DFW Metroplex

[vrwl]

Great job Pipcecil! Love the new markers and the reverse image works really well for the restricted access locations. Well done!

 

[Pipcecil]

Friday Updates!

Fair Park stations were changed to non-restricted (marker has been changed)

One new station:

Let’s Do Lunch
Blink – Two Level 2 (J1772)
1720 Regal Row
Dallas, TX 75235

 

[adric22]

Anyone who lives in or near Tarrant County and would like to have some kind of EV & hybrid get-together please send me a private email to [email protected]

I know we have the NTEAA up in the North Dallas area. But a lot of us in the South and Western areas of DF/W are trying to get together. I already have a short list and I'd like to get a few more addresses and we can start planning some sort of get-together. The location will likely depend on the geographical spread of people that email me.

At this point I'm not trying to be exclusive to EVs. I would welcome anyone with a hybrid, CNG car, or anything that a person feels is super efficient (smart car? etc.) Please forward this information to anyone you think would be interested.

The goals of this group would most likely include:

• Community - sharing stories of our experiences.
• Helping one another, whether it be installing a charging station or finding the right car.
• An opportunity to see other types of EVs and hybrids other than the one we happen to own. We can give each other rides, etc.
• We can organize to get more local charging stations installed in Tarrant County, as it seems we have very few.

In order for me to consider your location, you can include your physical address or at least a nearby intersection.

 

[adric22]

I have some good news for anyone in DF/W who has considered using EVGo but didn't like any of their monthly plans. They told me today there is a new plan that is less than $5 per month. But here's how it works.

• You have to pay up-front for the year $59.99 or for two years at $99.99
• You are limited to 3 hours consecutive charging on L2 stations
• You can use the L3 stations if you want, but you'll be charged $30 per use.

This is actually a pretty good deal for those of us that rarely charge away from home and couldn't justify the monthly fee. I just signed up. I'll probably use them once or twice a month now.

 

[Pipcecil]

Interesting with the eVgo plan - although the "on the go" charging with unlimited DC fast (and level 2) with one year commitment is $60 per month and two year is $40 per month. So, costwise, if you are using the DC fast more than once a month, it would be in your favor to sign up for the unlimited use @ $30 per DC session on the limited plan.

Although for very infrequent users, this is a good deal - at least it leaves the option to utilize the DC fast chargers around if you really need to. Good to know they are giving more options.

 

[Pipcecil]

Also - map updates:

Small changes:
CBRE Parking Garage 1 was changed to all restricited (I moved the mark to the garage)
CBRE/Marriot Garage was moved too based on the blink map (different garage according to Blink), this is still unrestricted

I decided after much debate to modifly the restricted access text after the TI annoucement (summary - adding a bunch of Blink's to their locations, some restricted some open to the public). The restricted icon remains - I still want people to "stop and think" before they try one of these locations, BUT I decided to add a parenthetical statement at the end identifying how many of the total are restricted. This would allow people (like TI) to offer both public and restricted without being shunned as completely restricted. Despite the "bounching around" of the restricted/unrestricted numbers sometimes, I figured it was still a metric that needed to be added.

New station:
Telecore
Blink – Two Level 2 (J1772)
1600 Jay Ell Drive
Richardson, TX
75081
RESTRICTED ACCESS (2 OF 2)

 

[Pipcecil]

New updates! Also to note - there are now too many locations for google to fit on one screen. At the bottom of the list you can move to the next page. Its just one station (west irving library level 1's) but eventually it will get larger. Unfortunately there is little I can do about it, we have too many places for one page!

Changed a few titles of some blink stations, nothing major, just keeping them the same as Blink's - no one will notice (trust me)

New stations:
Walgreens – Mockingbird
eVgo – One DC Fast (CHAdeMO), One Level 2 (J1772)
4139 Matildia Drive
Dallas, TX 75206

Walgreens – Haltom City
eVgo – One DC Fast (CHAdeMO), One Level 2 (J1772)
Western Center Boulevard
Haltom City, TX 76137

VHA Place
Blink – Two Level 2 (J1772)
220 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Suite C-130
Irving, TX 75039

 

[Pipcecil]

OK had a sad thing happen today - hit LBW while still showing 2 bars of range remaining. GOM was at 8 miles. While it was always predicted this would start to occur because of the fixed % for LBW and nonfixed of the range bars, I didn't think I would see it so soon. Sigh...

 

[vrwl]

OK had a sad thing happen today - hit LBW while still showing 2 bars of range remaining. GOM was at 8 miles. While it was always predicted this would start to occur because of the fixed % for LBW and nonfixed of the range bars, I didn't think I would see it so soon. Sigh...

