Charging w PlugShare or ChargePoint

[Treetop235]

I will be driving to an office in Big Bear CA next week, it’s about a two hour drive, in below 40 temps, and some of the trio using snow chains. I drive a dual motor long range. A normal trip would leave me with 50%. And coming down uses very little power. But.ll that’s in nice warm weather.
This will be a slow, cold trip, and with chains.
So I am going to go today and test ChargePoint and PlugShare as there are some on the mountain.

I only have the adapter that came with my Tesla. Do I need any special adapter? If so can you share an amazon link.
I also plan to get an extension cord so I can charge at the office if I have to.

I may be overthinking this, but want to be prepared.
Thanks for any tips, or advice.
I will leave with 100% charge on m 80kw battery.
I hate to be cold.. so will probably use the seat heater, and maybe cabin heat.
Thx

 

[ucmndd]

1) PlugShare is not a charging network, it’s just an aggregator of available charging sites. Some networked, some not. Very useful app but the quality/experience will vary widely at different stations so worth checking them out before you’re desperate, but going to a plugshare site near you isn’t going to tell you anything about another one far away.

2) ChargePoint is pretty easy, the best non-Tesla charging network IMO. Set up an account ahead of time and download the app, and you should be good.

3) You don’t need any other adapter than the J1772 that came with your car to use public L2 charging stations.

4) you say you have a long range AWD. You don’t need chains. You must CARRY them, but I wouldn’t put them on unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Treetop235]

1) PlugShare is not a charging network, it’s just an aggregator of available charging sites. Some networked, some not. Very useful app but the quality/experience will vary widely at different stations so worth checking them out before you’re desperate, but going to a plugshare site near you isn’t going to tell you anything about another one far away.

2) ChargePoint is pretty easy, the best non-Tesla charging network IMO. Set up an account ahead of time and download the app, and you should be good.

3) You don’t need any other adapter than the J1772 that came with your car to use public L2 charging stations.

4) you say you have a long range AWD. You don’t need chains. You must CARRY them, but I wouldn’t put them on unless absolutely necessary.

thanks for the info. At this moment the chain requirement is “R3” which is chains on all vehicles.
If weather stays nice, I am hoping for “R2 or R1” on Tuesday, so no chains.
I did download both apps, and will test both today. Not many Chargepoints up there, but will go for that first,
Thanks.

 

[ewoodrick]

Look at Plug share for the available chargers. On the ones that work for you, look at the individual charger and see what network that it is affiliated with and the cost. Also look at the rating and last comments to see how reliable it is.
Then check the network to see what you need to do to pay

 

[ucmndd]

thanks for the info. At this moment the chain requirement is “R3” which is chains on all vehicles.

Oh wow! Good to know. It’s been probably 15 years since I’ve seen an R3 posting up here in NorCal. The requirements up here seem to have morphed over the years to “R1”, “R2”, and then “Road Closed”.

Good luck and safe travels either way!

 

[Eno Deb]

Make sure to sign up for a Chargepoint account before you leave and add their pass to Apple/Android Wallet. Nothing worse than trying to sign up on the app in the freezing cold with bad cellular connectivity. You might also want to sign up with EVGo, which are becoming quite common in CA. You can't use their DC fast chargers without the expensive Chademo adapter for now, but their locations often also have a J1772 outlet.

Also, if I remember correctly there are a few RV parks with 14-50 outlets in the Big Bear Lake area, so bring your adapter.

 

[Need]

Unfortunately there is no public charger up on Big Bear. You will need to charge up at Fontana or San Bernardino superchargers. Starting from the Fontana supercharger, I could make it up there and down with my 75D Model X with only 235 miles range. It was with snow on top but no chain required. I think you should be just fine with M3 if you charge up at the bottom. Coming down you will actually gain mileage.

Like @Eno Deb said you could try finding RV park outlets, or if you stay the night at a rental house, you could bring your 110v adapter and cable... 4-5 miles per hour overnight would get you 50+ miles. Go to betterrouteplanner and plan your route with the temperature and weather for your trip. You will get a better feel of it.

 

[joebruin77]

In addition to Plugshare and Chargepoint, one other app that is worthwhile to check out is EVMatch. EVMatch is different in that it hooks you up with privately owned chargers, usually at private homes. I just did a quick search and there is one 240V outlet available in Running Springs. The only drawback to this app is that you usually have to reserve it in advance by contacting the owner through the app. But if there are no public chargers nearby, this might be another option to check out.

 

[srs5694]

I will be driving to an office in Big Bear CA next week, it’s about a two hour drive, in below 40 temps, and some of the trio using snow chains. I drive a dual motor long range. A normal trip would leave me with 50%. And coming down uses very little power. But.ll that’s in nice warm weather.
This will be a slow, cold trip, and with chains.
So I am going to go today and test ChargePoint and PlugShare as there are some on the mountain.

