Bit the bullet to pay to park in the garage at work ...

[tigger19687]

So my work will allow me to park in the garage, but I would have to pay $15 a month for the upper 3 floors, or free if I am on a 2nd or 3rd shift.
There is ONE spot in the "secluded" section that has a wall plug and a NO PARKING sign. It is basically where the Doc's park and pay $55 a month for an assigned spot, bottom level, and a special gate that your badge opens. Only a few park there.

Right now I park in the outside lot (Doc's lot -- shhh don't tell) but it is in the sun all day. With the sun and Winter coming I thought,,, Hey, if they would let me park in the spot with the Plug, allow me to plug in and only pay $15 a month then I am IN ! Shoot this is probably less then what I would pay at home for Electricity PLUS I am IN the Garage !!

I knew that the Garage manager parks in that spot during the day and the Over night ER doc (I work in the ER Per Diem so I know him) parks and plugs in his Smart car for 8 nights a month.

Turns out there is a new garage guy. I explain that I normally work M-F 8-5 but that I get called to the ER for last minute evening work and weekends and it is pitch black where I park my car outside when I get out late... I could park for free in the upper levels but I don't think that is fair if I don't get called to work in the evenings for like a month. Fair is Fair.
Then I explained about the Electric car and said that I was willing to pay $15 a month (not $55) but ONLY if I could park in that spot and plug in. He said sure :~) Gotta love Young Young new Managers
I'm not suppose to start till Monday when Payroll attaches it to my paycheck deduction, but I left for lunch to get a change of clothes as I am working till 11pm tonight in the ER.

MY spot was wide open when I got there and my badge let me into the "secluded" section.

Soon I will NOT be hot when I get into my car at the end of the day... DRY when it is raining or snowing .... and NOT have to brush snow off my car at the end of the day either

..........I feel special

 

[kiev]

Got to love it when a plan comes together...

 

[JoeS]

Covered parking at work with a wallplug for $15/mo sounds like a bargain to me! Heck, I'd walk a mile for that!

 

[sandange]

Can't beat that

 

[kitkit]

Congrats! $15 a month for a designated parking space with a wall plug for the Miev?! I would have jumped on it anytime. It's not going to happen in San Francisco unfortunately. University Of San Francisco (Medical school) parking garage would charge you the following rate:

Public parking rates at Parnassus garages are as follows:
0-1 Hours = $3.75
1-2 Hours = $7.50
2-3 Hours = $11.25
3-4 Hours = $15.00
4-5 Hours = $18.75 (24-hour comp sticker rate)
5-6 Hours = $22.50
6-7 Hours = $26.25
7-24 Hours = $30.00 (daily maximum)

Even staff parking permit would cost over $100 per month! For EV charging station, Level 1 and Level 2 fees: $1.25 per hour.

 

[tigger19687]

I would NOT have gotten that spot and been able to plug in with the 'old manager" and certainly not for $15 !
He gave some BS about there being a pipe there and that is why no one is allowed to park there... but he did and it is a marked parking spot.
There is a sign on the fence behind that was stuck up there saying no parking.

I hate to pay, but this way I won't have to plug in at home unless I have gone too far on the weekend.


Also, my drive to work is 16 miles round trip. so it isn't like I need to plug in every day. But so sweet to have my own parking spot !
:mrgreen:

 

[JoeS]

...I hate to pay... But so sweet to have my own parking spot !..

I'd consider that money well spent. In your shoes I'd be discreet about it and back in and tuck the cables away such that it's not obvious you're charging, and I wouldn't comment to my fellow-workers about it either.

 

[tigger19687]

...I hate to pay... But so sweet to have my own parking spot !..

I'd consider that money well spent. In your shoes I'd be discreet about it and back in and tuck the cables away such that it's not obvious you're charging, and I wouldn't comment to my fellow-workers about it either.

Correct, I plan on not telling anyone, other then I now pay to park in the garage. And yes Very well spent money for what I will be getting.

I was just trying to think if I should get an extension cord and have it tuck into the hatch. Can't miss the BOX on the EVSE dangling from the wall.... Oh sorry, the plug is about feet off the ground.

