PlugShare app question

[EVdownUnder]

Hi all,
On the PlugShare app, the "free" indication at the top of each charging station, is that money or availability?
Thank you,
Patrick

20190921_151022.jpg (96.94 KiB) Viewed 350 times

[EVdownUnder]

The other issue I have, next week I need to go to Portland (from Melbourne). About 400km so I need to make absolutely certain that I can charge at night or I don't come back...
The only 2 chargers in Portland are Tesla chargers at 2 different motels.
How can I be sure that they work on my Kona?
The Epping shopping center Tesla chargers work on my Kona, the Doncaster shopping center Tesla chargers do not?
How do I find out which one they have?
The plug seem different between the 2. Is that a reliable indication?
I can't see any way to find out on PlugShare.
Many thanks,
Patrick

[Bryce]

Hi Patrick: alternative thought-you could use a 15A portable EVSE in a 15A socket, (eg caravan park) it will give you a 0-100% full charge in about 17-18 hrs. I did that via caravan park outlets all around Victoria this last week. Arrive 5pm, charge to 10am: thats your full charge (or close enough to hit the Altona DC charger, or even visit the new Torquay DC charger if your trip is going that way!).
Cheers Bryce

[coulomb]

On the PlugShare app, the "free" indication at the top of each charging station, is that money or availability?

My understanding is that it's money. The only way to know availability is to find out if anyone has checked in at the time, and sadly not everyone does the community the simple courtesy of checking in with PlugShare. And of course that doesn't cover outages, planned or otherwise. You might be lucky enough to find someone before you has left a "could not charge" indication.

But you have a ~450 km range vehicle. Perhaps schedule a stop or two at fast chargers along the way. If they're not available, just drive on to the next one.

One day, there will hopefully be so many public chargers that if one or two are out of action, you just choose another one. Sadly, we're not there yet.

[EVdownUnder]

But you have a ~450 km range vehicle. Perhaps schedule a stop or two at fast chargers along the way. If they're not available, just drive on to the next one.

One day, there will hopefully be so many public chargers that if one or two are out of action, you just choose another one. Sadly, we're not there yet.

Unfortunately that day is not there yet. No fast chargers other than the ChargeFox station in Torquay, 285km to my destination. Not possible unless hypermiling at 70 or possibly 80km/h.
My only chance is that one of the Tesla destination charger works on a Kona. But I have no idea how to be certain...

[Chuq]

My only chance is that one of the Tesla destination charger works on a Kona. But I have no idea how to be certain...

Basically, you can't be certain. Tesla destination chargers are (to non Tesla owners) a lucky bonus extra that arent officially supported, and can't be 100% relied on until you test it with you car. As an example, I have an adaptor to use destination chargers with my Leaf, and it's worked every time, but I test drove an Ioniq and it wouldn't work with one of the chargers that I had used previously.

Since Plugshare isn't an official app and not everyone is aware of it, you'll find only a small percentage of EV public charging sessions are logged on it. It only takes one Ioniq/Kona check-in to be confident that it works with other Hyundai vehicles, however.

[EVdownUnder]

I am happy to report that all Tesla destination chargers on the way and in Portland (from Melbourne) work on the Kona. I plugged to a Tesla charger at the Colac Plaza a few days ago and after a few seconds of white LED around the charging port, the LED started flashing red. I therefore disconnected and assumed that this charger was not a "universal" charger. But after talking to another service engineer with a Kona who successfully charged at that exact charger, I gave it another go and discovered that some Tesla destination chargers seem to take quite a bit longer to handshake? No idea why but it eventually started charging at the max rate of 7.5kWh on the Kona. Very happy with this.
The other chargers I have tested are the Lady Bay Resort ones in Warrnambool and the Comfort Inn Richmond Henty Motel in Portland. I will also try the Quest Hotel a few doors down before I return to Melbourne. All chargers I tested have a log and comment on PlugShare. Thank you Tesla!
Posting some numbers from this 440km day on the "Range" thread under the Hyundai section.
Cheers,
Patrick