Owning an electric vehicle in Houston

[editor]

I've started this thread as a resource for myself and others who own an electric vehicle, and also happen to live in Houston.

I've had my E.V. for two months, and found that locally-specific information about EVs is hard to come by.  There are dozens of apps to help you, but none of them are complete.  Searching for information on the internet often gives results that are incomplete, out of date, or written by someone on another continent making assumptions about the world beyond where they live.

It reminds me of what car ownership was like a hundred years ago.  Range anxiety was so prevalent that if you drove your car outside of the city, most people carried spare tires and jerry cans of fuel with them because they never knew if there'd be a service station along their route.  

I've found that it's not that dire a situation with electric vehicles, and a lot of what I'd been led to believe about them is wrong or outdated.  So this thread is a resource for people in Houston to share information and updates and their experiences.

I'll start with two notes:

First, there's often a long line of people waiting to use the Electrify America chargers at the Wal-Mart in the Heights.  Don't do that.  There's another Electrify America station at the Wal-Mart at 13750 East Freeway.  It's only 14 miles away (or less if you live in downtown or EaDo), and there's never a line.  The chargers go up to 350kW, so in the time it takes to go into the store and pick up eggs and milk, your car is almost done charging.

Second, there's a new charger at the Randall's in Midtown.  You're only allowed to use it while shopping, or for two hours, but I presume that "shopping" includes sitting at the Starbucks upstairs.  

The odd thing about it is that it's branded "Volta," which no longer exists.  Volta was bought by Shell.  More strangely, it's not listed on either the Shell web site, or app, but it still appears to be working.  

[wilcal]

Yeah, true story about avoiding the EA station at Walmart on I-10. That station could be 10 chargers or more and there would still be a line sometimes.

There are several new high-speed chargers that are in-progress around the urban core, so there will be many more choices if you need high-speed charging.

If anyone that is reading this thread because they are going to be shopping for an EV: I was able to pretty easily exist just with a 120V outlet at home for the first year I owned my Ioniq 5. I was able to get about 40 miles/range per overnight and I drive less than that. If I did need to high speed charge I would also drive to the Walmart in Baytown due to my car coming with free EA charging.

Now that I have a Level 2 charger installed at my house I can easily completely charge the car overnight.

It is much much much cheaper to charge at home than it is to charge at a high-speed charger. For me the difference is $10 vs $40-$45.

There are some new chargers coming in a few places inside 610:

• 216 Tuam St will be a Shell Recharge with 8 chargers.
• 208 Main St in downtown will be a Shell Recharge
• 4315 Washington Ave will be a Shell Recharge
• 801 W. 23rd will be a Shell Recharge
• 6213 Washington Ave will be an IONNA charging hub (4 NACS/4CCS chargers)
• Waugh @ Haddon is going to be a station, but unclear if it will be private (for commerical use) or other use.

[editor]

If you're an apartment dweller, when you're looking for your next apartment, ask about chargers.  On the app maps, there are a number of apartment buildings that have them.  

Where I live, charging is included with the rent, though that's not publicized.  I was surprised when I found out.  They're not fast chargers, but I can go from 30% to 90% overnight, and that holds me for ten days.  It should save me about $2,000 a year on gas, so it's almost like getting a month's rent for free.

[skwatra]

We've had ours for almost 2 years but rarely charge in Houston, as we just charge at home. For road trips (to dallas and austin) we rely on Electrify America. Their online status on charger functionality/availability has been very accurate for us.

We had 1 year of free charging from Nissan with EV Go, and it was really hit or miss. They have chargers at some HEBs but their status was never accurate and often they were not working. We put up with it because it was free and just tried to take advantage when we could.

Waiting on Tesla chargers to open up - at that point charging should get a lot easier - they just have a better infrastructure. I know there are after market adapters for NACS to CCS, but I believe there are still software limitations and non Tesla can't charge yet. Supposed to be opening up soon (November was the last I read).

[Kinglyam]

Your best bet for current information is to find local EV forums on social media. There's a fairly active one on Facebook for Tesla, but they do address other EVs.