I only have the adapter that came with my Tesla. Do I need any special adapter?

Broadly speaking, there are four types of adapters you might use with a Tesla for charging:

• The J1772 adapter that comes with the car -- This lets you use any Level 1 or Level 2 J1772 EVSE, which are fairly common public charging options. They're slow, though -- typically 5-8kW, which is about what you'd get from a Tesla Mobile Connector plugged into a NEMA 14-50 outlet. If you're going for an overnight stay in a rental property or at a hotel, there's a chance that there'll be a J1772 EVSE where you're staying, in which case you should be able to fully recharge with the EVSE and J1772 adapter.
  
• Mobile Connector adapters for wall outlets -- Tesla sells these individually; or you can buy a bundle with all of them in a carrying case. Currently, the Mobile Connector that comes with the car includes only a NEMA 5-15 adapter for use with a normal 120v wall outlet. Tesla used to include a NEMA 14-50 adapter for use with that variety of 240v outlet. As @Eno Deb notes, some campgrounds offer NEMA 14-50 outlets. You'd get slow charging speeds with these, of course. You're most likely to find one useful if your destination has a convenient outlet of a speed higher than the NEMA 5-15 variety, in which case you can buy the matching plug for $35. Some third parties also sell compatible adapters for some outlet types that Tesla doesn't support. See the Quick Charge Power adapters page, for instance (scroll down a bit; the Wall Connector adapters are about 3/4 of the way down the listings).
• Commercial plug adapters -- These can interface from one outlet type to another; but be careful of amperage settings. If you've got a Tesla NEMA 14-50 plug, for instance, and you use an adapter to plug into, say, a 30A outlet, then the car will try to draw 32A, which is likely to trip the circuit breaker; and if the circuit breaker is defective and doesn't trip, the result might be overheating and perhaps even a fire. You can set the charge rate down on the Tesla's charging screen, if necessary; but there's less likelihood of a problem if you use an appropriate Mobile connector adapter/plug instead.
  
• Tesla's CHAdeMO adapter -- This lets you charge at CHAdeMO DC fast charge stations operated by Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint, and others. You can charge at a theoretical maximum of 50kW with this adapter, but of course you might not reach that speed with any given station or vehicle SoC. The adapter is pricey, at $450; but you may be able to rent or borrow one. (The Quick Charge Power page noted earlier includes rental of the CHAdeMO adapter; but it's currently listed as "out of stock.") Check PlugShare to see if there are any CHAdeMO stations along your route, particularly if you think conditions will be bad enough that you may not be able to make it to a Supercharger. Note that PlugShare includes a plug type filter so you can search for whatever plug type(s) your car can use. You can set that to CHAdeMO-only if you want to figure out if the CHAdeMO adapter might be of any use to you.

 

[DavidElg]

I would also recommend getting the physical cards from some of the big charging networks. I have ones from both CharePoint and Blink in my car. It just adds another layer of protection should you have issues with the phone app.

 

[Treetop235]

Make sure to sign up for a Chargepoint account before you leave and add their pass to Apple/Android Wallet. Nothing worse than trying to sign up on the app in the freezing cold with bad cellular connectivity. You might also want to sign up with EVGo, which are becoming quite common in CA. You can't use their DC fast chargers without the expensive Chademo adapter for now, but their locations often also have a J1772 outlet.

Also, if I remember correctly there are a few RV parks with 14-50 outlets in the Big Bear Lake area, so bring your adapter.

I did a successful charge with ChargePoint, but it was slow.

I also tried EVGo but you can only charge with the Chademo which I don’t have. The other EVgo cable is CCS, and won’t work with Tesla, and there is no adapter from what I saw.
It’s a disappointment because the EVGo is a very fast charger. Not sure why Tesla doesn’t have an adapter.

I plan to leave with 100%. I should be fine. Coming down the mountain won’t be an issue, it’s just the area where I use chains.
With luck the chain requirement will be gone by Tuesday.

 

[Treetop235]

I would also recommend getting the physical cards from some of the big charging networks. I have ones from both CharePoint and Blink in my car. It just adds another layer of protection should you have issues with the phone app.

I signed up with ChargePoint, thanks for the blink suggestion. I’ll check them out today.
EVGo won’t work without the $500.00 Chademo adapter which I’m not going to spend.

over time I will just keep adding to my options.
Thanks

 

[Eno Deb]

I did a successful charge with ChargePoint, but it was slow.

Well, it's L2. But it'll help get to the next supercharger in a pinch.

I also tried EVGo but you can only charge with the Chademo which I don’t have. The other EVgo cable is CCS, and won’t work with Tesla, and there is no adapter from what I saw.

As I wrote above, most EVGo stations also have a J1772 outlet (with the same slow speed as other L2 chargers).

It’s a disappointment because the EVGo is a very fast charger. Not sure why Tesla doesn’t have an adapter.

