Chicagoland area

[hyperlexis]

Agree as well.

Just an FYI for anyone that cares... I recently spoke with Kate Tomford from the Illinois Energy Office at the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity. She was very courteous and reiterated all things I already knew about 350 Green and CarCharging (though she did pretty much tell my HyperLexis' new card wouldn't work before I read these recent posts, sorry 'bout that, was hoping she was wrong.) She did however tell me that the City of Chicago (the main player) and the State of Illinois (kind of a sidekick to the city) are putting pressure on CarCharging to get the ball rolling and here's how... **deep breath** here we go...

Basically you are right, Efacec, the Portuguese manufacturer of CharJit stations is owed money by 350 Green, who put them up. CarCharging bought 350 Green and knows they now inherited the debt owed to Efacec and as such can't issue new CharJit cards. They also know there are tons of malfunctioned CharJit stations needing repair.

Problem for them, and therefore us, is that they are entangled in a lawsuit with the locally based JNS Holdings who also entered into a contract with 350 Green. CarCharging does not want to invest more $$$ into fixing these stations or into paying off Efacec when, in their eyes, they might still be at risk for losing the legal battle with JNS Holdings. Basically CarCharging thinks "Why pay all this money to fix stuff when we may lose a lawsuit and the winning company gets the benefit of all our work/investment?"

I can't say I blame them for waiting for a legal outcome. This contract was not an outright purchase agreement, however, so in the eyes of the City and State, CarCharging OWNS 350 Green and should act as if they do without regard for the "What IF?" possibilities of losing a legal battle. The City and State unofficially feel that there is no chance they will lose to JNS too since JNS-Green deal wasn't a full buyout, just an agreement. Moreover, the City and State feel CarCharging should payoff Efacec, fix broken stations, build new ones, and issue new cards NOW and is pressuring them to do so apparently. They are encouraging CarCharging, if they should lose to JNS, to then counter sue to recoup the work/investments put into doing all the payoffs, fixing, card issuing, new station construction, etc.

... Well that was a mouthful. I'll be keeping tabs with this Kate Tomford every so often and will keep you updated. May reach out to her at the end of August/beginning of September. She was also very helpful with info regarding the IL rebates on in-home L2 EVSE's but that's for another thread.

WOW -- so basically the gist is that: 1.) No public L3s now work in the state of Illinois other than for those who originally possessed CharJit cards (if at all); and 2.) The issue will be tied up in litigation, potentially for years.

Something needs to be done about this, immediately. Could anyone in California imagine what would happen if something like this occurred? A whole fueling system left disabled?

Why in the world would Illinois have given the L3 system contract to one company without the state having a backup plan in case the company folded? Or why didn't the state buy and install its own chargers, especially on its own tollways?

Does the state, under the contract, have the right to lien or foreclose on the stations themselves, and get a court order and a receiver to take over and repair them? Billing the prior owners for the work?

And what, pray tell, does Nissan have to say about this? Nissan guy are you here?????

How many Illinois Nissan dealers now have or will soon get L3 chargers???? None as far as I know currently have L3s. Nissan should do something, urgently. City folks really need L3 access.

I hope the Tribune or ST picks up on this debacle.

 

[bonz1999]

I talked to my local Nissan Dealer in Crystal Lake and they told me they would have a L3 charging station before the end of the year. Hopefully they are right.

 

[redLEAF]

Another Tesla S spotted ... this one in classic gray sporting 686 EL plates ... (hot day and cell phone so sorry for being a bit fuzzy) ... seem to see these at least a few times a week now

 

[bonz1999]

I received my new EL plates yesterday. I got 926EL. We're getting closer to 4 digits.

 

[bwallach]

Another Tesla S spotted ... this one in classic gray sporting 686 EL plates ... (hot day and cell phone so sorry for being a bit fuzzy) ... seem to see these at least a few times a week now

They are everywhere.

 

[djkjmuoh]

I received my new EL plates yesterday. I got 926EL. We're getting closer to 4 digits.

I'm actually kind of upset that I "have" to wait to get my EL plates! I mean, I don't "have" to wait but I have Letter Only personalized plates that are the most costly and they are good through February '14. So, I might as well wait until the start of the EL plate cycle year to pay the 2 year $18 fee then. Something makes me want to join the 3 digit club though! GRRRRRR... why can't I be a State Senator and just say I want EL#1 and get it, like Cullerton!

 

[dmen]

I received my new EL plates yesterday. I got 926EL. We're getting closer to 4 digits.

