Blink recent changes for non charging cars

[vetaldj]

Just got email from Blink that they implementing Charger Occupancy fee starting from 7/20/15. It will be 8 cents per minute after 15 mins as your car is fully charged but still connected to the charger. Of course it's not a complete cure but at least good start.

I think this is very good policy. If you done charging there's absolutely no reason to keep your car in the spot.

I hope my employer implements something like that This will finally will take those who use charger spots as preferred parking.

 

[sweetwagon]

the rates that blink charges around my area is already a deterrent for me. It's like $0.49/kwh for members and $0.59/kwh for guests. definitely more in the emergency range.

 

[rjnerd]

Almost every time we are charging away from home, we are at some event. It would be a pain (or in some cases not really feasible) to go move the car when it finished charging, but the concert has another 90 minutes to run.

If the chargers are oversubscribed at your office, its an indication that you need more of them. Add them, and do it in the back corner of the lot, to get past the "deluxe parking" idea. Giving free charges, and outright subsidy to EV's is one of the cheaper ways for a region to improve its air quality scores. Yea its a tiny effect at current market share, but solo HOV in California, sold a lot of priuses while the program ran, and it is selling a bunch of leaf's now. Some people will get a second car because it would shave a half hour a day sitting in traffic...

Luckily New England seems to be Chargepoint territory. Since Mass makes it difficult to legally resell electricity, (laws to keep landlords from sub metering, and adding a hefty markup) most are either N/C (usually business "sponsored", or just part of the regular exhorbatant downtown parking fee at a garage) or at worst charge a flat rate per hour while charging. (the only explicitly pay one that I regularly use is flat $0.50/hr for up to 6kwh fed. Stop charging, and the meter stops. Cheap for us, not so much for volt, or other 3kw machines. Yes it does mean it isn't available sometimes. More annoying about it, its a two head charger, with the second space dedicated to a Zipcar plug in Accord. Which the renters never plug in when they are done with it.... )

 

[vetaldj]

I agree that their prices are crazy but I think something like this still needed. I know that this will cause some inconvenience for some drivers but that will for sure keep those who just lazy to come and take car off the charger out.

I bet other networks will follow this soon enough. I think this is fair, charger is for charging, not parking.

Problem at my work not in numbers of chargers but how people treat them, I bet if w have 50 of them they will be full and nobody move their car.

 

[miimura]

I think the Blink fees both for energy and for overstaying your charge are reasonable. It keeps them available for people that really need them.

At a workplace, they should install a larger number of lower amperage stations. 16A 208V is sufficient for charging a full working day. However, they should also have a few that are faster in case someone needs it. For those, they should encourage people to vacate the station as soon as charging is complete. The reason I think workplaces should use lower amperage is that there is a productivity loss if you have to go move your car in the middle of the day. IMHO, twice the number of stations at half the power each is a good way to go.

 

[Wannabeswede]

This is going to sound antagonistic but that is not my intention.

So you think you're ok leaving your car there taking up a charging spot forcing other cars to not be able to charge even though you have finished charging?

I was coming home recently and was way low on juice (totally my fault) and needed a charger, it was 11:30 at night and I had my 9 year old son with me. I used PlugShare and found a charging station nearby. Arrived and someone was parked there "charging" but charge was finished. Waited for a long time and no one came, had to call VW get tow truck and wait even longer for that to show up. My 9 year old son and I got home at like 1am all because someone thought it was a parking spot not a charging pump. Would someone park at a gas pump? Know it's not really the same but best analogy I have.

Not sure what the "ethics" are on this I guess something we'll all have to figure out

Almost every time we are charging away from home, we are at some event. It would be a pain (or in some cases not really feasible) to go move the car when it finished charging, but the concert has another 90 minutes to run.

If the chargers are oversubscribed at your office, its an indication that you need more of them. Add them, and do it in the back corner of the lot, to get past the "deluxe parking" idea. Giving free charges, and outright subsidy to EV's is one of the cheaper ways for a region to improve its air quality scores. Yea its a tiny effect at current market share, but solo HOV in California, sold a lot of priuses while the program ran, and it is selling a bunch of leaf's now. Some people will get a second car because it would shave a half hour a day sitting in traffic...

Luckily New England seems to be Chargepoint territory. Since Mass makes it difficult to legally resell electricity, (laws to keep landlords from sub metering, and adding a hefty markup) most are either N/C (usually business "sponsored", or just part of the regular exhorbatant downtown parking fee at a garage) or at worst charge a flat rate per hour while charging. (the only explicitly pay one that I regularly use is flat $0.50/hr for up to 6kwh fed. Stop charging, and the meter stops. Cheap for us, not so much for volt, or other 3kw machines. Yes it does mean it isn't available sometimes. More annoying about it, its a two head charger, with the second space dedicated to a Zipcar plug in Accord. Which the renters never plug in when they are done with it.... )

 

[vetaldj]

That's exactly my point.

Nobody can see see any cars on gas station longer that it needs to fill up, right? Same should be here. If you not sure about your ability to leave/take your car off - don't park on charger spot.
We don't have good infrastructure yet so everybody need to understand this simple rule: you done you need to free space for other fellow EV owner or pay for using it.

So, I'm totally support this initiative and hope other networks will keep this initiative soon.

BTW, I've got another email from Blink saying that based on respond they postpone implementing it as too much of complains. I bet from all those who likes to keep car for a long time on charging spots. Too bad.

 

[s4alex]

What I would like is the ability on Car-Net to remotely "Unlock" the charging port. That way when my car is done charging, I can remotely unlock it and someone can use the cable in an adjacent spot.

Unfortunately, I can only unlock the whole car.

 

[garypen]

What I would like is the ability on Car-Net to remotely "Unlock" the charging port. That way when my car is done charging, I can remotely unlock it and someone can use the cable in an adjacent spot.

Unfortunately, I can only unlock the whole car.

Actually, the charge port should just automatically unlock when done charging. (Or, at least have that option for when we are charging in public.)

 

[s4alex]

What I would like is the ability on Car-Net to remotely "Unlock" the charging port. That way when my car is done charging, I can remotely unlock it and someone can use the cable in an adjacent spot.

Unfortunately, I can only unlock the whole car.

Actually, the charge port should just automatically unlock when done charging. (Or, at least have that option for when we are charging in public.)

It doesn't The light just turns from Green (charging) to Amber (standby). You car is still locked usually, so until you actually physically hit the unlock button, it stays locked. Both car and charge port.

In VW's mind, if you lets say use your L1 charger in a public parking lot and your car is done charging, someone can just come by and grab the charger out of your car and unplug it and walk away. That was their idea behind the locking mechanism, at least my thought on their idea.

 

[garypen]

It doesn't The light just turns from Green (charging) to Amber (standby). You car is still locked usually, so until you actually physically hit the unlock button, it stays locked. Both car and charge port.

I know it doesn't. But, it should.

 

[mocohead]

I like the idea of making people pay to leave their cars after charging is complete. It drives me batty when a person takes the cord when they don't need it. Very thoughtless.