EV charging is mostly stupid in the USA!

[DonTom]

I am now charging my Zero DSR/X motorcycle in Fernley, NV.

I had to set up a new account on my Smartphone. OP-Connect--I never even heard of them before.

Same story with the last two EV Charge stations I used. Had to set up new accounts. My Smartphone is almost out of storage space because of all the different EV accounts.

I was told by a guy in Europe in the electric motorcycle forum that the USA method is illegal there. All charge stns must all allow credit cards or something that will work at EVERY charge station instead of needing a new App for each one. There, no app is necessary, unlike MOST here in the USA.

The USA is behind other countries in the way they deal with this stuff, especially with all the new J-1772 charge stns showing up all over suddenly. Seems none of these new ones are the same make, so a new account is needed for each one. A stupid way to do things, IMO.

But I cannot complain too much with the new charge stations in places where needed very much.

This one is not free to use, but at 18 cents per KWH, it is not much more than a Reno home charge (11.3 cents per KWH). And is MUCH cheaper than an Auburn home charge.


-Don- in Windy Fernley, NV (I hope my bike doesn't blow over here!)

 

[workinonit]

Good luck. Happy it's you and not be charging those things.

 

[DonTom]

Good luck. Happy it's you and not be charging those things.

Probably the main reason Tesla is the best-selling EV by far. Just plug in at a Tesla Supercharger and walk away. Their charge accounts come with the car. I think Rivian does the same. None others that I am aware of.

The charge station I was using today few BEV (Battery-<only> EV) car users when on a road trip will bother with. There are DC Fast chargers about a mile away, but my motorcycle and many hybrids cannot use those.

Too slow at 7.7KW for a road trip, except for hybrids, motorcycles, and smaller EV batteries. Teslas Superchargers can be 250 KW. 32 times faster. But these J-1772 charge stations are handy for some hybrids that have a small battery or for a motorcycle like mine (2023 Zero DSR/x). It took me longer to set up the O-Connect Charging account account than it did for me to complete the charge there. But makes no difference, I was in no hurry.

The charge stations there (six plugs total), I think are mainly installed for the EV owners at the Fernley Apartments. So it could be the only account they need--unless going on a long trip. But they are open to anybody. I went there today just to check them out as that can be a handy charge location for me. Those are the first J-1772's (240 VAC charge stations) in Fernley, NV.

Anyway, it got so windy I decided to ride back home. Mission accomplished, I only went to Fernly to check into the new charge stations there. But if the weather was better, I would have gone on a much longer ride.

BTW, I hate using Smartphone apps for charging. And sometimes they give me trouble. I gave up trying to charge here a few days ago. Wasn't an issue, as there were other places to charge near there. The Enel -X app was the most confusing app I have ever seen. Was extra stupid, IMAO. And that is my main complaint. These J-1772 stations can be a hassle. Enel-X is another charging company I never heard of before. See my checkin there. I gave up on that one.

I rode all the way here and charged up with another company I never heard of, called "Am-Up" Read my check-in there. That app was easy to figure out. That was a very nice ride in the middle of nowhere.

Riding and checking into new charge stations is a hobby of mine. Gives me places to ride to. I find a lot of nice riding areas that way.

I enjoy riding and charging up in the middle of nowhere, such as the other day in MiddleGate, NV:

I was surprised 17 people were living in the area. I would have expected around 3 to 5 or so.


-Don- Reno, NV

 

[John From Detroit]

The USA is behind other countries in the way they deal with this stuff, especially with all the new J-1772 charge stns showing up all over suddenly. Seems none of these new ones are the same make, so a new account is needed for each one. A stupid way to do things, IMO.

I believe the charge stations near me are all card operated.

That said you said a lot in the quoted text.. Thanks to the Climate Deniers and the BIG OIL funding we are way being when it comes to regulations in this field.

 

[DonTom]

I believe the charge stations near me are all card operated.

