What's the deal with all these hotel destination chargers showing on my nav?

[dhrivnak]

Thank you for your generosity. You're on Plugshare, which is the appropriate place for someone looking to charge at someone's home. I don't think private homes should be listed in Tesla's destination charging, even if the owner wants it.

I agree and Plugshare works great and I have had a number of Tesla's stop by to charge. It is easy to both register and to use. I use it frequently on trips.

 

[jerry33]

There is a small B&B on the other side of town that also has a HPWC however they charge $12 per session regardless of actual power consumed unless you are staying at the inn. The destination charge listing for this Inn has no mention whatsoever of that fee.

Agreed that the fee should be listed in the destination charging listing. Disagree that it's outrageous. Some places have a fee when you are staying there. I don't think $12 is excessive.

 

[Lloyd]

Agreed that the fee should be listed in the destination charging listing. Disagree that it's outrageous. Some places have a fee when you are staying there. I don't think $12 is excessive.

Absolutely not excessive. PG&E's top rate of $.56 per kwh is what is excessive!!

At that rate a full charge of 80 kw would be $44.80 plus ~10% for heat loss.

 

[TexasEV]

Agreed that the fee should be listed in the destination charging listing. Disagree that it's outrageous. Some places have a fee when you are staying there. I don't think $12 is excessive.

I don't think it's practical to include a fee in the listing. Fees change, or could come and go, then people would complain the listing isn't up to date. A hotel owner isn't going to tell Tesla when a fee stops/starts/changes. If someone is concerned if there will be a fee or not, or what the requirements are to be considered a "patron" to use the charging station, he should call ahead to inquire.

I do agree there's nothing wrong with the B&B charging that $12 fee for non-guests. The non-guest should be happy it's available at all for non-guests, most would not be. B&Bs are in the business of renting rooms, not selling electricity.

On a related note I stopped at a new destination charging location, Torre di Pietra winery outside Fredericksburg, TX, on the way back from that town to Austin this afternoon. The listing said patrons only, and I didn't need a charge, I was just curious. There are two HPWCs and a J1772. I spoke to the owner who said they are available for wine club members or for a minimum purchase of two bottles of wine. (I actually knew that ahead of time from a recent Plugshare comment, but it's not something easily explained on the destination charging screen where it says "patrons only".) I suggested he make it available for wine tasting patrons also (a much less expensive $15) as that may help attract new customers to his winery, and he will consider it.

 

[EVSteve]

Absolutely not excessive. PG&E's top rate of $.56 per kwh is what is excessive!!

At that rate a full charge of 80 kw would be $44.80 plus ~10% for heat loss.

This area is not PG&E it's PP&L The rate is less than $12 to fully charge a MS.

My issue is the fact that they'll bill people regardless of the amount consumed while bragging to the local paper about being the first installation in the area (not true) while failing to mention the entire cost was covered by Tesla. This part is speculation but at the same time they installed a L2 charger which I would wager was also rolled into the allowance Tesla provides for charging installations at destinations.

 

[jerry33]

This area is not PG&E it's PP&L The rate is less than $12 to fully charge a MS.

My issue is the fact that they'll bill people regardless of the amount consumed while bragging to the local paper about being the first installation in the area (not true) while failing to mention the entire cost was covered by Tesla. This part is speculation but at the same time they installed a L2 charger which I would wager was also rolled into the allowance Tesla provides for charging installations at destinations.

Tesla owners know that Tesla paid for it and few others will care.

 

[Lloyd]

This area is not PG&E it's PP&L The rate is less than $12 to fully charge a MS.

My issue is the fact that they'll bill people regardless of the amount consumed while bragging to the local paper about being the first installation in the area (not true) while failing to mention the entire cost was covered by Tesla. This part is speculation but at the same time they installed a L2 charger which I would wager was also rolled into the allowance Tesla provides for charging installations at destinations.

AFAIK Tesla has not paid for any of the destination installations. That has been up to the property owner.

 

[brucet999]

There is a small B&B on the other side of town that also has a HPWC however they charge $12 per session regardless of actual power consumed unless you are staying at the inn. The destination charge listing for this Inn has no mention whatsoever of that fee. Considering Tesla paid for their connector and covered the installation costs that $12 fee is, in my opinion, outrageous. Current utility rates in this area are in the $0.14/kWh range for residential.

