Dirt Cheap Charging at a local Community College

My wife is a gov employee and gets a lot of free charging that way. From the city. She used to get there early enough to charge every day but now there's more competition.
Gal across the street is a translator for the Santa Clara County. She charges their Bolt for free. Many companies around here have subsidized or even free charging.

I use that big nuclear reactor up in the sky to help me...
 
The nearest community College to me offered free level 2 charging, albeit with only two plugs. I would stop there in the morning on my way to work then go inside and connect to their WiFi to check email. It was productive time and free electrons. Work is no longer in my vocabulary.
 
If your battery was at 20%, how long to charge and how many KWh would it take?
“It depends.”

Why did you let the battery get down to 20%? One doesn’t drive an EV like that. One charges every night at home and it is ready by morning. Takes about 15 seconds to plug in, 15 seconds to unplug.
 
“It depends.”

Why did you let the battery get down to 20%? One doesn’t drive an EV like that. One charges every night at home and it is ready by morning. Takes about 15 seconds to plug in, 15 seconds to unplug.
EV owners on a road trip will let the battery get to 20% so that they don’t have to stop as often. Nobody wants to be stopping to charge every two hours if they don’t have to. So that’s a valid question to ask how long it would take to charge it from 20%
 
West Valley Mission community college in Saragoga? You could have looked at there website and figured out this is not for you. https://www.wvm.edu/services/police/parking/electric-vehicle-chargers.html

Students, staff, faculty, and guests are all welcome to use our electric vehicle chargers.

All vehicles must display a valid district parking permit while charging, such as a student, staff, one-day (daily), or guest/temporary permit. Drivers must download and utilize the Powerflex app to activate the charging stations (available in all app stores).


They likely simply don't lock it down because they figure the rich bunch living nearby wouldn't be big enough grifters to come along and steal electricity. :ROFLMAO:
 
Based on the info below from the WV-M CC website, it appears the general public is welcome to use the low-cost charging stations; however, they should obtain a guest pass/permit to display in the windshield.

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These chargers appear to be funded/underwritten by Bay Area district taxpayers as noted by the statement below.
1773840977606.webp
 
“It depends.”

Why did you let the battery get down to 20%? One doesn’t drive an EV like that. One charges every night at home and it is ready by morning. Takes about 15 seconds to plug in, 15 seconds to unplug.
It's a fair question, and a stat like that is often used for comparison. You are right, for general ownership just plug in overnight. In fact, I think that's what Tesla recommends. But it is also fair to consider other use of the cars. I drive down to quite low at times.
 
We have chargers at my job, no clue on cost or free. They used to be at my building but for some reason got removed. The 2 other buildings within about 1/2 mile do have them. One of our IT guys has a Model 3, he plugs in at the next building and takes his folding electric scooter back and brings to his desk. Opposite on way home.

We have some good programs at our local CC. Really helped many kids I know as they got all the basics done there for much less. One of the Eagle Scouts in my sons troop did 2 years with his nursing and then transferred. He is now a nurse anesthetist and doing well.

I think it was maybe posted here or one of my friends sent it to me. Nate Bargatze Community College I just laugh at how he presents it.
 
It's a fair question, and a stat like that is often used for comparison. You are right, for general ownership just plug in overnight. In fact, I think that's what Tesla recommends. But it is also fair to consider other use of the cars. I drive down to quite low at times.
I too run my battery down on occasion. But it isn’t the ICE mindset of The Gas Station Model fill to full when it gets down to 1/4 tank. That is the issue begged when an ICEer belittles time spent charging an EV. Always had gas stations, everything must behave same as always. Fill to full, run to empty, fill to full, run to empty, repeat. If IBM had invented the automobile the controls would have been horse-compatible and would have be boarded in stables. Can’t require horse-operators to learn new habits.

Even with a 220 mile round trip I rarely charge anywhere but home. Overnight.
 
I too run my battery down on occasion. But it isn’t the ICE mindset of The Gas Station Model fill to full when it gets down to 1/4 tank. That is the issue begged when an ICEer belittles time spent charging an EV. Always had gas stations, everything must behave same as always. Fill to full, run to empty, fill to full, run to empty, repeat. If IBM had invented the automobile the controls would have been horse-compatible and would have be boarded in stables. Can’t require horse-operators to learn new habits.

