Electrify America to change pricing and begin charging Idle fees

[DeaneG]

I received this email today from Electrify America. Was very glad to hear they'll start charging idle fees.

"Thank you for being part of the Electrify America family and supporting the e-mobility movement. It's electric vehicle (EV) owners like you that make our electric journey possible.

Electrify America is reaching out to make you aware of pricing changes that will soon be taking place.

Beginning August 17, 2023, we’ll shift from uniform energy or time based pricing nationwide to a station-specific pricing model and resume charging for idle fees at most nationwide charging stations. Electrify America's mobile app will have pricing information for a given charger, but you should check the pricing of a charging station at the charger when you start charging.

The Electrify America Terms of Use are changing to reflect these changes. To view Electrify America's new Terms of Use, including a number of important changes, click here. These new terms will be applied when using our mobile app or chargers after August 17, 2023.

This is an ideal time to upgrade to a Pass+ membership, where members save 25% on charging."

 

[Adnillien]

I am in favor of local pricing rather than national pricing because it should be lower her in AZ. However, I suspect the California users may not like it.

 

[hydbob]

IDLE FEES! I hope they are $1/min after a 5 min grace period.

 

[BobFM]

IDLE FEES! I hope they are $1/min after a 5 min grace period.

We can only hope!

 

[Genghis]

IDLE FEES! I hope they are $1/min after a 5 min grace period.

No grace period. Get people in the habit of never idle for the courtesy of other owners that could be waiting. Just a nice text or app notice saying your car is now idling at $1 / min.

 

[joec]

No grace period. Get people in the habit of never idle for the courtesy of other owners that could be waiting. Just a nice text or app notice saying your car is now idling at $1 / min.

I think 5 minutes is reasonable for a grace period. Especially since the timer doesn't give you a second-by-second countdown. It just updates in 5-minute increments. So you could easily look and it'll say 10 minutes remaining, when it's really 6.

 

[Shuasha]

Besides idle fees, they should look into a max charge of 85-90% since it takes up so much time. Maybe do that based on open capacity at that station.

 

[hydbob]

Besides idle fees, they should look into a max charge of 85-90% since it takes up so much time. Maybe do that based on open capacity at that station.

Bolt owners revolting!

 

[Shuasha]

Bolt owners revolting!

and BAN THEM from the 350kW dispensers!!

 

[goshen]

Definitely overdue. However, you will start hearing of people complaining that they were Nora ware of those charges and threatening to sue EA…when they get their bill.

Big question though is how would this change impact owners like most Lucid owners who have free (up to 3yrs) charging and can just plugin and charge without being asked for CC/payment info. I want to believe EA will start asking every owner to firs create an account with them and add payment on file even if they qualify for free OEM charging.

 

[joec]

Besides idle fees, they should look into a max charge of 85-90% since it takes up so much time. Maybe do that based on open capacity at that station.

You are assuming there is another station that person can reasonably get to with only 80% battery. This is not always the case, as it wasn't for me, even with an Air, driving through Wyoming.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

May I also suggest that IDLE FEES should not be a flat rate but should go up based on idle time: 0-5 free; 5-15 $1 minute; 16-30 $2 min; 31- or more $3 minute; more than 60 minutes - forfeiture of your first born.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

I am in favor of local pricing rather than national pricing because it should be lower her in AZ. However, I suspect the California users may not like it.

I would think that they have do to move local pricing, they are a regulated utility. Where I am in CO, its 14 cents per kWh and 86 cents I am told on peak in San Diego. Yet EA charges 48 cents nationally, I am told. No wonder CA's are happy.

I am still in shock our CO rates are so much lower that So Cal.

 

[SaratogaLefty]

I would think that they have do to move local pricing, they are a regulated utility. Where I am in CO, its 14 cents per kWh and 86 cents I am told on peak in San Diego. Yet EA charges 48 cents nationally, I am told. No wonder CA's are happy.

I am still in shock our CO rates are so much lower that So Cal.

Once my "free" charging runs out in another 18 months or so I doubt I will ever use EA again except in an emergency. The couple of times I've used EVgo it was flawless and I did use a 350kW charger and it delivered!!

 

[Bus Driver]

I received this email today from Electrify America. Was very glad to hear they'll start charging idle fees.

"Thank you for being part of the Electrify America family and supporting the e-mobility movement. It's electric vehicle (EV) owners like you that make our electric journey possible.

Electrify America is reaching out to make you aware of pricing changes that will soon be taking place.

Beginning August 17, 2023, we’ll shift from uniform energy or time based pricing nationwide to a station-specific pricing model and resume charging for idle fees at most nationwide charging stations. Electrify America's mobile app will have pricing information for a given charger, but you should check the pricing of a charging station at the charger when you start charging.

The Electrify America Terms of Use are changing to reflect these changes. To view Electrify America's new Terms of Use, including a number of important changes, click here. These new terms will be applied when using our mobile app or chargers after August 17, 2023.

This is an ideal time to upgrade to a Pass+ membership, where members save 25% on charging."

About damn time.

 

[Bus Driver]

Slight non sequitur - has anyone “Create[d] An Account” on the EA app? Is there any advantage to doing so? I haven’t done it yet.

 

[Bobby]

Slight non sequitur - has anyone “Create[d] An Account” on the EA app? Is there any advantage to doing so? I haven’t done it yet.

I have one for my other car. Didn’t change the plug and charge functionality.

 

[DeaneG]

Slight non sequitur - has anyone “Create[d] An Account” on the EA app? Is there any advantage to doing so? I haven’t done it yet.

I've done it to take advantage of EA's pass+ membership pricing and credit card billing with our other EV. I may be wrong, but I think EA's app does not show real-time charger availability unless you are logged in.

 

[Bobby]

I've done it to take advantage of EA's pass+ membership pricing and credit card billing with our other EV. I may be wrong, but I think EA's app does not show real-time charger availability unless you are logged in.

It may be a new feature, but it does seem to show real time availability. I just logged out to check it. Also, they have a pretty good app for CarPlay to show chargers and availability. If only they would collect the data from their own app to see which chargers are unavailable and fix the dang things! Here’s my local one showing 3 of 4 unavailable.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

I've done it to take advantage of EA's pass+ membership pricing and credit card billing with our other EV. I may be wrong, but I think EA's app does not show real-time charger availability unless you are logged in.

I use the app only for looking at pedestal availability. BUT, strangely, when I get up to an EA pedestal, my phone screen shows: Howdy Peter, or something like that from EA. I do not open the EA app. I just plug in the cable, EA recognizes the Lucid as a Lucid, does the charging and my EA account is not used.