TonyWilliams
Well-known member
Blink said:
I think the forum wants a little of that +$100 million that you guys swim in!!! Fork up the cash to talk about your paid by the tax payer, but profits for business enterprise ;-)
California: Blink Membership Fees Start Wednesday, August 22
- Thread starter Blink
- Start date
Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:
I think the forum wants a little of that +$100 million that you guys swim in!!! Fork up the cash to talk about your paid by the tax payer, but profits for business enterprise ;-)
saintyohann
Well-known member
I posted on Blink's message board about some host sites thought they were going to be about control the prices and even continue to be free for the customer (that's what we were told when they spoke with us).
Their response is that they are looking into it.
It looks like we weren't the only ones that though this, as per the following quote taken from the North County Times, about the opening Oceanside Transit Center site in March:
"Angela Miller, chief technology and sustainability officer for the North County Transit District, said electric-vehicle owners will be able to use the Oceanside charging stations for free for the next year."
Their response is that they are looking into it.
It looks like we weren't the only ones that though this, as per the following quote taken from the North County Times, about the opening Oceanside Transit Center site in March:
"Angela Miller, chief technology and sustainability officer for the North County Transit District, said electric-vehicle owners will be able to use the Oceanside charging stations for free for the next year."
smkettner
Well-known member
Good to the end of this year. Then subject to the host agreement.thankyouOB said:
here's a "cool story, bro" for you -
on august 18th i charged at ikea in emeryville. i charged for 1:30:02; when i unplugged i was advised that i'd be charged for 2:00:00. i thought to myself, "boy, i'm glad this is free, since i'd be really pissed to be charged 1/2 hour for 2 seconds of time".
today i happened to be back there and found that charging now costs $1.50 per hour - i had not been keeping up with this board. but i had already parked and was too lazy to move the car, so i just paid the money. i charged for 29 minutes and 28 seconds, and was again charged for a whole hour. this totally arbitrary 30-minute quantum is ridiculous, and designed to cheat users. i'm already paying a 15c/kwh premium over tier3 PGE rates, but i also get to pay for electricity i didn't use? no thanks.
that's the last time i'm charging with blink, unless an emergency arises.
on august 18th i charged at ikea in emeryville. i charged for 1:30:02; when i unplugged i was advised that i'd be charged for 2:00:00. i thought to myself, "boy, i'm glad this is free, since i'd be really pissed to be charged 1/2 hour for 2 seconds of time".
today i happened to be back there and found that charging now costs $1.50 per hour - i had not been keeping up with this board. but i had already parked and was too lazy to move the car, so i just paid the money. i charged for 29 minutes and 28 seconds, and was again charged for a whole hour. this totally arbitrary 30-minute quantum is ridiculous, and designed to cheat users. i'm already paying a 15c/kwh premium over tier3 PGE rates, but i also get to pay for electricity i didn't use? no thanks.
that's the last time i'm charging with blink, unless an emergency arises.
grommet
Well-known member
Yep, Blink doesn't prorate currently, and it's $1/hr with a (free currently) Plus Membership. They told me there is a 5 minute grace period, though... If you charge for, say, 64 minutes... it only counts as an hour.
Feel free to give them feedback about the lack of prorating. I did.
FYI, as mentioned earlier: 350Green owned ChargePoint units are $2/hr, with a $2 minimum. CarCharging Inc ones are $.49 per kWh when allowed (or $2.40/hr). Welcome to the future. ;-)
Feel free to give them feedback about the lack of prorating. I did.
FYI, as mentioned earlier: 350Green owned ChargePoint units are $2/hr, with a $2 minimum. CarCharging Inc ones are $.49 per kWh when allowed (or $2.40/hr). Welcome to the future. ;-)
thankyouOB
Well-known member
smkettner said:
Blinks that I had used at work in city of LA now charges $1 for any part of an hour for members.
no more free charging at this set on the west side of the city.
doesnt surprise me, just means I will use them only when I go somewhere in the opposite direction after work to avoid concern about range.
the odd part to me is that my employer would allow free use of the electricity.
i do get that the Ecotality funding was built on gathering info about charging and so not having a fee would make the data reflect that reality and not the reality of having a pay-to-charge network.
TonyWilliams
Well-known member
EVDRIVER said:
It's like crack addicts on withdrawal. I wonder if Coke ever had a problem with people paying ten times the price at a CONVENIENT vending machine as opposed to the Coke that was bought at Costco for 17 cents each.
TonyWilliams
Well-known member
'astrorob said:
I don't really know EXACTLY what Blink is offering, but I suspect that it's a simple $1 (or whatever value) per ANY portion of the first hour, so 1 hour and 6 minutes would pay for TWO hours, just like virtually any parking lot fee.
