Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ChargePoint® Network?
- Is the network Open?
- How much does it cost to use a ChargePoint Charging Station?
- Who sets the price to access ChargePoint Charging Stations?
- How do I access the stations?
- How do I obtain, or activate a ChargePass™ card?
- How do I pay for access to a ChargePoint charging station with my ChargePass card?
- Do I get a discount for using my ChargePass card?
- Why does nothing happen when I hit the Confirm Registration button in the Sign Up screen?
- Is my Credit Card data safe?
- Can I cancel my ChargePass account?
- I received my ChargePass card in the mail – now what?
- How do I activate my ChargePass card – I already have an account?
- How do I activate my ChargePass card – I have not yet created an account?
- Why won’t the Charging Station read my ChargePass or other RFID Card?
- What do the different colors mean on the map of Charging Stations?
- What does it mean when a station is listed as a “SALES DEMO”?
- How are GHG Savings computed?
- Will any standard 120V charging cord work with your charging stations?
- What kind of Notifications can I sign up for?
- Which browsers are supported?
What is the ChargePoint® Network? (back to top)
The ChargePoint Network is the world’s most advanced and easy to use electric vehicle-charging infrastructure. Electric vehicle charging is delivered via ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations which cover the entire range of Level I, Level II, and Level III electric vehicle charging needs.
Is the network Open? (back to top)
Absolutely! The ChargePoint Network is open to all drivers, all electric vehicle types and all ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations from any manufacturer.
How much does it cost to use a ChargePoint Charging Station? (back to top)
Until July 2010, access to all public ChargePoint Charging Stations continues to be free. Stations may be accessed for free by calling the toll-free number located on every charging station or by activating a ChargePass™ RFID-based Smart Card.
Starting in July 2010 owners of ChargePoint Charging stations will have the option to set a fee for accessing their stations.
Who sets the price to access ChargePoint Charging Stations? (back to top)
Starting in July 2010 the owners of ChargePoint Charging Stations (Hosts) will control the fees (if any) to access their stations. Prices will appear on the station display and on the Google maps found at Find Charging Stations.
How do I access the stations? (back to top)
The ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations can be easily accessed with any of the following options:
- ChargePass™ RFID-based Smart Cards
- Phone call to the customer service number on every ChargePoint charging station
- Contactless Credit Cards, such as MasterCard PayPass™, Visa payWave®, etc. (coming in July 2010).
Additional forms of access will be supported in the future.
How do I obtain, or activate a ChargePass™ card? (back to top)
A ChargePass card may be obtained for a small fee by creating an account on-line. Creating a ChargePass account will allow the ChargePoint Network to notify you by text message or E-mail when your vehicle is completely charged or if your charging session is interrupted for any reason such as a GFCI fault or disconnected cable.
To create an account, click on the Sign Up tab. Fill in your name, address, phone number, E-mail address, etc., at the top of the page. Also select the make and model of your vehicle from the list, or enter your own vehicle if yours is not shown. Next select what size of ChargePass Card you would like to receive in the mail: a “credit card” size card that is designed to fit in a wallet; or a “key” size card that is roughly the length of a standard car key and is designed to fit on a key chain. Then enter the Security Code at the bottom of the screen and click the Proceed to make payment button. If there are any errors in any of the fields, there will be red “help” text below the field informing you of the error. Correct all such errors, re-enter the Security Code at the bottom of the screen, and again click the Proceed to make payment button. This will take you to the Credit Card payment screen. Enter your credit card information and then click the Confirm Registration button. Today, for a limited time, stations may be accessed for free.
How do I pay for access to a ChargePoint charging station with my ChargePass card? (back to top)
After July 2010 you will log into your account and provide a credit card number that will be billed to keep your ChargePass “filled up”. You will select an initial fill up amount and then each time you use the card your account will be debited for the ChargePoint station access fee. When your account runs low, your account will automatically be refilled by billing your credit card. The refill amount will be automatically adjusted over time to match your usage so as to require only one credit card billing per month.
Do I get a discount for using my ChargePass card? (back to top)
Definitely. Using your ChargePass card will earn you a 10% discount when compared to using a regular credit card at that station. In addition, ChargePass card holders can choose to be notified by the network when their vehicles are fully charged, or when a fault occurs with the vehicle preventing it from fully charging.
Why does nothing happen when I hit the Confirm Registration button in the Sign Up screen? (back to top)
Most likely there is an error in one of the input fields. Scroll up to the top of the page to see if this is the case. Any field with an error will have a red explanation for the error. Be sure to repair all such errors before proceeding. Also, don’t forget to re-enter the Security Code at the bottom of the screen, which may have changed since you first hit the Confirm Registration button, and then click that button again.
Is my Credit Card data safe? (back to top)
Yes! The ChargePoint Network never stores your Credit Card data.
Can I cancel my ChargePass account? (back to top)
Yes, you can cancel your ChargePass account at any time. Just send an E-mail to Customer Support with your cancellation request including your name, address, phone number and the E-mail address on your account. Customer support will take care of the cancellation for you.
I received my ChargePass card in the mail – now what? (back to top)
You must activate your card before you can use it. If you have already created an account on mychargepoint.net, then see How do I activate my ChargePass card – I already have an account? Otherwise, see How do I activate my ChargePass card – I have not yet created an account?
