iPhone images: Southern California charging stations.

[studio460]

 

[jmueller065]

Watch out for those Bosch/SPX PowerXPress EVSE's: They could have the wrong cable on them and heat up during charging--a lot.

 

[studio460]

Really? You mean these?

Is there a way to detect the "wrong" cable kind? Do they have the incorrect gauge of wire inside or something? I didn't notice any heat in the connector when I pulled it. This one is very close to my dad's house (about 40 miles away), so when I visit, I plan to plug-in here for an hour while I eat at my favorite restaurant there. This is one of the rare multiple-EVSE installations in Southern California which are totally free of charge. This shopping area also has free WiFi.

I drove around for quite a while in the wrong parking structure, wasting a bunch of miles, searching the multi-level structure, until I finally found the chargers at a different structure. But it sure was a great feeling to be able to get a high-voltage charge for free, at a place I wanted to be at anyway.

This is probably the only EVSE station I'll ever be using since it conveniently solves a particular range issue when visiting my dad. Work is closer (30 miles), and I also have 120V available at work, and obviously, I'm able to stay plugged-in a lot longer at work without any inconvenience.

 

[jmueller065]

Yup that's the one, read these two posts:
http://jamiegeek.myevblog.com/2014/05/11/melting/
http://jamiegeek.myevblog.com/2014/08/04/more-on-that-melting/

That unit can be configured for a bunch of different current levels (from 12A all the way to 32A if I remember correctly). It was originally sold for use with the Volt which only has a 3kW charger and thus the cable set that comes with it is only rated for 3kW. I found somewhere in the owners manual that you had to order it with a different cable set for the higher current settings (like 24A+).

Here is the installation manual:
http://www.pluginnow.com/sites/default/files/EL-50600-7-1%20REV%20B.10172013.pdf#overlay-context=power-xpress
Note the current adjustments on page 8 (I suppose you could pop the little cap on the unit above the reset button and check what the current is set for--I'd hope that the people that installed it ordered the proper cable for the current setting).

 

[EVA]

Studio460 - I am so enjoying your posts and pictures. You are like a proud dad that can't stop talking about his child. I used to work with a guy that responded to my emails with UE. Yes I get excited about things.

So to you Studio460 - a heartfelt UE.

 

[studio460]

Studio460 - I am so enjoying your posts and pictures. You are like a proud dad that can't stop talking about his child. I used to work with a guy that responded to my emails with UE. Yes I get excited about things.

So to you Studio460 - a heartfelt UE.

Gee, thanks, EVA! Glad you're enjoying them! Yeah, I'm both proud and excited about my new FFE! I showed my pictures to my Tesla friends (yeah, I have three friends with Teslas), tonight and they all thought the Ford Focus Electric looked really nice.

 

[studio460]

 

[jmueller065]

Hey did you get the plugshare app and also upload the pics of that charge station there?

(I always take pictures of the FFE charging at a 'new to me' station--the family is already tired of it but, for me, the novelty hasn't worn off yet--and I'm 1/2 way through the lease!)

 

[studio460]

 

[studio460]

(I always take pictures of the FFE charging at a 'new to me' station--the family is already tired of it but, for me, the novelty hasn't worn off yet . . .

Show us some of your charging pictures! (and I thought I was the only one!).

 

[studio460]

Hey did you get the plugshare app and also upload the pics of that charge station there?

No, but I found these all by accident! I just happened to be at Universal Studios for a shoot last night, and I saw these free chargers. I also knew my Ford dealer had a free charger, so I plugged in while I went to order my splash guards this morning (though the dealership's limited hours don't make it very convenient). Besides the free chargers at various city halls, these are the only three free charging stations I've found here which are of any use to me.

 

[jmueller065]

LOL! Most of them are in plugshare, but I'll see if I have any...Warning: lots of pictures!

This one counts as it was plugged into the campground and charging:

This one is the same location as the first image above:

Ok I'm done. All locations except for the campground and the mall (where the license plate is washed out--that is from reflection..I didn't purposely white it out) are Charge Point locations.

Strangely enough all of the above pictures I already had "online" as each is a part of various blog postings...

 

[studio460]

Cool! Your car looks great in Blue Candy! Okay, so I'm not the only one! I was getting a little distressed last week, knowing that someday my 120V work access may be taken away (those news vans are re-locating someday). Driving to and from work on a single charge is doable, but would likely leave me with 10 miles or less by the time I got back home (plus, I'd have to drive very conservatively).