I don't anticipate charging infrastructure to be anywhere near sufficient for apartment-dwellers to benefit from EVs in the near-term. It will be expensive for older apartments to install the necessary infrastructure, plus dedicate space for the chargers and enforce usage so they don't get ICE'd.

As for public charging stations, Tesla had a big problem around Houston a few months ago with charging cables being cut off for the copper scrap value. I imagine this would be a problem that increases several-fold the more unmanned pay chargers there are out there. Addicts and unscrupulous scrap dealers will be happy to take the low-risk copper.

I got my Model 3 in 2021. I have used the mobile charger that came with it for that entire time, because I keep expecting to move (we're building a house) and don't want to pay for a charger. I operated for several years on a 120V, but that became unreliable when it was particularly hot out. I've been operating off a 240V for a couple of years now, and it works just fine.

Until public charging is reliable, more widespread, and much faster, I see home charging as the only thing that makes EVs currently viable.

[editor]

4 hours ago, skwatra said:

Waiting on Tesla chargers to open up - at that point charging should get a lot easier - they just have a better infrastructure. I know there are after market adapters for NACS to CCS, but I believe there are still software limitations and non Tesla can't charge yet. Supposed to be opening up soon (November was the last I read).

I've read online that a number of people with my type of car (Volvo) are buying CSS to NACS adapters on Amazon for about $150, and they work fine with Tesla chargers.  The Tesla app is supposed to even list a bunch of non-Tesla cars when you go through whatever steps it requires to charge.  The same people say that Rivian and Ford have already shipped their CSS to Tesla adapters to their customers, so I guess that Tesla is open to a number of brands now.

Volvo has announced that all almost all of its electric vehicles will come with a CSS to NACS adapter starting with the 2025 models.  Those of us with older ones can buy an official adapter from Volvo for $200 starting next week.

[editor]

4 hours ago, Kinglyam said:

Until public charging is reliable, more widespread, and much faster, I see home charging as the only thing that makes EVs currently viable.

My experience over the last couple of months is that it's not bad at all.

I suspect a lot of apartment-dwellers charge at work, since the majority of downtown parking garages have charging stations.  My experience has also been that the car needs to be filled up less often than the ICE car it replaced.  

I don't think space in apartment garages is really a problem.  Except for when there's an Astros game, I rarely see one in downtown that's completely full; and no apartment building would build a garage that didn't have some extra spaces anyway.  It's not like you need to plug in every night, so you don't need to run a cable to every single space, just like you wouldn't put a gas pump in every space if you offered in-garage fueling.  

That's how it works where I am, anyway.  There's two spots and people charge up overnight if a space is available.  I've seen at least eight different resident cars using it, and there have been no problems.  The only time I charge elsewhere is when I go on a road trip.

And I don't think "faster" is really much of a problem, especially for people who live in apartments and have access to nearby fast chargers like at Wal-Mart or the new Shell urban locations.  My car charges to its recommended maximum in about 30 minutes (200kW max, 150kW average).  I know there are older EVs that can't charge that fast, but I don't think car companies are going to deliberately make slower charging models.

Honestly, I think that EVs make the most sense for apartment people because they'd mostly be used for going around town not for getting into and out of town.  EVs get better mileage on city streets than on freeways.  Mine is rated for 260 miles per fill-up, but I regularly get 300+ miles because it's all city driving.

[hbg.50]

I came super close to buying an EV F150 this summer but ultimately walked away due to cost.  Dealerships were not as desperate to get rid of their inventory as I thought they would be.  There were two rebates for $7,500 each available, but some dealerships didn’t even participate in the program.  My biggest concern was battery life and I only wanted the extended battery which I believe was 340 miles.  

The drive was super quiet and I loved the idea of not having any mechanical parts but I’m going to wait for prices to come down.  I looked at Toyota SUV hybrids too but the models were very difficult to find in stock anywhere and Toyota didn’t offer any buyer incentives.  I ended up keeping my current vehicle.

[BigFootsSocks]

What's been your experience with the EV portion of the Shell app? Honest review preferred please.

