EV Newbie Help

[Capertrj]

Hey all. Long time Ford owner first time Ev owner. 1984 bronco II, 1990 bronco II (still have), 2001 f150, 1976 bronco (still have), current 2010 f150 (almost 200k). I am moving from a carb EFI life to a carb EV life. What are some apps and how to go about daily charging? I don’t think spraying carb cleaner in the frunk will help any. I see there is charge point, evgo, charge hub, ea, FordPass, etc. Is there an option to consolidate all your charging in one app? 95% of time I’ll be charging at home. Are charging stations like a credit card or do you need an app/username for each? Do those platforms talk to each other, like if a charger is chargepoint does it show up on evgo? What’s the optimal way to streamline your payment method.

if my wife takes the truck how could she charge? Does she need her own username and info? Is it VIN based? as an example I have heard people making a home email for things like cable, electricity, water, sewer. Would it be smart to make an email for the truck so it’s the same for the family?

I contacted SunRun and they said the FCSP will be shipped 5 days after sale date so I need to make sure I’m ready in that time.

ive seen numerous posts about ABRP and people using with waze or other apps for a road trip. Complete newbie, I feel like I need the basics with my ETA any day now. In the military, so the lightning will be towing the EB bronco every 3 years or so (Unless another larger vehicle).

been reading since may 2021 reservation, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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[swngdncr]

This won’t answer all your questions, but I am in the same boat, completely new to ev, and I found this video helpful.

 

[RickLightning]

Hey all. Long time Ford owner first time Ev owner. 1984 bronco II, 1990 bronco II (still have), 2001 f150, 1976 bronco (still have), current 2010 f150 (almost 200k). I am moving from a carb EFI life to a carb EV life. What are some apps and how to go about daily charging? I don’t think spraying carb cleaner in the frunk will help any. I see there is charge point, evgo, charge hub, ea, FordPass, etc. Is there an option to consolidate all your charging in one app? 95% of time I’ll be charging at home. Are charging stations like a credit card or do you need an app/username for each? Do those platforms talk to each other, like if a charger is chargepoint does it show up on evgo? What’s the optimal way to streamline your payment method.

if my wife takes the truck how could she charge? Does she need her own username and info? Is it VIN based? as an example I have heard people making a home email for things like cable, electricity, water, sewer. Would it be smart to make an email for the truck so it’s the same for the family?

I contacted SunRun and they said the FCSP will be shipped 5 days after sale date so I need to make sure I’m ready in that time.

ive seen numerous posts about ABRP and people using with waze or other apps for a road trip. Complete newbie, I feel like I need the basics with my ETA any day now. In the military, so the lightning will be towing the EB bronco every 3 years or so (Unless another larger vehicle).

been reading since may 2021 reservation, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

No, you cannot consolidate all charging apps.

Many charging station networks have their own apps. Some charging networks accept credit card payments onsite for the same rate as app payments. Some do not.

None of these talk to each other.

For home charging, your FCSP will take care of it.

Your truck will come with 250kWh of free charging at Electrify America. The only way to use these hours (which won't last more than 2 - 4 charges) is via Ford's BlueOval Charging Network. Once you setup a Ford.com account and add your truck to it, you'll be able to go into Connected Services, provide a credit card, and setup Plug and Charge. Within a day or less you should see the 250 free hours show up. Simply go to an EA charger and plug the truck in, and the hours will be used.

After you set your account up, have your wife setup a separate FordPass account on her phone, with a separate email address. Then she adds the truck and you will get pinged to grant permission. Then you go into your FordPass and toggle on "Share Charging Access". While Plug and Charge would work anyway, this allows her to use the BlueOval network with FordPass. Note that this network is supposed to include Electrify America, EVConnect, EVGO, Flo, ChargePoint and SemaCharge.

If you're going to travel, note that EA charges 2 rates. The lower rate requires a $4 per month fee (you can immediately downgrade and it takes effect 30 days later). If you're going on a trip, you'll want to sign up the morning of the trip, then downgrade, and get the discount for the next 30 days. $4 pays off within 1-2 charges.

Ford will eventually roll out a $50 per year plan that will incorporate that discount.

Many of the charging networks will require you to add a credit card, and then will put an initial $5 - $10 in the account, so if you're not traveling you may want to hold off.

Note that the separate networks provide a bunch of detail in their apps when you charge. Note that FordPass provides very little detail. You can't download it, you can't see specifics, etc.

Note that the EA network is the fastest network for your truck. You'll probably want to go there as a default. In 15 months of EV ownership, I've used them about 99% of the time. ChargePoint is the next one. Note that EA owns their locations, ChargePoint does not. Some ChargePoint chargers could be FREE, but you will still need the app to charge (for example some Kohl's locations, some hotels).