How do I activate my ChargePass card – I already have an account? (back to top)
If you have already created a ChargePass account, simply log in to your account on mychargepoint.net by clicking here. Under the My Account tab, select Activate Card. In the indicated field, enter the serial number on the back of your ChargePass card (the number below the bar code), and click activate. This completes the activation process. Once activated, you may use your card to charge your plug-in electric vehicle at any ChargePoint Networked Charging Station. Use the Find Charging Stations feature to find the nearest station to a specific location, or along a route.
How do I activate my ChargePass card – I have not yet created an account? (back to top)
If you were given a ChargePass card and have not yet created a ChargePass account, the first step is to create an account. Go to the signup page, select Yes where it asks Do you already have a ChargePass card?, and supply your ChargePass card’s serial number where indicated. The serial number is written below the bar code on the back of the card. When finished filling in your account information, click on submit. You will receive an E-mail with a link you can click on to complete the activation process.
Why won’t the Charging Station read my ChargePass or other RFID Card? (back to top)
The ChargePass RFID card must be held close to the indicated lock icon. Hold the card there for a second or two rather than swiping it quickly past the icon.
What do the different colors mean on the map of Charging Stations? (back to top)
Available charging stations are shown in green. Occupied stations are shown in blue. Charging stations that are unreachable are shown in yellow. A station is shown as “Unreachable” when it does not respond to a periodic heartbeat message. The most likely cause of an “Unreachable” station is one of the following: (1) the installation “rough in” has been completed, but the station is in transit and has not yet been physically installed; or (2) the station is a SALES DEMO and is currently powered down
What does it mean when a station is listed as a “SALES DEMO”? (back to top)
A station listed as a “SALES DEMO” is a portable, mobile, charging station that a ChargePoint Network Regional Distributor can bring to trade shows, public events, and customer meetings. The station appears on the map so the Distributor can demonstrate the ChargePoint Network Operating System portals, and thus the advanced features and benefits of a smart, networked, charging infrastructure. As such, the station is not permanently installed at the location indicated on the map. To arrange for a demonstration, please contact the ChargePoint Network Regional Distributor in your area.
How are GHG Savings computed? (back to top)
Coulomb uses EPA estimates to derive a formula relating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Savings to the amount of energy delivered to the vehicle from the charging station. The following estimates are used in the calculations, with references:
- Driving an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle emits 8.8 kg CO2/gal (19.4 lbs CO2/gal). [1]
- The US Passenger Car average efficiency for ICE vehicles is 23.9 mi/gal (mpg) [2]
- An Electric Vehicle (EV) has an average efficiency of 5.0 mi/kWh. [Note: This is a Coulomb estimate based on data for several types of Electric Vehicles.]
- Electricity generation, for the mix consumed in the CAMX (WECC California) region, emits 0.49 kg CO2/kWh (1.08 lbs CO2/kWh) [3]
- CO2 is 95% of GHG emissions [4]
Combining these numbers yields 1.42 kg/kWh (3.13 lbs/kWh) of GHG Savings for the CAMX (WECC California) region. Future releases will allow for customization of the GHG formula to reflect regional differences in electricity generation.
Will any standard 120V charging cord work with your charging stations? (back to top)
All standard, grounded, cords with opaque plugs, rated for 15A, will work with our Level I charging stations. Outdoor-rated, bright orange, charging cords with opaque connectors are recommended for use with our Level I charging stations. Cords with clear plastic plugs – ones through which you can see the wires and contacts – are not supported. For safety reasons ungrounded plugs with only two contactors are also not supported. The charging station will only energize the outlet if it detects that a plug has been firmly seated into the outlet and that the door is closed and locked. This FAQ does not apply to our Level II and charging stations where the SAE J1772™ Document connector and cable are physically attached to the station.
What kind of Notifications can I sign up for? (back to top)
The following Notifications are available via SMS, E-mail, or both:
- Vehicle Fully Charged: The power drops below a pre-configured threshold, which indicates that the battery is fully charged.
- Plug Out Detected: Someone removed the cord from the Vehicle or the charging station. This immediately ends the session. The cord remains locked inside the charging station until you use your card to retrieve it.
- GFCI (Ground Fault Current Interrupt) Trip: Occurs when the station detects a problem with the vehicle's battery charging circuit or the cord connecting the vehicle to the charging station. The station will retry after a 15min countdown, but give up after three occurrences. If you receive this notification, please contact the manufacturer of your vehicle, or the company that did the conversion, as it may indicate a problem with the charging circuit or the battery in the vehicle.
- Over current: The vehicle is trying to draw more current than allowed. The station will cut off the power and, as in the case of GFCI, retry after a 15min countdown. If you receive this notification, please contact the manufacturer of your vehicle, or the company that did the conversion, as it may indicate a problem with the charging circuit or the battery in the vehicle.
Which browsers are supported? (back to top)
ChargePoint Network Portals are officially supported in Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 7.0 and 8.0; Mozilla Firefox versions 3.0 and 3.5, with a minimum resolution of 1024x768 in all cases. Some Rich Internet Application content may not render correctly in other browsers, versions, and platforms.
