Aside from Best Buy, Stores Are in No Hurry on EV Charging

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evnow

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http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10005692/aside-from-best-buy-big-box-stores-moving-slow-on-ev-charging/?tag=shell;content

Best Buy is definitely in lead in adding free-to-consumers electric car charging to its parking lots...
...
But aside from Best Buy (which also sells electric motorcycles, and plans to add EV chargers and, possibly, cars) the other big companies, including Costco, haven’t made new commitments.

The article also quotes Chelsea ...

Chelsea Sexton, an informal advisor to Best Buy and other players in the EV space, said that (she) expects that Best Buy’s EV charging will be free to consumers. “Personally, I expect the bulk of public charging in the next three to five years to be free". She said that the amount of investment necessary to “monetize” charging would probably outstrip the “insignificant” early return.

Fast 30-Minute EV Charging May Not Be DIY

http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10005706/fast-30-minute-ev-charging-may-not-be-diy/?tag=shell;content

They think the charging stations may need attendents ... really ? How dumb do they think the people are ?
 
Word from the San Antonio Clean Cities office is that a number of shops are competing for charger space around here - including Wal-Mart and Starbucks.
 
evnow said:
They think the charging stations may need attendents ... really ? How dumb do they think the people are ?
Scratch "dumb", add "rushed". It sounds like a good idea to me. Imagine a charger sitting in the middle of a group of six or eight EV-only parking spaces. An attendant could see to it that everyone gets a fair slice of the juice without the owners having to stand around and watch the numbers spin for half an hour. No more problems with someone pulling the plug on you the minute you are out of sight. Or slashing your tires if you lock the connector to your car and don't come back for four hours while everybody sits there steaming.
 
evnow said:
http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10005692/aside-from-best-buy-big-box-stores-moving-slow-on-ev-charging/?tag=shell;content

Best Buy is definitely in lead in adding free-to-consumers electric car charging to its parking lots...

I hadn't considered this news worthy of my attention. But I just this very minute realized/remembered that there is, in fact, a Best Buy right next door to my office! Heck, if I can plunk the Leaf there for 8 hours during the day (for free no less!) I wouldn't even need to have my own EVSE! :lol:
 
planet4ever said:
evnow said:
They think the charging stations may need attendents ... really ? How dumb do they think the people are ?
Scratch "dumb", add "rushed". It sounds like a good idea to me. Imagine a charger sitting in the middle of a group of six or eight EV-only parking spaces. An attendant could see to it that everyone gets a fair slice of the juice without the owners having to stand around and watch the numbers spin for half an hour. No more problems with someone pulling the plug on you the minute you are out of sight. Or slashing your tires if you lock the connector to your car and don't come back for four hours while everybody sits there steaming.

From a small business owner perspective, I'd rather buy four charge stations rather than buy 1 and hire an attendant. People cost a lot more than their wages, are not on duty 24/7, don't have tax credits, and can't be depreciated... ;)
 
This public charging stuff looks good on paper but it's got a lot of issues. You need to charge ("charge" as in bill) people for the length of time they have their car parked in the space, not just the juice they use.

Don't count on people being the least bit courteous, at least not here in S Florida.
 
LTLFTcomposite said:
This public charging stuff looks good on paper but it's got a lot of issues. You need to charge ("charge" as in bill) people for the length of time they have their car parked in the space, not just the juice they use.

Don't count on people being the least bit courteous, at least not here in S Florida.

Folks will already be paying for the charger spot if they're plugged in. As for courtesy? Probably similar to handicapped spots once folks understand to read the EV ONLY sign.
 
AndyH said:
From a small business owner perspective, I'd rather buy four charge stations rather than buy 1 and hire an attendant. People cost a lot more than their wages, are not on duty 24/7, don't have tax credits, and can't be depreciated... ;)
Don't forget that L3 chargers are very expensive, $20K to $50K apiece, and use a lot of electricity. Your electric utility isn't going to want you to have the ability to run four of them at the same time.

I wasn't thinking of regular employees, more like skycaps that live mostly off tips.
 
planet4ever said:
AndyH said:
From a small business owner perspective, I'd rather buy four charge stations rather than buy 1 and hire an attendant. People cost a lot more than their wages, are not on duty 24/7, don't have tax credits, and can't be depreciated... ;)
Don't forget that L3 chargers are very expensive, $20K to $50K apiece, and use a lot of electricity. Your electric utility isn't going to want you to have the ability to run four of them at the same time.

I wasn't thinking of regular employees, more like skycaps that live mostly off tips.

I don't expect to see L3 in many parking lots unless they're at Nissan dealers, interstate rest areas, or other limited areas without commercial services.

We're more likely to see L2 units in retailer's parking lots - they would rather we stick around without the nagging need to get back outside in 20 minutes to unplug and move the car. Casinos and many retailers don't have clocks on the walls because they want the customers to lost track of time and spend more money...
 
My comments were directed specifically to evnow's post. I think we all agree most charging stations will be L2, but where L3 stations do exist there may be better reasons than dumb drivers for having them manned.

evnow said:
Fast 30-Minute EV Charging May Not Be DIY

http://industry.bnet.com/auto/10005706/fast-30-minute-ev-charging-may-not-be-diy/?tag=shell;content

They think the charging stations may need attendents ... really ? How dumb do they think the people are ?
 
planet4ever said:
My comments were directed specifically to evnow's post. I think we all agree most charging stations will be L2, but where L3 stations do exist there may be better reasons than dumb drivers for having them manned.

Such as?

I just skimmed the first article. Aside from mixing up some info, the first paragraph tracks perfectly with what I've already surmised and was confirmed as the S Texas retailer behavior. No mystery there. Value added means more cash flow for the company directly from the charge point and a very good chance of more purchases from the captive audience.

Good will is an excellent reason to have one - but real green American dollars plus good will is even better. ;)

edit... The L3 article is fluff and fear with no substance. Of course an electric utility rep isn't going to 'see' L3 in a service station setting - that's why he's an electric utility rep and not in the fuel or convenience store business. He works in a virtual monopoly industry and wouldn't likely understand retail marketing if someone beat him with a hand cart full of Twinkies. As for the rest of us - we'll see it when we believe it and not a second before.

Reading the EV press reminds me of a Warren Buffet quote: "Wall Street is the only place people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from people who take the subway."
 
I can understand why. I think the days of free public charging will come and go as EVs gain market penetration, or if EVs don't gain market penetration.

In the early days, when there are few EVs, it might be be a good draw for the few that are out there. As the numbers increase, so will the cost burden of giving away the free electricity. I don't expect that many retail businesses will want to start installing chargers in large numbers and selling the electricity - it's would be very expensive to add the electrical infrastructure to support more than a few chargers and it would become a side business that would distract from their main business focus. And in most if not all states it would require changes in state regulatory commision policies with regard to the sale of electricity. (I understand that the California commission has already made a move in that direction - have any others?)

On the other hand, if EVs do not develop a big market share, the novelty will wear off and the cost and trouble of maintaining a few charges will lose its draw for those few customers who have EVs. EV drivers will revert to being like any other customer, and too few in number to be worth attracting.

I think that public charging, if it happens to any great extent other than in a few localized areas, will be a phenomenon that will come and go like the CB radio and 'mom & pop' video stores unless it becomes a business unto itself comparable to the gas station business.

Best Buy is definitely in lead in adding free-to-consumers electric car charging to its parking lots...
...
But aside from Best Buy (which also sells electric motorcycles, and plans to add EV chargers and, possibly, cars) the other big companies, including Costco, haven’t made new commitments.
 
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