this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
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[Dormant] Electric Vehicles

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[Question] Do charging stations generally accept credit/debit cards? (dubvee.org)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Sorry if this is a dumb question. I currently drive a hybrid and am looking to upgrade in the next 1- 2 years to either PHEV or full EV. In either scenario, I envision most of my charging will be done at home. However, if I go full EV, I will eventually need to charge in public.

I've read it varies from charging network to charging network, so I figure I'd ask EV owners what their experiences are like. I really don't like the idea of relying on an app or monthly subscription or anything like that.

So, is a debit card more or less guaranteed to be accepted, and if so, are the rates significantly higher than some kind of membership option?

Edit: In the US if it matters.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'll be completely upfront about my biases here: I'm not really sure PHEVs make a lot of sense. You're getting a small battery pack that'll still be expensive to replace (if you can find the packs later on) with the maintenance of a gas car. Personally I'm not really sold, but hey, if the numbers work out for you, have fun

I'd say if your current car is on it's last legs, go ahead and get what you want, but if you can hold out for a couple of years, I'd suggest maybe waiting to see if prices on full-battery EVs come down any.

Most of the PHEVs I’ve looked at top out around 50 or so miles of EV range, and that pretty much covers all of my day to day driving with some to spare. For extended trips, I don’t see myself topping off the HV battery unless I’m lodging overnight or something.

Yeah, in a PHEV your charging is almost entirely going to be when you're at home or staying somewhere for a few hours (shopping, hotels).

Does that mean they can’t charge at all from those, or they just charge slower? Thinking of like if a hotel had a charging station, for example.

They can't charge at all at DC Fast Chargers. If you see a bank of chargers out in the middle of a parking lot somewhere, odds are you can't use them. If you see some chargers on the wall of a parking garage or on some posts in front of a hotel, generally you should be fine.

If you get a few minutes this evening, take a look at Plugshare (https://www.plugshare.com/). Go to Filters on the left, scroll down to "Vehicles and Plugs", and make sure only "J-1772" is selected. These are the places you'll be able to charge.

Glad I posted this because I was just assuming the charge stations worked like gas pumps and I’d just swipe, wait a bit, and go. Apparently not lol.

So with a PHEV, unfortunately not really. You'll need a couple of hours to charge a PHEV at a charging station. A full battery EV can only get a gas station-like experience because the DC Fast Chargers can push an insane amount of power very quickly.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

My current hybrid is in great shape, so no rush other than wanting more EV range and to get less screwed on the backwards fees I have to pay (hybrid and PHEV are same fee bracket). I've got a Ford Fusion Hybrid and was looking at simply upgrading to the Energi which is the PHEV version of it. (I absolutely regret not getting that model when I bought this one, but at the time, I didn't have anywhere to charge it).

Barring something unexpected or catastrophic happening, I can definitely wait a few years and reassess. The ultimate goal is still a BEV, but I may need to wait a bit for things to standardize across the board (we're getting there, though!).