 

[jsantala]

My client moved to a new office building with no free parking. Previously I could use a free plug, which was under the building, but outside so no snow on vehicle, but no heating either. After the move I decided to get a proper parking spot in the heated parking garage at the new site. It costs 150€/mo, which the client covers half and the rest goes through the co-op I work for.

The net net is that considering taxes and all I lose about 40€/mo in hard cash for the spot, but it means the car gets to be in a warm place every day I'm at work and charge in a controlled environment. So I'm doing it for the battery pack as well. Previous winter the car had to endure -25˚C temperatures with no relief and I was a little worried about charging on the coldest days - although I was always sure to charge after driving the pack at least a little warm.

Also worth noting is that I get just about all the charge I need from that charging so the 40€/mo is just about the full extent of my "filling-up" costs right now. Much less than I was paying for Diesel fuel before.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ocnaaey053ogvr4/2015-08-07%2009.19.18.jpg?dl=0

 

[sandange]

Here is my solution when I Charge out in the public

 

[tigger19687]

Sent a PM but thought putting it here might help others too

Do you leave it coiled in the bag inside? Does it get warm?
I keep hearing that you should not coil the wires as they get warm, but then I also thought about the Box part of the EVSE gets warm too.
And last, does the hatch close tight and doesn't that bend the cords ?

I have a 12 gauge cord that I use for my AC at home... I may go out and buy another shorter one tho.
My EVSE is the original, so it charges at the 8amps so I may just get another that is shorter then the 25 feet cord i already have. The plug I will be using will be right between the driver/rear doors if I back in.
BTW, thanks for all the tips here !!

 

[sandange]

I guess it's limited space in the cargo area for the chargers own cord so I kind of have to coil it up some,
I try to park in the shade & keep the chargers head out of the bag to cool and to see the activity light.
If you always use the same plug at work you can size an extesion to just be long enough.
The tail gate lid has a pretty good rubber seal and does not damage my extension cord, but if you do this every day & are worried about it, you might be able to notch out a little part of the seal at the bottom for the cords.

 

[PV1]

I have a 14 gauge extension cord that I use. With the stock cord, both fit under the hatch without issue. I make sure to close the hatch easy, but it doesn't pinch the cables. When I charge like this with the cord locked in the hatch, I drop the charge rate to 10 amps (EVSEUpgrade) to minimize cable heating. At 8 amps, I don't think there would be any heating issues unless there is a weak connection.

 

[Don]

A 14 gauge, 25' extension is all you'd need - The wires which run from the EVSE to the J-1772 connector are only 16 gauge

Don

 

[tigger19687]

I bought another 12g yellow cord that's 10 feet as it works better in the house. The 12g--25foot I will use at the garage as it is black and red and not yellow, so maybe not as noticeable. I only need like 6 feet in the garage, but that will work
Thanks all

 

[ed5000]

Here in Oakland I can pay $7.50 per day or get a monthly pass which costs $3.30 per day (which is what I have). The only problem is there's a 10 year waiting list for monthly passes. It's a hold over from the day when there were fewer employees and they used to get their monthly pass the same day they asked for one. Mine took 8 years. They do have L2 charging but it's about 49 cents per kwh so I charge mostly at home.

 

[RobbW]

I just put in my annual request for cold-weather charging options here at my work. I have been denied charging privileges at work for the first two winters of ownership, so far. So, I'm not really holding my breath for them to change their minds this year. But, I'll try to be optimistic about it. Maybe one of these years they'll get tired of me asking and agree to allow me to pay for charging privileges just to shut me up!

I even tossed in some info on a couple companies who will come out and install EV charging stations free of charge with no operating costs to my company. We'll see if they will finally bite or not!

 

[tigger19687]

I will cross my fingers.
Maybe you could show them how much it would cost to charge and agree to pay that in fees?

I still get nervous about pluggin in where I am. I am afraid that someone will notice and then complain and I will lose my parking.

 

[RobbW]

I will cross my fingers.
Maybe you could show them how much it would cost to charge and agree to pay that in fees?

Oh, I put that in my request. About 39 cents per day, at most, to charge at work.

 

[tigger19687]

That seems like a high price, but I assume you are talking about an actual charger.
If they have a wall plug, maybe they would be better with that ?