Any Interest in a Formal HPWC Charging Exchange via Membership?

Has anyone taken the time to put together an "exchange" of sorts for HPWC charging? For example, I own several vacation homes and we do "Home Exchanges" where we swap out credits and you can pick and choose where you go. I'm wondering if there is some efficient way to create an "exchange" where you 'swap' charging with destinations that you might frequent often. For example, someone from San Diego that goes to LA often and someone from LA that comes to San Diego often could swap and exchange "credit hours"?

At home I get 60 miles per hour charge and I assume many people also have that set up in other cities. So you could match up and look for fairer exchanges where you can charge at about the same speed. It seems like as more and more people buy Tesla's this would make sense to set up an exchange of sorts.

My charger isn't outside but I added a digital code on my garage door opener so that I can theoretically give a 4 digit code (that I can change after each exchange/visitor) so they can get access. And of course, if I'm home I can meet up with them, offer them drinks. But if not, I have a courtyard by the garage with comfortable furniture, table, fast Wi-Fi @ access so people could bring their laptops and work. Also, it would be easy to set out a cooler with drinks or a water cooler, etc.

I think that people need to be a bit of Pioneers and set up these kind of "exchanges". Who knows, it could even be profitable because you could set up an annual membership fee that you charge to join the website. Nothing major but enough to pay for the website. For example, on HomeExchange.com I pay $99 a year and I have access to exchange with properties all around the world.

I'd be willing to maybe set something like this up if there is enough interest. Would you all be interested in an "EV charger exchange" set up like this? If so, post here or feel free to PM me. I'd be interested in cities like Los Angeles, Palm Springs and a few others.

Yes, I know there are the superchargers but quite honestly I believe they are going to be inundated starting in 2014 with multiple hour waits and it seems like something what I'm talking about is much more efficient and makes more sense.

Yeah, I know you can advertise your property on Plugshare or other public websites, but quite honestly I'm not interested in letting every John Doe use my house and have access to it. The ExchangeEV.com website would be really organized and there would be more security control of people you are exchanging with. It would be safer vs. just letting some random Plugshare user to where you live.

Like the HomeExchange websites, you can share more personal information, and that information is only released to other fellow members. It can be linked to Facebook or LinkedIn so you have the ability to only swap with people that you trust.

And you can have photos of where to charge, welcome guides, etc. I think something like this heading into the future will be totally efficient, useful and powerful not to have to depend on only the SuperChargers while traveling.

AnOutsider said:

How is this much different than plugshare though? You can control who you share your info with, and if you aren't going to make this Tesla-only, then you'll be doing the same as PS anyway: sharing information with other EV owners?

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Well, with Plugshare it seems like people either put a LOT of information out there like their names, addresses and phone numbers or they just have their phone number. I've never contacted a private owner from Plugshare before. I'm not even saying that Plugshare wouldn't be beneficial because I'm sure it is and will be. But what I'm talking about is just more organized, streamlined and efficient. I'd equate it to saying, why do I need to use LinkedIn when I can just exchange work information with people on Facebook or some of the many other sites out there.

Yes, I guess you could make it specific to Tesla owners. No, it's not sharing other information with owners per se but building up a reliable network of serious people that will swap on known paths. Same thing with various home exchange websites. You can EASILY contact owners from various vacation websites that are out there. HomeAway.com, VRBO.com, Flipkey.com, Airbnb.com and dozens of others. Yes, it can and does work but it's NOTHING like a dedicated website of like minded and SERIOUS people that want to exchange.

Yeah, I have arranged swaps with people that emailed me from my vacation rental list websites but it's NO WHERE near the quality of people from the dedicated swapping sites. The thing you have to keep in mind is human nature, people can be flaky. I just found that the member oriented sites people are more serious about things.

You have to think bigger scope and further out, IMHO. I'm not even saying it has to be expensive. But eventually you have to put a value on your time. If a website and network can save you tons of hassles and be more reliable than sifting through Plugshare, I can't imagine people wouldn't think it would be worth a $25 a year investment? Maybe I'm wrong.

Take an upcoming trip I have to Los Angeles for work here this week. I'm not sure I can hit Hawthorne on the way up early in the morning and I've heard in the afternoon it can be a multiple hour wait. Ideally, I'd GLADLY pay $25 if I had a definite known and verifiable source to charge that is close to my meeting. Having a more extensive network of dependable people so I don't have to depend so much on the supercharger would be totally worth it to me.

Yeah, I could probably sift around on Plugshare for a while but I don't know the people, don't know anything about them, don't even know if the listings are fake or real or made up. But with an organized network it just seems you could have a more efficient and trustworthy system where users rank their experience, leave comments, and know they are real and legitimate. All without having to filter through many options that may or may not be real.

Ideally, you put in a search engine where you are going and maybe even put people in that area that also want to come to your area. Then you can do a quick match up of people. Or if you are more flexible you leave it open. For example, when I want to go to London, I put in a search box people that want to come to Rio de Janeiro where I own a property. Then voila it gives me an instant match. I can then contact that owner and arrange a swap. You can further restrict searches by dates or leave date ranges open. You can add in all the places you are interested in or just make it so anyone can contact you.

Also, does Plugshare let you put in fields to check that there is wi-fi @, refreshments available, waiting area, or any other # of things. You can put tons of options like public parks nearby, nearby pool, distance to beach, biking trails, hiking trails, public libraries, cafes/restaurants, etc. Think bigger picture here guys. Yeah, you can probably piece together all of this with searches on Google Maps, Plugshare but what about having an infrastructure where you don't depend on Tesla Superchargers. We depend on one another??

