App advice - What's on your smartphone?

Is it my imagination, or is "Find a Charger" really meant to be this crazy adventure game?

I'm a Leaf newbie, so pardon my asking a simple question: What's the best app for finding an available (and preferably free or time-limited free) charging station? I have loaded 6 apps onto my iPhone, and so far it takes 2 or 3 to find what I'm looking for.

• Plugshare is good, but it only distinguishes free v. fee charging stations. It doesn't help me find participating "no charge to charge" stations or other stations that offer time-limited (free for a while) stations
• Volta Charging only lists their stations (which are free all the time, but their ad based value proposition for businesses hasn't caught on yet, so there aren't many of them yet in our area)
• EZ Charge lets you highlight No Charge to Charge stations, but doesn't bother to tag, let alone mention in the station descriptions, free stations (eg in public parking garages in downtown Palo Alto)
• EV Charge, Chargepoint, and Blink or more of the same

Any suggestions? Or are we just in an Early Adopter phase of this industry still, where charging platforms are competing and no one agrees on data standards for openly sharing complete charge station info? Or am I just missing something obvious?

Your sage advice is more than welcome...

Jim (approaching 400 miles and still only spent $2.25 for "fuel")

Plugshare does have a filter "Show Only NCTC". That doesn't help me since I've never been eligible for it.

I primarily use Plugshare's app and web site for finding public charging and their typical status (working, broken a lot, ICEd or blocked a lot, etc.). I use the Chargepoint app because my work's EVSEs are Chargepoint.

I didn't even know about the Volta app.

I've had a Leaf for over 3 years. So far, I've spend $0 for public charging (and it's free for employees at my work).

I use Plugshare. It does have Nissan No Charge To Charge button but I'm not eligible.

@cwerdna & @flyct - Thanks for pointing out the nctc feature on plugshare! Can't believe I missed that.

Do any apps filter for "free for a period of time" charging stations? They seem to all be characterized as fee-based, which makes them harder to find...

Jim

jgvanides said:

Do any apps filter for "free for a period of time" charging stations? They seem to all be characterized as fee-based, which makes them harder to find...

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Off the top of my head, I don't know of any. There are very few of those in my area anyway.

The only ones I know of off the top of my head are at https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/59547 and some of the other Chargepoint ones in that immediate area.

The are some free for 2 hour Volta ones but they don't start charging $ and it's not clear how well (if at all) the 2 hour limit is enforced. The last time I was there, a completed Volt was blocking one spot. I ate lunch at a place with the ability to see that Volt the whole time. It never moved. :roll: The other 2 Volta spots near Panera Bread were blocked by a Fiat 500e and a Leaf that were both done. :roll:

jgvanides said:

@cwerdna & @flyct - Thanks for pointing out the nctc feature on plugshare! Can't believe I missed that....

Jim

Click to expand...

Ok, so here's why I missed seeing that filter: my app version doesn't have nctc as a switch! Sigh.

jgvanides said:

jgvanides said:

@cwerdna & @flyct - Thanks for pointing out the nctc feature on plugshare! Can't believe I missed that....

Jim

Click to expand...

Ok, so here's why I missed seeing that filter: my app version doesn't have nctc as a switch! Sigh.

Click to expand...

I dunno, both the Android and iOS versions for me have the switch in the filter screen.

I have the nctc switch on my blackberry running an android vers of plugshare.

Plugshare is the most comprehensive, it includes everyone else. It's almost all crowd sourced for updates and edits, and since it's the most popular, you'll get fresher information.

jgvanides said:

Ok, so here's why I missed seeing that filter: my app version doesn't have nctc as a switch! Sigh.

Click to expand...

I don't have it either. Maybe it shows based on whether or not you've told the app you have a Leaf?

To the OP's question: I only have PlugShare on my phone. (I loaded all the apps on my iPad -- more space -- but I really only use PlugShare.) However, I do almost all my charging at home. If I'm planning an extra-long trip, I'll scope out the available charging stations along the route beforehand.

Maybe try updating the app? Or add a leaf and see if it shows up.

You may need the ChargePoint app just to check if station is in use, I believe they withhold that from PlugShare now.

wmcbrine said:

I don't have it either. Maybe it shows based on whether or not you've told the app you have a Leaf?...

Click to expand...

My Plugshare account knows I have a Leaf, and when I'm logged in, the app says so in the plugs section... but still no NCTC filter switch!

If I could figure out how to upload photos here, I'd show everyone!

Sigh.

jgvanides said:

Is it my imagination, or is "Find a Charger" really meant to be this crazy adventure game?

I'm a Leaf newbie, so pardon my asking a simple question: What's the best app for finding an available (and preferably free or time-limited free) charging station? I have loaded 6 apps onto my iPhone, and so far it takes 2 or 3 to find what I'm looking for.

• Plugshare is good, but it only distinguishes free v. fee charging stations. It doesn't help me find participating "no charge to charge" stations or other stations that offer time-limited (free for a while) stations
• Volta Charging only lists their stations (which are free all the time, but their ad based value proposition for businesses hasn't caught on yet, so there aren't many of them yet in our area)
• EZ Charge lets you highlight No Charge to Charge stations, but doesn't bother to tag, let alone mention in the station descriptions, free stations (eg in public parking garages in downtown Palo Alto)
• EV Charge, Chargepoint, and Blink or more of the same

Any suggestions? Or are we just in an Early Adopter phase of this industry still, where charging platforms are competing and no one agrees on data standards for openly sharing complete charge station info? Or am I just missing something obvious?

Your sage advice is more than welcome...

Jim (approaching 400 miles and still only spent $2.25 for "fuel")

Click to expand...

The apps you need will vary depending on your location (please add to your profile for better advice).

At a minimum, I would say the ChargePoint and PlugShare apps should be installed. The Nissan EV app, if you have a SV or SL, and the Nissan EZ-Charge app is decent, but most of that content is in the other two apps. There are others, like GreenLots, if they have stations in your area.

Around here, many of the locations are ChargePoint, and are free to use Level 2 stations. There are also a lot of hotels, and some shopping areas, that have them installed. The Valets are usually happy to park the car in one of their EV spots and plug it in for you. There is a new DCQC station in a resort parking garage, near the airport, that is on the GreenLots network and part of the NCTC program. One of the gas station chains has started adding units at many of their locations that are part of the NRG/Evgo network. A lot of those are DCQC, but they are all pay to charge stations.

baustin said:

The apps you need will vary depending on your location (please add to your profile for better advice).

Click to expand...

Great suggestion! Just updated my profile: Palo Alto, CA, USA

baustin said:

At a minimum, I would say the ChargePoint and PlugShare apps should be installed. The Nissan EV app, if you have a SV or SL, and the Nissan EZ-Charge app is decent, but most of that content is in the other two apps. There are others, like GreenLots, if they have stations in your area.

Around here, many of the locations are ChargePoint, and are free to use Level 2 stations. There are also a lot of hotels, and some shopping areas, that have them installed. The Valets are usually happy to park the car in one of their EV spots and plug it in for you. There is a new DCQC station in a resort parking garage, near the airport, that is on the GreenLots network and part of the NCTC program. One of the gas station chains has started adding units at many of their locations that are part of the NRG/Evgo network. A lot of those are DCQC, but they are all pay to charge stations.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

DNAinaGoodWay said:

Maybe try updating the app? Or add a leaf and see if it shows up.

Click to expand...

UPDATE: PlugShare support confirmed a bug: If your car profile is "Leaf 2016", then the filter switch for No Charge to Charge is missing; by switching to "Leaf", the feature appeared.

They promised to fix this in the next PlugShare app release coming shortly. Hooray!