Airport Public Charging

[dannyrrr]

Hi all,

I have found that Ontario Airport (CA) has a public charging station. My Volt shows up in a few weeks. Just curious that if you plug in, fly out, and come back in about 4 days does the car know when it is full and stop charging? Meaning is it okay to just leave it plugged in?

Also is there any type of etiquette issues about leaving a car in one of these spaces for several days preventing others from charging?

thanks

#1849

[Frankman]

It's OK to leave it plugged in. LAX offers up to 30 consecutive days of free parking and charging for EVs. However I have seen photos of Volts plugged in and charging at LAX so apparently a Volt qualifies. The LAX parking stalls have a 240 volt charger and a 120 volt receptacle to plug in your own charger. It is expected that you will leave it connected the entire time that the vehicle is parked there.

[Rusty]

The Volt doesn't "top off" the battery, as that reduces battery life (hence the Leaf's 80% charge mode). Once it charges to a reasonable point it stops charging the battery BUT... It maintains the TMS (thermal management system). So keeping it plugged in should keep your battery cool while parked on those warm So Cal days. Heat kills Li-Ions.

[Marc Lee]

It's OK to leave it plugged in. LAX offers up to 30 consecutive days of free parking and charging for EVs. However I have seen photos of Volts plugged in and charging at LAX so apparently a Volt qualifies. The LAX parking stalls have a 240 volt charger and a 120 volt receptacle to plug in your own charger. It is expected that you will leave it connected the entire time that the vehicle is parked there.

A charger mounted on a wall should be able tor each 3 vehicles. The space directly in front and one to each side. A charger mounted on a support post could conceivably reach 6 spots. But then it becomes a question of how will you get yours plugged in if someone else is already using it. Perhaps parking attendants or whoever is monitoring the space could move the plug from vehicle to vehicle once each is charged up. Leaving the charge port open could indicate your desire to have your vehicle charged.

Also points to the need to not have your car sound an alarm if someone removes the charge plug. With the Volt right now the only way to do that is to leave it unlocked or take it to the dealer to turn that feature off. Anyone figured out how to turn that off without a trip to the dealer? OBD device?

[ocryan]

Also points to the need to not have your car sound an alarm if someone removes the charge plug. With the Volt right now the only way to do that is to leave it unlocked or take it to the dealer to turn that feature off. Anyone figured out how to turn that off without a trip to the dealer? OBD device?

I really wish the Volt was smart enough to only sound the alarm if it was charging Level I. If you're on Level I (120 Volt) then you are using your portable EVSE. If you're on Level II however, then you are using a public station or one attached to a wall. The Volt already knows which one you're charging so a good Gen II feature would be to adjust the alarm function for 120V only.

Also is there any type of etiquette issues about leaving a car in one of these spaces for several days preventing others from charging?

I think this is an open problem for public charging stations that still doesn't have a good solution.

[Clintonfitz]

ocryan,

Yes. It seems as if the Volt could easily detect what level of current is being fed into the car. Could this be easily fixed with a future software update, or would it require more equipment?

[Rusty]

It seems as if the Volt could easily detect what level of current is being fed into the car.

To be picky, there's not much difference in the current between 120V (12 amps) and 240V (13.75 amps). But certainly the car knows the voltage coming into it.

[ammPilot]

...is there any type of etiquette issues about leaving a car in one of these spaces for several days preventing others from charging?

I really wish the Volt was smart enough to only sound the alarm if it was charging Level I...I think this is an open problem for public charging stations that still doesn't have a good solution.

I would also love to know whether the owner of a car being charged when I arrive was willing for me to grab the charger. Knowing, for example, that the car was fully charged (even a note saying, "Charge to be complete at 11:45, okay to unplug afterward") would be nice. Think public garage with short-term parking--say, a few or several hours. I'd hate to grab a charge out from under someone, and I'd like let others know it was okay to grab the charge.

[ammPilot]

I checked with my Volt Advisor (thanks, Tony, for the quick response!), and experimented. If you lock the car using the metal key--not the button on the fob, not the button on the console, not the buttons in the door, but the key--the "alarm-on-cord-pulled" is not set.

(Don't count on being able to lock with the key, plug in, unplug (no alarm), plug in again (without opening the car, without unlocking), and being able to unplug without alarm. Seemed strange, but the car didn't alarm on first disconnect, did on second.)

[dannyrrr]

thanks for all the responses...I am planning on testing out the airport charging next month...will report back how that went.