So, about the cost of a Coke. Or half of a Starbucks coffee. It just blows me away (I guess it really shouldn't any more) how somebody would be anything but happy that there's something TO plug into for such a cheap price. If this were not computerized, it would cost a LOT more.
I suspect that when/if there is any real competition in the coming decade or two, that we will have prices by the kWh and time, maybe even prorated down to the second. Would that make you happy?
What if the total bill with the above formula cost more overall that the current hour block system?
Ingen
Member
There's two Blink chargers at my work in Hollywood, CA. As of Thursday they started charging $1/hr for Plus members. It's not a great deal but it's nice having an EVSE at my work.
SO, I charged my LEAF yesterday from almost zero and as usual it was fully charged in about 6 hours. However, I was stuck at work for about 10 hours. When I got out of work and unplugged my car, the Blink unit said I was charged for $10 for 10 hours of charging! Even though I really only used it for 6 hours! :evil:
I know it's a way for them to discourage people parking at chargers too long, but c'mon the Blink clearly knows I wasn't charging for those last four hours!
I personally think they should only charge you for the hours where electricity is actually going into the car!
{Please note: I most definitely was not blocking any one from charging. First, there are two Blink units. Secondly, I've never seen another EV in that parking lot. And finally, it was Saturday at an office building so there was no one there but me.}
SO, I charged my LEAF yesterday from almost zero and as usual it was fully charged in about 6 hours. However, I was stuck at work for about 10 hours. When I got out of work and unplugged my car, the Blink unit said I was charged for $10 for 10 hours of charging! Even though I really only used it for 6 hours! :evil:
I know it's a way for them to discourage people parking at chargers too long, but c'mon the Blink clearly knows I wasn't charging for those last four hours!
I personally think they should only charge you for the hours where electricity is actually going into the car!
{Please note: I most definitely was not blocking any one from charging. First, there are two Blink units. Secondly, I've never seen another EV in that parking lot. And finally, it was Saturday at an office building so there was no one there but me.}
thankyouOB
Well-known member
you wont get any sympathy here on that account; just read above.
i have stopped using the chargers at work because of that scenario.
i do not want to walk down and move the car or unplug.
i can get home without the extra juice, so it was a luxury that I will save for days when I go off after work in the opposite direction from home.
just pinching a few pennies? yes, but paying $10 for 3 hours of juice is too much.
by the way, where are your at-work chargers. I am in Hollywood sometimes on those opposite-direction trips and could more reasonably charge there than in the south bay.
i have stopped using the chargers at work because of that scenario.
i do not want to walk down and move the car or unplug.
i can get home without the extra juice, so it was a luxury that I will save for days when I go off after work in the opposite direction from home.
just pinching a few pennies? yes, but paying $10 for 3 hours of juice is too much.
by the way, where are your at-work chargers. I am in Hollywood sometimes on those opposite-direction trips and could more reasonably charge there than in the south bay.
Ingen
Member
thankyouOB said:
The at-work chargers I use are at the 6464 Sunset & 6565 Sunset buildings. They charge a parking fee unless you're a tenant of the buildings. Also, the Blink units are really poorly situated along a wall that's parallel to the tandem parking spots you'd use. If it wasn't at my work place I wouldn't even bother with the hassle of this Blink station.
DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
i would move my car at lunch time. during my lunches, i get 30 minutes, spend 10 minutes to eat (i eat at EVERY break) then after that i walk around 90% of the time so moving the car would be ok with me. i normally eat at "off times" so crowding of microwaves, etc is not much of an issue although most of the food i eat does not have to be heated.
now, most of the people i work with (Bigger Loser would have a field day here!) use their ENTIRE 30 minutes to eat their lunch and tend to eat when lunchroom is packed, so would make it tough for any extra activity.
but the biggest problem for me would be icing. we have 300 spaces and demand for probably 500-600 cars. i would be shocked to see employees honor the EV charging only signs.
as it is, we have fire lane violations EVERY day. we also get complaints from neighbors that our employees are parked in their area. (each business gets reserved parking and overflow parking. we are the only business in a 3-4 block radius that uses overflow parking)
now, most of the people i work with (Bigger Loser would have a field day here!) use their ENTIRE 30 minutes to eat their lunch and tend to eat when lunchroom is packed, so would make it tough for any extra activity.
but the biggest problem for me would be icing. we have 300 spaces and demand for probably 500-600 cars. i would be shocked to see employees honor the EV charging only signs.
as it is, we have fire lane violations EVERY day. we also get complaints from neighbors that our employees are parked in their area. (each business gets reserved parking and overflow parking. we are the only business in a 3-4 block radius that uses overflow parking)
grommet
Well-known member
Right. This is intentional.Ingen said:
Anyone should feel free to give Blink logical feedback in their forum. The billing for being plugged in doesn't make sense in some scenarios, like airport parking or busy "all day" parking lots where you might already be paying for parking. But it may make sense for most "opportunity charging" if the parking spot doesn't have parking limit itself.
