So my husband and I had tickets to see Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the Triad Stage in Greensboro today. Since the Hyundai is still at the body shop being repaired, we took the i3. Hubby asked if there was Level 2 charging near the theater, so I pulled up PlugShare and noticed there was a missing orange pin in the downtown area. The Greenlots DC fast charger in downtown was missing from the map, and not just Plugshare’s - it was missing from the Greenlots app too! What the what?! The last time I tried to use that station, the CCS wouldn’t initiate (probably a bad cable). So before we left, we went by there. The machine is there, and it’s powered on, but it’s in “local mode” which doesn’t require payment. I was able to get so far as releasing the connector, but couldn’t test it since our i3 lacks DC fast. I added it back to Plugshare, adding a comment that I’d come back out to test it later in the week….
Weirdness here
It isn’t just Greensboro that has gone missing from the Greenlots app. Both Charlotte stations (AAA South End and AAA on Flat River Dr), Salisbury, Matthews, Wadesboro, Greensboro, Hillsborough, Durham, Chapel Hill, Leland, and Calabash have all disappeared from the Greenlots map (along with VIRginia International Raceway). What’s interesting is some of these locations have been changed from Greenlots to non-networked in the Plugshare listing, and several of them report that the stations now say that they are on the ChargePoint network. One person even said they alerted Chargepoint to an issue with the Salisbury station on September 15. I know that station “works” because my buddy bought a new Energica in Raleigh and charged it at that station on his way home just the other day. I say “works” because the screen is still dead but if you know where to tap on the screen you can get it to start a charge.
A ChargePoint Takeover?
Back in May, I attended a fleet electrification workshop (I was showing off the brand new Hyundai Ioniq to attendees). I spoke with our local accounts rep from ChargePoint, and she said that there are “10 DC fast stations coming to the area.” Coincidentally, I’ve identified 10 NC cities that have “lost” their Greenlots machines and/or the machines now say they are ChargePoint. I suspect that these old Signet boxes are about to be replaced with the Tritium 50kW units like at Lenoir and Wallace. I’ve reached out to my ChargePoint contact to see if she can verify my theory, because in May she wasn’t at liberty to discuss the details. Seems like there’s enough evidence to suggest this is what’s happening. Whatever I find out, I’ll report. Stay tuned….
UPDATE: ChargePoint contact says she’s unaware of these locations becoming ChargePoint sites. The weirdness continues, and I will keep digging for answers.
The ECOreport looks at a new pilot program, expanding EV infrastructure in eastern Washington state
By Roy L Hales
Washington currently has 16,000 electric vehicles and plans to more than triplethis number by 2020. Most of this development will occur in the state’s western metropolitan areas. Between 350 – 400 EV owners are in Avista Utilities service area. Now the utility is expanding EV…
The ECOreport looks at Los Angeles’New EV Police Fleet
By Roy L Hales
After a year long test of two Model S P85D loaner cars, and the all-electric BMW i3, an important announcement was made this morning. Green lots, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and BMW of North America are partnering to launch Los Angeles’ new EV police fleet.
