Note: For more from Alexandra, visit the "Ask Alexandra" tab on the Chevrolet Volt Facebook page.

In over 20 years of electric car driving, I can count on two hands the number of times I have needed a charging station other than the one in my garage. I realize that for electric cars to become mainstream there needs to be a comprehensive public charging network around the country. Therefore, I am always pleased to see public chargers being installed and am excited for the day I can drive to see my twin in San Francisco on electric power alone, charging at Level 3 fast charging stations along the way.

I don’t have to look far to find public charging stations for my Volt. In a Santa Monica, California mall the 2 Small Paddle Inductive chargers, which fit the older RAV 4 EVs, now have 3 spanking new brethren next to them: Charge Point America’s J1772 stations. J1772 is the standardized plug for the new generation of plug-in vehicles, and these chargers offer Level 2, or 240 V charging, which is twice as fast as charging from a Level 1/120 V household outlet.

For now, most public charging is free, although soon enough more stations will become monetized. Business owners will weigh the benefits of free charging to attract customers to their stores versus the profits made from charging for electricity and decide what is best for business. On this subject, read this interesting article with comments from fellow Plug In America member Marc Geller, a man whose opinion I respect.

Charge Point has a free access card available which unlocks each charger. One swipe and there is a satisfying click notifying you to take the handle out of the socket and connect it to your car (see photo in case you cannot tell, I am swiping). If you don’t have a card, you can call the number on the charger (888-758-4389) at any time, any day of the week and they will unlock it for you, although this is more time consuming. The customer service representatives are very polite and helpful.  I called four times to corroborate information for this blog and they were always courteous and patient. The ChargePass card will not be free for long, so if you are even thinking of getting a plug-in car, why not take advantage now and get one? The card has cost $9.95, but customer service could not guarantee that would be the price when it is no longer gratis.

I only have experience with ChargePoint pubic chargers, so if you have used other chargers, or paid for charging, please comment here!

Alexandra Paul is a longtime electric vehicle advocate, actress and former EV1 driver. She is working with Chevrolet to educate consumers about EVs and the Volt. Full disclosure, Chevrolet is paying her for her time, but her opinions will always be hers.

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