Many people (me included) are waiting for this. Tesla already has a CCS adapter in Europe, but they use a different type of plug.

I plan to leave with 100%. I should be fine.

Most likely. Enjoy the trip.

 

[Need]

I plan to leave with 100%. I should be fine. Coming down the mountain won’t be an issue, it’s just the area where I use chains.
With luck the chain requirement will be gone by Tuesday.

Make sure you check traffic condition before coming down Big Bear. This actually happened to my friend who drove a M3 up Big Bear a few months ago. He came down the 18 and the traffic completely stopped because there was a bad motorcycle accident. Many cars were turning around to take the 38 down, but he can't. He would have plenty battery left going down the 18 but if he has to go uphill again to get back to Big Bear and then down the east side.. which is a longer drive.. he was not sure he could make it to the supercharger.

 

[Treetop235]

Make sure you check traffic condition before coming down Big Bear. This actually happened to my friend who drove a M3 up Big Bear a few months ago. He came down the 18 and the traffic completely stopped because there was a bad motorcycle accident. Many cars were turning around to take the 38 down, but he can't. He would have plenty battery left going down the 18 but if he has to go uphill again to get back to Big Bear and then down the east side.. which is a longer drive.. he was not sure he could make it to the supercharger.

good point. I will just wait it out.
But I think 18 is closed anyway, so I will go San Bernardino and top off at supercharger, then go around the Victorville way. There are ChargePoints in Victorville, so maybe I’ll get lunch and add some miles. Then to big bear.
If I’m stuck overnight, I’ll use 110 to maintain the night.
But I should be ok.
Just hoping to skip the chains if possible.

 

[Rocky_H]

In addition to Plugshare and Chargepoint, one other app that is worthwhile to check out is EVMatch. EVMatch is different in that it hooks you up with privately owned chargers, usually at private homes.

...which is what the word "share" in Plugshare stands for. That is I think what Plugshare was originally created for before it merged with the Recargo site, which had public charging stations. Anyway, it certainly still has people's private home charging options listed in the app. I have given and received charging through Plugshare in the past and still have my home 14-50 outlet listed on it. I don't know about how many people would have heard of EVMatch or how useful it is, since Plugshare has already had this function for a long time.

 

[docdeb27]

I will be driving to an office in Big Bear CA next week, it’s about a two hour drive, in below 40 temps, and some of the trio using snow chains. I drive a dual motor long range. A normal trip would leave me with 50%. And coming down uses very little power. But.ll that’s in nice warm weather.
This will be a slow, cold trip, and with chains.
So I am going to go today and test ChargePoint and PlugShare as there are some on the mountain.

I only have the adapter that came with my Tesla. Do I need any special adapter? If so can you share an amazon link.
I also plan to get an extension cord so I can charge at the office if I have to.

I may be overthinking this, but want to be prepared.
Thanks for any tips, or advice.
I will leave with 100% charge on m 80kw battery.
I hate to be cold.. so will probably use the seat heater, and maybe cabin heat.
Thx

That adapter should work. Have their apps on your phone so you can easily charge.

 

[joebruin77]

...which is what the word "share" in Plugshare stands for. That is I think what Plugshare was originally created for before it merged with the Recargo site, which had public charging stations. Anyway, it certainly still has people's private home charging options listed in the app. I have given and received charging through Plugshare in the past and still have my home 14-50 outlet listed on it. I don't know about how many people would have heard of EVMatch or how useful it is, since Plugshare has already had this function for a long time.

The problem I have run into with Plugshare is that, at least in my area, there are public and private chargers that definitely exist but do NOT appear on Plugshare. For example, I have found at least 2 Chargepoint public chargers as well as 2 EV Match private chargers that do appear on the Chargepoint and EVMatch apps respectively but do not appear on Plugshare. I do have and use Plugshare, but I do not rely on it exclusively as it seems to miss some chargers. I have Plugshare, Chargepoint, and EVMatch apps on my phone just in case I have trouble finding a charger via Plugshare.

 

[srs5694]

The problem I have run into with Plugshare is that, at least in my area, there are public and private chargers that definitely exist but do NOT appear on Plugshare.

That's a problem with any crowd-sourced data source, of which PlugShare is an example.

For example, I have found at least 2 Chargepoint public chargers as well as 2 EV Match private chargers that do appear on the Chargepoint and EVMatch apps respectively but do not appear on Plugshare.

The advantage of a crowd-sourced data source is that you can add to it. It's easy to add sites to PlugShare. I did so once myself, when I noticed that the ChargePoint app was showing a site near me that didn't appear on PlugShare. (I went there and verified that the EVSE worked first, of course.) I encourage others to do the same if and when they locate public EVSEs that aren't on PlugShare.

 

[Need]

Check out this thread:
Trip journal - South OC to Big Bear/Snow Summit