written 07/22/23, updated 07/22/23
Purpose
Battery electric vehicle (EV/BEV) charging station comparison
Vehicle
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E4, Select, Standard Range (70kWh capacity, 110kW DC max charge)
Location
Northern VA
Companies/Stations
Blink, EVgo, Home (120V), SemaConnect (now absorbed by Blink), Volta
Duration
Start Date: January 21, 2023 — current
Notes
Average is calculated for all, with Median measured when ample data acquired
Charging Stations (A‑Z)
Blink Charging
- American charging company based in Miami, FL.
- 1 of 3 charging companies contracted by USPS to provide charging.
- Acquired SemaConnect June 2022.
*My usage of Blink is the same hardware as SemaConnect I’d used for half the year. First use of Blink was June 30, 2023
| Blink Charging | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Time Duration (hours) | 8.3 hours | |
| Trip Distance (mi) | 151.7 mi | |
| Total Battery Charged (%) | 62% | |
| Fuel Volume (kWh) | 43.4 kWh | |
| Miles Gained (mi) | 164 mi | |
| Total Cost ($) | $6.60 | |
| Cost per kWh ($/kWh) | $0.15 | |
| Charge Rate (kW) | 5.22 | |
| Charge Efficiency (mi/hour) | 19.7 mi/h | |
| Charge Efficiency (%/hour) | 7.5 %/h | |
| Number of Charge Sessions | 2 |
EVgo
- Founded October 2010; HQ Los Angeles, CA
- DC Fast Charger
- Acquired the company behind PlugShare July 2021
- Partnered with GM in 2022
- Partnered with Amazon 2023
| EVgo | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Time Duration (hours) | 0.5 hours | |
| Trip Distance (mi) | 126.7 mi | |
| Total Battery Charged (%) | 34% | |
| Fuel Volume (kWh) | 23.7 kWh | |
| Miles Gained (mi) | 88 mi | |
| Total Cost ($) | $9.10 | |
| Cost per kWh ($/kWh) | $0.46 | |
| Charge Rate (kW) | 39.73 kW | |
| Charge Efficiency (mi/hour) | 141.4 mi/h | |
| Charge Efficiency (%/hour) | 53.1%/h | |
| Number of Charge Sessions | 4 |
Home 1 (120V) — extension cord
- 120V standard outlet plug (actual voltage: ~117V)
- Extension cord + portable charger
- Extension Cord: Clear Power 50ft 10⁄3 SJTOW extra heavy-duty weather resistant extension cord
- Portable Charger: ZENCAR level 1 charger, 16A, 25ft (has readout for data)
- Roughly 30 ft from outlet to car charge port
- Long length of cords creates a lot of electrical resistance, especially when coiled
- Cost per kWh is average per month from the electric bill
| Home (120V) | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Time Duration (hours) | 8.7 hours | |
| Trip Distance (mi) | 61 mi | |
| Total Battery Charged (%) | 12% | |
| Fuel Volume (kWh) | 8.2 kWh | |
| Miles Gained (mi) | 24 mi | |
| Total Cost ($) | $1.35 | |
| Cost per kWh ($/kWh) | $0.15 | |
| Charge Rate (kW) | 0.6 kW | |
| Charge Efficiency (mi/hour) | 2.8 mi/h | |
| Charge Efficiency (%/hour) | 1.4 %/h | |
| Number of Charge Sessions | 3 |
Home 2 (120V) — no extension cord
- 120V standard outlet plug (actual voltage: ~121V)
- Portable charger
- Portable Charger: ZENCAR level 1 charger, 16A, 25ft (has readout for data)
- Roughly 7 ft from outlet to car charge port
- Long length of cords creates a lot of electrical resistance, especially when coiled
- Cost per kWh is average per month from the electric bill
| Home (120V) | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Time Duration (hours) | 1.5 hours | |
| Trip Distance (mi) | 57 mi | |
| Total Battery Charged (%) | 2% | |
| Fuel Volume (kWh) | 1.7 kWh | |
| Miles Gained (mi) | 4 mi | |
| Total Cost ($) | $0.29 | |
| Cost per kWh ($/kWh) | $0.15 | |
| Charge Rate (kW) | 0.9 kW | |
| Charge Efficiency (mi/hour) | 1.9 mi/h | |
| Charge Efficiency (%/hour) | 1.3 %/h | |
| Number of Charge Sessions | 4 |
SemaConnect (now defunct)
- Founded 2008; HQ Bowie, MD
- Local to the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area
- Acquired by Blink Charging June 2022
- Mahi Reddy, CEO of SemaConnect, joined board of directors of Blink Charging
| SemaConnect | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Time Duration (hours) | 7.1 hours | 7.9 hours |
| Trip Distance (mi) | 121.5 mi | 122.5 mi |
| Total Battery Charged (%) | 60% | 48% |
| Fuel Volume (kWh) | 42.5 kWh | 33.4 kWh |
| Miles Gained (mi) | 139 mi | 123 mi |
| Total Cost ($) | $7.27 | $7.98 |
| Cost per kWh ($/kWh) | $0.16 | $0.18 |
| Charge Rate (kW) | 6.17 kW | 6.03 kW |
| Charge Efficiency (mi/hour) | 19.3 mi/h | 18.8 mi/h |
| Charge Efficiency (%/hour) | 8.4 %/h | 8.4 %/h |
| Number of Charge Sessions | 25 | 25 |
Notes
- First 3 charges were free, then paid
- Trends more efficiently as temperature increases
- Once a week charging
Volta Charging
- Founded 2010; HQ Hawaii
- Free charging, powered by advertisements
- Acquired by Shell USA March 2023
| Volta Charging | AVERAGE | MEDIAN |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel Time Duration (hours) | 0.6 hours | |
| Trip Distance (mi) | 12 mi | |
| Total Battery Charged (%) | 6% | |
| Fuel Volume (kWh) | 3.9 kWh | |
| Miles Gained (mi) | 13 mi | |
| Total Cost ($) | $0 | |
| Cost per kWh ($/kWh) | $0 | |
| Charge Rate (kW) | 6.4 kW | |
| Charge Efficiency (mi/hour) | 21.2 mi/h | |
| Charge Efficiency (%/hour) | 8.9%/h | |
| Number of Charge Sessions | 4 |