What type of card? What type of charge station? Very few J-1772 charge stations directly accept credit cards here in the USA without an account.

I can only recall one J-1772 that was supposed to accept credit cards. And it didn't work! That was at the Walmart here. Most other Walmarts and most other EA locations do not have J-1772 at all.

Chargepoints work well with their RFID card, but will not accept credit cards except through their online account (which I think is stupid).

However, one advantage of NOT using a CC is that you can monitor the charge from a remote location. If using a CC, you have to be back shortly after the charging has finished or the price goes up for hogging the station. There is no way to monitor the charge from a distance when a CC is used as then there is no way for the machine to know who you are.

And a lot of the credit card readers do NOT work on DC fast chargers. A lot of it has to do with when they removed the 3G system that they used to communicate with. But some are now being upgraded (finally).

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Chef Duane]

I am now charging my Zero DSR/X motorcycle in Fernley, NV.

Fernley!?? I've been through Ferney. You at the Love's or the Walmart across from the Flying J??

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Thanks to the Climate Deniers and the BIG OIL funding we are way being when it comes to regulations in this field.

Yep, can you imagine the EV and renewable energy grid progress that could have occurred if not for the fossil fuel cartel and their politician puppets. Same can be for the gun cartel. It took a couple generations to only slightly hobble the tobacco cartel. Humanity is fatally gullible and easily manipulated. The 1% know how to take full advantage and benefit from this. And social media makes it much easier for them too.

 

[DonTom]

Fernley!?? I've been through Ferney. You at the Love's or the Walmart across from the Flying J??

No, I was at the "Fremont Apartments" near Hwy 80 & Alt-50.

The Fremont Apartments
1115 Fremont St,
Fernley, NV 89408

But it is within walking distance to the Walmart. That WalMart has DC fast chargers, but no J-1772.

The fast chargers are best for my Energica motorcycles. But Zero motorcycles can only use J-1772. I can also use J-1772 on my Energica but the charge rate will be 3.3 KW instead of 6.6 KW. That means twice the wait.

But on the DC fast chargers, the Energicas can do 20KW, three times faster charge than my Zero on the J-1772.

I have also been to the Flying J--when I need gasoline--no charging there.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Chef Duane]

Yep, can you imagine the EV and renewable energy grid progress that could have occurred if not for the fossil fuel cartel and their politician puppets. Same can be for the gun cartel. It took a couple generations to only slightly hobble the tobacco cartel. Humanity is fatally gullible and easily manipulated. The 1% know how to take full advantage and benefit from this. And social media makes it much easier for them too.

LOL!! You got that right!!

 

[John From Detroit]

What type of card? What type of charge station? Very few J-1772 charge stations directly accept credit cards here in the USA without an account.

Since I do not have an EV.. (Would like one but alas I thin my ICE may well outlast me) I have never tried the card slot. but it visually has a slot.. Will pay more attention to the labeling next time I'm parked near.,

 

[NY_Dutch]

As to the multiple apps issues, I expect someone will come along at some point with a single app that works with a multitude of chargers. I recall when gas pumps/stations only accepted thier own branded cards, and then the multi-brand cards came along, leading eventually to the MC/VISA, etc. cards we all carry today.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The USA is behind other countries in the way they deal with this stuff, especially with all the new J-1772 charge stns showing up all over suddenly. Seems none of these new ones are the same make, so a new account is needed for each one. A stupid way to do things, IMO.

Very inconvenient for the EV driving public but not stupid for the entrepreneurs investing in charging stations. They want (need?) their profits and with their own app/account they get to keep it all.

 

[Sunnyfalls]

Very inconvenient for the EV driving public but not stupid for the entrepreneurs investing in charging stations. They want (need?) their profits and with their own app/account they get to keep it all.

Capitalism. Follow the money to understand the motivation and find the people responsible. Capitalism is likely the least worst form of economic system until the wealth disparity it creates gets to where the 1% can buy and impose their will on the 99% to suppress their freedom and harm their welfare. Then the seeds of revolution begin to germinate and start to take firm root.