Why are you so upset that the B&B charges for non-guests? If they don't find it advantageous to give free charging to just anyone, then that's their decision. Tesla did give them the charger, but they had to pay for installation and the power used. As a B&B, they probably are paying commercial power rates, not residential.

 

[TexasEV]

AFAIK Tesla has not paid for any of the destination installations. That has been up to the property owner.

I've heard that Tesla pays something for installation, which may or may not cover the cost depending on the particulars of the installation. Others here may have more details.

 

[andrewket]

Why are you so upset that the B&B charges for non-guests? If they don't find it advantageous to give free charging to just anyone, then that's their decision. Tesla did give them the charger, but they had to pay for installation and the power used. As a B&B, they probably are paying commercial power rates, not residential.

Agree. To the best of my knowledge, Tesla provided the hardware, not the energy or installation costs. The business has every right to charge for non-guests. Be happy they're even offering public use with a fee. They could just say guests only as many other locations have done.

 

[EVSteve]

It was my understanding that Tesla provides a $1500 allowance towards the installation on top of providing the HPWC. Has that policy changed? I was also my understanding that Tesla asks that in exchange for providing that free hardware that charging be free for the first year. Granted they don't mandate that as a term of acceptance but it is asked.

 

[brucet999]

It was my understanding that Tesla provides a $1500 allowance towards the installation on top of providing the HPWC. Has that policy changed? I was also my understanding that Tesla asks that in exchange for providing that free hardware that charging be free for the first year. Granted they don't mandate that as a term of acceptance but it is asked.

See post #5 of this thread.

 

[TexasEV]

See post #5 of this thread.

This was for an office building and may not be relevant for a hotel/B&B. As many HPWCs as they want if they agree to it listed as "available to the public" is not what's been happening at hotels/B&Bs.

 

[rceldib]

We were at the Westin Starwood Resort in Mammoth Lakes, CA and the charger was reportedly free but they charged us $20 for Valet parking for one hour. We begrudgingly [FONT=Helvetica Neue, arial, sans-serif]charged as we had no choice but they lost our business as we refused to eat at their restaurant where we would have easily spent $60. I hope Tesla gets a Supercharger in Lee Vining soon as on our 3000 mile round trip from Los Angeles to Seattle the only time we paid for a charge was in Mammoth Lakes as we couldn't make it from Reno to Bishop, down the SR-395 in the rain without a stop. Otherwise the trip was flawless. Tesla is the best road trip car ever! We used the destination chargers five times for free on the trip, twice at the Seattle Tesla Service Center, at a bank in Minden, CA, at a Rabobank, and at a resort in Bend Oregon all for free. We ate at the restaurant at the resort in Bend Oregon. It was beautiful there.[/FONT]

 

[TexasEV]

We were at the Westin Starwood Resort in Mammoth Lakes, CA and the charger was reportedly free but they charged us $20 for Valet parking for one hour. We begrudgingly charged as we had no choice but they lost our business as we refused to eat at their restaurant where we would have easily spent $60. I hope Tesla gets a Supercharger in Lee Vining soon as on our 3000 mile round trip from Los Angeles to Seattle the only time we paid for a charge was in Mammoth Lakes as we couldn't make it from Reno to Bishop, down the SR-395 in the rain without a stop. Otherwise the trip was flawless. Tesla is the best road trip car ever! We used the destination chargers five times for free on the trip, twice at the Seattle Tesla Service Center, at a bank in Minden, CA, at a Rabobank, and at a resort in Bend Oregon all for free. We ate at the restaurant at the resort in Bend Oregon. It was beautiful there.

I don't understand your complaint. The Westin in Mammoth Lakes shows on the destination charging map as patrons only. That doesn't mean free, that means free for patrons. You didn't stay in the hotel and you didn't even eat in the restaurant. Be glad they agreed to let you charge just by paying a valet parking fee.

Perhaps you don't understand what destination charging is. Destination charging is to encourage you to choose that business as your destination- to choose that hotel rather than a competitor, or to eat in that restaurant, or patronize that amusement park, or whatever. It's not meant to be a public charging station on the way to somewhere else. If too many owners try to use it that way, the destination charging locations may decide it's not worth the trouble for the amount of business it attracts.