DrivetheARC - Nor Cal only (?), "PromoTicket" available for free CHAdeMO charging

Not sure how many CHAdeMO users are aware of https://drivethearc.com/.

Locations at https://drivethearc.com/#sec-locations. You can get a "PromoTicket" for free DC FCing via their app but it is only available for CHAdeMO users. So, even though dual standard stations are listed, only CHAdeMO users can get the free juice. So, it's useless for my Bolt. Oh well.

Since I've never used it, I can't comment on the experience.

This seems to be northern California only, specifically the Monterey-San Jose-Tahoe corridor. Nothing further south than that.

Thanks! Oops. I fixed the title.

https://drivethearc.com/#sec-about says

ARC stands for “Advanced Recharging Corridor”, and also reflects the project route shape on the map: Monterey to Lake Tahoe. Project partners hope the charging stations help EV drivers reach their destinations, allowing them to “drive the ARC” - surf-to-ski, emission-free.

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And, it makes other references to Nor Cal...

In your second link above, it also says on the page:

"Find out more about DRIVEtheARC’s charging locations used to pioneer the electrification of California’s key corridors".

I guess we don't count down at this end of the state?

Yes, DrivetheArc is a single corridor from Monterey to Lake Tahoe. There is a fast charging station two blocks from our house, and we have used it exclusively to charge our 2018 LEAF.

RonDawg said:

In your second link above, it also says on the page:

"Find out more about DRIVEtheARC’s charging locations used to pioneer the electrification of California’s key corridors".

I guess we don't count down at this end of the state?

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I guess not. :lol:

It is a bit odd that it isn't that well-publicized either. I wonder if they'll eventually offer PromoTickets to SAE Combo users...

OrientExpress said:

Yes, DrivetheArc is a single corridor from Monterey to Lake Tahoe. There is a fast charging station two blocks from our house, and we have used it exclusively to charge our 2018 LEAF.

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Jealous here since there's only a single Chademo charger in my whole county & it's spendy so I will likely never use it

HerdingElectrons said:

Jealous here since there's only a single Chademo charger in my whole county & it's spendy so I will likely never use it

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You'd probably be even more jealous to learn that https://www.chademo.com/ says there are 7,400 CHAdeMO chargers in Japan, a country about 90% the size of California.

That's impressive amount of high speed charging options! Although aren't many of them 25kW?

My use case scenario is 99.8% of my charging will be L2 & 98.5% will be at home charging so it's largely a moot point for me so no big deal but I do believe that CHAdeMO is a lame duck standard in the US at this point.

cwerdna said:

RonDawg said:

In your second link above, it also says on the page:

"Find out more about DRIVEtheARC’s charging locations used to pioneer the electrification of California’s key corridors".

I guess we don't count down at this end of the state?

Click to expand...

I guess not. :lol:

It is a bit odd that it isn't that well-publicized either. I wonder if they'll eventually offer PromoTickets to SAE Combo users...

Click to expand...

They are now, thanks to some folks on Bolt FB groups. I can confirm that myself as I DC FCed my Bolt for free using one of their chargers. More details at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=30793&p=584635#p584635 or https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/calif-dcfc-info-and-or-news.30575/page-17#post-545551.

Unfortunately, RonDawg almost certainly has passed away. He was active on TiVocommunity and posted that he had terminal cancer in Aug 2019. He has not been heard from in a very long time now.

Also, https://drivethearc.com/covid-19-update-100-discount-promoticket-services/ from May 27, 2020 says "(*) 100% discount PromoTicket is available until our further notice."

Chademo is lame duck...unless Xpeng and Lexus bring their New Chademo Equipped EVs beyond Europe to the US. And there is serious investment in Chademo 3/ChaoJi as a more global standard.