Funny story from last week (at least to me).
I was in Charlotte, NC for work, and of course, I drove my black Model S. I had almost ranged charged it at Burlington, NC, but I would need to get some more juice to make it back to Burlington. I added some more at a ChargePoint EVSE in uptown.
Later that night, I went to check into the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, and even though I knew they didn't have electric vehicle charging, I asked the person that was checking me in anyways. I figured if nothing else, that puts the topic in the minds of the staff. He thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head and said no, they don't have electric vehicle charging. Right then, another person at the front desk, a young guy excitedly piped up, "we do have electric vehicle charging. It's on the second floor!" I was thinking, "no way! What luck!" Anyways, I drop my stuff in my room and then went to go plug my car into these new chargers.
So the 2nd floor of the parking garage has valet only signs... looking around, I see no one, so I drove up there anyways. It's a Hertz rental car parking area and I drive around and around, and I don't see any EVSE's. Then I'm thinking, 2nd floor... maybe he means 2nd floor down, not up. So then I start going down, floor by floor, trying to find these EVSE's. Wow. They have a lot of parking and a lot of floors. It's set up to serve the Charlotte Convention Center. Anyways, after going about 5 floors down, the wireless signal is completely cutting out and there are more floors to go. I decide this is fruitless. I drive back up 3 floors to get a clear enough wireless signal and call the front desk. They send a valet to show me the chargers.
The valet comes out and I meet him on the ground floor. He tells me to go back up to the Hertz rental car pickup area. So I was right the first time, but somehow I missed them. He walks around a bit, and then points to the side of a cement column. Ah ha! I pull up... and he's gesturing to a 110v outlet in the side of the column. No wonder I missed them the first time.
Ah, well. Better than nothing. At least it had no voltage drop while pulling a solid 12 amps.
I did not expect to charge that night anyways, I was expecting to pick up a charge at the Hearst Building parking garage the next day. I get there the next day, and they are refinishing the floors (Saturday) to the garage elevators and stairways. Another complication. I ended up leaving earlier as my work was done enough and I ended up finding a charge elsewhere.
What strikes me funny about the whole thing was how excited that front desk young man was about their hotel's electric vehicle charging facilities.
I was in Charlotte, NC for work, and of course, I drove my black Model S. I had almost ranged charged it at Burlington, NC, but I would need to get some more juice to make it back to Burlington. I added some more at a ChargePoint EVSE in uptown.
Later that night, I went to check into the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, and even though I knew they didn't have electric vehicle charging, I asked the person that was checking me in anyways. I figured if nothing else, that puts the topic in the minds of the staff. He thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head and said no, they don't have electric vehicle charging. Right then, another person at the front desk, a young guy excitedly piped up, "we do have electric vehicle charging. It's on the second floor!" I was thinking, "no way! What luck!" Anyways, I drop my stuff in my room and then went to go plug my car into these new chargers.
So the 2nd floor of the parking garage has valet only signs... looking around, I see no one, so I drove up there anyways. It's a Hertz rental car parking area and I drive around and around, and I don't see any EVSE's. Then I'm thinking, 2nd floor... maybe he means 2nd floor down, not up. So then I start going down, floor by floor, trying to find these EVSE's. Wow. They have a lot of parking and a lot of floors. It's set up to serve the Charlotte Convention Center. Anyways, after going about 5 floors down, the wireless signal is completely cutting out and there are more floors to go. I decide this is fruitless. I drive back up 3 floors to get a clear enough wireless signal and call the front desk. They send a valet to show me the chargers.
The valet comes out and I meet him on the ground floor. He tells me to go back up to the Hertz rental car pickup area. So I was right the first time, but somehow I missed them. He walks around a bit, and then points to the side of a cement column. Ah ha! I pull up... and he's gesturing to a 110v outlet in the side of the column. No wonder I missed them the first time.
Ah, well. Better than nothing. At least it had no voltage drop while pulling a solid 12 amps.
I did not expect to charge that night anyways, I was expecting to pick up a charge at the Hearst Building parking garage the next day. I get there the next day, and they are refinishing the floors (Saturday) to the garage elevators and stairways. Another complication. I ended up leaving earlier as my work was done enough and I ended up finding a charge elsewhere.
What strikes me funny about the whole thing was how excited that front desk young man was about their hotel's electric vehicle charging facilities.
