The goal was simple on this particular Saturday – get some errands done and grab a nice dinner and visit a college friend.  The only obstacle to this plan was of course getting a charge to the car.  I had most of the day – how hard could it be?

Started the journey to get some groceries and given that I was in the city, thought it best to head to Trader Joe’s at Assembly Square in Somerville as there was a DC fast charger nearby.  During the drive, range anxiety (RA) had me constantly checking the availability of a free charger. It looked like I might have luck as a free charger was showing up.  But, as I approached the station, I discovered it was inside a garage that charged a fee. Not willing to risk finding it broken or otherwise taken, I left in despair and parked closer to Trader Joe’s. 

After loading up on the weekly groceries, I headed to the only fast charging station in Boston located on Gallivan Blvd.  The entire way there, RA had me checking the availability and revealed that 1 of 4 stations was free.  Of course, “1 of 4” being free induces further anxiety, as you never know when someone will swoop in and grab the free space before your arrival.

With a racing heart, I drove quickly, yet legally appropriate, only to be met with not only all chargers in use, but a queue of 2 other cars.  It was indeed a devastating find, especially since I noticed that there was a car still hooked up with 97% charge and the driver was no where to be found. Check out this post to see why this is a big no-no in charging etiquette and science.  Once again, I left in despair wondering how I would get enough charge to make it to dinner.

The next, and hopefully final stop on the charging quest was the South Shore Plaza in Braintree.  This was a make-or-break stop as without this charge I was going to miss the chance to have dinner in Plainridge and see my Bates friend with who I hadn’t caught up with in a while. 

South Shore Plaza hosts 3 fast chargers, and on the trip there I was once again lured in by the app boasting the possibility of a free spot.  Upon arrival I saw one fast charger free – a rare find!  I pulled in only to notice that there was something weird happening with the screen.  Undaunted, I proceeded to plug my vehicle in and got my car working.  It wasn’t until later that I realized that the car that was in the spot just before me was unsuccessful in starting the charger and put herself back into the queue. 

Several minutes later, when another charger became available, we heard the sounds of horns beeping as 2 cars were competing for that spot.  They exchanged some unpleasant words but the situation thankfully was quickly deescalated.   But it pointed out one of the other anxieties that you can potentially face.

While sitting there charging our vehicle, we witnessed a young woman pull her car into the spot next to us.  It quickly became apparent that this was her first time trying to charge a car.  She became frustrated early on when the cord would not reach the charge port which was on the rear of her vehicle.  After several attempts at moving her car closer to the charger – I actually thought she might eventually driver her car directly into the machine – she finally understood that she needed to back her car into the space. 

Once situated in reverse, she continued to struggle with starting the charge.  It was at this point that I offered my assistance as a “veteran” charger.  Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, I approached her gingerly and offered her guidance, and she was actually grateful for the assist.  She explained that she was driving her father’s car and had no idea what was involved in getting a charge.  She even had her dad on the phone from Puerto Rico to help, but this experience soured her on the possibility of getting her own EV any time soon. 

We got our vehicle to 80%, and then headed to dinner and figuring we could get an additional charge at the Plainridge Casino parking garage.  The garage has approximately 20 Level 2 chargers, perfect for grabbing a leisurely dinner or wandering around the casino. 

I made a joke on the way in about how many internal combustion engine vehicles would be parked in the “charge only” spaces.  Turns out, it was no joke as every space except for 2 was filled with internal combustion engine vehicles. One space had a legit EV while the other was free but the charger was broken.  Sadly, but somewhat predictably, there was no charge available at Plainridge that evening. 

However, despite the ordeal of the day – 3 charging station visits – we did make it to a great dinner! Look for tomorrow’s post for our venture back to Wrentham for some additional charging.