How is Car Charging Group / Blink doing in your area?

[GetOffYourGas]

Car Charging Group operates most of the public EVSEs around here. I get the impression, though, that few people use them. At $0.49/kWh, I can't blame them. I occasionally drop them a few bucks just because I don't want to see public charging die on the vine. But it's probably all in vain.

In the Bay Area, Blink L2 EVSEs are also $0.49/kWh. No thanks.

I understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately, this is exactly why the networks are not expanding. Even at $0.49/kWh, it is hard to make a profit, especially if the original installation was not subsidized. Combined with gas prices at around $2.40/gallon, it's almost a hopeless situation.

The only hope for a win-win (the customer saves money and CCGI makes a profit) would be a network of QCs which allow the customer to drop gasoline completely. Then they could technically charge more than gas, and the customer could still save money overall because 80-90% of charging would be done at home. But this requires a sizable network of QCs and a sizable community of EVs driving around. Until we reach that critical mass, I don't know how to make a business out of charging.

Tesla is both hurting and helping the situation. With their proprietary supercharging network, they can expand both the network and the number of cars. But the fact that its proprietary means it helps noone but themselves. CCGI cannot really capitalize on the growing number of Teslas on the road.

The entire equation could change in 2017 with the Bolt, Leaf 2, and even the Tesla 3 (if, for example, Tesla decides that superchargers aren't free for life for them).

[cwerdna]

Re: CCGI financials, as I posted elsewhere:
Per http://insideevs.com/carcharging-group-reports-money-losing-first-half-2015-financial-results/ found that CCGI filed some more very delayed earnings numbers. Inside EVs seems a little off vs. http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/displayfilinginfo.aspx?FilingID=11319024-9666-51193&type=sect&TabIndex=2&dcn=0001493152-16-008914&nav=1&src=Yahoo.

They had revenues for 1st half of 2015 of $2.234 million but has net loss attributable to common shareholders of ~$6.5 million (Inside EVs said $6.7 million).

It's crazy that their compensation (at $4.855 million for H1 2015) is more than double their revenues! They either are paying too many people or paying some of them way too much, or a combo of the two. It also doesn't help that they incurred ~$1.7 million due to "Non-compliance penalty for delinquent regular SEC filings". Duh. Are their books and systems really such a mess that they have to be so late in filing?

They do point out a disclosure about "conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern."

[abasile]

There is a Blink QC off I-10 in San Bernardino, CA (see http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/15391) that we've been using off and on for years. It's still working well, and while it isn't cheap at $0.59/kWh, it beats evGo because there's no per-session fee (and the location is convenient). So I hope they'll be able to keep this QC and others operational.

[DaveinOlyWA]

The title needs to be changed to "How are the hosts of said charger doing?" because that is the only thing that matters now. We have blinks that have been abandoned or broken for months if not years in some locations while others despite being broken several times in the past; are up and working and considered reliable.

[stevewa]

Blink is the dominant (but not the only) player in the Portland metro area. Most of the L2 EVSEs I encounter are working pretty reliably, the QC seem to have finally stabilized, at least for the time being. I will use a QC if I want some extra cushion to get home or to add another destination to a trip. In that scenario I'm happier with Blink's per KWh pricing than the flat rate the others are using (AV is $7.50/session, OpConnect is $6) since I'm seldom doing anything near a full charge.

My home Blink unit is still plugging away (pun not intended) though I have to power cycle it every few months.

Ironically I think the NCTC program has hurt more than helped as it's encouraged people to devalue the QC and use it in a manner it is not well suited for. Of course it's also probably not doing anything for the bottom lines of the participating networks.

Our 2011 SL is quickly approaching 70K miles and still has 11/12 capacity bars left. We've started to feel the loss of range but it's still very usable except for long trips. At present I'm trying to work out if I can make it to the Oregon Coast in two weeks using the chargers along US 30, it looks feasible.

[DaveinOlyWA]

Ironically I think the NCTC program has hurt more than helped as it's encouraged people to devalue the QC and use it in a manner it is not well suited for. Of course it's also probably not doing anything for the bottom lines of the participating networks.

This only happens because the network is inadequate. You enjoy probably THE best fast charge network in the US but despite that, its still not adequate enough. Recently NRG put in a 2nd fast charger at Tacoma Mall. Its the first one I know of outside a dealership in the state. This is how it should be in most of the locations that have a fast charger now.

On this 3 day weekend, I can assure you even Tacoma will have a queue of cars waiting

[stevewa]

This only happens because the network is inadequate. You enjoy probably THE best fast charge network in the US but despite that, its still not adequate enough. Recently NRG put in a 2nd fast charger at Tacoma Mall. Its the first one I know of outside a dealership in the state. This is how it should be in most of the locations that have a fast charger now.

On this 3 day weekend, I can assure you even Tacoma will have a queue of cars waiting

Since I last posted we've seen two NRG units go in at Washington Square (ironically home to the area's Tesla outlet) and two at the WalMart nearest my home just off I-5 in North Portland. There are a few singleton units elsewhere. It's nice to see some reliable competition!

[DaveinOlyWA]

This only happens because the network is inadequate. You enjoy probably THE best fast charge network in the US but despite that, its still not adequate enough. Recently NRG put in a 2nd fast charger at Tacoma Mall. Its the first one I know of outside a dealership in the state. This is how it should be in most of the locations that have a fast charger now.

On this 3 day weekend, I can assure you even Tacoma will have a queue of cars waiting

Since I last posted we've seen two NRG units go in at Washington Square (ironically home to the area's Tesla outlet) and two at the WalMart nearest my home just off I-5 in North Portland. There are a few singleton units elsewhere. It's nice to see some reliable competition!

NRG is the only charging network that is expanding here that I know of. They have added another half dozen chargers since my post

[wmcbrine]

Not as moribund as I'd thought -- we're getting a brand-new trio of Blink stations:



https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/5060

I still love the aesthetics of these things.

Most stations around here are ChargePoint, EVgo, or SemaConnect. But there's a cluster of Blink to the west, in the Rockville Pike area.

[DNAinaGoodWay]

First Blinks I've seen around here are showing up on the Greenlots app. Haven't been to one yet, but they're listed as $0.03 per every 30 seconds, ($3.60/hour)