Comox Valley Visitors Center J1772 chargers on Vancouver Island

[ecarfan]

Has anyone used the Comox Valley Visitors Center J1772 chargers on Vancouver Island? Address is 101-3607 Small Rd, Courtenay. Specifically I’m wondering about payment methods. PlugShare says they take ChargePoint cards or RFID/NFC payment cards. I assume that means they will accept my Apple Card (MasterCard) which does contactless payment through my iPhone or Apple Watch.

I hate to plan a trip and have to rely on chargers not in the Supercharger network, which I know I can depend on to work. And I particularly dislike slow J1772 chargers. Need a Supercharger in Courtenay or Campbell River.

 

[iMoe]

I assume you do not have the Chargepoint app?

If that's the case, I recommend you install it since a large percentage of L2s in BC are Chargepoint or can communicate with Chargepoint. Once you are setup (by adding a payment card to your account) the experience is seamless. I rely on it when off the beaten path (in the supercharger world).

Based on your description of the charger I can see it in the app and I have no doubt I'd use it if I had to charge in the area using my Chargepoint app.

 

[ecarfan]

Thanks, I do have the ChargePoint app.

My point is that I dislike relying on L2 chargers on a road trip. I have had too many negative experiences; they are excruciatingly slow, or the charger doesn’t work or the charger(s) is occupied for hours. When a location has only one or two chargers that has happened to me multiple times.

In contrast, out of hundreds and hundreds of Supercharger sessions, only once have I been unable to charge; when I arrived at the Superior MT Supercharger the entire town had lost power minutes earlier. 20 minutes later power came back on and I charged up. And two times I had to wait for over 20 minutes; once in Atascadero CA after a SpaceX launch at Vandenburg AFB and once at Mt Shasta CA (before the location was expanded) on my way home from Oregon after viewing the solar eclipse.

The Supercharger network is a tremendous accomplishment by a relatively small company in the automotive world. Non-Tesla owners do not appreciate its value until they have tried to do a long road trip and discovered just how difficult it can be in other EVs.

 

[marcham]

I can stop by and check Tuesday night. There are a few destination chargers, which are free. Shelter point and Wayward distilleries. The city chargers in Comox have a fee, I believe the one at the Comox Valley Regional district is free.

We need 3-4 more superchargers on the island to complete the network: Tofino, Campbell River , Port Hardy and a v3 in Victoria ....

 

[marcham]

Charger at the visitors center needs the Chargepoint app, but is free to use 24/7.

6.6kW, shared between the 2 cables.