Charging at work - how to ask

[Bluesquarex]

Brand new 2015 Leaf owner here – my name is Lisa Marie and I live in the DFW metroplex in Texas. I’ve had my
Leaf for about a month now and I’m considering charging at work. How did you go about asking your employer to use their electricity to charge your car? I only have a trickle charger and I figure if I can get it charged during the day also, then I won’t have to worry if I decide to use it in the evening. Thanks!
Lisa Marie

[BuffaloBillsfan]

I work for 3M and just got my first EV in october. They might have a suggestion box where you are. For me it was on a post it note left on a board for ideas. Currently they are expanding our factory, and much to my surprise, they are all about putting a charging spot in. They plan on installing it after the contruction is complete. I would start with your boss and work your way up the chain until you can get someone who can give you an idea if it is even remotely possible. For now I'm the only one at the plant with a full EV but I bet once that charger gets put in, others will at least consider getting one for themselves.

[GlennD]

I sent an email t0p the Wirless Communications OFFICER ( MY Superior ). It b0unced around the city and I finalally got permission from the office of sustainability (whatever ever that is).

The point I am making is it never hurts to ask. You just might be supprised..

[theothertom]

All companies have some sort of core values, something like being socially responsible , or making the world a better place, etc. Start with that and make your case that encouraging EV's is the right thing to do. Explain that your company will get some good press out of this and attract forward thinking employees, etc. In other words, make the case that it will benefit your company to install EV chargers. You'll have to convince a senior manager, or someone with the authority to make the decision. Hopefully he/she will be a champion for the project. I would advise against using the "free electricity to charge your car" line because your company won't be interested in giving benefits to one or two people. Paint the bigger picture for them. Good luck!

[oz10k]

One example of the greater good you could share is EV100:

EV100 is a global initiative bringing together forward looking companies committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and making electric transport the new normal by 2030.

The transport sector is the fastest-growing contributor to climate change, accounting for 23% of global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Electric transport offers a major solution in cutting millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, as well as curbing transport related air and noise pollution.

https://www.theclimategroup.org/project/ev100

A company can join by making as little as one public commitment, such as installing charging infrastructure at its locations by 2030.

The positive publicity may help sway a decision-maker in your company.

[WetEV]

I would advise against using the "free electricity to charge your car" line because your company won't be interested in giving benefits to one or two people. Paint the bigger picture for them. Good luck!

I would suggest asking for paid charging stations, restricted to employees. Examples:

https://www.plugshare.com/location/62797

https://www.plugshare.com/location/5898

[theothertom]

I would suggest asking for paid charging stations, restricted to employees. Examples:
https://www.plugshare.com/location/62797
https://www.plugshare.com/location/5898

i would hold that thought and use it as a last resort. It doesn't help the "greater good" story and your company would have to add personnel to take care of billing, etc. But, if they balk at giving away free electricity, this would be a good comeback.

[WetEV]

I would suggest asking for paid charging stations, restricted to employees. Examples:
https://www.plugshare.com/location/62797
https://www.plugshare.com/location/5898

i would hold that thought and use it as a last resort. It doesn't help the "greater good" story and your company would have to add personnel to take care of billing, etc. But, if they balk at giving away free electricity, this would be a good comeback.

They don't need to do any billing. Chargepoint, SemaConnect, Greenlots, etc.

https://www.chargepoint.com/solutions/workplace/

https://www.semaconnect.com/overview/

https://flo.ca/business/workplaces

etc etc.

Don't suggest inventing when there are multiple off the shelf solutions.

The advantage to paid is that you don't get a Volt that needs 1kWh of charging plugging in at 7:00AM and tying up the station all day. Especially when the rate jumps up to $5 per hour after some amount of time. Even $0.50 per hour is enough to keep the stations free of such abuse.

[Titanium48]

I'm guessing you are a little apprehensive about just asking your boss if you can park beside the building and plug in your L1?
If you get resistance you could offer to pay for the electricity - 1.4 kWh for every hour you are plugged in. About $35/month at $0.15 / kWh if you arrive at work with less than 50% charge and plug in all day (8 hours x 22 work days / month).

Probably won't work in Texas, but in colder climates many employee parking lots have outlets intended for ICE block heaters. Nobody is likely to complain about an EV plugging in there (at least in winter anyways, but that is when the extra charge is most needed).

[mjblazin]

Many, if not most, employers do not own or control the parking facilities. Even if a name is on the garage, it could be a lease. If your employer does own the parking, a bigger issue could arise getting you a spot to access the power. Ideally the connection is well away from near the door spots. I expect employers are not interested in managing access and will not want to hear complaints about ICE’d situations or EV drivers hogging the spot. They also are not interested in managing complaints by the parking garage employees that want to use the plug for maintenance, the likely reason for the connection being there.

If you can present it as a connection where you or other EV owners would not have exclusive use and that garage/lot employees can use it, disconnecting you if needed, only then make your case that the energy cost is peanuts. Businesses do not want to hear about parking issues. On a long list of petty things that managers handle, parking has to be close to most petty. Reinforcing with them that you understand and have a solution is a tactic that will support your energy calculation.