I admit it: I’ve been spoiled by proudly owning a Tesla. If I journey round Florida to go to associates, attend a convention, or discover a cultural attraction, I can all the time depend on with the ability to cost at one of many quite a few Supercharger stations up and down I-95. As a basic rule, they’re well-maintained charging stations, situated in brightly lit areas the place I can purchase a snack or store retail.
As I trip in New England, nonetheless, I’ve discovered my charging expertise to be solely completely different each time I enterprise away from my Degree 1 dwelling charging. A used 2017 Chevy Bolt is my EV of alternative, and my travels can take me to six states, to shorelines and mountain villages, to city areas simply contained in the Connecticut/ New York border, and into rural small farming communities. Touring 3 hours from my cabin within the woods isn’t uncommon, and plenty of these are freeway miles. So, with the guess-o-meter studying about 200 miles vary totally charged after I depart, I do know I might want to cost a few instances on a New England journey.
As emissaries of all-electric transportation, we EV drivers strive to not impose on our hosts for charging at their houses. Anyway, not everybody has an out of doors plug close to their parking areas. Which means till the NACS turns into pervasive, I’ve acquired to find dependable, accessible, environment friendly, and dealing charging stations. I really want to search out quick charging stations, too, so I can zip in and get again on the highway.
Good luck with that.
Charging corporations simply don’t appear to be sustaining their charging stations. I learn so many feedback on PlugShare that describe damaged chargers, sluggish or interrupted charging, boundaries across the charger that stop multiple automobile from charging, and the like. Charging corporations say they’re pleased with being on the cusp of US transportation electrification, however, until they spend much more time addressing the pervasive points at their chargers, their enterprise fashions shall be going proper down the bathroom.
As I plan for my last month of New England summer time travels, permit me to share a few of my charging legwork and makes an attempt. It’s not fairly.
I used to be invited to a Saturday night engagement social gathering in Norwalk, CT. Clearly, the hosts could be attending to visitors, so charging at their dwelling was out of the query. I’ve been on the lookout for a charging station close to the restaurant, proper on Important Avenue. I’d park, plug in, and stroll to the restaurant. What could possibly be simpler? Nope. The parking storage charger hasn’t been dependable for some time, in accordance with feedback left on PlugShare. A close-by inn seemed promising till I learn in regards to the convoluted charging directions: Obtain AmpUp – EV charging app to start out charging to make use of the station. NOTE: It is not going to present within the app, you’ll HAVE to scan the QR code. Attending the engagement social gathering appears like an excessive amount of of a problem, so I’m sending a present card as a substitute.
Youthful brother has a trip dwelling within the Vermont mountains, and there’s a plan floating round for a household rendezvous overlooking Mad River Glen. You’d assume that I-91 would have a number of quick charging stations, proper? I’d definitely must cost alongside this freeway, on account of obligatory excessive journey speeds. Unsuitable. There’s a complete quick charging desert alongside the Massachusetts part of the route. Positive, it’s pleasant to see 3 icons with “Coming Quickly” descriptors, however that received’t assist me this 12 months. Lastly, I’ve discovered a quick charger within the Greenfield Large Y parking zone which appeared to really work. I’ll plug in right here on the way in which up and again and can in all probability be high quality.
![charging stations](https://cleantechnica.com/files/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-18-11.18.24-AM.png)
Greenfield, MA quick charger feedback
I’ll be visiting associates in a packed seaside group, Falmouth Heights, Massachusetts, on the finish of the month. I used to be so excited to see a quick charger as quickly as I searched PlugShare! Alas, it seems that it’s a campground, and also you should be a visitor to make use of the charger. One charger of unknown kW is on the market at Falmouth Marine Park, with feedback from relieved patrons who discovered it to be working. Hopefully, my weekday journey will permit me to get onto the charger and not using a wait. Fingers crossed.
On the identical journey, I’ll be heading a lot farther east to the tip of Cape Cod. I wouldn’t look forward to finding a quick charger close by, however I do know the realm sufficient to plan a cease in Hyannis on the way in which out and probably again. The Cape Cod Mall is a well-liked central location, so I’ve checked the report on the quick charger situated there. Nope. Actually? That is getting ridiculous.
![charging stations](https://cleantechnica.com/files/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-18-11.37.19-AM.png)
Cape Cod Mall quick charger feedback
We’ve pricey associates that dwell in Marblehead, MA — dwelling to world class crusing, an attraction that brings a number of rich of us to the realm. You’d assume there could be a quick charger in that space, proper? No. However I used to be relieved to discover a Degree 2 charger on the Marblehead Municipal Gentle Division. We will go away the Bolt there, hop into our associates’ automobile, and return for the automobile later within the day. However, wait! Of the 5 chargers listed, just one is working! This may increasingly show embarrassing for us and our hosts.
![](https://cleantechnica.com/files/2023/08/Screenshot-2023-08-18-11.49.31-AM.png)
Marblehead Gentle Division chargers
I have to relate my most amusing disappointing unacceptable public charging expertise to date this summer time in closing. Whereas we have been having some electrical upgrades carried out on our Connecticut cabin within the woods, I headed to the vendor the place I purchased the Bolt to seize some electrons. It was one other torrential wet day, so I pulled into the lot, tucked into my hoodie, and stepped out to cost on the quick charger out again close to the people who smoke’ space. I dragged the charging cable to the Bolt, wrestled with the awkward plug, and acquired it to click on in place. Nothing occurred on the charging station touchscreen. Unplug and repeat — nothing.
Okay. So I moved the automobile to the opposite facet of the constructing and the service bay, the place I had been advised one other quick charger was situated. I eased into the bay and acquired out, able to cost. A ZZ Prime-wannabe technician got here barreling over, yelling at me to maneuver the automobile, that they wanted to make use of it to scrub the automobiles. I defined succinctly that I wanted to cost (Possibly you don’t see the quick charger proper there, dude?). He held his floor and advised me to make use of the charger within the showroom.
I drove to that bay, the place I knew a Degree 2 charger was situated. Throughout the authentic gross sales transaction, the power supervisor advised a narrative about inserting an Out of Order signal on it as a result of a neighbor who owned a Nissan LEAF was charging there every day, utilizing the dealership’s electrical energy — and hadn’t even purchased the LEAF there! The audacity! I believed, as an precise patron of the dealership, I would be capable of use it. Nope. The identical supervisor stated the cable ties on it couldn’t be launched, even for an current buyer. One other Degree 2 charger contained in the showroom was blocked by a automobile prepared for supply.
However the supervisor advised me that there was a fifth charger again by the unique damaged quick charger I’d tried. I’d acknowledge it, he advised me, as a result of a Cadillac was parked in entrance of it. If I angled my Bolt in good, the cable would attain. Again out into the raindrops I went, and — behold! Hidden in a weedy space close to the Caddie was a Degree 2 charger. I plugged in, jumped in my automobile, and tried to dry out whereas I charged for a few hours and browse.
Why don’t these charging corporations and sellers acknowledge that their reputations relaxation with problematic makes an attempt to cost similar to I’ve described right here? Their ineptitude is certainly affecting my skill to journey this summer time. We early EV adopters are essentially resilient, however we do want to have the ability to cost to drive. And we’d like these services to step up their video games and fulfill their contracts with shoppers once they say they supply charging.
It’s actually not an excessive amount of to ask.
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