DFW Metroplex

[Pipcecil]

Updates this week -

Apparently, waiting over 2 weeks with the AT&T station on ChargePoints map with the likelyhood it was mistake was not enough. I relented thinking that they made that one public - nope.

Station Removed:

AT&T (ChargePoint)

Mods:

Huffhines Rec Center (ChargePoint) - moved station to correct location and added picture.

While the station was expensive ($2 per hour), the whole facility and park is really nice (wife had a softball tournament there the past weekend). Also, there is a street sign on the major street marking charging stations in that parking lot. Finally the spots are marked as plug-in vehicle parking only while charging. They are way off at the end of the parking lot of the facility, so even less chance of ICEing.

 

[Cheezmo]

My home is going to be on the DFW Solar Tour tomorrow, October 5, from 10-4.

http://www.dfwsolartour.org/locations/martin/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With a Leaf and 2 Volt's it isn't all about Solar be glad to talk about EV's too!

I can hook you up with a charge if you need it from one of our 3 EVSEs.

If you are in the Dallas area and want to see a Leaf that has survived 2 Dallas summers (admittedly low mileage) with all its battery capacity bars intact, here is your chance!

 

[Pipcecil]

One new station:

Health Texas Resources Plano
ChargePoint – One Level 2 (J1772), One Level 1 (NEMA 5-20R)
6200 West Parker Road
Plano, TX 75093

 

[Cheezmo]

Good news for Texas EV purchasers!

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/11/06/some-texans-soon-can-claim-2500-rebates-on-cleaner-fuel-cars/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Pipcecil]

EVSE Updates! Its been awhile, no one has added anything since October, but this week two new locations came online from two very unlikely soures. In addition, I got to capture another station via picture and moved it to the correct parking lot location.

Two modifications:

Blink - La Quinta Grand Prairie: Add picture and moved marker to the correct spot
Blink - Shops at Highlands Village: Moved marker to the correct spot (I swear I did this previously...oh well its right now)

New staitons:

AT&T
GE – Two Level 2 (J1772)
701 North Central Expressway
Plano, TX 75075

Corsicana Supercharger
Tesla – Six DC Fast (Tesla Supercharger)
2035 Interstate 45 Frontage Road
Corsicana, TX 75109

 

[adric22]

Blink - La Quinta Grand Prairie: Add picture and moved marker to the correct spot
Blink - Shops at Highlands Village: Moved marker to the correct spot (I swear I did this previously...oh well its right now)

I know what you mean.. I've been fighting with plug-share on the La Quinta. The marker is a couple of miles off and not even on the correct side of the highway. I've visually confirmed the location and moved it several times but some idiot keeps moving it back. I finally just said screw it and created a whole separate location for it.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd like to make another modification. The two blink chargers at UT Dallas Activities & Recreation Center Lot J (Updated Apr 15) have been relocated to the UTD parking garage which is just a little further east, located at the NE intersection of Drive A and Drive G. I noted the location on plugshare. Like adric22 above, I just created a new location rather than wait for them to change the old ones. I also posted a picture of the new location on plugshare.

 

[Pipcecil]

I'd like to make another modification. The two blink chargers at UT Dallas Activities & Recreation Center Lot J (Updated Apr 15) have been relocated to the UTD parking garage which is just a little further east, located at the NE intersection of Drive A and Drive G. I noted the location on plugshare. Like adric22 above, I just created a new location rather than wait for them to change the old ones. I also posted a picture of the new location on plugshare.

Are you sure the Lot J ones moved? My wife goes to UTD and she plugs in at that location every week. And unless they have been moved since last monday, it might be the Lot K ones. I know they are no longer there, but I have been waiting on Blink to either remove them completely or to move them to a new location, I don't know what UTD plans to do with those units.

Looking at UTD's maps, Lot J, I, and V (ROC) are still there, Lot K (which the units were removed) are not on the map and the new location in the Parking structure off Drive A & G (like you mentioned) now shows the units. I will have my wife go and look at them next week (no classes this week).

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, you're right, still in Lot J. No longer in K.

 

[Pipcecil]

Updates this week:

One modification and Two(!) removals.

Mod - Moved the UTD Lot K station to the PS1 location, removed the picture, and modified the text. Unfortunately, because of the way I track stations I did NOT change the name (which is UT Dallas Student Services Building Lot K), the reasoning is because this matches Blink's listing and lets me track the stations easier (if I don't match names, tracking becomes a more manual process - it took way too long). I did change the bottom text in big caps that says were the station is moved to. Once Blink..er CarCharging decides to focus on Texas (please oh please, one of my work units has been out of service for over 2 months!), this may get resolved.

Removals:

Blink - Hickory Creek Plaza
Blink - The Shops at Highland Village

Don't really know what happend, both have been removed from Blink's site. Could be they moved to private only or maybe turned off/removed. Considering how little effort CarCharging is working on units and updates in Texas, I figured it was probably a larger/more important request on their removal from the map. Anyways, for now, they are no longer listed on the map.

 

[Stanton]

My wife and I did a "downtown Dallas" run yesterday which included a trip to the Perot Museum, where I was able to charge (for free!) on the Schneider L2 in their (secure) parking lot; all you do is use the intercom at the guard entry. We also visited Klyde Warren park and rode the (electric) M-Line Trolley to eat lunch. All in all a great day with great weather as well!

 

[Pipcecil]

New updates!

