ChargePoint chargers on the road, just as backup for Tesla Supercharger

[Exscite]

I am planning a roundtrip drive my Model-3 from Southern California to Vancouver BC, going up on I-5 and back along the Pacific Coast. I have pretty good experience in planning ahead and using Tesla's Superchargers on long trips, but this time I want to play it on the safe side and have another charger network as a backup, just in case. So, I am considering using ChargePoint. They claim to have 27,000 charger locations and have a nifty app, which I have downloaded.

However, be aware-

I've spent some time studying what this network is all about. Aside from very slow charging speed (which we can put aside, as I plan to use them, if at all, just for range-anxiety emergencies) I read many unpleasant, and even horror stories about the ChargePoint availability, limited access, unreliability etc.
For example:
"Worked intermittently, got 2 miles of charge for $2.09, was supposed to have 4 h for free" (Santa Rasa CA)
"Looks like 3 stations are broken and 5 are working" (Healdsburg CA)
"couldn't get it to stop charging" (Newport Oregon)
"No overnight charging" (Ridgefield OR)
"Charging spaces are not mark" (Olympia WA)
"Charger have a problem, power is off" (Mukilteo WA)
"just spoke to ChargePoint, they confirmed this station is having problems" (Blain WA)
"Who can we ask to repair this station? both plugs don't work" Burnaby BC)

And many, many more.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

If you haven't already, sign up for ChargePoint and you'll get a free RFID card. Useful for when there's no cell coverage.

https://www.chargepoint.com/drivers/support-faq

How do I obtain or activate a ChargePoint card?

You can sign up for a free ChargePoint card online or via our ChargePoint mobile app. After signup you will receive a free card within 7-10 business days. Once it arrives, you must log in to your account and activate your card. Go to My Account and select Manage ChargePoint Cards. Make sure you have your ChargePoint card on hand to enter the serial number and select save. You can also use your smartphone to start charging at any public charging station using Tap to Charge. For more information on using Tap to Charge, click here.

I"ve used the mentioned a number of times now to tap-to-charge with my phone at a ChargePoint destination charger, and it works well for me. (Android).

Also, Flo has roaming agreement with ChargePoint. This is useful backup in case an app isn't working.

 

[srs5694]

Do you have a question, or are you just posting to complain about ChargePoint?

ChargePoint operates both J1772 Level 2 and CCS/CHAdeMO DC fast chargers. IMHO, most EV drivers in North America would be well-served to sign up for a ChargePoint account. On a road trip, in addition to their DC fast chargers, some hotels have Level 2 ChargePoint EVSEs. I have limited experience with ChargePoint DC fast chargers, but their Level 2 stations are reasonably (but not perfectly) reliable. In my area (Rhode Island and Massachusetts), most ChargePoint Level 2 stations are free; they're operated by governments to provide a public benefit or by businesses to help draw in customers.

AFAIK, no ChargePoint equipment has Tesla plugs, so you'll need adapters. The J1772 adapter that comes with every Tesla works fine with ChargePoint Level 2 stations; but to use the CCS/CHAdeMO stations, you'll need a CCS1 or CHAdeMO adapter. The former is preferable if you have a recent (October 2020 or later build) Tesla; but for older Teslas, you'll need either to retrofit CCS compatibility (which is coming "soon" from Tesla; or can be done with a hackish do-it-yourself approach now, if you're lucky enough to be able to find the critical circuit board) or buy a CHAdeMO adapter on the used market or as a "grey market" import. (Be sure to get a North American CHAdeMO adapter; the ones made for Europe and most other markets will not work on North American Teslas.) The passive CCS1 adapters can charge faster than the CHAdeMO adapter, providing the fast charger and car can both handle better than a 50 kW charge rate at the moment of use. There's also an active CCS1 adapter made by a company called Setec, but it spoofs the CHAdeMO adapter and so is also limited to 50 kW charge rates. Both the CHAdeMO and Setec adapters are more expensive than the passive CCS1 adapters; and Tesla has stopped selling its CHAdeMO adapter in North America, so it's hard to find except on the used market.

Also, be aware that EVgo has installed Tesla plugs at many of its stations. These actually use a customized version of Tesla's CHAdeMO adapter; it's bolted inside a box to the side of the fast charger, with a long cable attached. These could be a handy emergency backup if you don't own a CCS1 or CHAdeMO adapter yourself.

