Looks like they're just a little early providing the link to the demo for what you can expect it to cost, since the Solterra is not yet in Qmerit's database. It allows you to save your position, so you can pick up where you left off when the Solterra gets in their database. The value to the email is we now know there are discounts (of some amount) for home and road charging. Qmerit seems to be the go-to place to find qualified electricians to install your home charger. Regarding EVgo, we previously were only told we'd have "access" to their stations. Now we know there'll be discounts. As for Just Drive, that sounds familiar to what I read about Lexus' plans to mitigate customers' range anxiety about a road trip to visit grandma in Colorado. Still need to know the specifics on the discounts for the home charger installation and EVgo charging, though.
Subaru is offering Solterra customers 10 free days of Just DRIVE™ rental for use of another Subaru
Got this email from SOA re my Solterra reservation
“Additionally, Subaru is offering Solterra customers 10 free days of Just DRIVE™ rental for use of another Subaru model from their selling retailer for three years from the date or Purchase or Lease”
I’m not in marketing, but this is a head scratcher. Does this inspire confidence in the decision to purchase a Solterra?
“Additionally, Subaru is offering Solterra customers 10 free days of Just DRIVE™ rental for use of another Subaru model from their selling retailer for three years from the date or Purchase or Lease”
I’m not in marketing, but this is a head scratcher. Does this inspire confidence in the decision to purchase a Solterra?
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The advantage of being able to use an EVgo account at a ChargePoint charger is that you wouldn't need to have money tied up in yet one more online account. EVgo bills "as you go" (runs a charge through on your credit or debit card at the end of the session, just like buying gas). ChargePoint (and Electrify America and Blink and likely others) instead uses the cash balance in your account to cover charging sessions, then when your balance gets below whatever threshold you've chosen it replenishes the account by whatever amount you've chosen.Do you think any benefits resulting from the Subaru/EVGo partnership would extend to the ChargePoint network? I'm not sure that I would count on that.
I don't really understand the "EVgo drivers can currently enjoy roaming access on the ChargePoint network" statement. (Not from you, but from EVGo's standpoint.) Can't anyone just get an account on ChargePoint, too, rather than using their EVGo account at a ChargePoint station? I don't have an EV yet, but I would think that I will just end up with accounts on whatever charging networks I end up using. Adding them as I plan trips that I think will require a different network or if I find myself needing a charge from a network that I haven't used before.
If you don't use public charging a lot, or you don't use a particular brand a lot, you end up with a bunch of cash balances on seldom used accounts. Individually they're not a problem, but in the aggregate they can really add up. Until that problem is addressed more universally, having one less account balance is a small but tangible benefit. So even if there aren't a lot of EVgo in places where you drive, being able to use an EVgo account at other networks (even if it's just ChargePoint initially) would be advantageous.
Let's say that it costs $5 to fully charge your EV at one of the pay stations. Could you not set an auto-deposit of say $10 whenever it goes below $5 or $10? That way you've never really got more than $15-$20 in the account, and you'll always have $ in there to charge when you need it.The advantage of being able to use an EVgo account at a ChargePoint charger is that you wouldn't need to have money tied up in yet one more online account. EVgo bills "as you go" (runs a charge through on your credit or debit card at the end of the session, just like buying gas). ChargePoint (and Electrify America and Blink and likely others) instead uses the cash balance in your account to cover charging sessions, then when your balance gets below whatever threshold you've chosen it replenishes the account by whatever amount you've chosen.
If you don't use public charging a lot, or you don't use a particular brand a lot, you end up with a bunch of cash balances on seldom used accounts. Individually they're not a problem, but in the aggregate they can really add up. Until that problem is addressed more universally, having one less account balance is a small but tangible benefit. So even if there aren't a lot of EVgo in places where you drive, being able to use an EVgo account at other networks (even if it's just ChargePoint initially) would be advantageous.
Translink (transit system in Vancouver) does the exact same thing with it's Compass card. The most expensive trip one can take is ~$5, so my account is set to auto deposit $10 once it goes below $5 (just gives me a tiny buffer).
I don't know what the exact minimums are, but right now I have a total of $25 tied up in 3 separate charging network accounts. That's not a huge amount of course, but it's about how much I spend on public charging in 3 months. The aggravation is that 1 of the 3 networks I almost never use. I'd much prefer the model that gas stations use. Offer loyalty rewards, but let me pay anywhere with the one payment method I prefer to use.Let's say that it costs $5 to fully charge your EV at one of the pay stations. Could you not set an auto-deposit of say $10 whenever it goes below $5 or $10? That way you've never really got more than $15-$20 in the account, and you'll always have $ in there to charge when you need it.
