GoFast and Charging Strategy

Yesterday I tried to use a slow charger to recharge the car. After 49 minutes I had charged 8.95 watts for 5.13 CHF. I got to about 63 percent. I stopped charging. I drove somewhere and by the time I got back I was down to 30 percent. I looked to my left as I was approaching McDonald’s and saw that the GoFast chargers were free so I stopped to charge.

Within 19 minutes of plugging in to the fast charger I had taken up 11kw/hrs of power for 6.89CHF and I reached 80 percent before stopping the charge. The reason I’m bringing this up is that when I charged for 33 minutes I got 21kWh of charge for 13 CHF.

Having said that, if you do go to a slow charger and have two and a half hours then you can gather 26.1 kWh for 11.10 CHF and get the car to 100 percent. Charging to one hundred percent at a fast charger is a waste of money, but charging to full at a slow charger, for example at Signy Centre is worth it, if you have a two hour walking loop to enjoy.

Common Sense

If you want to charge fast, and stop at 80 percent then fast chargers are no more expensive than slow chargers. If you want to charge slow at a point where there is a 2 CHF connection fee then it is economical, if you charge the battery to full, but budget two to three hours. If you just want to top up the charge then find a slow charger with no connection fee and you’ll save money.

And Finally

Yesterday I felt like reverting to using my petrol car, rather than the electric car. There are quite a few chargers around but in Switzerland either they are sabotaged or they are not setup yet, so despite wanting to charge you can’t. By learning that GoFast is affordable and fast I gained a lot of freedom, for the use of the electric vehicle.

Disclaimer: The charger in the photo was out of service when I considered using it.