charging at a dealership was my only option.
taurusking
Member
I would rather go to EvGo station at Walgreens and charge instead of going to a dealership. I once called Nissan dealership at Ft. Worth and nobody was able to answer whether I could charge my MS.
Bumping this instead of starting another with the same name.
I'm taking a trip to Mesquite in about a week and need to use CHAdeMO during the visit. I don't think I'll get the adapter in time but I'll call Tesla today and see if one can be expedited. I'm also planning trips to Northern Colorado so I know I'll eventually need one in my charging kit.
Anyone in the Houston area have one they'd like to sell?
Edit: Went ahead and ordered one. Hope it gets here in time.
I'm taking a trip to Mesquite in about a week and need to use CHAdeMO during the visit. I don't think I'll get the adapter in time but I'll call Tesla today and see if one can be expedited. I'm also planning trips to Northern Colorado so I know I'll eventually need one in my charging kit.
Anyone in the Houston area have one they'd like to sell?
Edit: Went ahead and ordered one. Hope it gets here in time.
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stephenpace
VIN S00219
You can borrow my CHAdeMO adapter for as long as you need. West Houston. Just send me a PM.
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Model S M.D.
Ludicrous Radiologist
May need to borrow this for destination charging on a future trip to Dallas! You're the best!