Translink (transit system in Vancouver) does the exact same thing with it's Compass card. The most expensive trip one can take is ~$5, so my account is set to auto deposit $10 once it goes below $5 (just gives me a tiny buffer).
EV charging isn't alone with this irritation. Dunkin Donuts, EZ-Pass (for highway tolls), you name it.
Cool, thanks for the info!The advantage of being able to use an EVgo account at a ChargePoint charger...
Jay is correct...specific organizations will have their own pre-funding rules. My state has me pegged at $60 refills when I go below $10 on my EZPass available funding, and will not allow it to be lower even though I don't really travel any more since retiring five years ago. Other entities permit a lower refill amount...my Starbucks account is $25 at the moment for that. These charging system networks are going to be the same way if they require pre-funding...and I"ll guess they are not going to do micro transactions because they get hit with the CC fees for each transaction and less transactions mean lower fees. It's nice to hear there is at least a chance of "roaming" for this...it will be a long time before many areas have multiple charging networks in place.
I wonder if these organizations will end up adopting a model where you keep using them, and then after 30 days they charge your card/bank-account. I know some gas station chains have partnered with banks so they can provide, for example, a Shell gas card. I wonder if that might reduce the fees the merchant has to pay, while at the same time allowing a customer to pay-as-he/she-goes. It’s not quite the same model as the gas card, but merchants and banks might be able to come up with some sort of hybrid model.Jay is correct...specific organizations will have their own pre-funding rules. My state has me pegged at $60 refills when I go below $10 on my EZPass available funding, and will not allow it to be lower even though I don't really travel any more since retiring five years ago. Other entities permit a lower refill amount...my Starbucks account is $25 at the moment for that. These charging system networks are going to be the same way if they require pre-funding...and I"ll guess they are not going to do micro transactions because they get hit with the CC fees for each transaction and less transactions mean lower fees. It's nice to hear there is at least a chance of "roaming" for this...it will be a long time before many areas have multiple charging networks in place.
The way Ford does it for Mach E owners, with FordPass and the virtual "BlueOval Charge Network", really makes a lot of sense. Multiple different charging networks participate in the virtual BlueOval Charge Network, allowing Mach E drivers to charge wherever they want with just a single payment method.These charging system networks are going to be the same way if they require pre-funding...and I"ll guess they are not going to do micro transactions because they get hit with the CC fees for each transaction and less transactions mean lower fees. It's nice to hear there is at least a chance of "roaming" for this...it will be a long time before many areas have multiple charging networks in place.
And yeah, Plug & Charge helps a lot too. It remains to be seen if either of the Toyobaru twins supports Plug & Charge.
I live in Greensboro NC and if EVgo was the only charging station available in NC, even along the interstates, there's NO WAY I could go anywhere with this car.According to the Texas EV Charging Dashboard (ArcGIS Dashboards), there are a whopping total 60 eVgo charging stations in Texas. That's roughly one eVgo charging station for every 5000 square miles. Yee Haw!
If eVgo really has 46,000 charging stations, some of you folks are living really high on the hog.
No Just Drive rentals in my area, either.
So excited to see a Solterra email in my inbox this week. Surprised the news would be delivered on a Friday but whatever. I followed the Qmerit link immediately just to find Subaru>2023>Solterra wasn't an option. Waited a few hours thinking someone would fix the link because it's pretty major news. Got a 404 error. Subaru isn't even listed on their partners page.
I don't work in corporate communications but this seems like a fail. If they can't coordinate messaging with a partnership launch, I'm hesitant to rely on them for the install of a level 2 charger.
My local power utility is offering some great cash rebates on home EV chargers but not the install. I'm hoping to go that route.
I hope the next Solterra email from Subaru contains some useful nuggets, not broken links.
Man! I didn't get an email! grrr.
I'm trying to read through all of this, but has Subaru announced any FREE charging like the bZ4x? Probably not, since we can still get the Tax credit (well some of us anyway). hmmm.
I think it would be in their best benefit to provide some!
They've announced in the email there'll be discounts, but no specifics yet.Man! I didn't get an email! grrr.
I'm trying to read through all of this, but has Subaru announced any FREE charging like the bZ4x? Probably not, since we can still get the Tax credit (well some of us anyway). hmmm.
I think it would be in their best benefit to provide some!
Waiting.... Waiting....They've announced in the email there'll be discounts, but no specifics yet.
