• 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?
• Is my Credit Card data safe?
• Can I cancel my ChargePoint Network 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 meant by Level I, Level II and Level III charging?
• What is a port?
• Where can I find information about stations outside of North America?
• How do Reservations work?
• How do I make a Reservation?
• Who can make a Reservation?
• How much does it cost to Reserve a station?
• What if I don't actually use the station during my reserved time?
• What is the Early Adopter ChargePass Loyalty Program?
• How has the "Vehicle Fully Charged" notification been changed?

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 ChargePoint Network 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. Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions, fill in your Account Information, and select your Notification preferences. Next select to either purchase new ChargePass Card(s), or activate ChargePass Card(s) you already have. If you are purchasing new card(s), select the 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. Select the number of cards and enter payment information. If, instead, you are activating existing card(s), enter the serial number(s) and optionally a Nickname that you can use to remember which card is which (e.g., you could put the First Name of the person in your family that has possession of the card). On the final screen, verify that the information is correct and hit the Confirm button. Please print the confirmation page that appears once you've completed the Sign Up procedure, and save the E-mail that confirms your account creation. Note: Please inform Customer Service if you fail to receive a confirmation E-mail upon completion of the Sign Up procedure.

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 of at least $25 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.

Is my Credit Card data safe? (back to top)

Yes! The ChargePoint Network does not store your Credit Card data.

Can I cancel my ChargePoint Network Account? (back to top)

Yes, you can cancel your ChargePoint Network Account at any time. Just send an E-mail to Customer Support with your cancellation request including your Account Number, 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 ChargePoint Network Account, simply log in to your account on mychargepoint.net by clicking here. Under the My Account tab, select Activate/Edit ChargePass Card. Click Add ChargePass Card and enter the serial number on the back of your ChargePass card (the number below the bar code) and optionally enter a Nickname to help you remember which card is which, since your account can have multiple cards. When finished, click Submit, which completes the activation process. Repeat these steps for each card you have received. 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 ChargePoint Network Account, the first step is to create the account. Follow the instructions in How do I obtain, or activate a ChargePass™ card?, and select “Activate ChargePass Card” (rather than “Purchase ChargePass Card”) in the second step.

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 Not Charging: The station at which your vehicle is charging, has detected that the vehicle is drawing very little power. This typically means the vehicle is fully charged, but may mean it is configured for delayed charging.
• 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 an abnormal diversion of electrical current that may be flowing to ground. A GFCI fault indicates an abnormality which could be caused by faulty circuitry, wiring or connector in the charging station or in the vehicle. When detected, the station will stop delivering power to the vehicle. The station will retry after a 15-minute countdown, but give up after three occurrences.
• 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. Significant testing has been done with Chrome and Safari on multiple platforms, but some Rich Internet Application content may not render correctly in certain browsers, versions, and platforms. If you encounter an issue, please send a screen capture along with the make/model/version of your browser and make/model/version of your computer and operating system to support@coulombtech.com.

What is meant by Level I, Level II and Level III charging? (back to top)

Within the various standards for plug-in vehicles and charging stations, ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations have been grouped into three basic levels:

• Level I refers to Single Phase Alternating Current (AC) using grounded receptacles at the most commonly available voltages and currents. In North America this typically means 120V/16A using a NEMA 5-20R outlet, but in many parts of Europe it can mean up to 230V/16A. The Driver uses his or her own standard charging cord to connect the vehicle to a Level I charging station.
• Level II refers to Single or Triple Phase Alternating Current (AC) at 208-240V at up to 80A. The SAE J1772™ Document is the standard for Level II charging in North America, where the J1772 connector and charging cord are permanently fixed to the Level II charging station.
• Level III refers to DC charging, or “fast charging.” To achieve very short charging times, Level 3 chargers supply very high voltages (300-500VDC) at very high currents (100’s of Amperes).