Have you tried Turbo3's new app to see what your current capacity is?

 

[adric22]

OK had a sad thing happen today - hit LBW while still showing 2 bars of range remaining. GOM was at 8 miles. While it was always predicted this would start to occur because of the fixed % for LBW and nonfixed of the range bars, I didn't think I would see it so soon. Sigh...

How many miles do you have on your Leaf?

 

[Pipcecil]

Have you tried Turbo3's new app to see what your current capacity is?

No, I haven't bothered since I didn't feel like buying an additional device to connect to the car (its $25 bucks?) to only depress me more. Why pay $25 bucks for depression? I really think I am just about to loose the 3rd capacity bar. Range has been abysmal lately, WORSE than the winter (shouldn't this be opposite??). I was hitting low 70's on a perfect day and high 60's on rougher days. Now its mid to high 60's on a perfect day (more mid 60's really) and upper 50's on bad days (although 70 degrees and a cross wind is a bad day now...). I have hit mid to upper 50's regularly now to VLBW.

Unfortunately that leaves me a round trip driving range from my home in midlothian to slightly beyond the mixmaster on IH 35E (either a couple miles on IH 30 or up IH 35E/DNT/Downtown). I can barely make it to downtown and back - but its a bit of nail bitting sometimes. I used to be able to sail to LBJ & the DNT for the half way point or even to the eVgo station @ Belt Line - I would regularly arrive @ 50-52%. Now its prettly low, usually in the 30's based off the DC Fast Charger station readout). I have hit LBW from the eVgo station @ Belt Line going home from a 80% DCQC recently - thats not good. I can no longer reliably charge to 80% without getting into trouble, and have to "top off" requently because any loss below 100% can spell trouble. Trips requiring 0-1 QCs are now a solid 2 QCs.

As for the mileage - ~38,000. Two year mark will be on June 17th. I think with all the capacity loss debackle, it was determined that heat+miles is the main cause regardless of how you treat it (80% charging, no topping off, no QCs, etc.). Unfortunately I got both, the higher mileage accelerates the heat issue. In retrospect, my mileage in cooler seattle or some place else, I might see my first bar loss soon, but probably would still have full 12 bars. In Arizona I would definetely have lost the 3rd already and maybe halfway to the 4th.

 

[leafwing]

Have you tried Turbo3's new app to see what your current capacity is?

No, I haven't bothered since I didn't feel like buying an additional device to connect to the car (its $25 bucks?) to only depress me more. Why pay $25 bucks for depression? I really think I am just about to loose the 3rd capacity bar. Range has been abysmal lately, WORSE than the winter (shouldn't this be opposite??). I was hitting low 70's on a perfect day and high 60's on rougher days. Now its mid to high 60's on a perfect day (more mid 60's really) and upper 50's on bad days (although 70 degrees and a cross wind is a bad day now...). I have hit mid to upper 50's regularly now to VLBW.

Unfortunately that leaves me a round trip driving range from my home in midlothian to slightly beyond the mixmaster on IH 35E (either a couple miles on IH 30 or up IH 35E/DNT/Downtown). I can barely make it to downtown and back - but its a bit of nail bitting sometimes. I used to be able to sail to LBJ & the DNT for the half way point or even to the eVgo station @ Belt Line - I would regularly arrive @ 50-52%. Now its prettly low, usually in the 30's based off the DC Fast Charger station readout). I have hit LBW from the eVgo station @ Belt Line going home from a 80% DCQC recently - thats not good. I can no longer reliably charge to 80% without getting into trouble, and have to "top off" requently because any loss below 100% can spell trouble. Trips requiring 0-1 QCs are now a solid 2 QCs.

As for the mileage - ~38,000. Two year mark will be on June 17th. I think with all the capacity loss debackle, it was determined that heat+miles is the main cause regardless of how you treat it (80% charging, no topping off, no QCs, etc.). Unfortunately I got both, the higher mileage accelerates the heat issue. In retrospect, my mileage in cooler seattle or some place else, I might see my first bar loss soon, but probably would still have full 12 bars. In Arizona I would definetely have lost the 3rd already and maybe halfway to the 4th.

This is very depressing.
Dealers don't want to talk to me anymore once they learned that my car has lost one capacity bar.

 

[adric22]

By the way, the DFW charging station map is missing a few eVgo stations. I added them to plugshare already. One is in Grand Prairie. The other is haltom city.

 

[Pipcecil]

hmmmm...I have all of the eVgo stations on there (as far as I know):

22 Freedom stations (combined DC Fast and Level 2)
1 Public Level 2 (park n fly)
2 Multifamily restricted

All are on the map (just counted).