I'm actually kind of upset that I "have" to wait to get my EL plates! I mean, I don't "have" to wait but I have Letter Only personalized plates that are the most costly and they are good through February '14. So, I might as well wait until the start of the EL plate cycle year to pay the 2 year $18 fee then. Something makes me want to join the 3 digit club though! GRRRRRR... why can't I be a State Senator and just say I want EL#1 and get it, like Cullerton!

Just received mine Monday too, but with number 855. SOS must have shipped out big batch! I ordered them in mid-May.

I wouldn't recommend waiting to order your EL plates. Since the fee is prorated by 1/2 year, you'd only pay $9 more to order them now, vs waiting til January 2014 to order them. You might get # 999 or 1000 if you act now! And if you order them in early January, you probably won't get them until March. I heard anywhere from 8-16 weeks from the guys at the Elston SOS office. I would hope they could give you temporary plates to cover the potential gap, but they didn't offer that option to me when I realized it was going to be cutting it close as my transferred plates expire at the end of July.

 

[djkjmuoh]

I received my new EL plates yesterday. I got 926EL. We're getting closer to 4 digits.

I'm actually kind of upset that I "have" to wait to get my EL plates! I mean, I don't "have" to wait but I have Letter Only personalized plates that are the most costly and they are good through February '14. So, I might as well wait until the start of the EL plate cycle year to pay the 2 year $18 fee then. Something makes me want to join the 3 digit club though! GRRRRRR... why can't I be a State Senator and just say I want EL#1 and get it, like Cullerton!

Just received mine Monday too, but with number 855. SOS must have shipped out big batch! I ordered them in mid-May.

I wouldn't recommend waiting to order your EL plates. Since the fee is prorated by 1/2 year, you'd only pay $9 more to order them now, vs waiting til January 2014 to order them. You might get # 999 or 1000 if you act now! And if you order them in early January, you probably won't get them until March. I heard anywhere from 8-16 weeks from the guys at the Elston SOS office. I would hope they could give you temporary plates to cover the potential gap, but they didn't offer that option to me when I realized it was going to be cutting it close as my transferred plates expire at the end of July.

Good point about waiting and then being stuck without valid plates until they arrive. I suppose paying $9 isn't bad at all and then I can either put them on right away or keep my old personalized ones on until I want to slap those on.... unless that is illegal once I process the new EL ones. Either way, good thinking to order them somewhat sooner than too much later!

 

[redLEAF]

First FFE I've seen in quite awhile ... this one is in their original 'launch' color and sports the vanity IL plate 'HI MPG 3'; this could have been our EV but Ford was quite slow in coming to the Chicago area ... still a rare site but perhaps with the $4K discount we'll see more of them ... still a nice looking car especially with that unique (to the FFE) grill but now the Focus ST is a bit similar as well as the '14 Fiesta St and the 'regular' ones, perhaps too much of a good thing?

 

[ForestWattaker]

For anyone near the Bloomington-Normal area, the Uptown Station parking garage (part of EVTown) now has a working CHADeMO level 3 charger. I went there this past weekend and had no trouble. Charger is free, and the parking garage is free to park for the first hour. I also spotted 3 Teslas while there.

http://postimg.org/image/akk0pkxfn/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://postimg.org/image/oto8le1c3/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[bwallach]

More competition is coming:
http://www.web2carz.com/autos/news/2291/bmws-i3-electric-car-hits-the-ground-running" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will be good for us LEAF owners.

 

[brianchi73]

I think the Car Charging group really has obtained 350 Green. I submitted an e-mail one week ago on their site, and finally got a response today. I have a name and a number for someone there which is good because it seems impossible to get this information on their website. I asked about existing Charjit cards, new cards and L3 chargers. E-mail is copied below with irrelevant information removed (read from bottom up). Hope this helps!

Suzanne Tamargo <[email protected]> Fri, Aug 2, 2013 at 10:34 AM
Brian:

While we understand that their have been issues with 350Green and the Level 3 stations, we are diligently working to determine the status of the stations and obtain new cards. At this time, I can not say what the future holds for these stations as the manufacturer has not been very cooperative. However, I can assure that like EV drivers, we are eager to get them operational as soon as possible.

Suzanne Tamargo
Director of Marketing & Public Relations

1691 Michigan Ave., Ste 601
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Office: (305) 521-0200
Fax: (305) 521-0201
http://www.CarCharging.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Please consider the environment before printing this email

From: Brian
Date: Friday, August 2, 2013 11:12 AM
To: Suzanne Tamargo <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: FW: Comment from Contact Us

Thank you Suzanne.

