Electrify AMERICA - Anyone having trouble getting free charging at the local level?

[garry@visionconstruction.]

Ack! (You're welcome!)

You have no way to plug in at home (or work)?

Of course... but a free charger is five miles away! I wished the dealer would not have mentioned it since I was not aware of the charging service when I ordered last November 2019. If I go up there and it works with a credit card but not the Porsche app, then I will have a problem with that.

Garry Crook

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[TomP]

Chrisk your last paragraph is more like the runaround I have been getting here in Pensacola since June. The last three sessions never got past initiating and then an error message is displayed. EA agent apologizes and reboots the charger...then the same. Then they want me to move to another charger. I don't have time for this.

Garry Crook

Garry,

Have you ever successfully charged your Taycan at any of the EA station?
You may want to try a ChargePoint or EVgo DC station just to make sure you're not having an issue with the DC charge port on the vehicle (very unlikely but its possible).

FWIW - The EA station near me on I-75 has 8 chargers and all are down since Nov 3rd. (2 Months!) It went from "unavailable" to "under construction" on the app.. I stopped by and EA is installing all new chargers, wiring, conduit, power supply, etc., basically a total rebuild of a station that's barely a year old.

 

[evanevery]

Of course... but a free charger is five miles away! I wished the dealer would not have mentioned it since I was not aware of the charging service when I ordered last November 2019. If I go up there and it works with a credit card but not the Porsche app, then I will have a problem with that.

Garry Crook

Try the EA app before you try a credit card. It doesn't cost you anything to sign up for an EA account and I'm pretty sure you will find their app much more convenient than swiping a CC (or fighting with the Porsche Software). You may find, like me, that the EA app will end up being your primary activation method.

Swiping a Credit Card is basically a last resort IMHO.

So, you haven't tried to activate a "Pre-Paid" charge yet? Please report back! ?

 

[garry@visionconstruction.]

Garry,

Have you ever successfully charged your Taycan at any of the EA station?
You may want to try a ChargePoint or EVgo DC station just to make sure you're not having an issue with the DC charge port on the vehicle (very unlikely but its possible).

FWIW - The EA station near me on I-75 has 8 chargers and all are down since Nov 3rd. (2 Months!) It went from "unavailable" to "under construction" on the app.. I stopped by and EA is installing all new chargers, wiring, conduit, power supply, etc., basically a total rebuild of a station that's barely a year old.

Hey Tom, I have charged once at Auburn Alabama, Chipley Florida and Biloxi Mississippi. The Porsche app wouldn't work. The Porsche app has never worked out of Pensacola and only three times has it worked here. I usually just call EA and ask them to start the charger. Lately that doesn't work. The last two charges I have done at home.

You might be right about the installation.

Garry Crook

 

[evanevery]

Garry,

Have you ever successfully charged your Taycan at any of the EA station?
You may want to try a ChargePoint or EVgo DC station just to make sure you're not having an issue with the DC charge port on the vehicle (very unlikely but its possible).

FWIW - The EA station near me on I-75 has 8 chargers and all are down since Nov 3rd. (2 Months!) It went from "unavailable" to "under construction" on the app.. I stopped by and EA is installing all new chargers, wiring, conduit, power supply, etc., basically a total rebuild of a station that's barely a year old.

EA is currently upgrading many of their stations on the east coast to replace existing terminals with 350KW units.

Not excusing EA for reliability issues (as I've had my share) but just sayin'

I would also recommend PlugShare as you may find the reports by other EV owners to be more timely and accurate than you would get from the EA app. PlugShare is also non-denominational in that it provides info on many different charging networks (not just EA).

 

[evanevery]

Hey Tom, I have charged once at Auburn Alabama, Chipley Florida and Biloxi Mississippi. The Porsche app wouldn't work. The Porsche app has never worked out of Pensacola and only three times has it worked here. I usually just call EA and ask them to start the charger. Lately that doesn't work. The last two charges I have done at home.

You might be right about the installation.

Garry Crook

In my experience, "Calling EA" has never been able to activate any terminal that the EA App itself could not. If the EA App could not get a terminal started, neither could their tech support.

...and the Porsche Apps are a whole "'nuther ball game". All bets are off whether you can ever get anything activated with either of them (even if everything at the stations is fine).

Unless you really want to work for those pre-paid charges, its much easier to fire up the EA App vs calling them, waiting on hold, explaining your situation, giving them your VIN, ...

 

[garry@visionconstruction.]

In my experience, "Calling EA" has never been able to activate any terminal that the EA App itself could not. If the EA App could not get a terminal started, neither could their tech support.