[HoustonMidtown]

I have an Electrified Genesis GV70 (what a goofy name!)....I have had it for a little over a year - I have only done 1 road trip to Austin which was within the range and was able to charge at my hotel in Austin.  I have charged a couple times at the EA chargers at Walmart in the Heights (included for 3yrs with Genesis) and have the same experience described above - usually full with a line of people waiting.  I have used the EA chargers at the other Walmart on the East Freeway and there was no wait as others have said.

I have a Level2 charger at my house, so that is where I do a majority of my charging - I usually charge on the weekends when my electricity plan includes free electricity from Friday night through Sunday night so no change in my electric bills.

I love the effortless and quiet power of the electric drivetrain - I was unsure about getting an electric vehicle but after talking with many acquaintances with electric vehicles (mainly Teslas)...I bit the bullet and have no regrets.  I haven't been to a gas station in over a year and have only had  1 visit to the dealer to do "maintenance" which was rotating the tires.

I leased my vehicle as technology is changing so fast, I wanted to be able to do a refresh after 3 years if I liked the electric vehicle experience.

Edited November 13 by HoustonMidtown

[wilcal]

20 hours ago, Kinglyam said:

Until public charging is reliable, more widespread, and much faster, I see home charging as the only thing that makes EVs currently viable.

And again, the cost of high-speed charging is comparable to gas. It doesn't make any financial sense unless you can charge at home. The public charging network is getting better every day and just Shell pushing so hard is going to make a big change. I think all Costcos are getting EV Chargers as well (limited to members). The holdup is manufacturing.

15 hours ago, editor said:

I've read online that a number of people with my type of car (Volvo) are buying CSS to NACS adapters on Amazon for about $150, and they work fine with Tesla chargers.  The Tesla app is supposed to even list a bunch of non-Tesla cars when you go through whatever steps it requires to charge.  The same people say that Rivian and Ford have already shipped their CSS to Tesla adapters to their customers, so I guess that Tesla is open to a number of brands now.

Volvo has announced that all almost all of its electric vehicles will come with a CSS to NACS adapter starting with the 2025 models.  Those of us with older ones can buy an official adapter from Volvo for $200 starting next week.

Remember that not all CCS to NACS adapters are the same. Many of them are only good for Tesla "destination" chargers (aka Level 2 chargers) and not superchargers. Manufacturers are making lots of noise about only buying officially supported adapters for warranty purposes. While I don't think it matters much, it isn't worth the risk imho.

15 hours ago, editor said:

And I don't think "faster" is really much of a problem, especially for people who live in apartments and have access to nearby fast chargers like at Wal-Mart or the new Shell urban locations.  My car charges to its recommended maximum in about 30 minutes (200kW max, 150kW average).  I know there are older EVs that can't charge that fast, but I don't think car companies are going to deliberately make slower charging models.

Funny you mention that, while we haven't seen in it the US yet, Hyundai went out of their way to put a 400V system instead of an 800V system in the Hyundai Inster (not planned for the US) to save costs on a low level EV:

 

11 hours ago, hbg.50 said:

I came super close to buying an EV F150 this summer but ultimately walked away due to cost.  Dealerships were not as desperate to get rid of their inventory as I thought they would be.  There were two rebates for $7,500 each available, but some dealerships didn’t even participate in the program.  My biggest concern was battery life and I only wanted the extended battery which I believe was 340 miles.  

The drive was super quiet and I loved the idea of not having any mechanical parts but I’m going to wait for prices to come down.  I looked at Toyota SUV hybrids too but the models were very difficult to find in stock anywhere and Toyota didn’t offer any buyer incentives.  I ended up keeping my current vehicle.

Dealers are such a big part of the problem.

11 hours ago, BigFootsSocks said:

What's been your experience with the EV portion of the Shell app? Honest review preferred please.

I've used it a few times and there have been no issues. They bought Volta so you can see those chargers there as well and some are Level 2, so be aware. Their app is better than the Volta app.

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[editor]

12 hours ago, hbg.50 said:

I came super close to buying an EV F150 this summer but ultimately walked away due to cost.  Dealerships were not as desperate to get rid of their inventory as I thought they would be.  There were two rebates for $7,500 each available, but some dealerships didn’t even participate in the program.  My biggest concern was battery life and I only wanted the extended battery which I believe was 340 miles.  

