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Charged for the first time at an EVgo

3875 Views 33 Replies 15 Participants Last post by  VoltoBolt
All the Electrify America stations were full so I noticed on the plug share app a EVgo about 1/2 mile away, went over there, and hooked up and started charging, I noticed on my app the cost was going up rapidly, I tried to find what they were charging a minute but never could find it. After 8 minutes and over $3.00 being charged I stopped the session. That is when I found out they were charging $0.35 a minute. Over twice what I have ever paid at a Electrify America or Chargepoint.
Needless to say I will not be using them any more unless I have no other choice.
I then drove to the next Electrify America Station to charge just enough to get back home, but there when I stopped charging and disconnected, the station never indicated I was disconnected. I contacted EA and they reset the station, and they did not charge me anything for the 14kW I had charged.
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Yes, EVgo is pretty expensive, especially since they charge by the minute and all the DCFC stations around me are 50kW max. In Texas, EVgo charges $0.30/min, which calculates out to $0.40 - $0.60 per kWh. I will only use them if they are convenient, even though I got a $500 credit 😎 from Chevy with the MSRP swap to a EUV.
EVGo used to have a plan that would reduce the per minute cost, if you joined and paid a monthly fee that was applicable to your charging use.

AND the monthly fee was eliminated if you are a AAA member, like I am.

I do not use them enough to do the comparison, but I have noticed in my usage, EA stations would cost me more to go up to 80% than using EVGo with my plan.
EVGo used to have a plan that would reduce the per minute cost, if you joined and paid a monthly fee that was applicable to your charging use.

AND the monthly fee was eliminated if you are a AAA member, like I am.

I do not use them enough to do the comparison, but I have noticed in my usage, EA stations would cost me more to go up to 80% than using EVGo with my plan.
Good info on the AAA benefit. I'll check into that.

Are you in California, or another state that charges by the kWh instead of by the minute? That would make EVgo a lot more competitive.
Are you in California, or another state that charges by the kWh instead of by the minute? That would make EVgo a lot more competitive.
Yes, I am in California and I did not know that!

I don't often use DCFC, but when I do I have always enjoyed the consistent quality of EVGo. I maintain other accounts including EA, just in case.
I use DCFC so seldom any of those plans are just not worth it to me, EVgo is not very prolific around here, most are Chargepoint or EA. And having to have a separate plan for each provider would be costing me more than I charge, and still have to pay to charge.
If I had 100% of my battery available I would have not had to charge at all to get back.
And having to have a separate plan for each provider would be costing me more than I charge, and still have to pay to charge.
If I had 100% of my battery available I would have not had to charge at all to get back.
All the plans for which I am a member do not require me to pay a monthly fee: EVGo, EA, ChargePoint, EV Connect, Blink (are they still in business?), and a couple others that I do not remember.

Sorry to hear the battery limitation software update is hitting you that bad! I have not had the software update installed, perhaps because my battery was manufactured in Michigan instead of S. Korea.
All the plans for which I am a member do not require me to pay a monthly fee: EVGo, EA, ChargePoint, EV Connect, Blink (are they still in business?), and a couple others that I do not remember.

Sorry to hear the battery limitation software update is hitting you that bad! I have not had the software update installed, perhaps because my battery was manufactured in Michigan instead of S. Korea.
Well I have the unpaid plans too, but to get the discount you have to pay a monthly fee.
what I meant about having 100% is I had driven a couple days already without charging and was down to 60% from 80% when we left. If I had the 100% available I would have left with 80% and I have made the trip before on a 80% charge.
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We have an EVGo 5 miles from my house and it is the most expensive charger I have ever used. When I have used it (seldom), the final charge is higher than gas for the range miles back when gas was $3.49 a gallon.
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I had free charging at EVgo from BMW but almost never used it. Still keep the account. Don't mind having to pay more for emerging technologies. Maybe at some point there will be chargers that are used more often and that would offset the shockingly high install costs for an L3/ DC charger.
Tesla drivers still pay a lot on the SC network and I assume they could be lower once they open to all EV's.
EVGo still charges by time here in WA, even though it's legal for them to charge by the kWh. As you noted, with the slower charging speed of the Bolt it's extremely expensive. I made a short test at one when I was around 65% SoC. The 25 minutes I was plugged in penciled out at almost 80 cents per kWh. That's almost double what EA charges for non-members, and well over double a Tesla Supercharger. Since they're making so much money charging by time, they don't have much incentive to change to per/kWh. All I can do is refuse to use them.
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I was doing my taxes going through last year's credit card statements and yes you are right EVgo does cost a lot.
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EVGo used to be the high-priced spread in CA. Billing per-minute for a car like the Bolt that can only take 50kw max (less for much of the charging time) make electricity cost about the same as gas. EVGo recently changed to per-kwh in CA, and they charge less than EA, so things have improved, though there is still a per-session fee unless you have the super-premium plan. I have AAA but haven't needed a DCFC since the EVGo setup changed.

