Letter I sent to EA about my experience using their chargers.
Electrify America:
I have been driving an EV for over seven years. When I found out earlier this year that Electrify America was going to create an infrastructure of charging stations throughout the US I looked into purchasing a new vehicle (HOW EXCITING!).
I purchased a 2019 Hyundai Kona EV anticipating a road trip with it from Long Island New York to St Petersburg Florida. After much planning and consideration, watching many YouTube's and following many forums, a few phone calls to Electrify America to figure out the cost for charging along the way, we left for Florida.
At the first stop to charge in New Castle Delaware, I was quite surprised and VERY disappointed to find out, after calling your support team that your tier selection for my vehicle had changed. I understood it is based on the highest negotiated expectable Kw’s the Kona would accept at the time based on many variables like SOC, OAT and other contributing factors at the handshake to the charge station. Somehow when communicating with my Kona, it automatically puts me in the next tier pricing.
Prior to the trip I called customer support and specifically asked them if I would be in the 1-75 kilowatt range anticipating 15 to 18 cents per minute. They confirmed that it would be at that rate based on my Kona. I mentioned to them my upcoming road trip and they said that I would not have any issues at that tier pricing as a Pass+ member and if I did to just give them a call.
Your courteous customer support team does a GREAT job answering questions every time I call with accurate information. Unfortunately, it has been very difficult to recommend using your stations under the circumstances. Many people stopped by to ask questions while we were charging, and we had to honestly give them the facts.
When they heard the fees, they wondered why we would spend so much more for electric, rather than owning a gas vehicle.
It is just sad that we had anticipated advocating EA and their Kw tier basis pricing structure and were very disappointed with the outcome! I certainly did NOT get what I paid for using your services! It should be more accurate pricing for Kw supplied rather than minutes connected and charging! (I do like the idle fee for staying at the station more than 10 minutes after the charge is complete, keeps people moving on).
If you look at my account and can make ANY price adjustment at stations where I was below the 75Kw threshold, as I was expecting, please do so and let me know.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding this situation or want more feedback about my charging experience with EA.