Workplace Charging

sefs · May 8, 2014

We are possibly getting Level I 120V outlets to charge at work in the near future. What are your experiences charging at work? I'd like to hear from anyone who does regularly or on occasion. What is your setup? Is there a fee? Any negative feedback from coworkers? Pictures would be interesting as well :lol:

twscrap · May 8, 2014

My employer installed three ChargePoint EVSEs back in September 2011. They even hosted a 2012 National Plugin Day event for Employees on the Friday before the 'official' Plug in Day.

One of the original EVSEs was swapped for a CT4000 back in November allowing four vehicles to charge. My ActiveE was the first EV on site when I got it in March 2012. Since then four others have obtained plug in vehicles. Once we had more cars than EVSEs it became imperative that we knew who everyone was so that we could jockey cars as needed for charging. Notes on cars introducing ourselves is how it started, and now that we know who everyone is, we converse by email.

We've been stable at five plug in vehicles since a Ford C-Max Energi arrived last August, but my employer's site plan calls for the addition of a minimum of 12 additional EVSEs (likely more as one parking lot is still being evaluated) to deal with future demand. Eight of those twelve are being installed as I speak, adjacent to the existing four.

To make life easier EV Only Parking signage is a must. Our original three spots had signage and were painted green. There has never been an issue with them being iced. The 'fourth' spot created with the addition of the CT4000 has yet to be painted, nor has signage been added. This spot is iced 50% of the time - and that's only because a PIP driver gets in early enough to grab it half the time. That will change with the completion of the current installation of 8 more.

No negative commentary from anyone, and it will be interesting to see if all these additional EVSEs spur others into buying an EV.

michael · May 8, 2014

Arrange it for plugsharing...put the charger or outlet between two or more spaces so that cars can be parked and ready to plug in when someone is done. At our place, many of the spots have a charger per parking spot...wasteful!!!

220 outlets are great....they are much cheaper to install than an EVSE. People can bring their own portable units (Turbo cord or similar)

Also, impose a 4 hour limit, and encourage everyone to charge up and move on. Make sure people understand that people WILL be moving the plugs around...none of this "you touch my truck I break your face" stuff.

At my place, one building has four EVs, but only one EVSE and one 220 outlet and it works fine. At the other building, there are nearly a dozen EVSE's, but people squat on them all day long and it's hard to find a vacancy.

v_traveller · May 9, 2014

sefs said:
We are possibly getting Level I 120V outlets to charge at work in the near future. What are your experiences charging at work? I'd like to hear from anyone who does regularly or on occasion. What is your setup? Is there a fee? Any negative feedback from coworkers? Pictures would be interesting as well :lol:

I've been charging at work daily on the company's Chargepoint L2 EVSEs. There is a $1.00/hr fee. No negative feedback from co-workers; mostly curiosity from ICE drivers asking about EVs and how much it costs to charge.

Here's something I wrote up last December on workplace charging during my first ten months of FFE ownership. In the picture my FFE is hiding behind the black Volt with antlers.

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

Unfortunately we don't have free 120V charging... would be great to have the choice of free all-day L1 charging or quicker L2 charging for the current $1/hr fee.

sefs · May 9, 2014

Would you guys who have the charging at work rather have a paid, reserved spot with a 120V outlet, or a free for all? The cost would just be to cover the electricity for the month ~$25.

scoops · May 9, 2014

We have two 120 plugs in the garage I park in at work. There are about 4 LEAFs in my garage. One of them gets there early (for me) and always tops off his battery (only one light blinking)... Sits there all day and finishes at around 2. Doesn't get moved until he leaves.

I don't think I've seen anyone else using a 120.

I don't need to fill up at work. In fact I've been driving on the same charge for 3 days now.

v_traveller · May 9, 2014

I'd take the paid reserved spot for $25. At $1/hour I pay about $60/mo for charging on the L2 EVSE at work (about 3 hours/day avg). FFE takes $20 of that, Volt takes $40 since it has a frustratingly slow 3.3kW charger.