Then, of course, there's SEMAconnect, which seems to own the franchise at all the Kaiser health care facilities in my area. Refuses to charge my Bolt, but I still get billed the session fee for the attempt. Ripoff. A few Kaisers have those solar EA units, but they're always full of Teslas or ICE-blocked.

One benefit of the replaced battery, of course, is that I can now charge at home overnight again - discounted power rate below 10 cents/kwh is excellent when gas prices (for the Prius) are tickling $6/gallon. Have taken to keeping the Prius on a 12V battery minder rather than driving it around once a week.
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Yes, EVgo is pretty expensive, especially since they charge by the minute and all the DCFC stations around me are 50kW max. In Texas, EVgo charges $0.30/min, which calculates out to $0.40 - $0.60 per kWh. I will only use them if they are convenient, even though I got a $500 credit 😎 from Chevy with the MSRP swap to a EUV.
That's definitely helpful.
What are the benefits for Texas folks doing MSRP swap
1. $2500 ev rebate?
2. $500 EVGO CREDIT?
3. Charging equipment installation?
That's definitely helpful.
What are the benefits for Texas folks doing MSRP swap
1. $2500 ev rebate?
2. $500 EVGO CREDIT?
3. Charging equipment installation?
I am going through an MSRP swap (trade repurchase) in Texas. The only benefit that I'm aware of is that I'll qualify for the $2500 Texas rebate. (LDPLIP)
That's definitely helpful.
What are the benefits for Texas folks doing MSRP swap
1. $2500 ev rebate?
2. $500 EVGO CREDIT?
3. Charging equipment installation?
Yes on #1, if TX still has funds available in the program when you apply

#2 if you choose it with a new EUV - not specific to TX
OR
#3 if you choose it with a new EUV - not specific to TX. However, it's not charging equipment, only a 240V circuit terminated with a 14-50 receptacle. Use the EVSE that comes with the EUV, or buy another one.
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Yes on #1, if TX still has funds available in the program when you apply
-
#2 if you choose it with a new EUV - not specific to TX
OR
#3 if you choose it with a new EUV - not specific to TX. However, it's not charging equipment, only a 240V circuit terminated with a 14-50 receptacle. Use the EVSE that comes with the EUV, or buy another one.
Agree. If it's only one from the list, I'd take #1 - directly reduces the cost of the vehicle. Then #3 if you have a place to put a 240V EVSE; does the program pay for installing the necessary 240V circuit? Finally #2 - least useful unless you plan to do enough away-from-home charging to make it worthwhile; is there an expiration date on the credit?

In my case, having bought the car used, there was no #1 (really, there were none from the list, though I did manage to squeeze in on an expiring federal tax credit for installing the EVSE, barely). As for DCFC, I think I've done it less than 1/2 dozen times in the 2 years I've had the car, so even if a EVGo credit had been offered it wouldn't have been worth much.
All the Electrify America stations were full so I noticed on the plug share app a EVgo about 1/2 mile away, went over there, and hooked up and started charging, I noticed on my app the cost was going up rapidly, I tried to find what they were charging a minute but never could find it. After 8 minutes and over $3.00 being charged I stopped the session. That is when I found out they were charging $0.35 a minute. Over twice what I have ever paid at a Electrify America or Chargepoint.
Needless to say I will not be using them any more unless I have no other choice.
I then drove to the next Electrify America Station to charge just enough to get back home, but there when I stopped charging and disconnected, the station never indicated I was disconnected. I contacted EA and they reset the station, and they did not charge me anything for the 14kW I had charged.
I avoid EV Go now since they raised their rates, and instituted time of use plans better in CA. I try to find discounted ChargePoint stations first, then EA, and EVGo is a distant third choice.
EVGo used to have a plan that would reduce the per minute cost, if you joined and paid a monthly fee that was applicable to your charging use.

AND the monthly fee was eliminated if you are a AAA member, like I am.

I do not use them enough to do the comparison, but I have noticed in my usage, EA stations would cost me more to go up to 80% than using EVGo with my plan.
I've yet to actually use EVGo, but when I signed for it up a few months ago there was no monthly fee - or if that was an option I didn't choose it. And when I linked my AAA to it, that eliminated the $1.99 session fee.
Agree. If it's only one from the list, I'd take #1 - directly reduces the cost of the vehicle. Then #3 if you have a place to put a 240V EVSE; does the program pay for installing the necessary 240V circuit? Finally #2 - least useful unless you plan to do enough away-from-home charging to make it worthwhile; is there an expiration date on the credit?

In my case, having bought the car used, there was no #1 (really, there were none from the list, though I did manage to squeeze in on an expiring federal tax credit for installing the EVSE, barely). As for DCFC, I think I've done it less than 1/2 dozen times in the 2 years I've had the car, so even if a EVGo credit had been offered it wouldn't have been worth much.
Option 3 is installation of the receptacle...new Bolts come with dual EVSE so no need to install anything and no need to buy one.
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