Jimmydreams
Well-known member
While I prefer free over pay.....I have no problem paying $1/hr for a charger if I NEED one. The convenience outweighs the payment, especially since it's a very RARE occurrence then I charge outside of my home.
I'm just curious....for all those complaining about the Blink fee: do you have AAA coverage for you car, and if so, how many times a year do you actually USE it? (and are you adding up all those wasted dollars and fretting over them?)
I'm just sayin'......
I'm just curious....for all those complaining about the Blink fee: do you have AAA coverage for you car, and if so, how many times a year do you actually USE it? (and are you adding up all those wasted dollars and fretting over them?)
I'm just sayin'......
thankyouOB
Well-known member
agree, jimmy.
it was nice when it was free to reduce charging at home, and it will be nice at $1 an hour when I need it.
it was nice when it was free to reduce charging at home, and it will be nice at $1 an hour when I need it.
DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
all this goes right back to paying for services and the true cost of providing those services.
we greatly underpay for gas and we probably slightly underpay for electricity. but let me clarify that before ya jump on me
most industries incur massive start up fees and subsidies, high margins, etc. helps to pay that bill. as they become established, take away the subsidies and then they are left to "fly or die" since by now, you either have a sound business plan or you dont.
the problem with gasoline is its crushing monopoly, vast wealth, untouchable influence and its ability to operate above the law.
once again, another refinery explosion but not in this country so it would affect us emotionally at all. but this country has had a half dozen, people have died, etc.
question is; how many people had to die in a Pinto to cause a major furor? BP is paying for their miscues but only because it was a biggie and somewhat unique.
penalties for refinery explosions dont even attain the "slap on the wrist" level of severity. so is it ok to allow ticking time bombs to run?
so the power of Big Oil has created and maintained the "you have to help us because you cannot live without us and we need help" mentality
years ago when technology was not good the government agreed to help with the cost of drilling the Gulf since many projects came up empty and it was costing tens of millions (oil companies still had profits in the billions back then as well) and that was not good for business. but now the technology is wonderful and help from the government is no longer needed but still collected.
i know paying a few dollars is hard to do when there is not an immediate benefit to you and i feel the same way but we control our destiny. if the rate of use plummets which i expect it will, Blink will change their policy.
as other EVs come on with faster charging capabilities, this will hasten the change. as far as people who have to charge to make it home?
ummm, soooorrrry but cant generate a lot of sympathy for someone who is unwilling to move their car at lunch so someone else can charge.
we greatly underpay for gas and we probably slightly underpay for electricity. but let me clarify that before ya jump on me
most industries incur massive start up fees and subsidies, high margins, etc. helps to pay that bill. as they become established, take away the subsidies and then they are left to "fly or die" since by now, you either have a sound business plan or you dont.
the problem with gasoline is its crushing monopoly, vast wealth, untouchable influence and its ability to operate above the law.
once again, another refinery explosion but not in this country so it would affect us emotionally at all. but this country has had a half dozen, people have died, etc.
question is; how many people had to die in a Pinto to cause a major furor? BP is paying for their miscues but only because it was a biggie and somewhat unique.
penalties for refinery explosions dont even attain the "slap on the wrist" level of severity. so is it ok to allow ticking time bombs to run?
so the power of Big Oil has created and maintained the "you have to help us because you cannot live without us and we need help" mentality
years ago when technology was not good the government agreed to help with the cost of drilling the Gulf since many projects came up empty and it was costing tens of millions (oil companies still had profits in the billions back then as well) and that was not good for business. but now the technology is wonderful and help from the government is no longer needed but still collected.
i know paying a few dollars is hard to do when there is not an immediate benefit to you and i feel the same way but we control our destiny. if the rate of use plummets which i expect it will, Blink will change their policy.
as other EVs come on with faster charging capabilities, this will hasten the change. as far as people who have to charge to make it home?
ummm, soooorrrry but cant generate a lot of sympathy for someone who is unwilling to move their car at lunch so someone else can charge.
TomT
Well-known member
However, the exact same thing can be said about so many other industries and companies of all types... Oil is more the rule than the exception...
DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
TomT said:
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