Sunday, December 19, 2021

#22 Use an EV charging station

Completed during date night 12/17/21.  We used the PlugShare app to research where to find chargers.  Both spots were open when we arrived.  I downloaded Chargepoint to handle payment.  The app says I charged for 47 mins, 4.6 kwh, and it cost $1.15.  Not bad for a day of putting to swim school and a few short errands.  

That said, for a big drive, like up to the grandparent's in gridlock with the AC or seat warmers on, and definitely needing a recharge to get home, I would say the range anxiety is still real.  Many of the spots on PlugShare have negative reviews about not working and even though SoCal is probably one of the more populous charging station places, there weren't any spots in easy walking distance from the 'grands (or even around here for that matter), even if all of them were 100% reliable and available.  And it took about the equivalent of my drive time on errands today to get the car back up to full which would be super tricky to handle for a big charge with a toddler in tow, even if you happened to find an open rockstar parking spot at Whole Foods or similar.  Hubby says there is a kit for about $3K we could buy to speed up the charge, but I think for now, we're OK skipping it.  If his work ever makes him go back, there are charging stations there.  In terms of savings, I'd rather we focus on tracking down the title from the dealership so that we can enroll in a cheaper electric rate plan and/or claim tax refunds for our vehicle purchase before embarking on super charging options.  

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