Anyone have experience charging at an Airport

[McLovin]

I’m flying from DCA mid September, and noticed they had a bunch of free chargers in the parking garage (ChargePoint). Assuming there are spots available when I get there, do you schedule your charge to start, say, 24h before you return, or just let it charge to maybe 85% immediately, and then top it off on your return day? Or does it even matter?

They’re level 1 chargers, so ~ 4% per hour.

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[josh0]

I think it depends on the chargers. I used the ones at BWI’s express lot, back when they were Shell Recharge, and it seemed like they reactivated the charge session to keep the battery at the specified soc if it dropped below after the initial charge session ended.

I wish there was a better way to do this, I hate the idea of taking up a charger for days when I obviously only need it for a fraction of that time, but also don’t want to have to worry about vampire drain on a longer trip. I’d much prefer just having an outlet to plug my own charger into, really. (I know some The Fast Park lots do that, for example the one at Albuquerque.)

 

[McLovin]

I hate the idea of taking up a charger for days when I obviously only need it for a fraction of that time,

Yeah, that was one aspect that bothered me also. I’ve heard of people parking near regular outlets and plugging in, but am not sure if that’s frowned upon by the airport. Wouldn’t want to return & see my cable confiscated.

 

[josh0]

Yeah, that was one aspect that bothered me also. I’ve heard of people parking near regular outlets and plugging in, but am not sure if that’s frowned upon by the airport. Wouldn’t want to return & see my cable confiscated.

It’s definitely frowned upon in some places. The daily parking garage at BWI has signs expressly forbidding it, but I’ve also seen people post on PlugShare that they did it anyway, so… ?‍

 

[beatle]

Doesn't really matter whether you charge to 85% initially or to 100% eventually. I'd probably charge to 85% right off the bat and then top off later if you remember. If you forget or get busy, you'd come back without a charged vehicle. But if you don't remember to top off, you're at least guaranteed to get to 85% if you start when you get there.

When I charged at DCA back in Feb of 2023 while waiting to pick someone up, I pulled around 3kw. 197V, 16A. These charging stations are in short term parking which is more expensive. If I were going to be gone for more than a day or two, I'd probably park in economy to save a few bucks. It's nice to get "free" electricity while you charge, but it's a false economy if it costs a lot to park there.

 

[brancky3]

Doesn't really matter whether you charge to 85% initially or to 100% eventually. I'd probably charge to 85% right off the bat and then top off later if you remember. If you forget or get busy, you'd come back without a charged vehicle. But if you don't remember to top off, you're at least guaranteed to get to 85% if you start when you get there.

I would charge it as fast as possible, just in case someone manages to unplug you / etc.

 

[BCondrey]

I would not use an airport charger unless I was coming back the same day, or it was a DCFC that I could use for a bit to get me home. Thats just me. I don't like the thought of leaving it plugged in for days and someone trying to unplug the cable or mess with it when I am not there.

My vampire drain is like 1% a day so I can leave the truck in the lot for a month or more if I need to. The key is to show up at the airport with a decent SOC.

 

[Osyras]

In Toronto, if you use the Valet ParkNFly they will top up your car for you while you are gone. Maybe something similar exists there.

 

[Nano]

I have used the chargers at PDX (Portland, OR) lots of times for up to a week. They have them in short term and economy lots. I’ve only used the ones in economy and they are Level 1 chargers. I’ve never had an issue of any kind and I leave gear guard on since it is plugged in. Also there is no cost and there are signs for EV vehicles only. I think it’s a great benefit.

 

[Dave Cundiff]

Seattle/Tacoma airport parking garage operators decided to invest in a relatively small number of Level 2 chargers, rather than a larger number of Level 1 chargers. I think that's a foolish decision, as 110-volt Level 1 chargers require much more economical wiring, and will meet almost all customers' needs in overnight airport parking.

Portland invested in a relatively small number of Level 1 chargers. That's much better for us, when we can find one.

In Seattle, reserving fourth-floor parking, as far in advance as possible, gives us the best chance of actually finding a vacant charging space. At any given time, most of the charging spaces are occupied by EVs and PHEVs that have finished charging, a few are occupied by vehicles that aren't plugged in at all, and only slightly more by vehicles that are actively charging. A significant waste of circuitry and charging resources.

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I find our HV batteries are less likely to heat up with slower charging speeds -- so for us, "the slower the better" as long as the charging session gets the job done and nobody disconnects us.

Best wishes!

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