Three new stations added (two were recently removed but were added back):

Previously removed locations:

Hickory Creek Plaza
Blink – Two Level 2 (J1772)
5017 Teasley Lane
Denton, TX 76210

Shops at Highland Village
Blink – Three Level 2 (J1772)
1701 Shoal Creek
Highland Village, TX 75077

New station:

AT&T – Dallas
GE – Two Level 2 (J1772)
5100 Belt Line Road
Dallas, TX 75254


If you notice, there is an extremely dense area of charging stations around the DNT & Belt Line, all by different companies:
eVgo - DC Fast & Level 2 - Walgreens
Blink - Level 2 (two) - Original Pancake House
ChargePoint - Level 1 & Level 2 - Whole Foods
GE - Level 2 (two) - AT&T

That gives us 8 stations within 1,000 feet. So if you need to see if your plethora of access cards work - this is the place to go visit.

 

[Pipcecil]

one new station this week:

AutoNation Ford – Arlington
Independent – One Level 2 (J1772)
1400 Interstate 20 Frontage Road
Arlington, TX 76017

 

[adric22]

Does anyone here in the DF/W area have a "leaf spy" setup? I just lost my second capacity bar and I'd like to get a health checkup on my battery, as my lease is up soon and we still haven't decided if we're going to keep the car.

 

[vrwl]

Does anyone here in the DF/W area have a "leaf spy" setup? I just lost my second capacity bar and I'd like to get a health checkup on my battery, as my lease is up soon and we still haven't decided if we're going to keep the car.

I've got one, but I'm out in Frisco/McKinney area. Would be happy to travel to a halfway point to meet up. Let's see if anyone closer to you volunteers, but if not, we can get you checked out.

 

[Pipcecil]

Updates - 3 new stations and 3 modifications:

All the bankston nissan's are now AutoNation, so the following names have changed:

AutoNation Nissan of Dallas (former Bankston Nissan of Dallas)
AutoNation Nissan - Irving (former Bankston Nissan of Irving)
AutoNation Nissan - Lewisville (former Bankston Nissan of Lewisview)

Three new stations:

Westway Ford
Independent – Two Level 2 (J1772)
801 West Airport Freeway
Irving, TX 75062

Texas Motors Ford
Independent – One Level 2 (J1772)
300 West Loop 820 South
Fort Worth, TX 76108

Rockwall Ford
Independent – Two Level 2 (J1772)
990 East IH 30
Rockwall, TX 75087

 

[EVthinker]

We've had our little Leaf for ONE WEEK now, and of course we love it.

However..............yesterday we received our Chargepoint card in the mail, and I just HAD to try it out. I went to the Half Priced Books on Northwest Highway for a try. Wouldn't you know, as I got there, another EV was charging. It was a black Chevy Volt. So I went inside, walked around, came back out, still charging. I checked the charger and it said "available", which I took to mean that his charge was complete. So I went BACK inside, and asked that an announcement be made for the owner of the Volt to return to their car and release the charger. I went back outside and after a couple of minutes, Nothing! So I checked the nozzle and it came out, but set off his car alarm. No problem, I swiped my card and started charging my Leaf. His alarm eventually turned off.

After THIRTY MINUTES the Volt owner saunters out, looked that SOMEONE had DARED to touch something on HIS Volt, and that someone was now charging his car!!!! (It must have been the person who fell asleep in Baby Bear's bed!). I got out and explained that his charge was full; that I had made an announcement; and, that I had waited for him to return to his car to release the charger. He said nothing but just scowled at his car, at the charger and THEN at me! What a jackass.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? What is the protocol for the 2nd person trying to charge???

P.S. My Leaf was larger than his Volt, looked better, and the Leaf owner was driving around with a smile on his face.

 

[derkraut]

Y'know.....the world is full of horse's a$$es. Shrug it off and move on.

 

[Pipcecil]

There are some a-holes around no matter where you look. There is only a general protocal/etiquette, but here is my rule of thumb:

- If a car is charging (actively) and there is no note left on unpluging, leave alone
- If a car is plugged in but charging is completed, utilize another station if possible, including a lower level (i.e. using the level 2 vs DC fast or a level 1 versus level 2 - like some chargepoint units have both level one and 2 on there).
- If you really need the level 2 or no other station is available, and the car is completed its charge, you can unplug and charge. I usually do this as a last resort and would have done what you did (gone around and asked, etc.).

BTW that half price books station was the first one in the metroplex (besides dealership ones) and is usually the most crowded with plug-ins.

 

[ralphmc]

All needs have possible inventions to follow...

It would be a great "addition" to Plugshare - or the Chargepoint network, if "of course privacy rules" kept in focus, the system would allow us "who is the needy" of charging access - to send a message to the "currently" plugged in charging station user, to let him/her know that "I am" in need of a charge - and need to unplug his vehicle.

Then there should be several levels of options - based on the level of "need" - notify plugged-in user of "someone" needs to remove his connection, then next level notify user of same but with a 5 or 10 or 15 minute "response" window, then next level "dyer" need to unplug w/o waiting (still notify) - and finally - If a "locked" plug scenario then open a SMS dialog - messaging feature. (always kept in mind that the two parties are will not "know" any personal information - only a professional communication).

On top of that in the case of the QC - this would require a change in hardware features on both the car and the QC - to allow a disconnect, of A - then start a new charging session based on the "new" vehicle account ID (so he / she can't charge the previous account) - and then once that QC - is finished (say in case the original charge user has not shown up) - allows that intercepting charge user to plug that previous vehicle back in and then continue the "memorized" previous session - and continue to charge that previous user account based on the Vehicle / account ID.

IF a 3rd user comes into play - while the original user is "re-plugged" in - because he / she has not come back to disconnect (busy eating at CB or still shopping) - then the whole cycle starts all over and allows the process of above to go back through.

This solutions is copyrighted - and all proceeds go to the plug-in-network that implements this feature first!!!

Ralph