NigelM said:

Florida owners have a group list that we share with each other - it's voluntary and not everybody opts in. I've never needed it and no-one called me yet but it's nice to have and a few folks have been grateful to know they had options when looking for a charger.

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That's GREAT Nigel! But aren't most owners just local? I was thinking that's great if you can share contact information from city to city but it seems like most Tesla groups are more local in nature? Do you share your list Statewide with the various local Tesla groups? And if so, do you guys meet Statewide on a regular basis?

Thanks all for your comments. They are helpful.

NigelM said:

It's a Florida statewide list that's maintained by Larry Chanin who founded our FL group. Yes there are meet-ups, some folks travel far and wide.

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That's wonderful! I still think it could be incredibly valuable. I actually just pitched the idea to Tesla executives via email so I'll see if there is any interest. I'd think they would have a HUGE incentive to build up something like this as well. Because it would help with marketing and sales of the cars if an extensive network is built up. (But then again considering they can't even put a search function on their website not sure how much hope there is..ha ha).

Anyone that thinks the Supercharger network under their existing business model is going to always be quick and efficient I think is deluding themselves. And not everyone has the time to spend overnight at hotels slow charging or on Blink chargers.

But I offered to fly up there and pitch them the idea and show them how it would work. In a perfect world, Tesla would be a strategic partner and help develop it and even pay the first year's worth of subscription and include it with each new car sale. If people find it valuable they get it first free the first year. If they don't find it valuable then they don't renew the 2nd year. Net/ net owners of Tesla's would have nothing to lose under a set up like that.

I'll see if they have any interest. I don't think some of you can see the vision of how organized and efficient this can be. But that's ok....not all of us are visionaries I guess. LOL. :wink:

bonnie said:

ooookay. Or perhaps you just don't want to hear.

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To be clear: I offer my home charger for free to anyone who needs a charge. It's just part of being in the community. And I've donated EVSEs to be installed in convenient locations. I'm not unique. Nigel has done the same. Chad S has done the same many times over. So it's hard to see someone trying to monetize something that has already been working through community action.

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No, I'm hearing you ok. You aren't interested and that is fine. Not the first time I've heard opinions like that saying, "bad idea, it wouldn't work, no need to change the status quo or current system".

Bonnie, I think it's GREAT that you are doing what you are doing and I encourage you to keep doing it. Sounds wonderful. Kudos to you.

So Bonnie, just out of curiosity, let's assume Tesla offered you a free membership to something like this for the first year. Are you saying you wouldn't sign up for it on principle value alone because it's working "through community action" already? If so, that's difficult for me to believe assuming there are huge numbers of people, they are all qualified/verified and dependable and there is huge amounts of data available to what is around the area and is searchable.

For example, you put in the search box a given city/zip code. You put you only want it to pull up EV chargers that are 0.5 miles (or blocks) from a public library, or hiking trail, or Starbucks, or the beach or whatever. So you're honestly saying something like this wouldn't be of value to you or a sound idea? I'm just curious.

Heck, forget for a moment about me trying to monetize it. What if for example TESLA came up with it and implemented it. Are you really trying to tell me it wouldn't be helpful?? Or you wouldn't join the network?

bonnie said:

I guess the 'not all of us are visionaries, LOL' didn't sit right with me. Apologies if that was meant as a joke.

When people have worked to build a community of EV drivers, supporting each other, it's a bit difficult to see someone show up and try to carve out a subsection of that community, on a 'pay for use' basis. It's not about not changing the status quo. It's about contributing to building a stronger community, not tearing it down. Make sense?

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Yes, it was a joke. Maybe you missed the smiley face? Totally a joke. I think we can agree to disagree on the "building of a community" because what I'm talking about is a continuation of that. It's total support for not only one another but Tesla and EV in general. It's TOTALLY NOT "pay for use". I don't think you understand that part of it. NO one would be able to charge anything to charge. You're paying for the support system to create the infrastructure and system. It wouldn't be cheap. I know people want everything free but that isn't realistic or feasible in business or life all the time.

What I'm proposing would indeed make the Tesla community stronger. Not sure how you can try to argue it would tear it down. That is the furthest thing that it would do, IMHO.

100thMonkey said:

I went with a high Amperage J1772 (80A continuous) and can be used on any EV and it's outside and soon to be on plugshare/recargo, I know of no better, more convenient sharing system... I recommend using it. the more people who contribute to it, the better it will get.

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Absolutely there are some great options/websites out there. I'm not saying that there isn't room for all of them. But what I'm talking about is something so much better and powerful. And maybe it wouldn't only be geared towards Tesla owners. Still, I think it would be crazy not to take advantage of the technology. I'm not even saying it's something I have to do. I wanted to throw the idea out there publicly because I think the idea would make it better for all of us Tesla owners. If someone else wanted to run with it that would be ok too. But I think the power of such a network if it's organized and has all the features I am thinking would be beneficial it would help once the SuperCharger network is too overloaded and crowded.

Hey Kendallpb,

All great points.

Sure, I think it would be great if plugshare incorporates some of these features. My goal was NOT to get rich off this idea. If it was, I wouldn't have posted it publicly. My goal was to get the thought process and creativity of the local Tesla community more engaged. Sure, it would be great if Plugshare did this. It would be awesome!

I realize that this project might not make sense for "scale" as there are so few people out there now. But I don't see why they couldn't do these things as the technology is there. Maybe it's not the right path right now but I do think that is eventually where this is all headed. Thanks for the excellent thoughts all.