As to planning a trip, ABRP is the way to go.

 

[Capertrj]

No, you cannot consolidate all charging apps.

Many charging station networks have their own apps. Some charging networks accept credit card payments onsite for the same rate as app payments. Some do not.

None of these talk to each other.

For home charging, your FCSP will take care of it.

Your truck will come with 250kWh of free charging at Electrify America. The only way to use these hours (which won't last more than 2 - 4 charges) is via Ford's BlueOval Charging Network. Once you setup a Ford.com account and add your truck to it, you'll be able to go into Connected Services, provide a credit card, and setup Plug and Charge. Within a day or less you should see the 250 free hours show up. Simply go to an EA charger and plug the truck in, and the hours will be used.

After you set your account up, have your wife setup a separate FordPass account on her phone, with a separate email address. Then she adds the truck and you will get pinged to grant permission. Then you go into your FordPass and toggle on "Share Charging Access". While Plug and Charge would work anyway, this allows her to use the BlueOval network with FordPass. Note that this network is supposed to include Electrify America, EVConnect, EVGO, Flo, ChargePoint and SemaCharge.

If you're going to travel, note that EA charges 2 rates. The lower rate requires a $4 per month fee (you can immediately downgrade and it takes effect 30 days later). If you're going on a trip, you'll want to sign up the morning of the trip, then downgrade, and get the discount for the next 30 days. $4 pays off within 1-2 charges.

Ford will eventually roll out a $50 per year plan that will incorporate that discount.

Many of the charging networks will require you to add a credit card, and then will put an initial $5 - $10 in the account, so if you're not traveling you may want to hold off.

Note that the separate networks provide a bunch of detail in their apps when you charge. Note that FordPass provides very little detail. You can't download it, you can't see specifics, etc.

Note that the EA network is the fastest network for your truck. You'll probably want to go there as a default. In 15 months of EV ownership, I've used them about 99% of the time. ChargePoint is the next one. Note that EA owns their locations, ChargePoint does not. Some ChargePoint chargers could be FREE, but you will still need the app to charge (for example some Kohl's locations, some hotels).

As to planning a trip, ABRP is the way to go.

Thank you!!

 

[dfoisy]

Once you use up the 250 Kwh, you don't want to use the Plug and Charge on a regular basis because it's more than Electrify America's regular rate. If your going to do some traveling, sign up for one of EAs plans.

Also, Plugshare shows lots of different charging locations (EA, Chargepoint, little mom and pop restaurants, community chargers, Tesla hotel chargers, Tesla Superchargers, etc.). It's got a decent trip planner, but I had to take my time to figure out how to navigate the website.

 

[hturnerfamily]

like every gas station on earth, they can all be different, either slightly, or majorly.... I've been to gas stations where none of the 'card swipers' were working, and you had to go to the counter and pay manually. I've seen many that require your credit or debit card to be 'held' in the card reader UNTIL it tells you to remove it, while most others are simply a push and pull out reader.
Chargepoint stations for EVS will require their app, OR your Ford Pass app to active and start...
EV GO will allow you both the app, OR to swipe/insert a card, OR your Ford Pass app...
Electrify America will allow you both the app, OR to swipe/insert a card, or your Ford Pass app...

etc...
yes, while there's not yet a cohesive easy method to use all charge stations on a similar platform, the Ford Pass app actually does a GREAT job of giving you that option - FORD then charges you for the station charges, not the companies themselves. This can give you a great cohesive feeling. It also bypasses the need to register, or have those company's specific apps, and their '$10 minimum upload/account' features. You can use the Ford Pass app all the time and bypass those.

 

[Toby57]

Is the price per kwh posted in any way before one activates the charger?

 

[RickLightning]

Once you use up the 250 Kwh, you don't want to use the Plug and Charge on a regular basis because it's more than Electrify America's regular rate. If your going to do some traveling, sign up for one of EAs plans.

Also, Plugshare shows lots of different charging locations (EA, Chargepoint, little mom and pop restaurants, community chargers, Tesla hotel chargers, Tesla Superchargers, etc.). It's got a decent trip planner, but I had to take my time to figure out how to navigate the website.

Some correction to above.

Plug and Charge is not more than Electrify America's regular rate. Plug and Charge is more than Electrify America's Pass+ rate. That costs $4 for a 30 day period. You can upgrade, and then immediately downgrade, and it takes effect in 30 days. The $4 surcharge pays for the discount in about 2 chargers.