IMHO, when planning a road trip in a Tesla, focusing too much on just one non-Tesla network as a backup for Tesla's Superchargers could lead to problems. If you're in need of a fast charge and there's no Supercharger nearby, or if that site is a no-go for whatever reason, then you'd do well to look for any alternative site. Currently, in the US, ChargePoint, Electrify America (EA), and EVgo are the biggest alternative networks, although there are some smaller and regional networks, like Blink and Francis Energy. Some of these require cards or apps to work, but you can usually sign up in a few minutes on your cell phone. Some networks, including EA and at least some EVgo sites, can take credit cards. Some networks have interoperability agreements with others. EVgo and ChargePoint have such an agreement, for instance; you can use an EVgo card at a ChargePoint site, or vice-versa. (At least, so they claim; I've never actually tested this.) Thus, you can use any of these sites you find, although you may need to jump through some hoops if you aren't prepared when you arrive.

I recommend downloading the PlugShare app to your phone before you depart. That'll help you find non-Tesla charging sites, should the need arise. PlugShare also features ratings based on user-reported data, so you can spot an unreliable site before arriving. At least, in theory; you could be the unlucky first person to discover that a site is down.

 

[totoro722]

I used ChargePoint for a couple of years with a non-Tesla car before getting my MX. I found it to be reliable and readily available. Based on your described route, I doubt you will need anything besides the Supercharger network. Both the 5 and 101 are well served with Superchargers. I drive that route a few times each year … very easy to find chargers.

 

[RTPEV]

What you need to know about ChargePoint is that their network is largely made up of sites where the host is responsible for operating and maintaining the station, and ChargePoint provides the initial hardware and back-end infrastructure and in return they receive a cut of the revenue from the station (they can also choose to subsidize it and provide the charging for free or reduced cost).

Many sites realize the benefit of having charging stations on site and do well to make sure the stations are well maintained and kept in working order.

Others possibly did not know what they were getting into and installed the machines as a way to establish "green cred" and lost interest when the machine broke down and needed repairs that they would be on the hook to provide, and as a result when you show up at one of those sites you find that it has been backed into or the cords shut, or there is no power to the site.

Now you can certainly find plenty of evidence by browsing Plugshare that ChargePoint stations are non-operational, just as you can for any charge network. And because of the unique ChargePoint business model, it may be even more common.

However, ChargePoint has a huge number of stations, and for every station that is down, there are many more that are not. Furthermore, ChargePoint L2 stations (in the context of use with Teslas) are commonly found in places just where you would need them for long dwell situations, like hotels, shopping centers, tourist attractions, etc.

There is almost no reason to NOT get a ChargePoint account as you will likely find some station somewhere where you happen to be while traveling. And your ChargePoint account can roam to (be used with) other networks as well.

You did say you were going to be using it as a backup, which I interpret to mean while en route between destinations. If you are looking for some kind of fast charging backup solution, and you have a CCS adapter, there are probably much better options for fastcharging, such as ElectrifyAmerica, EVgo, or EVCS. Of course those networks have issues as well. It's always best to check Plugshare entries and their respective apps to help determine if the site is experiencing issues, but frankly, you're probably going to be able to travel just fine on the Supercharger network alone. Using other networks is going to come more into play when at destinations when you are going to want to use a level 2 station.

 

[cwerdna]

What you need to know about ChargePoint is that their network is largely made up of sites where the host is responsible for operating and maintaining the station, and ChargePoint provides the initial hardware and back-end infrastructure and in return they receive a cut of the revenue from the station (they can also choose to subsidize it and provide the charging for free or reduced cost).
...

You did say you were going to be using it as a backup, which I interpret to mean while en route between destinations. If you are looking for some kind of fast charging backup solution, and you have a CCS adapter, there are probably much better options for fastcharging, such as ElectrifyAmerica, EVgo, or EVCS. Of course those networks have issues as well. It's always best to check Plugshare entries and their respective apps to help determine if the site is experiencing issues, but frankly, you're probably going to be able to travel just fine on the Supercharger network alone. Using other networks is going to come more into play when at destinations when you are going to want to use a level 2 station.

Totally agree with the latter. There is no reason to limit oneself ONLY to ChargePoint. Always check Plugshare for first for any charging that is NOT Tesla Supercharger.

