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Guerrilla Charging

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Virtually Yours:
I'm off today and I'm waiting for a hair cut when I decided to take a walk around the shopping strip looking for outlets. Some may think it's stealing power but I don't. If the plug is there then to me it's a potential charge point. I have no problem being a "charge pirate". Let's face it the infrastructure isn't there yet and "Charge Point" in some locations is charging $2.49/HR. At that rate you may as well buy gas. I won't pay that!

Car Loss:
Not to excuse or rationalize it, but... $2.49/hr pays for the electronics, housing, installation time, etc.  If you see free charging (of any level), that means someone deliberately or coincidentally took the hit on installation.  I have some municipal charging locations around me that are free, but only due to various subsidies.  There are other accessible building outlets where 120V charging is free by default (for now), since I called up their staff. They said there is no official policy on plugging into accessible outlets.  So as long as I'm not being a d*ck about it, I fully intend to draw maybe 70 cents of juice.  Still, those unofficial outlets exist because the maintenance staff needed them, so the building owner took the hit on installation for me.

Handy rule in general: don't be a d*ck.  If someone objects to you plugging in, be courteous.  Even if that someone is just a bystander, calmly explain how little the electricity costs, etc.  Don't get upset, don't be confrontational.  As long as the EV community is small, every one of us becomes a de facto spokesman for the rest of us, like it or not.

Also, I can grumble and gripe about $2.49 charging, but I'd rather have it around for emergencies than nothing at all.  I look at it like Starbucks: Starbucks prices make a lot more sense once you realize the drinks are basically milkshakes, and the store a modern-day soda fountain or candy shop.  So I buy the occasional milkshake as a treat to myself; I would never go to Starbucks if I was fixing a daily coffee habit. 

Carlos

protomech:
$2.49/hour charging? Maybe for J1772, since that can in theory draw up to 16 kW (240v 70A) ($1.60/hour at $.10/kWh)

Most people will be plugging in Leafs / Volts / Prius plugin @ 3 kW or Focus / Coda @ 6 kW ($.30/hr and $.60/hr respectively).

I ask myself whether I would feel guilty plugging in a cell phone charger. If the answer is no, then clearly plugging in is not stealing - theft doesn't become okay if you only steal a penny. Any unease over plugging in at that point is either because the power draw is higher or because the application is unusual.

Car Loss:
Yes, pretty much J1772 or other Level 2.  I've never seen a Level 1 in this country that had lockout/payment/membership capabilities- anyone else?

Carlos

Virtually Yours:
I understand that a business would want to recoup the cost of installing the J1172 but charging $2.49/hr may not be the way if the business around the corner is free... In other words, if a business is over charging (pardon the pun) and no one uses it because of the high rates then what... The investment will never pay for itself...

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