EA per kWh rate - 43 cents plus tax. Pass+ rate - $31 cents plus tax.
EA per minute rate (about 12 states) - 32 cents plus tax. Pass+ rate - 24 cents plus tax.

PlugShare has filters so you can weed out chargers you can't use (i.e. Tesla SuperChargers), only see high speed chargers (set to 70kW or above), etc. Use the website, setup a free account, save the trip, open your phone and there it is.

Is the price per kwh posted in any way before one activates the charger?

Yes, and no. Some chargers like EA prominently display the rate. Some chargers don't display a rate, but when you go to activate that charger via their app you SHOULD see the rate.

 

[Toby57]

Thank you

 

[dfoisy]

Some correction to above.

Plug and Charge is not more than Electrify America's regular rate. Plug and Charge is more than Electrify America's Pass+ rate. That costs $4 for a 30 day period. You can upgrade, and then immediately downgrade, and it takes effect in 30 days. The $4 surcharge pays for the discount in about 2 chargers.

EA per kWh rate - 43 cents plus tax. Pass+ rate - $31 cents plus tax.
EA per minute rate (about 12 states) - 32 cents plus tax. Pass+ rate - 24 cents plus tax.

PlugShare has filters so you can weed out chargers you can't use (i.e. Tesla SuperChargers), only see high speed chargers (set to 70kW or above), etc. Use the website, setup a free account, save the trip, open your phone and there it is.



Yes, and no. Some chargers like EA prominently display the rate. Some chargers don't display a rate, but when you go to activate that charger via their app you SHOULD see the rate.

All I know is that I paid something like 53 cents per kw using Plug and Charge at Electrify America.

I had about 60 free kw of the 250 left, but knew I needed more to get to 80%. I thought I would get some kind of notification telling me the free kilowatts were done and to do something if I needed more. But since I had activated Plug and Charge it kept charging for another 15 kw. I got a message in the Fordpass app that said I paid a little over $8 for the 15 kw. I don't have the message anymore for the exact figures.

I was kind of surprised it was that much more, but it was no big deal. Just not what I want to pay on a regular basis.

 

[RickLightning]

All I know is that I paid something like 53 cents per kw using Plug and Charge at Electrify America.

I had about 60 free kw of the 250 left, but knew I needed more to get to 80%. I thought I would get some kind of notification telling me the free kilowatts were done and to do something if I needed more. But since I had activated Plug and Charge it kept charging for another 15 kw. I got a message in the Fordpass app that said I paid a little over $8 for the 15 kw. I don't have the message anymore for the exact figures.

I was kind of surprised it was that much more, but it was no big deal. Just not what I want to pay on a regular basis.

No, you didn't pay 53 cents per kWh. It is POSSIBLE that you paid 43 cents plus a high local tax rate. Tax rate is different in every locality. Had you charged at a different type of charger, it would have charged you the same tax rate.

The Plug and Charge rate is exactly the same as the regular EA rate. Both would charge the same taxes.

 

[dfoisy]

No, you didn't pay 53 cents per kWh. It is POSSIBLE that you paid 43 cents plus a high local tax rate. Tax rate is different in every locality. Had you charged at a different type of charger, it would have charged you the same tax rate.

The Plug and Charge rate is exactly the same as the regular EA rate. Both would charge the same taxes.

My apologies. I just did some investigating and found out that it was actually 19 kw, which comes out to about 43 cents a kw.

I stand corrected.

 

[RickLightning]

For those using your free hours up, if you want to then use EA's Pass+ plan, simply finish charging with your free hours (i.e. which means you need to know when you have XX left, and not go over that number). Then, end the session by pushing the circle on the truck. Then, unplug. Open your EA app, activate Pass+ if needed (do it at home that morning), swipe the charger in the EA app, and plug back in. You can also disable Plug and Charge so you don't mistakenly use it.

For those that live in, or travel in, one of 17 states where EA charges by the minute instead of by the kWh, you should NOT use your free hours in the per minute states, because that rate is about 1/2 of the per kWh states. Instead, pay via EA Pass+, and save your free hours.

Assuming a charge rate of 1.7kWh per minute (likely higher for the Lightning), and assuming a charge of 80kWh:

Per kWh state with Pass+ - $24.80 plus tax (120% more expensive)
Per minute state with Pass+ - $11.29 plus tax (54.5% cheaper)

The per minute states, as of today, per the EA site, are:

Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

https://www.electrifyamerica.com/pricing/

Note - this list has grown in recent months. Why? Two reasons. First, some of these states are new to the EA network, didn't have any chargers prior. Second, when EA adds a state, they have to apply for the right to charge for electricity by the kWh. Some states require a legislative change to do this.

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