Member
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Monte Sereno, CA
Posts: 40
1st EA Charge
I've had my I-Pace since March and have driven over 5,200 miles so far, but yesterday was the first time I had the need to venture far enough that I couldn't return home without a charge. After researching my destination, I found a nearby Electrify America charging station and set up an account on my phone. I think many of you are experienced with EA chargers, but I thought I'd report my experience anyway.
I arrived at the station at 40% SOC to find 3 of the stalls occupied: 2 by ICE cars taking advantage of the parking and 1 by a Tesla that was not charging. The 4th slot put the charger on the right side of the car, but I was able to back in and get one of the cords to reach. Starting the charge was flawless and very simple with the app, though the message on the screen was that the credit card reader was not working which would be a problem if you arrived without the app. It was a 150 kW charger, but my car only reached 68 kW at its peak gradually declining to 45 kW until I stopped at 85% SOC - which was plenty to get home. I added 39.77 kWh in 45 min at $0.69/min. Pretty expensive.
Overall, I was pleased that the tech all worked and the charging was easy, but disappointed that the peak rate was so low. I know others have made the same comment. I chose EA in spite of the high cost because I hoped to get at least 100 kW. Next time I will choose an EVgo charger at 50 kW which is less than half the price. I was also disappointed to see so many ICE vehicles occupying the spots. It would have been really annoying if I couldn't have gotten into a space at all. The Tesla owner gave me a very sheepish look when he returned knowing he shouldn't have been there. I would at least expect other EV drivers to respect the rules!