Chargepoint in Australia (Closed 31/01/2024)

[WoodWombat]

I will be on Kangaroo Island around ANZAC day and was initially excited to see that there were a heap of Chargepoint charging stations on the island. Unfortunately they are all J1772 until the new RAA/ChargeFox rollout happens.

So, I have two problems. Firstly, it does not appear that either iOS or Android Chargepoint apps actually function at all. I tried to create an account with Google Pay, credit card, PayPal and Apple Pay, and none worked. Chargepoint support emails bounce and the phone number is never answered. Had anyone successfully used Chargepoint recently?

Second problem is sourcing a J1772 to type 2 adaptor. I have tried the TOCA adaptor loan program and, as with all communications with TOCA in the past few months, radio silence. Does anyone have an adaptor in Melbourne that they could lend me for a couple of weeks, assuming I manage to solve the Chargepoint problem?

 

[Nobody Famous]

I've used Chargepoint a few times since they closed up shop in Australia. Fortunately I have an RFID tag that still works as the chargers don't appear on the app now.

Confusion reigns as ChargePoint quietly pulls support from Australian EV chargers

US company ChargePoint has quietly shut down Australian operations, leaving many units unsupported, apparently due to the lack of coherent policy.

thedriven.io

 

[moa999]

Chargepoint certainly exists in the US and Europe (it's a US$6bn Mcap company).

Some of the chargepoint sites in Aus will reportedly work with any RFID card or fob, others more difficult.
5 J1772 outlets at the airport. What a waste.

 

[meloccom]

I last Used the ChargePoint chargers at Westfield Bondi Junction about a month ago successfully. I have added the virtual ChargPoint card to my Apple Wallet and it seems to work okay With that.

 

[Vostok]

I will be on Kangaroo Island around ANZAC day and was initially excited to see that there were a heap of Chargepoint charging stations on the island. Unfortunately they are all J1772 until the new RAA/ChargeFox rollout happens. Had anyone successfully used Chargepoint recently?

I was on KI in 2018 (pre-Tesla) and checked out the most of the Chargepoint stations that were there. The one at Penneshaw appeared to be used occasionally by a Mitsubishi PHEV. The one at Kingscote I never saw being used. The one at Parndana was offline and covered in cobwebs.

On Plugshare there are successful checkins this year of the ones at Penneshaw and Kingscote but reports of problems at Parndana. It seems you need the Chargepoint RFID card or Apple Wallet version to start them up, although the last time I tried to use a Chargepoint charger with my Chargepoint RFID card it didn’t work.

Enjoy your trip to KI - it’s a fantastic destination. We spent 10 days there and it was barely enough. People who go there only for a day possibly don’t realise just how big it is (and don’t get value out of the quite expensive ferry ride there and back).

 

[meloccom]

Used my ChargPoint account today at Westfield Bondi Junction.
I used the virtual card in Apple Wallet and it took a couple of swipes at the reader before it unlocked, then it worked fine.

 

[Rolond]

I was charging at the Chargepoint chargers at Carindale yesterday

When I returned to my car, I noticed a woman with a Kona having trouble starting a charging session with the Carindale 02 station (I was using the 01 station)

In talking with her she told me it was her first attempt to charge with Chargepoint and was having trouble with the app, I assumed that she was trying to set up a Chargepoint account and install the app on her phone, and I told her that Chargepoint was no longer in Australia, and I offered to start a charging session for her as soon as I stopped the charging session with my car

While I was doing that she was able to start a charging session using a NFC capable Android phone

After further discussion with her it turns out that she was able to set up a Chargepoint account recently (She bought the Kona within the last month), though she had to go to the US site to do so, it did accept an Australian phone number, and it took multiple attempts to connect a credit card to the account but she was finally successful

I told her the reason the app would not work to set up a charging session was that the 02 charging station was at No Status and had been for months (The 01station is fine), so it was only possible to set up a charging session at that station with a Chargepoint RFID card or a virtual RFID card using an Iphone or NFC capable Android phone

 

[AlonBerman]

Solved: Short answer - sign up with a US account from a desktop browser. I used a VPN but you can go directly to the US sign up ChargePoint and postcode 90210. If you do it on your phone delete the app first to avoid it opening when you use your PayPal. Once done, login on the app > account > manage cards and add the card to your wallet.