Do you know what the future holds for those who need a new card for the L3 stations? Will the current cards be converted to your own? There are a lot of people in the Chicago area that were burned by 350 Green. I was fortunate to get a Charjit card quickly, so I can still use the L3 chargers, but some people have been waiting for months to get a new card.

I'm also curious as to when we can get some of the charging stations up again. Some are up and some are down. There are some that we could really use if they were working (like those on our tollways). There are trips I would be able to take if those were working.

Thanks so much,

Brian

On Fri, Aug 2, 2013 at 9:39 AM, Suzanne Tamargo <[email protected]> wrote:
Brian:

Thank you for your inquiry. We did recently acquire 350Green and their Level 3 charging stations, and we are able to add sessions to CharJit cards. Please contact Annette Escabi at 305-521-0200 x212 when you are able to and she can assist you with processing payment and adding sessions. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. We look forward to serving you!

Suzanne Tamargo
Director of Marketing & Public Relations

 

[brianchi73]

I saw a white Leaf at the Walgreen's at Broadway and Ridge in Chicago. Not sure if you are on here, but just wanted to say hi. I noticed you were checking out the L2 and L3 chargers. I should have asked you if you needed any help.

 

[brianchi73]

I drove my Leaf to work yesterday (Chicago to Skokie), then to Ikea in Schaumburg and back home to Chicago. I had an 80% charge and 4.8 m/kwh, so I had no problem making it. I checked out the chargers at Whole Foods in Schaumburg. The DC Fast is not working...it has a note on it. The two L2 chargers are working. I reported the DC Fast as down on the AFDC site. Also I stopped at the Eastbound Oasis to see if that DC Fast charger is working, and it is. Hopefully this helps anyone who might need those.

 

[energyjourno]

Sorry to intrude folks. I'm writing about the car charging situation in Chicagoland for the Chicago Tribune. Please email me at [email protected] if you see this post.

 

[lipower]

Charging station update:

DC LEVEL 3 NOT WORKING ON 8/16/2013
Whole Foods Market - Lincoln Park
1550 N. Kingsbury Street Chicago, IL
This charger is actually powered up and did read my charjit card. After 5 seconds the screen read "Your card is not activated." So I call the number and the polite girl on the other end tells me my card is fine but the charger is not operational. Awesome.

DC LEVEL 3 NOT WORKING ON 8/16/2013
Walgreens
1520 W FULLERTON AVE, Chicago, IL
This charger is powered up but didn't read my charjit card.

LEVEL 2 WORKING ON 8/16/2013
Walgreens
1520 W FULLERTON AVE, Chicago, IL
This Walgreens has (1) inoperable level 3 and (2) WORKING & FREE level 2 chargers

LEVEL 2 WORKING ON 8/17/2013
Walgreens
1649 W BELMONT AVE, Chicago, IL
This Walgreens has (2) WORKING level 2 chargers. I needed my Chargepoint card for this station. $2 / hour. I stayed for 8 hours and I'm pretty sure that is cheaper than the private parking on the private streets of Chicago. Has Chicago sold the police and fire services yet?

Excuse me sir, I'm really sorry your house burned down but I need a check for $9,871 for putting out the smoldering ash of your home. JCDecaux Water is really expensive these days.

 

[brianchi73]

Charging station update:

DC LEVEL 3 NOT WORKING ON 8/16/2013
Whole Foods Market - Lincoln Park
1550 N. Kingsbury Street Chicago, IL
This charger is actually powered up and did read my charjit card. After 5 seconds the screen read "Your card is not activated." So I call the number and the polite girl on the other end tells me my card is fine but the charger is not operational. Awesome.

DC LEVEL 3 NOT WORKING ON 8/16/2013
Walgreens
1520 W FULLERTON AVE, Chicago, IL
This charger is powered up but didn't read my charjit card.

LEVEL 2 WORKING ON 8/16/2013
Walgreens
1520 W FULLERTON AVE, Chicago, IL
This Walgreens has (1) inoperable level 3 and (2) WORKING & FREE level 2 chargers

LEVEL 2 WORKING ON 8/17/2013
Walgreens
1649 W BELMONT AVE, Chicago, IL
This Walgreens has (2) WORKING level 2 chargers. I needed my Chargepoint card for this station. $2 / hour. I stayed for 8 hours and I'm pretty sure that is cheaper than the private parking on the private streets of Chicago. Has Chicago sold the police and fire services yet?