The only one in Grand Prairie that I know of is on Belt Line Road near IH 30 (been to this one frequently) and the Haltom City was new as of last week and I added it then. Its location is on Western Center Boulevard.

Are there 2 more beyond these I missed?

 

[adric22]

Are there 2 more beyond these I missed?

Umm.. I'd have to study the maps some more, but I see at least one that is missing. If you look at evgonetwork.com's map you'll see they show a charging station at the following address:

925 North Beltline Line Road
Grand Prairie, TX, 75050

However, the issue is if you put that address into google maps it shows the station to be over in far south-east Dallas, which makes no sense being the address clearly says Grand Prairie. I had this issue when adding the station to plugshare and had to manually move the pin to the correct place.

If you look on eVgo's own map you'll see the pin is at the intersection of W. Trinity Blvd and Roy Orr blvd in Grand Prairie. Your map doesn't show that. Of course, at this point it might not be a bad idea to drive out there and have a look, because their address still makes no sense being that it is still no Beltline rd.

EDIT - I sent an email to eVgo for clarification, haven't heard back yet. I've been moving some of the markers around in plug-share now that they are offering the ability to do that.

EDIT2 - I stoppped by Frank Kent to clarify the charing station issues. I was seeing GE wattstaion and Chargepoint for the cadillac dealer. It turns out they really do have both. I moved the pin for the GE since it was showing to be about 10 miles away, and took some photos. there are a total of 6 stations between the 2 dealers and none of them were ICE'd. So at least you know if you are stuck on the far weest side of the metroplex, there are places to charge. I'm sitting in the lounge at frank kent honda right now with my iPad, enjoying their wireless. I need about an hour of charging before I can make it home. They've been very nice to me. As a bonus, the charge is free too!

 

[Pipcecil]

Yea sometimes the companies put their chargers in the wrong place on their own maps and it propagates across to other congolmerate maps. The eVgo stations at belt line is actually at the shell @ IH 30 and Belt Line - I have been there numerous times when I have to go to Irving, so it is actually in the correct spot on my map, but not eVgo's.

Glad to know I was right about the chargepoint and GE stations at Frank Kent. GE still does (and I think chargepoint did at one point) had the location of these in south fort worth and middle of fort worth. Doing some online sluething I figured out it should be placed in west fort worth. Glad my research paid off! Thanks for confirming!

 

[Pipcecil]

Ok new friday map update -

Firstly, through some wizardry, I was able to get the google map to display ALL markers when the map is brough up. You will still need to page over at the bottom to see the listings, but at least all markers are available to view. Hopefully it isn't just in my browser or because of my cookies (oddly if I am edit mode on the map I can't see them all..), but..YEA!

Only one new station this week:

TI Baylor Health Center
Blink – Two Level 2 (J1772)
13350 TI Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75243

 

[adric22]

I spent some time driving around this weekend in Tarrant county, updating more info on plugshare. Some of the stations were very hard to find. Hopefully it will be easier for the next people since I moved some markers and added some extra photos and information to help them locate. I also requested removal of some stations that do not exist. There was an extra set of stations at the Ballpark in Arlington. I drove around for 30 minutes trying to find it. The NAV in the Leaf showed two areas of stations as well as plugshare. I noticed Pepicil's map only showed the one set, so I'm willing to be that is correct.

Also - Somebody had added KOA RV-park in arlington on Cooper street. I drove by there and talked to the receptionist. They thought I was crazy. They said the only way you could do that would be to reserve an RV spot, which would cost $45. They wouldn't even let me walk back to take a photo of a plug. So I changed the listing to restricted access and mentioned the cost involved.

 

[Bluebull]

By the way, the DFW charging station map is missing a few eVgo stations. I added them to plugshare already. One is in Grand Prairie. The other is haltom city.

If by Haltom City you mean the new charging station at Walgreen's on Western Center and Beach? It started up about a week ago. I met about 5 Leaf owners on Saturday, May 11. It is well located.

 

[Pipcecil]

There was an extra set of stations at the Ballpark in Arlington. I drove around for 30 minutes trying to find it. The NAV in the Leaf showed two areas of stations as well as plugshare. I noticed Pepicil's map only showed the one set, so I'm willing to be that is correct.

Yea, I don't know why plugshare has that split up - it shouldn't. Its listed as 3 for one and 1 for the other marker, when, in fact all four are right next to each other. GE's map even shows them on different sides of the parking area around cowboys stadium, which, they are not. Too bad Cowboy's stadium is stingy on their parking for ranger's games...these GE chargers are closer than the eVgo and the blink nearby (but still in walking distance).