Now at a Chargepoint tap wireless, select the CP card and tap again.

————

Long answer to help with SEO and others
As a new owner it is frustrating (but fun) figuring this out. I’ve managed to start charging after my third visit.

First visit was a lesson in plug types and a few day’s break to wait for my cable delivery. Also learnt about unlocking the cars charge port. (I now realise the charger’s port must have been broken as I could remove it from the machine). I struggled with signing up on payment methods on the app but left it as I never had cables.

Visit 2 with new charger adapter I try sign up. Issues with payment (tried Apple Pay, multiple credit cards, no PayPal app option, tried different emails, usernames etc). AUS 1300 number no longer works. Website is not updated. Concierge at Bondi Just nation Westfield had no idea. Called US and they had no idea - told me to wait a few hrs. Tried signing up through website - you can use PayPal but there is a validation error with not having entered phone number… but they don’t ask you for a phone number on sign up. Gave up.

Then at home signed up with US account. I could use a AU number. Couldn’t specify an AU address for delivery of an RFID ID though.

After signing up I logged into the app. It’s dysfunctional as you can’t see locations or get anything to work.

I headed to the accounts > manage cards > added to Apple Wallet and at visit 3 voila.

I am sure Android is the same.

 

[Les Posen]

Did the same today (4/9/22) using these instructions and success adding to the Apple Wallet. I will try it out at the nearest Chargepioint which is at Ventia OPty Ltd, in Heatherton near VicRoads, and Arcobar.

 

[gurrier]

I managed to get a new Chargepoint card mailed to me. It arrived today and I added into the app.

 

[gurrier]

That was posted to a Sydney home address. I then added it to the Chargepoint App to Activate it successfully. I confirmed at a local charger that it was sufficient to start a session also but don't have a Type-1 J1772 to Type-2 adapter yet

 

[Rolond]

You can get a type 1 to type 2 adapter from here:-

EVSE EV Adaptor 32A J1772 Type 1 to Type 2 Plug EV Adapter, Electric Vehiclo 4894909903731 | eBay

Rated Current: 16A & 32A, AC. Vehicle Side Connection: IEC-62196-2 Type 2 Female Plug. color: Black.

www.ebay.com.au

 

[sivanarayanan1]

I managed to get a new Chargepoint card mailed to me. It arrived today and I added into the app.

How were you able to do it, it does not accept any non-American addresses.

 

[Vostok]

Didn't Chargepoint abandon Australia, leaving behind a bunch of chargers that no-one knows who owns them any more, and no-one manages them?

 

[moa999]

Didn't Chargepoint abandon Australia, leaving behind a bunch of chargers that no-one knows who owns them any more, and no-one manages them?

Yes. But per above with some trickery appears people are able to create new accounts

 

[meloccom]

Actually, the ChargePoint chargers at Westfield Bondi Junction up until recently had one faulty station and they have been able to repair it. So perhaps there’s an local service agent now or just a smart electrician.

 

[RichardV]

I managed to get a new Chargepoint card mailed to me. It arrived today and I added into the app.

Did you get it mail forwarded from the USA?

 

[meloccom]

I managed to get a new Chargepoint card mailed to me. It arrived today and I added into the app.

For iPhone users the ChargePoint app can produce a card for the Apple Wallet.

 

[Vostok]

For iPhone users the ChargePoint app can produce a card for the Apple Wallet.

Yep. I got a physical Chargepoint RFID card though before they left the country.

 

[WoodWombat]

In my experience, all you need is an RFID card of any sort to charge at a Chargepoint charger. As far as I can tell, the software on the charger reads the RFID and then tries to reach a backend that no longer exists. After a few seconds the API call fails, and the charger defaults to allow the charging session, possibly recording it in a buffer to bill you later, but that will never happen.

I have personally used a Chargefox card, but I am sure that an Evie or other might work as well. You might even be able to use an office key card and someone said a normal credit card might work as well, but this was not the case when I played around with it.

So, don't worry about any tricks, just enjoy.

By the way, the units on Kangaroo Island were something like 40A single phase, which gave me a much faster than expected charge rate.