What is a port? (back to top)

A port is a generic term for a connection on a charging station to which a vehicle can be attached. A port is either an outlet (receptacle) behind a locking door, or an attached cable and connector. Some stations have multiple ports. For example, the Coulomb Technologies CT2100 has two ports: one Level I port (120V, 16A, NEMA 5-20R receptacle) behind a locking door, and one Level II port (240V, 32A, J1772) with attached connector and charging cord. Each port on a station may be used independently. For example, one vehicle can be plugged into the Level I receptacle (port 1) while the J1772 connector (port 2) is plugged into a second vehicle. The popup window (see the Find Charging Stations page) provides the nominal voltage, maximum current, connector type, and real-time status (Available or In Use) for each port on a station.

Where can I find information about stations outside of North America? (back to top)

The live map of stations (Find Charging Stations) will eventually include stations throughout the world. But for now, please visit the following web sites for information about stations outside of North America:

• Australia/New Zealand/Southeast Asia: www.chargepoint.net.au
• Europe/Middle East/Africa: www.chargepointportal.eu

ChargePoint® is a U.S. registered trademark and service mark of Coulomb Technologies, Inc. All other products or services mentioned are the trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks or registered service marks of their respective owners. Coulomb Technologies has several patents filed.

How do Reservations work? (back to top)

A station can be placed in one of two operating modes by its owner: (1) Reservations Mode, in which the station can only be used by making a reservation; or (2) Non-Reservations Mode, in which reservations are not available. Stated another way, if a station is Reservable, then it cannot be used without first making a reservation.

How do I make a Reservation? (back to top)

First search for a reservable station by using the search filters in Find Charging Stations. In the table or in the station's pop-up window, click on "Reserve Now" and follow the instructions. You must be logged into your Driver Account to make a reservation on the web site. Similarly, you must be logged into your account to make a reservation via the ChargePoint smartphone Apps.

Who can make a Reservation? (back to top)

In this initial release, only Drivers with ChargePass cards activated to their Driver Accounts can make reservations. Future releases will allow reservations to be made by a phone call to the toll free support line.

How much does it cost to Reserve a station? (back to top)

The station owner sets the price as a per-hour reservation fee. The popup window and the table in Find Charging Stations display the price that has been set by the station owner.

What if I don't actually use the station during my reserved time? (back to top)

Regardless of whether you plug in or not, and regardless of how many times you plug in during your reservation interval, you will pay the price displayed to you at the time you booked your reservation. In other words, you will be charged for a reservation even if you do not use the station. Please plan accordingly.

What is the Early Adopter ChargePass Loyalty Program? (back to top)

For a limited time drivers using their ChargePass cards at "Paid" ChargePoint charging stations will receive up to a $0.25 credit for each charging session, not to exceed the total fee incurred for that session. Your credit will show up on your monthly ChargePass statement which can be viewed by logging into your Driver account.

How has the "Vehicle Fully Charged" notification been changed? (back to top)

As a result of experience with many production and converted vehicles, and significant feedback from our customers, we have changed the "Vehicle Fully Charged" notification to be "Vehicle Not Charging", which is now sent whenever the vehicle draws very little power for at least 15min. The charging station no longer attempts to infer the reason that the vehicle is now drawing very little power. As with all Notifications, you can opt in/out by editing your preferences upon logging into your Driver Account. Read on for additional background as to why this change was made.

The J1772 interface does not provide a means for the vehicle to inform the charging station when it is fully charged. In addition, not all vehicles behave the same when they become fully charged: some draw a very low "maintenance" charge (on the order of a few Watts); others cease charging altogether; and others go so far as to send a "vehicle disconnected" signal to the charging station which will trigger a "Plug Out" notification. Further complicating matters is that the vehicle may draw very little (or no) power for other reasons, such as: the battery is overheating during charging; or, the vehicle is set for "delayed charging" and is waiting until evening when the electricity rates are cheaper. Many of our customers have asked us to notify them whenever (and for whatever reason) their vehicle draws very low power for a significant period of time, since they will often know precisely why the vehicle is behaving in this manner. For example, the receipt of this notification can remind the owner to disable the "delayed charging" feature when plugging the vehicle into a public charging station. And, of course, receipt of this notification can also be an indication that the vehicle is indeed fully charged. As always, we welcome your feedback on this feature. Please send all feedback to support@coulombtech.com.