western MA public chargers during memorial day weekend

[samskeys]

Anyone in MA have a sense of, or have personal experience with how busy the electrify america chargers (particularly in Lee and Chicopee) get during holiday weekends like memorial day? Planning my first longer trip and wondering if I'll likely be waiting in a line.
Thanks!

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[RickLightning]

PlugShare does.

Lee is new, so no one will know. But it's in an outlet mall, so I'll tell you it will be mobbed. https://www.plugshare.com/location/569816

Chicopee looks like it has issues, and is crowded. https://www.plugshare.com/location/152111

 

[samskeys]

PlugShare does.

Lee is new, so no one will know. But it's in an outlet mall, so I'll tell you it will be mobbed. https://www.plugshare.com/location/569816

Chicopee looks like it has issues, and is crowded. https://www.plugshare.com/location/152111

Thanks! I've been looking on plugshare. How do you determine how busy it gets? I can't seem to find that info...

 

[RickLightning]

Thanks! I've been looking on plugshare. How do you determine how busy it gets? I can't seem to find that info...

Look at the quality score of the location (green box at top), and then scroll down to Check-ins and click View More.

I can tell you from personal experience that you want to avoid at all costs traveling on a holiday weekend - and that's with a gas vehicle. When you add in an EV, and each charging stop has no other options, you're hosed. If they have 4 chargers, you might get there and see 4 cars waiting. That's a wait for you of up to an hour, THEN charging.

Use A Better Route Planner, and try to pick stops where there are choices. And charge every chance you get to give you the ability to skip a busy spot. Look for alternate networks. In Florida, we would skip EA and use FPL (Florida Power and Light) when EA had waits and FPL had no one there. Remember that many car companies give years of free charging AT EA to their owners, and you aren't them.

Leave with 100%. Drive slower, and you'll get more range.

 

[samskeys]

Great advice. Thanks!

 

[RickLightning]

Great advice. Thanks!

We were in California back in early March. Went to charge at an outlet mall, on a Sunday. It was so mobbed just for shopping... The lane with the chargers was backed up, with vehicles double parked waiting. I gave up and went to another EA location, then another EA location, then a 4th. Finally charged.

Even with a Tesla adapter, some places don't have any SuperChargers.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I've been to Chicopee, it was busy, but then again, we had Northeast Lightning Owners rally at the time LOL

The charging station is located to right side on Home Depot in the plaza, October 30th 2022, leaf peeping season.

 

[Upstate]

As much as I am tempted to say bad things about both charging stations, just to keep it less busy, I won’t.
I’ve used the station at the Home Depot in Chicopee at least three times (more than any other I’ve used in 16 months), including Memorial Day weekend last year. Midday on the actual holiday, there was a brief wait, nothing like California lines, really maybe 10 or 15 minutes. The stations were fast, well maintained and the nearby fast food joints made it posssible to grab a cup of coffee or light snack while charging completed.
The stations at the Lee Outlet mall are brand new. In fact, when I was there just a few months ago, they were still under wraps. That said, Lee Outlet Mall is not Woodbury Commons. Even if it is busy, patrons will not likely be filling the stalls. Highway travelers might.
If you are heading east on I-90, there is also a fantastic EvolveNY charger at the Stewart’s Shop near I-90 east in Castleton on Hudson. And you’ll get to enjoy some of their awesome award winning ice cream!

 

[Calvin H-C]

Leave with 100%. Drive slower, and you'll get more range.

I can't recommend enough about driving a little slower to SAVE time.

In the 6+ years of driving a Focus Electric with about a 100-120 mile range, needing to fast charge on a road trip is a significant issue.

Your mileage may vary, but I've done trips where driving at 115-120 km/h (70-75 mph) would cut travel time by almost 30 minutes over going 100-105 (60-65 mph). BUT, that speed would require one extra fast charge stop with 25-30 minutes of charging time, plus a good 15-20 minutes to get off the highway and back on again.

That doesn't include any waiting time if all the chargers are in use!

 

[samskeys]

Thank you! I'm actually not worried at all about getting to my destination, but there aren't any real chargers local to my destination so I need to stop along the way somewhere I believe, in order to get home. @Upstate 's personal experience is super helpful to hear about! Has anyone ever brought a mobile charger and tapped into someone's 240 laundry dryer outlet? Bad idea?

 

[Randall Stephens]

Thank you! I'm actually not worried at all about getting to my destination, but there aren't any real chargers local to my destination so I need to stop along the way somewhere I believe, in order to get home. @Upstate 's personal experience is super helpful to hear about! Has anyone ever brought a mobile charger and tapped into someone's 240 laundry dryer outlet? Bad idea?

It’s been done before

 

[RickLightning]

Thank you! I'm actually not worried at all about getting to my destination, but there aren't any real chargers local to my destination so I need to stop along the way somewhere I believe, in order to get home. @Upstate 's personal experience is super helpful to hear about! Has anyone ever brought a mobile charger and tapped into someone's 240 laundry dryer outlet? Bad idea?

The Lightning Mobile Charger pulls 30amps. Most dryer outlets are 30amps, designed for a non-continuous pull of 24amps or lower. You pulling 30 will either pop the breaker or cause a fire, or maybe it won't.

 

[Randall Stephens]

If you don’t t have the ford mobile charger, don’t buy one.

 

[samskeys]

If you don’t t have the ford mobile charger, don’t buy one.

Why’s that? I don’t have one.

 

[Randall Stephens]

Why’s that? I don’t have one.

You can’t limit the charge rate is the biggest factor. There are better options for the price. It’s quite expensive for what it is. But an adjustable rate one will give you many other options to charge on the go

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