Unless you really want to work for those pre-paid charges, its much easier to fire up the EA App vs calling them, waiting on hold, explaining your situation, giving them your VIN, ...

If I fire up the EA app, doesn't that mean I will be charged?

Garry

 

[mokre]

I've charged at the same EA charger twice now, and both times it was a pfaff to get it going, compared to using the chargepoint stations. I didn't ultimately have any issues getting the pre-paid charging to work, besides going through the song and dance with the app.

Chargepoint is so much easier - set up the app, tap your phone (if it has NFC) and you can start charging. Really hassle-free.

 

[evanevery]

If I fire up the EA app, doesn't that mean I will be charged?

Garry

Merely "Firing up the app" doesn't automatically incur a charge. Directing the app to activate a charger, however, does. You won't get access to the Porsche Pre-Paid Charging Service if you use the EA app, but you will save a lot of headaches and almost certainly have better success.

It all comes down to how you value your time and happiness...

 

[LonePalmBJ]

If we are lucky enough we will get the Plug and Charge feature that 2021 models are supposed to have as an OTA update and then we would not have to any app.

It looks like Plug and Charge worked for the new Mustang EV.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a35044132/plug-and-charge-ev-charging-mustang-mach-e/

I was at a local car show with my Taycan yesterday and a woman approached to me excited about the Taycan (she was driving her brand new 992 911, so she's clearly a Porsche fan too). She let me know that she works for the technology company that Electrify America is using to enable Plug and Charge (the ISO 15118 standard). She was very confident that Plug-and-Charge will be made available for Model Year 2020 Taycans. She said their first launches were the Mach E and the 2021 Taycan, and that they were currently gathering the VIN information needed to enable 2020 Taycans. She wasn't certain on timing but the conversation suggested it would be sooner-rather-than-later. I let her know it couldn't come soon enough, and she was well aware of the authentication and charge-initiation issues people have with EA and their various apps.

 

[evanevery]

...and she was well aware of the authentication and charge-initiation issues people have with EA and their various apps.

Thats very good news. The only part I question is the implication of charge-initiation issues with the EA app. I've never had any. I've had plenty of issues with activation using the Porsche apps but none whatsoever with the EA app (as long as the station hardware was in proper operating order).

Are folks actually experiencing large scale issues with activation via the EA app? ...or was that a typo?

 

[LonePalmBJ]

Thats very good news. The only part I question is the implication of charge-initiation issues with the EA app. I've never had any. I've had plenty of issues with activation using the Porsche apps but none whatsoever with the EA app (as long as the station hardware was in proper operating order).

Are folks actually experiencing large scale issues with activation via the EA app? ...or was that a typo?

I wasn't clear in my writing; when I wrote "EA and their various apps" I was referring to apps in general, and the Charging NA and Porsche Connect apps in particular, not the "EA App" per se.

I have the EA app but have never used it to start a charge since I don't want to pay twice for a service I 'pre-paid' for

Brent

 

[evanevery]

I wasn't clear in my writing; when I wrote "EA and their various apps" I was referring to apps in general, and the Charging NA and Porsche Connect apps in particular, not the "EA App" per se.

I have the EA app but have never used it to start a charge since I don't want to pay twice for a service I 'pre-paid' for

Brent

Thanks, The distinction is important.

Porsche Connect and Porsche Charging NA are NOT EA apps. They are Porsche Apps.

The Porsche Apps are very unreliable and frustrating. The EA App seems to be reliable and intuitive. It would be unfair to refer to them interchangeably...

 

[garry@visionconstruction.]

Thats very good news. The only part I question is the implication of charge-initiation issues with the EA app. I've never had any. I've had plenty of issues with activation using the Porsche apps but none whatsoever with the EA app (as long as the station hardware was in proper operating order).

Are folks actually experiencing large scale issues with activation via the EA app? ...or was that a typo?

I have never been able to charge with the EA app. Always have to call an beg an agent.

I have only three times been able to charge with the Porsche app without help from EA.

All this has occurred since June delivery.

Could be three things. 1-Porsche and EA are dragging their feet because they are bleeding.
2-The equipment and installation was underfunded.
3-I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

Garry Crook

 

[evanevery]

I have never been able to charge with the EA app. Always have to call an beg an agent.

I have only three times been able to charge with the Porsche app without help from EA.

All this has occurred since June delivery.

Could be three things. 1-Porsche and EA are dragging their feet because they are bleeding.
2-The equipment and installation was underfunded.
3-I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

Garry Crook

Its actually Option number 4- The Porsche Software is crap. Its nothing more complicated than that.

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