Even with a 220 mile round trip I rarely charge anywhere but home. Overnight.
If Tesla invented an oven it would only heat 1/3 of your hot dish. You would eat 1/3 then put it back in the oven for an hour to eat the next third.

Different isn’t always better.
 
They have all sorts of benefits for the public for cheap or free. Pool/ gym use. You can even get an all you can eat meal at the dining commons for like twelve bucks!

A lot of universities (including privates) have dining facilities open to the public. I remember once just taking a look at what they had at one of the UC Berkeley dorm complexes. Looked good, but we already ate. The attendant said that if I bought one he’d let my kid (about 11 at the time) in for free, even though there’s a child price.

I’d been to a few university dining halls as an adult. Like once during a family retreat. Stayed in a dorm room before regular classes started and it was quite nice.
 
A lot of universities (including privates) have dining facilities open to the public. I remember once just taking a look at what they had at one of the UC Berkeley dorm complexes. Looked good, but we already ate. The attendant said that if I bought one he’d let my kid (about 11 at the time) in for free, even though there’s a child price.

I’d been to a few university dining halls as an adult. Like once during a family retreat. Stayed in a dorm room before regular classes started and it was quite nice.
I like visiting college campuses. I am going to retire in a college town. This idea of hanging out with a bunch of other old people in retirement village makes me want to die sooner. Recently visited ASU main campus in Tempe. Very nice

I stayed on campus for a week long professional course at University of Wisconsin in the summer like 20 years ago.

There is a small private college in a town in Germany I visit that rents out rooms in the summer. Stayed there a couple times.

I stayed at a hotel on the park in Munich that was actually the Olympic Village for the athletes for the 1972. Unfortunately that was the one with the terror attack on the Israeli athletes. The hotel and area were quite nice however.
 
I can't imagine... Solar, no solar, taking cars over to a college to charge... I'm not knocking it but I will freely admit I don't understand it. I have a hard enough time charging my iPhone... LOL, I have a gas station at the corner and only takes 3-4 min from my life, My time is worth more than 12 cents per kWh.
Its cheap for me to charge at home. If it wasn't I wouldn't have EVs. I have no desire to over think it.
 
I can't imagine... Solar, no solar, taking cars over to a college to charge... I'm not knocking it but I will freely admit I don't understand it. I have a hard enough time charging my iPhone... LOL, I have a gas station at the corner and only takes 3-4 min from my life, My time is worth more than 12 cents per kWh.


Think if it like those guys that wait in line for a half hour at costco to save a few bucks on fuel, or guys that drive 10 miles out their way for a few cents cheaper gas.

It's not really my thing, but poeple do all kinds of silly things to save a few bucks on fuel/ energy.

There are tons of people who if they can save 30-50 bucks is easy worth some compromise in time for them, the EV word is full of very low cost to free energy at the expensive of time and distance.
 
I can't imagine... Solar, no solar, taking cars over to a college to charge... I'm not knocking it but I will freely admit I don't understand it. I have a hard enough time charging my iPhone... LOL, I have a gas station at the corner and only takes 3-4 min from my life, My time is worth more than 12 cents per kWh.
I spend far less time charging my EV than I spend filling the tanks of my F-150, lawnmower, and SxS.

The EV charges itself while I sleep. Tanks 15 seconds to connect, 15 seconds to disconnect.
 
My local Tech School and College have free solar charging first come first serve. About 10 chargers to pick from and they rarely are full. Also several trail head and parks have free charging as well. I'm in Northern WI.
 
EV owners on a road trip will let the battery get to 20% so that they don’t have to stop as often. Nobody wants to be stopping to charge every two hours if they don’t have to. So that’s a valid question to ask how long it would take to charge it from 20%

Most EV travel tools allow you to find tune the SOC upon arrival, but default to around 10% arrival at the station target if it can manage it.

The ideal trip charging strategy is to get to as close to 0% remaining as possible - and 20% would be considered too much from a theoretical best travel speed perspective.
 
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