I've never owned/leased a Tesla but have been driving BEVs since end of July 2013. For CCS charging, there's plenty along travel corridors on Electrify America. There's a bunch of free DC FCs (CCS1 and CHAdeMO) along highway 99 that I've used (New Electric Vehicle Fast Chargers Now Available Along State Highways in Central California | Caltrans). However, those max out at 50 kW.

As for EVCS, I looked into taking advantage of their free trial when I made a road trip to So Cal then Central Coast (from Nor Cal) in Dec 2022. Seemed mostly useless for me. They had some in LA and I think not the best parts of Fresno. So, I didn't even bother signing up. Didn't need it. My DC FC juice for that trip came from a combo of Caltrans free DC FCs, Electrify America (some paid and free due to complimentary session or system glitch on their side) and once on EV Connect. I went from Bay Area to LA (via highway 99) to Lompoc (for Santa Barbara, Solvang and Hearst Castle) then back to the Bay Area (via 101).

 

[Exscite]

What you need to know about ChargePoint is that their network is largely made up of sites where the host is responsible for operating and maintaining the station, and ChargePoint provides the initial hardware and back-end infrastructure and in return they receive a cut of the revenue from the station (they can also choose to subsidize it and provide the charging for free or reduced cost).

Many sites realize the benefit of having charging stations on site and do well to make sure the stations are well maintained and kept in working order.

Others possibly did not know what they were getting into and installed the machines as a way to establish "green cred" and lost interest when the machine broke down and needed repairs that they would be on the hook to provide, and as a result when you show up at one of those sites you find that it has been backed into or the cords shut, or there is no power to the site.

Now you can certainly find plenty of evidence by browsing Plugshare that ChargePoint stations are non-operational, just as you can for any charge network. And because of the unique ChargePoint business model, it may be even more common.

However, ChargePoint has a huge number of stations, and for every station that is down, there are many more that are not. Furthermore, ChargePoint L2 stations (in the context of use with Teslas) are commonly found in places just where you would need them for long dwell situations, like hotels, shopping centers, tourist attractions, etc.

There is almost no reason to NOT get a ChargePoint account as you will likely find some station somewhere where you happen to be while traveling. And your ChargePoint account can roam to (be used with) other networks as well.

You did say you were going to be using it as a backup, which I interpret to mean while en route between destinations. If you are looking for some kind of fast charging backup solution, and you have a CCS adapter, there are probably much better options for fastcharging, such as ElectrifyAmerica, EVgo, or EVCS. Of course those networks have issues as well. It's always best to check Plugshare entries and their respective apps to help determine if the site is experiencing issues, but frankly, you're probably going to be able to travel just fine on the Supercharger network alone. Using other networks is going to come more into play when at destinations when you are going to want to use a level 2 station.

Excellent response RTPEV. I appreciate your comprehensive and accurate description of the ChargePoint situation.
I have been driving Tesla for more than 4 years, including long trips through the deserts, and never had to use anything but Tesla's Superchargers. I understand, as you have said, that the Tesla charger network all along the West Coast is more robust than ever before (and definitely better than in Arizona...). I am thinking about ChargePoint only as a backup just in extreme range anxiety situations ( and to put my wife's frame of mind at ease).

Question to you: what do mean when you say:

And your ChargePoint account can roam to (be used with) other networks as well. ????

​

 

[RTPEV]

Question to you: what do mean when you say:
And your ChargePoint account can roam to (be used with) other networks as well. ????

Just means that if you have a ChargePoint account/card/app that it should work on (some) other networks as well. No need to open an EVgo account for example, you can just use your ChargePoint account at an EVgo station and billing will be through your ChargePoint account.

Not all networks support roaming, however, and I haven't personally tried this myself (I have accounts with the other providers that I've visited).

https://www.chargepoint.com/products/network

 

[Mikey321]

Did you try using Plugshare to locate ChargePoint charging locations? I use Plugshare (this is not completely accurate), which gives real-time results, and let me see reviews of other Ev owners, helping me to decide and plan my routes accordingly.

I did a little work setting filters for you so that you can mark charging stations (ChargePoint and supercharger):

Check these:
Tesla Supercharger Map | PlugShare
Map of ChargePoint EV Charging Network | PlugShare