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Electrify America Complementary Session Check-in

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It is CRAZY how much time EA chargers are offline, sure they have 3-8 chargers, so they can be down 50% and still allow you to charge, but having been watching EA for more than a month it's been so quick to go out a day after being reported as having free charging. Perhaps this is WHY they have been free for so long. Trying to get the network stable and offering free charging while we wait for it.
Yep, I randomly tried 2 EA sites in 2 different states; half of the chargers at both sites were offline.
Compare that to Tesla over the last 4 days… 5 states, 16 supercharger sites: Nothing offline, no obvious broken chargers or handles.
 
Well the last two days I have stopped at EA chargers that had no Complimentary Sessions on screen but when I plugged in it immediately started charging for free. Not EVERY time, when I tried to reproduce the event I was greeted with a request to select how I wanted to pay.

The first was in Rohnert Park and just now it was at my local EA in Alameda

Someone just pulled in near me to show up my wrap:
B0BDA76C-F934-49ED-963D-64666B797CCF.jpeg
 
Stall #1 is NOT free. Stall #3 is free, but charging pretty slow at 35kW.

Hello neighbor!

That’s weird, though, I was at #3 yesterday, getting 77kW. The one that had one cable with a broken cover, yah?

I didn’t actually look at #1, I just asked the Rivian owner if it was free since he was trying to get it to work (and eventually couldn’t).
 

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Hello neighbor!

That’s weird, though, I was at #3 yesterday, getting 77kW. The one that had one cable with a broken cover, yah?

I didn’t actually look at #1, I just asked the Rivian owner if it was free since he was trying to get it to work (and eventually couldn’t).
Yes, the one with the broken cover. I tried both handles, but I didn't hear the usual cable cooling sounds, so I assumed either that was busted, or the thermal sensors were busted, and figured that's why this location must still be free. It stayed between 35 and 45 kw. When I used the one with the broken cover, it never actually said I was charging on the stall, it was stuck on the initiating charge screen, but my car said it was charging, albeit at 35kw.. So I stopped the charge, and switched handles, and this time the charger completed the handshake properly.

I charged at a Target a few days ago, around the same time of night, with similar temps and SoC, and was between 90 and 120kw. (Wasn't free tho) I figured this location was just slow, becuase there was a Y next to me. He was there when I got there, and was still charging when I left.... And I charged from 38% to 90%, so I"m not sure how fast he was charging, or what SoC he was at. He was sitting in his car, so I didn't feel like being nosey and looking at his charging screen.

When I originally got there the only stall open was #1, so I tried hooking up there, and noticed it did not say it was complimentary, and when I plugged in, it was asking for payment... While I was standing there, the person in #3 just left, and I could see it said complimentary where I was standing, so I moved over.
 
I was hiking near Asheville today, so at stopped at the Sam's Club in NW Asheville to check out the EA station there.

I tried one of the two 350 kW stalls, but despite having only 39% SOC on arrival, it only got up to around 110 kW for a minute and then dropped down into the 70s.

Date: Nov 27, 2022
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Asheville, NC
Site: Sam's Club ()
Status: NOT Complimentary on any of the 4 stalls (the free ride is over)

No one there when I arrived, but immediately after I plugged in a beautiful red Bolt, yes a beautiful Bolt, pulled in beside me. I chatted with the driver for a bit; he said they've been happy with it so far, and they've done a few ~500 mile road trips in it.

Next, a VW ID.4 pulled in. I didn't get a chance to talk to them, because I happened to see a Ioniq 5 pull up. Since I wasn't desperate and there are 3 Supercharger sites in Asheville, I unplugged to let them have the 350 kW EA unit.

I don't know if I had added one of the superchargers to my route, in order to get the battery to precondition a little, I would have gotten a better rate, but probably. When I navigated to Thetford Street, and it did precondition, I started out around 150 kW at 44% SOC, and was still pulling in the 70s at around 70% SOC.
 
Date: Nov 28, 2022
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Alameda, CA
Site: Target
Status:Stall 4 showed Unavailable in app, but screen showed the usual plug in first. No complimentary session message, but started up and charged for free. It stopped 10 minutes in, and replug started it up again. Left after shopping at Target 15 minutes later.
 
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Not sure if still useful anymore. Was way too tired and busy to post this last night.

Date: Dec 26, 2022
Time: around 11 pm
Location: Culver City, CA
Site:
Two DC FCs were showing complimentary session. I used one and didn't know about the other until the driver left. All the remaining stations were paid or had blank screens. At least one was showing 1 or 2 plugs unavailable.
 
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I heard about the above but haven't had time to watch it. Since I've been traveling thru So Cal and Central Coast, it's not below freezing. So, I haven't had any major probs with EA but the only free EA juice I've gotten was in Culver City. All my other sessions elsewhere have been paid.
 
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Right now at Pismo Beach, CA at least 2 chargers are showing complimentary session. I’m on 1 and Ford EV truck is on the other.

One more isn’t showing that but the truck driver (EV newb) said he couldn’t get that one to work.

Pismo Beach Premium Outlets - Nike Factory Store
333 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach, California, 93449, US

Pismo Beach Premium Outlets - Nike Factory Store | PlugShare
 
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