I guess it just SEEMS like forever.
With a 1hr DC fast charging time, this is not a go anywhere car... it's a city car.I live in Greensboro NC and if EVgo was the only charging station available in NC, even along the interstates, there's NO WAY I could go anywhere with this car.
I'm waiting for the price to be announced by April 25th and if it's not priced under $42000 I'm out. I'll wait for them to use Panasonic batteries on future models 🤞. (I'm not interested in their band aid solution of 10 days of free just drive rentals).
Hyundai and Kia got it right with their 18min DC fast charging time.
Not really, except under rare ideal conditions. Expect 30 minutes most of the time. It has no heat pump and no battery preconditioning. I won't buy an EV without a heat pump that conditions both the passenger compartment and the battery pack.Hyundai and Kia got it right with their 18min DC fast charging time.
Not disputing the "only under ideal conditions" part, but the EV6 does come with a heat pump.Not really, except under rare ideal conditions. Expect 30 minutes most of the time. It has no heat pump and no battery preconditioning. I won't buy an EV without a heat pump that conditions both the passenger compartment and the battery pack.
I finally got to try and use EVgo on a trip and it was useless. Nowhere in Minnesota, Iowa or Nebraska (on a trip from MN to Omaha) was there an EVgo station and when I used my EVgo card in a Charge Point charger my ChargePoint account got charged, not EVgo!The advantage of being able to use an EVgo account at a ChargePoint charger is that you wouldn't need to have money tied up in yet one more online account. EVgo bills "as you go" (runs a charge through on your credit or debit card at the end of the session, just like buying gas). ChargePoint (and Electrify America and Blink and likely others) instead uses the cash balance in your account to cover charging sessions, then when your balance gets below whatever threshold you've chosen it replenishes the account by whatever amount you've chosen.
If you don't use public charging a lot, or you don't use a particular brand a lot, you end up with a bunch of cash balances on seldom used accounts. Individually they're not a problem, but in the aggregate they can really add up. Until that problem is addressed more universally, having one less account balance is a small but tangible benefit. So even if there aren't a lot of EVgo in places where you drive, being able to use an EVgo account at other networks (even if it's just ChargePoint initially) would be advantageous.
That's weird. I used the EVgo app, not my card, not sure that had anything to do with it.I finally got to try and use EVgo on a trip and it was useless. Nowhere in Minnesota, Iowa or Nebraska (on a trip from MN to Omaha) was there an EVgo station and when I used my EVgo card in a Charge Point charger my ChargePoint account got charged, not EVgo!
I'm not sure how CP would know to charge my CP account. Using the CP app would've been easier, I wouldn't have run into the "can't terminate session" problem. But my biggest problem was the very slow kW rate (my SOC was too high, but I had the time available to charge then, not later).
One month of ownership (as of today) and my EVgo card has still not arrived. I escalated the issue with SoA yesterday. We have no EVgo stations near us, but we are driving on a 10-day road trip starting next weekend and will have multiple opportunities to stop at an EVgo station along the way. I would like the credit to use on the trip. Fingers crossed the email arrives before we leave.
I also have not heard anything about the Just Drive promotion. This matter is a little thornier than the EVgo promotion. My dealer says to check with SoA, and SoA Customer Advocacy says I should work with my dealer. At this point I am stuck between the two entities neither of whom seems to know much about this offer. The sales person did tell me about it when I bought the car. However, the dealership is not part of the Just Drive system yet. I am fairly certain I won't be able to use the offer since my dealer does not participate in Just Drive yet. My hope is the dealer joins the program in the next three years and I will be able to utilize this offer once they do.
I also have not heard anything about the Just Drive promotion. This matter is a little thornier than the EVgo promotion. My dealer says to check with SoA, and SoA Customer Advocacy says I should work with my dealer. At this point I am stuck between the two entities neither of whom seems to know much about this offer. The sales person did tell me about it when I bought the car. However, the dealership is not part of the Just Drive system yet. I am fairly certain I won't be able to use the offer since my dealer does not participate in Just Drive yet. My hope is the dealer joins the program in the next three years and I will be able to utilize this offer once they do.
The Just Drive promotion is a bit of a sham for me, and my total guess is that it must have been a directive from SOA or Subaru Corporation to offer it. The local dealerships where I live don't rent out their Subarus, despite having links to Just Drive programs on their respective dealer sites. To be clear, they still have loaners for people who bring in their cars for service.
Got the Just DRIVE email today. Maybe they are rolling out to new locations.
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