 

[DonTom]

Very inconvenient for the EV driving public but not stupid for the entrepreneurs investing in charging stations. They want (need?) their profits and with their own app/account they get to keep it all.

All they need to do is accept credit cards and the problem will be solved. All the J-1772 charge stations that charge money must connect to the internet anyway. And that is how the CC readers work as well.

The vehicles themselves tell you what time to be back--even all five of my electric motorcycles. So the fact that the charging can't be watched when a CC is used is not much of an issue. Just be back by the time the charging stops.

If it costs 3% more to use the CCs, most of us will be fine with that.

Many of the free ones (especially Tesla Destination charge stations which can be converted to J-1772 with a small adapter) do not connect to the web at all--but that also means you can leave your vehicle plugged in for a year and there will be no idle charges when the charge is done.

BTW, in some areas where they have no internet coverage, there is local open wi-fi from wherever (could even be an RV Park such as in Cold Springs Station, NV) so their EV DC fast chargers can be used.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

As to the multiple apps issues, I expect someone will come along at some point with a single app that works with a multitude of chargers. I recall when gas pumps/stations only accepted thier own branded cards, and then the multi-brand cards came along, leading eventually to the MC/VISA, etc. cards we all carry today.

For a while, we could pay via Plugshare. And for some reason (I have no idea why) ChargePoint (the largest EV charging network in the USA) was the first to stop letting Plugshare do such. And then, many of the others did the same.

That was great for a short while when it worked.

Now only a few allow Plugshare Pay. None that I have seen lately.

I used Plugshare Pay to use the EV chargers in the Everglades.

And I have not seen it anywhere I have charged up since I was in the Everglades.

In many ways, we are going backward with EV charging.

In Nevada, (not counting Tesla) I could find more working DC Fast chargers five years ago than I can today.

The DC Fast charger in Incline Village, Hawthorne, Rhy Patch, GoldField, and Fallon, NV worked five years ago. All dead today--nobody fixes them, so they just rot away.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[RedForeman]

I think you're seeing a situation that is common with a new commodity. It will get simpler to use when these smaller start ups get gobbled up into 2-3 huge mega-corps, it will only cost 2-3 times more.

 

[DonTom]

I think you're seeing a situation that is common with a new commodity. It will get simpler to use when these smaller start ups get gobbled up into 2-3 huge mega-corps, it will only cost 2-3 times more.

It will be worth it--at least to me. Almost all of my on-road charging is for a motorcycle. My EV cars mostly charge only at home. But I take most of my longer road trips via motorcycle to the middle of nowhere or wherever in the mountains, etc.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[ex-member]

Although we charge primarily at superchargers, when we use non supercharger sites we generally use just prepaid RFID cards. Specifically BC hydro (when in BC) and FLO. These also don’t rely on an internet connection. Important because many FLO and BC hydro locations don’t have internet access because of their remote locations.

 

[DonTom]

Although we charge primarily at superchargers, when we use non supercharger sites we generally use just prepaid RFID cards.

I have the RFID card for every DCFC that has them available in CA & NV. However, many of the new J-1772's do not have an RFID card available.

But the one I had the most trouble with does have them--sometimes! --out of stock. See here, and must buy at least ten of them.

Perhaps they sell a lot of them because nobody can figure out how to use their stupid very confusing app.

When I put in the info. they asked for in the app, it returned with "something went wrong" but no clues of what was wrong. Perhaps a problem on their end--no way for me to tell.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[old RV guy]

I think you're seeing a situation that is common with a new commodity. It will get simpler to use when these smaller start ups get gobbled up into 2-3 huge mega-corps, it will only cost 2-3 times more.

I think the major issue is the technology is changing so rapidly and in such flux that no one wants to go out on a limb spending hundreds of millions on something which could be obsolete in six months. It's one thing to install a charger in your home for the car you own, quite another to build a charging system for an industry with no standard.