Excuse me sir, I'm really sorry your house burned down but I need a check for $9,871 for putting out the smoldering ash of your home. JCDecaux Water is really expensive these days.

Thanks for the update. I really appreciate when these updates are posted. I've never seen an L3 charger that is up that didn't work, so this is disappointing news. I have noticed that the Chargepoint chargers seem to be up most of the time, and the webpage shows the status pretty accurately.

Unfortunately if I'm going to take a trip that is outside of the range...the L3 charger is the one I would rely on. I checked the one at the Des Plaines Oasis (Eastbound) recently, and it was up but now I have no idea if it would have really worked or not.

Where is the L3 charger at Whole Foods in relationship to the L2 chargers? Also the Whole Foods on Halsted/Waveland has had an L3 charger for a long time, but I've never seen it powered on. The two L2 chargers are working though.

 

[lipower]

The L3 at whole foods was on the second floor parking garage; i didn't see any L2 outside in the parking lot. I had never seen a charger lit up and not working either. We were going to be on a boat for the A&W show so L2 would have been fine had I planned for it but not anticipating the L3 out of commission I ran out of time hauling a cooler around. Having a few chargers in Diversey Harbor would be realllly nice.

The worst part of the ordeal: Wife questioned why we were taking the leaf downtown before we left.

She could not believe I took it the next day again for my fantasy draft.

Before this weekend I thought it was a waste for Walgreens to put in all the L2 stations.

Question: "Why would anyone charge for 5 minutes when shopping at Walgreens?"
Answer: "They are not shopping at Walgreens"

THANK YOU WALGREENS, you are the best! Also I don't mind paying $2/hour. Free is nice though.

 

[brianchi73]

The L3 at whole foods was on the second floor parking garage; i didn't see any L2 outside in the parking lot. I had never seen a charger lit up and not working either. We were going to be on a boat for the A&W show so L2 would have been fine had I planned for it but not anticipating the L3 out of commission I ran out of time hauling a cooler around. Having a few chargers in Diversey Harbor would be realllly nice.

The worst part of the ordeal: Wife questioned why we were taking the leaf downtown before we left.

She could not believe I took it the next day again for my fantasy draft.

Before this weekend I thought it was a waste for Walgreens to put in all the L2 stations.

Question: "Why would anyone charge for 5 minutes when shopping at Walgreens?"
Answer: "They are not shopping at Walgreens"

THANK YOU WALGREENS, you are the best! Also I don't mind paying $2/hour. Free is nice though.

The L2 chargers at Whole Foods on Kingsbury are right up by the door (west side of the doors I think) on the 2nd floor. Is the L3 somewhere else? I haven't seen it.

Also...not sure if it helps, but the L3 charger at Walgreens on Ridge and Broadway has always worked for me. That being said the one at Jewel on Fullerton used to work too. I haven't used the L3 at Walgreen's (Ridge and Broadway), but I do know for sure that it's up and I've used it successfully before.

Also are you aware of how the L3 charging works? If your battery is under 50% then it will charge you to 80%. If your battery is over 50% then it will charge you to about 100%.

 

[redLEAF]

(copy of email I just received from Charge Point; pertains to commercial EVSE's obviously which seems to be top of mind in this tread most recently ... haven't had the need to use one myself as my garage installed L2 handles things just fine --- heard of a dedicated charge port at our local library that I plan to check out):


"Big savings on electric vehicle chargers.

Install EV stations by the end of 2013 and save up to 80% with the Illinois DCEO Rebate & Federal Tax Credit.



Hello,

With the rapid growth of electric vehicle (EV) drivers on the road looking for places to charge, there are growing incentives for buying public EV chargers. I'm writing to encourage your organization or workplace to take advantage of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) cost-saving rebate for installing new EV charging stations. This is the best rebate in the country, and is eligible for all businesses that have locations in the state, regardless of where it is headquartered.

Find out how you can save 50% on hardware and labor (up to $7,500 per station) on the purchase and installation of public networked EV chargers. This rebate applies to new stations purchased and installed after September 4, 2012 through the end of 2013. New station owners are also eligible for additional savings from the 30% EVSE Tax Credit. Please contact me at your earliest convenience for more information on our new ChargePoint CT4000 Series EV chargers and to receive information on how to apply for the rebate.

Thank you,

Brian Levin
Director, Strategic Accounts
ChargePoint | http://www.chargepoint.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

+1.847.903.6652 direct

ChargePoint has been ranked the #1 electric vehicle charging station company for the past 2 years by Pike Research"