Electrify America complimentary sessions (set to free)

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cwerdna

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Messages
13,671
Location
SF Bay Area, CA
Creating a separate topic for when EA is offering free EV juice, announced or unannounced, kinda like https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/electrify-america-complimentary-sessions-stations-set-to-free.37983/.

Anyway, as I posted at https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=606720#p606720, looks like EA is offering free juice all this weekend thru July 5th.

I did try an EA station briefly on the way home before midnight PST and although it didn't show the above message, it did show complimentary session and let me charge for free. I didn't use their app nor a CC. Just plugged in and followed the prompts.
 
I can confirm the pic in the tweet. Saw it on EA DC FCs yesterday and took advantage of some free CCS juice.

At the site I was at, a Kona EV showed up (1st time for the person publicly charging, said they only had the car for two days, seemed to be her BF's car) and charged up. Afterward, a Bolt showed up in its place and charged.
 
I have taken advantage twice this weekend. Once in Elmhurst visiting a friend for Brunch and once in Lincolnwood filling the car for the kids work week. I am still a bit sad that they throttled the Chademo to 50, but found it interesting that the car's charge rate increased as the SoC increased during the session from 45 to 48 kW. It held the peak rate it until 69% SoC. The battery started around 80F and went to 103F (ambient 86). Maybe 90F is the ideal temp to charge at for this battery. 33 min to go from 28% to 81% SoC.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RdLAvvcaIbjRTnKLBLselxMams2Iqxdq/view?usp=drivesdk
 
Electrify America To Offer Free Charging All Labor Day Weekend Long
https://insideevs.com/news/530361/electrify-america-free-charging-offer/
 
I can confirm it was free and working just fine last night w/my Bolt, which of course uses CCS. Just plug in as before. No need to use their app or a credit card.
 
One of the sites I was at in my city showed Unavailable w/red X's on the display for both handles.

The other two stations worked but the LCDs were worse than washed out by the sun, one was almost completely black except for some borders. The other was about 70% as a bad. I've been there are night before and not seen this prob. I'm guessing the LCDs on the EA BTC Power units are overheating due to direct sunlight + over 90 F outside temps and thus temporarily (hopefully) black.

Fortunately, since they were free for Labor Day weekend, you could just plug in and they both just worked. If you had to navigate the UI on the screen... you were in a world of hurt. The app probably would've been ok.

I passed by this afternoon and from a brief look, nobody was there.

Funny that the one w/the totally working LCD (not being baked by the sun) was the n/a one.

Today on the way home, I stopped by a new site w/EA Signet (have used a few times before). Two ID.4s were there and a Taycan was behind me. I had to plug into the one w/CHAdeMO as nothing else would've been reachable/open.
 
We're getting some reports of some EA stations being free today. See https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/electrify-america-complimentary-sessions-stations-set-to-free.37983/page-4#post-671480.

The usual caveats for CHAdeMO cars and CCS cars apply with EA since each EA site only has 1 CHAdeMO handle. I wouldn't make a trip out to an EA station w/a CHAdeMO car just to check but if you're in the area...

Update: I can confirm it's free here in the Bay Area. Taking advantage now. Shows complimentary session. Just plugged in and it started.

Update 2: Got free juice at another EA station. That set had a screen that said "This charge is on us...", that they reserve the right to cancel or modify the offer at any time and that it runs from 3 am EDT Nov 24, 2021 to 3 am EDT Nov 29, 2021.
 
I charged for free at 4 different EA sites today, two in areas I've never been to before. At all sites, except 1, there was nobody else charging.

Between the EA chargers + a free CCS ChargePoint CPE 100 at a casino, I got about 60.5 kWh of free juice today.
 
As I posted at https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/electrify-america-complimentary-sessions-stations-set-to-free.37983/page-5#post-675594, it seems to be free in the Bay Area.
 