I was also disappointed with the highly restricted charge points I found in plugshare in the most frequented areas of the city here (e.g., tenant-only, employee-only, additional high parking fees, etc.). However, I've now found four key charge points which will allow me to charge at 240V, all of which are free:

• Ford dealership: work-to-home emergency charge point.
• Universal Studios ($8 parking fee; free for NBC/Universal employees): work-to-home emergency charge point.
• City hall parking lot of where I live: Good when getting a coffee, having dinner, or a walk on the beach.
• Orange County city lot (near my dad's house 40 miles away): return-leg fill-up.

Last night, I got a brief charge from Ford while picking up my splash guards, then when I got home, we went out for dinner. I knew there were chargers somewhere at city hall where I live, and then I finally found them:

I parked next to a C-Max Energi (above). A short, one-hour charge while eating dinner a block away, and I was back at 97%.

 

[v_traveller]

Here's a crappy picture of the one at the Beverly Hills courthouse. Needed a picture of the sign.

And, of course, the accompanying story:
http://ev-vin.blogspot.com/2013/11/free-electrons.html

Here's one at work. My FFE is hiding behind the reindeer antlers, drowning in a sea of Chevy Volts.

And the story:
http://ev-vin.blogspot.com/2013/12/free-turkeys.html

 

[studio460]

Here's a crappy picture of the one at the Beverly Hills courthouse. Needed a picture of the sign.

Is this the one in the Beverly Hills library/police station parking structure on Rexford? Or is there another parking area at the courthouse? Plugshare doesn't show one at the courthouse on Burton Way. Thanks!

 

[studio460]

I found another Level 2 charger tonight. Super-convenient, since It's just a few blocks from work--so I stopped by just to check it out. It's only a single GE charger, and I imagine it gets pretty busy. But I tend to work late, so I thought I might give it a shot.

I arrived a little before 9:00PM, and there was a Fiat plugged-in, but it was already fully charged--the GE display said, "charging stopped; 7.8 kWh consumed." So, assuming it's okay to unplug someone if they're fully charged, I unplugged the Fiat, closed his charging door, then plugged in my car for quick top-off before the commute home.

When I left, I tried to plug the Fiat back in (just so the owner wouldn't freak out), but the door either locks when you close it, or I just don't know how to open it. So I put the cable neatly back on its stand and left almost 2.7 kWh "richer," or whatever the actual charge retained was.

 

[studio460]

Now that I've been initiated into the world of public EVSEs, I've been lucky enough to find some essential charging locations which could be really useful someday. I've just finished reading the entire "charging etiquette" thread to make sure it's accepted practice to un-plug fully charged vehicles (it is). But, I've read of some unpleasant occurrences by plugshare members: Deliberate unplugging (for no reason; i.e., pranksters), keying car doors, nasty notes, etc. And of course, the usual annoyances (e.g., ICE'd spots, PHEVs/EVs parked but not charging, etc.)

 

[NightHawk]

I haven't found any free charging stations in the San Diego county area yet.
Except perhaps Ford Dealers? Do all Ford dealers (electric certified) offer free charging for all FFEs no matter which dealer it was purchased from? That could be useful for emergencies since there are plenty of them around down here.

 

[studio460]

I haven't found any free charging stations in the San Diego county area yet.
Except perhaps Ford Dealers? Do all Ford dealers (electric certified) offer free charging for all FFEs no matter which dealer it was purchased from? That could be useful for emergencies since there are plenty of them around down here.

I'm pretty sure any Ford dealer will allow you to charge your Ford vehicle, since all Ford dealers are required to perform warranty repairs on your car, no matter where you bought the vehicle.

 

[studio460]

I haven't found any free charging stations in the San Diego county area yet.

Yeah, they're few and far between in key parts of the city here (e.g., Westside), but once I started really looking, I did find a few. Here's where you're mostly likely to find them:

• City halls.
• State, county, or city-owned public buildings (e.g., libraries).
• Transit stations.
• Shopping malls.
• Select Chase branches.
• Whole Foods Markets.

Some are completely free (just drive up and plug-in). Some are free but still require a ChargePoint/Blink/eVgo RFID card to access. Some others are free, but are in expensive pay-per-hour parking lots or in hotel valet areas. The majority I've found in the Los Angeles are for-pay ChargePoint locations.