Is there a way to locate public EV charging stations?
Maybe an Android app or some website to go to?

There are plenty of apps. The Blink and ChargePoint networks have their iPhone apps (not sure of Android).

And this post (http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?10487-Question-Charging-at-San-Jose-International&p=105259#post105259) by JT mentions Plugshare (http://www.plugshare.com/) and Recargo (http://www.recargo.com/)which seem to be have the most current info.

-Venky

Please follow the link in my signature to the ChrisC FAQ. There is a listing of several charging station databases. My favorite is http://www.carstations.com

Please follow the link in my signature to the ChrisC FAQ. There is a listing of several charging station databases. My favorite is http://www.carstations.com

Carstations.com and the iPhone app is my favorite too.

If you are driving your VOLT, just reach up and press your blue OnStar button. Tell the live operator to locate the nearest charging station and then they will download directions to your vehicle's turn-by-turn Nav. Easy-Peesy. :)

@MTN Ranger, @WVHybrid,

Joule Thief and I noted last week that the SJC Airport info on carstations was outdated. The info on Recargo and PlugShare was more current with a precise count of number of stations and type of charger available.

-Venky

@MTN Ranger, @WVHybrid,

Joule Thief and I noted last week that the SJC Airport info on carstations was outdated. The info on Recargo and PlugShare was more current with a precise count of number of stations and type of charger available.

-Venky

That may be true, but I doubt I'll be driving to San Jose anytime soon. :) In my area, Carstations has the most complete mapping of EVSEs, plus they are easy to add there too.

That may be true, but I doubt I'll be driving to San Jose anytime soon. In my area, Carstations has the most complete mapping of EVSEs, plus they are easy to add there too.

That was just a sample :-) Well, if the other two apps have outdated information for NC, I guess that would even out. Did you try them out?

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/electricity_locations.html

Geez whomever did the color coding on that map must have been color blind. I thought it was a heat map for a second like it should have been. But the colors are just everywhere.

plugshare.com is my favorite so far, includes private homes and other 110v-only type places

Do any synch with the Nissan database? My friend tells me if he plugs into a charger for a few minutes and it's 240, that his leaf registers it with Nissan. It apparently is useful and shows on their navigation or something?

Recargo is now available on Android http://market.android.com/details?id=com.recargo.recargo as well as iPhone/iPad http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/recargo/id405168584/ and on the web, http://www.recargo.com.

The Leaf saves charging locations to the car's local database, but since these might be private property with restricted access I am guessing (hoping!) that these do not get added to Nissan's public database.

I am a bit curious about charging stations. I was surprised at the amount of locations that there are in the United States but I can not figure out how they are used, especially in the case of the Volt. As an example, there is a charging station at a Walgreens approximately 2 miles from my work but for the amount of time it would take to charge the vehicle it makes it almost useless. Am I missing something here? Even in the case of the Leaf, wouldn't it take at least and hour or two to fully charge the vehicle? Or is the purpose to "top off" as you run into the store for something? The only way I see these charging stations being of a benefit, again at least in the case of the Volt, is if they were installed at my place of employment, the library, grocery stores, etc.

There was another discussion about this recently and I agree, you pretty much can't do anything but "top off" at a Walgreens, etc. Making them pretty useless for anyone except the people that work there. So far the rollout of charging stations has been less than effective I would say, at least in the Chicago area. Now, if the focus turns more to places where people will park for several hours (malls, train stations, movie theaters, parking garages, etc..) then you have a more effective placement of public charging stations, and it doesn't matter if it takes 3 hours for a charge. I'd be curious to see if there area many statistics on it, but I would venture to guess that >90% EV owners charge either at home or work.

There was another discussion about this recently and I agree, you pretty much can't do anything but "top off" at a Walgreens, etc. Making them pretty useless for anyone except the people that work there. So far the rollout of charging stations has been less than effective I would say, at least in the Chicago area. Now, if the focus turns more to places where people will park for several hours (malls, train stations, movie theaters, parking garages, etc..) then you have a more effective placement of public charging stations, and it doesn't matter if it takes 3 hours for a charge. I'd be curious to see if there area many statistics on it, but I would venture to guess that >90% EV owners charge either at home or work.

I agree, Walgreens is the most useless location. I'm usually in and out in 5 minutes.

Hotels, movie theaters, shopping malls, and municipal garages are the best locations.

There is a movie theater complex in Redwood City, CA about 5 miles from home. The Theater will validate parking in their garage for 4 hours and there are two level 2 chargers that now I can use! So, watch a movie, have dinner and come back to a fully charged Volt! That is charging like it should be...and the city has chargers at their rec center and the main library, all very smart locatons!

I think it is kool that Walgreens is supporting evs. I shop there more now because of it. I am planing a 50 mile trip tomorrow, and plan on stopping ay a Walgreens along the route for an hour or so to give me enough to make the trip without gas. I may walk around to other shops in the area.

The best place for me in Dallas is the Half-price book store - and the in store black forest bake-shop and I think they have BOOKS.
Its a free chargpoint 220 volt/120 volt dual station. Call the 800 number - still waiting for the free smart card.