As I posted at https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/electrify-america-complimentary-sessions-stations-set-to-free.37983/page-5#post-678711, was free again last night. I'm seeing some other confirmations today of it being free. Latest was a Plugshare post in Selma, CA about 30 minutes ago saying their charge was free.

If I had a CHAdeMO car, I wouldn't make a trip out to an EA station just to check, but if you're near one, check Plugshare and EA's app and maybe swing by if it looks like it might be working.
 
Select stations might have it free thru Jan 2nd, 2022: https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/electrify-america-complimentary-sessions-stations-set-to-free.37983/page-5#post-679260.
 
EA tweeted about it: https://twitter.com/ElectrifyAm/status/1474492576753459200?s=20. Maybe it's across all stations now?

Today, when I was taking advantage, for some reason an ID.4 decided to use the only station w/CHAdeMO. It was off in the distance and it seemed like there was nobody in the car. All the other stations and spots at that site (a B of A near home) were open. Sigh...

I need to type up some pre-printed notes for cases like this, asking such drivers not to do that.
 
https://twitter.com/ElectrifyAm/status/1474804191797338114?s=20 from 12/25/21 says: "Hi, israndy. Electrify America is offering complimentary charging at all locations on our network this holiday weekend. Additionally, our stations are open 24/7. We hope to see you on the road! -NF"

(Emoticons deleted as they were causing this forum's software to blow up.)
 
https://twitter.com/ElectrifyAm/status/1475166403065954307?s=20 says
"A nice surprise indeed, AJ! Enjoy that free charging through Jan. 3rd, 3am EST, at any charger on our network. -NF" (removed emoticons/icons)
 
Been enjoying the free juice via CCS. Planning to make a trip to Sacramento on 1/2 due to a museum being free for B of A account holders thanks to https://about.bankofamerica.com/en-us/what-guides-us/arts-and-culture/partners.html. Will drop by another museum there that isn't free.

It showed be at least 263 miles round trip.

The other day I went to a factory tour, museum and another town (never been to those places) and drove a bit over 200 miles in total, taking advantage of free EA juice.
 
I took advantage of the free juice to see what my charge curve would look like in cold weather (10F). I got a pretty consistent 42kw from 12% SOH up to 60%, then a linear decrease to 21kw at 85% SOH.
 
Free juice should be over now. I did go on that Sacramento trip.

DC FCed at multiple EA sites w/my 80% capped Bolt (due to "883" 80% limiter patch applied: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/RCSB-21V560-5443.pdf, thread at https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/anybody-have-any-news-on-the-mid-nov-software-upgrade-update-new-info-as-of-11-19.41323/page-11#post-671094). I saw quite a variety of cars at EA sites. I recall at least these on Sunday using EA:
- 2 Volvo XC40
- 2 Bolts
- 1 ID.4
- 1 Rivian pickup - I saw him at 41% SoC pulling 150 kW. Chargers there are 150 kW max.
- 1 Mach-E
- 1 gen 1 Leaf using J1772 (the station with CHAdeMO at that site has been broken for many days, says unavailable on the screen for both plugs and shows up as unavailable in the EA app)

One EA site in Pleasanton was fairly busy even though it was night time. Rivian and ID.4 were charging so I got the last available DC FC. Eventually, the ID.4 and later the Rivian left. Mach-E pulled in.

I did really enjoy the free EA juice for all this time. I ate what resembled a lunch :( during 1 of my charges and dinner during another. Too bad I couldn't get another journey or two during the free period, due to other tasks and commitments I already had.

On the other day w/the factory tour (involved Fairfield and Napa), I recall a Polestar 2 (?) at one location and I think a Mach-E or ID.4 I'd also encountered ID.4's and Bolts numerous times during the free period. My memory is foggy on all the other BEVs I saw using the EA sites I used.
 
Will be free again on 4/22/22. See https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/electrify-america-complimentary-sessions-stations-set-to-free.37983/page-7#post-711483 for caveats and hours.
 
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