http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/05/01/ny-deems-free-electric-car-charging-unconstitutional-on-public-property/?intcmp=features
But in the city of Watertown, New York, City Attorney Robert J. Slye recently determined that installing charging stations in a municipal parking lot would be nothing less than unconstitutional.
The New York State Constitution, he noted, says that municipalities shall not "give or loan any money or property to or in aid of any individual, corporation or association, or private undertaking.”
In short, this is allowing Cities to charge for those public charging stations. Nothing for free!
I actually expected that. Elec companies shouldnt be expected to carry the cost of these charging stations. But, I do see them being free at the point of the recepticle, but the cost being added into taxes.
yamaha
UltraDork
5/1/13 11:05 a.m.
AquaHusky wrote:
But, I do see them being free at the point of the recepticle, but the cost being added into taxes.
That I don't agree with, unless you are referring to an end to the hybrid/electric exemption and thus paying for them, then I agree.
Sounds good to me. You don't buy my gas, I don't buy your electricity.
Even if it is for the sake of the children.
peter
HalfDork
5/1/13 11:07 a.m.
I wonder if the electric companies wouldn't underwrite those charging stations. Sure, they lose a few cents of electricity when you spend an hour at a downtown restaurant, but if it makes the difference between you buying an electric car (and the requisite home charging station) and not... they win in the long run.
I can't understand why anyone would ever think they'd get their gas or electricity for free!
Why should the people without electric cars pay for the equipment or the electricity for those that do? Nothing is free, as somebody has to pay for it.
metered electric parking. pay $x.xx for x hours.
boom, done.
Josh
SuperDork
5/1/13 11:50 a.m.
Under that tortured interpretation of their constitiution, they'd better also be charging for use of all public restrooms, drinking fountains, gathering spaces, parks, transit lines, roads, schools, or police, fire, and rescue services because those all "lend or give property" to the individuals who use them just as much as a charging station would. This language is clearly meant to prevent corruption and misappropriation of public funds/resources to favored individuals, not to prevent towns from providing freely accessible services to their citizens.
Free to you and paid for by the govt? There's a word for that--Communism.
I'm sure they can figure a way to conveniently charge a customer the market rate per kwH.
1988RedT2 wrote:
Free to you and paid for by the govt? There's a word for that--Communism.
I'm sure they can figure a way to conveniently charge a customer the market rate per kwH.
Hitler! Constitution! Socialism! Kenyan! Global Warming is a scam!
Did I hit all the high points?
I did enjoy a delicious homemade Chocolate Cream Pie last night...
failboat wrote:
metered electric parking. pay $x.xx for x hours.
boom, done.
Agreed. Yet it's being studiously ignored almost everywhere.
Josh
SuperDork
5/1/13 4:59 p.m.
foxtrapper wrote:
failboat wrote:
metered electric parking. pay $x.xx for x hours.
boom, done.
Agreed. Yet it's being studiously ignored almost everywhere.
Well, it's not "being ignored", because generally the public-policy goal of providing charging stations is not solely for the convenience of those who happen to own plug-in cars. It's a perk to help convince more people to buy plug-in cars, thus consuming less energy and creating less pollution, which benefits everyone. Same concept as hybrids getting to use the HOV lanes or pay reduced excise or registration fees in many places.
That said, if fairly priced, metered charging stations might actually do more to further adoption of these vehicles, because a cost-neutral approach may encourage more stations to actually get installed rather than just serve as a flashpoint for partisan bickering.
I've only paid for public charging stations for the Volt, though at outrageous rates (you want to double your money on the electricity being delivered, fine, but charging a 3000% markup? Not a chance, buddy)
Look at ChargePoint, it's an app that tells where the public charging stations are, but almost all of them are pay as you use. Anywhere from $2 to $5 an hour. And that electricity is only costing the station owner $.10-.13/kwh... At a buck an hour, I'd use them more often AND it would still pay off the cost of the station installs within a few months.
In reply to Chris_V:
I agree that they shouldn't be price gouging the E36 M3 out of people with electric cars. Thats just not right.
carguy123 wrote:
I can't understand why anyone would ever think they'd get their gas or electricity for free!
one of my uncles just bought a Nissan Leaf for his 30 mile commute to work.. he was bragging on facebook that he's saving a ton of money because he plugs into the free charging stations provided by the city of Minneapolis in the ramp he parks in.. he didn't understand what i was saying when i told him that it wasn't "free" and that everyone that pays taxes in the city of Minneapolis or that pays for electricity thru Excel Energy (depending on how the city worked out the deal for the charging stations) was actually paying for it.. he replied "no, it's free. i don't pay a dime, and neither does anyone else"..
he also doesn't like it when i ask him how his coal powered car is treating him...
he's 56 years old..
Chris_V wrote:
I've only paid for public charging stations for the Volt, though at outrageous rates (you want to double your money on the electricity being delivered, fine, but charging a 3000% markup? Not a chance, buddy)
Look at ChargePoint, it's an app that tells where the public charging stations are, but almost all of them are pay as you use. Anywhere from $2 to $5 an hour. And that electricity is only costing the station owner $.10-.13/kwh... At a buck an hour, I'd use them more often AND it would still pay off the cost of the station installs within a few months.
Yeah, the markup on many of the stations is insanity. If you have a Leaf, or other pure EV, I can see it being a necessary evil at times, but they can kiss my range extended butt if they think I'm going to pay a 25x markup on their juice.
Some municipalities are doing it differently, however. The city of Winter Park, FL, has installed loads of charge stations and only charges peak cost for their juice (you pay peak whether it's peak or not. It's about $.16 per kWh). There's similar setups in Texas and California as well.
And some businesses are getting involved as well. Buffalo Wild Wings in Daytona has a charge station that's free to customers, and we'll eat there just to support their creative marketing (not because of their E36 M3ty, E36 M3ty wings, believe me). Kohl's department stores also has free stations at several of their stores and they've made money off of me that they never would have if they didn't. And several hotel chains are getting on board, too.
jg
novaderrik wrote:
carguy123 wrote:
I can't understand why anyone would ever think they'd get their gas or electricity for free!
he also doesn't like it when i ask him how his coal powered car is treating him...
Actually, of the 39 power generation facilities operated by Excel Energy in the Minneapolis area, only 2 are coal-fired. Most are natural gas and hydro, with two nuke plants delivering most of the juice.
jg
I know a guy who took advantage of the free charging at a Kohl's. The dude picked up a sweet Batman sweatshirt while there.
This hoodie brought to you by alternative energy.
Also got a sweet pair of jams for $4.
jg
Josh wrote:
thus consuming less energy and creating less pollution, which benefits everyone.
SAY WHAT??!!!?
What you meant to say was to use a DIFFERENT energy package and push some of the pollution TO A DIFFERENT SPOT.
I'm not sure that benefits anybody.
Plus it encourages the manufacture and disposal of ....... never mind, you probably believe in fairies too. 
