Well, it was a good thing I did, I had a crazy day of driving. We decided to pop over to the Science Center's Discovery Room in the morning before camp. When we got there, I just HAD to plug in - for fun purposes only. (Even though I had barely used any battery to get there, how can you refuse a free top off and the gawkers walking by to admire your car.)
We then drove the CWE (Central West End) to get smoothies. I parked across the street from the BJC lot with the three chargers - only one was in use. After that I drove out to Chesterfield to drop off my daughter at her daycamp. Then a Mom I was supposed to meet asked me to instead drive out to her - an unexpected 20 miles round trip. I obliged and then ran a few more errands and ate half-priced cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory. How quickly the miles rack up since everything in St. Louis is so spread out!!
After that, I called Nissan West Co and asked if their QuickCharger is working. (It would be on the way back and a quick stop to top it off.) They said yes. I went there - NO DICE. It was parked in by work trucks for sale and the machine said, "Thermostat error." I called ChargePoint to report it. The man on the phone told me this error was due to the cable getting too hot during charging. I asked him if I could pour water on it, he said yes. I failed to ask him if the alarm would need to be reset by a technician or if it goes away by itself. (Anyone know? Post below.) I did not try the water trick since I had to go get my daughter from camp.
When I picked her up, I had just about enough miles, with a few to spare, to make it home. However, she wanted to eat at Sweet Tomatoes. Luckily, the Lou Fusz dealership is there with a Quick Charger. It costs $5 for a charge. The station screen says "All day." The app says only during normal business hours. (Anyone know if it's really open all day?) I decided to charge first since the dealership might close at 6 pm. It has a dedicated EV charging parking spot, but it was a TIGHT fit since the repairs folks parked two cars next to it. (I had to pull in quick there was a guy on my rear end and I had a crying child.)
My kids got fussy and hungry before a full charge (it was around 15 minutes and I was up to 68%.) I called it quits and we went to eat at Sweet Tomatoes. (The free 6.6 kWh chargers are out front and you could park it and walk the 4 blocks to Sweet Tomatoes, AMC, etc. I would not feel comfortable leaving my car unattended for that long at the Quick Charge though - it might prevent others from charging.) We had a GREAT time at dinner and drove home.
When my days get more structured (when I am back at work), life will get MUCH simpler. This is fun though!! :)
What I learned today:
- color coding on the Charge Point app tells you the station's status and is accurate/up to date (Trust this rather than the dealership personnel!)
- ChargePoint equipment that is not managed by ChargePoint is white. They can report errors even if they do not manage the equipment
- I like having it be at 100% max for these crazy busy errand days with extended mileage
- Lou Fusz Ford by Boone's Crossing have 6.6 kWh chargers by their service bays out back if needed (I called them)
-reviewing stations on the PlugShare app is much more user friendly and convenient than the ChargePoint app reviews
-Starting charging and paying with the ChargePoint a[p is really easy!
QUESTIONS to be answered:
-Does a tech need to reset a thermostat error or will it reset itself? If not, does pouring water on the cable work/do anything?
- Is the Lou Fusz Nisssan Quick Charge really available 24/7?
If you have any insights to my questions, please post!
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