The drive was super quiet and I loved the idea of not having any mechanical parts but I’m going to wait for prices to come down.  I looked at Toyota SUV hybrids too but the models were very difficult to find in stock anywhere and Toyota didn’t offer any buyer incentives.  I ended up keeping my current vehicle.

You're right about the dealers being a problem with selling EVs.  Volvo Southwest Houston's sales department acts like electric vehicles are a passing fad.  They even insisted I take a second test drive to make sure I really wanted an electric vehicle.  There's a charging station in the parking lot of the dealership and I asked if it's complimentary for customers.  Even the sales manager had no idea.  I was told that nobody's ever used it.  They act like it's still the 90's.   

Because of my car's price point, I didn't qualify for any rebates.  It's my understanding that the federal tax credits are aimed at lower-cost vehicles in order to spur that end of the market.  A few weeks ago I ran across a web site that let you enter your state and/or ZIP code to see a list of incentives/rebates for your area, since some states and cities have their own.  Not surprisingly, Texas wasn't among them.

@wilcal I expect you're right about not all NACS adapters being the same.  That's why I'm waiting for the official one from Volvo, and not one of the ones from some random Chinese seller on Amazon.  Some people have done teardowns of the Amazon ones, and they're just passing the wires through.  From my discussion with the parts department at Volvo, there's a lot more to the real adapters.

@Kinglyam Regarding apartment building charging stations getting ICEd, it's not really a big problem.  Sometimes it happens, but if you're parking on a residential floor of the garage, you have a residential parking permit.  When it happens, I e-mail a picture of the car and its numbered parking permit sticker to the concierge and he contacts the owner and tells them to move it or it will be towed.  I've yet to see any repeat offenders.  And if someone who's not a resident were to park in the space, they'd be gone pretty quickly anyway, since tow trucks regularly patrol the garage and carry away commuters parked on residential floors.  It's similar to how my apartment building in Chicago operated in 2011.  They had a towing company that came through every six or eight hours to remove people from handicapped spaces, and also picked up the dinosaur cars parked in the EV charging spaces.

It's kind of amazing to think that was 2011.  The building had ten charging stations for the residents and they were heavily utilized.  Thirteen years later in Houston, buildings with chargers are considered a novelty and people argue about whether they're even practical.   

 

[samagon]

please don't take this post as any kind of argument against EVs, that is not my intention. however, if a person in Houston is looking for an EV for the purpose of saving money, the math should be done on a cost per mile basis before you do your purchase.

I recently did the math for my wife who wanted to maybe get an EV to save money. it's pretty easy to set up a spreadsheet and enter the current numbers specific to you.

sure, you save money with the EV, but average driving distance of 12,000 miles you pay $576 for the Camry and $534 for the Tesla. is that cost savings worth it? to me, $4 a month, that juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze.

at the same time, if I do the math for my GR Corolla vs say the Hyundai Ioniq 5N, then it tips in favor of the EV, but I wonder if the M/kWh would be so high with how I would undoubtedly drive? anyway, that's numbers from Edmunds, so I'll go with it.

I'd save money, but then, I also only drive about 5000 miles in my car, so the yearly cost for gas/electricity is $550 vs $350.

I think though, a lot of people buy an EV for reasons other than saving money, so go with your flavor. I'm just saying, if you are going to be getting one for money savings, do your maths first. if you are getting one for other reasons, then do it, don't be afraid.

[Kinglyam]

22 hours ago, editor said:

And I don't think "faster" is really much of a problem, especially for people who live in apartments and have access to nearby fast chargers like at Wal-Mart or the new Shell urban locations.  My car charges to its recommended maximum in about 30 minutes (200kW max, 150kW average).  I know there are older EVs that can't charge that fast, but I don't think car companies are going to deliberately make slower charging models.

Honestly, I think that EVs make the most sense for apartment people because they'd mostly be used for going around town not for getting into and out of town.  EVs get better mileage on city streets than on freeways.  Mine is rated for 260 miles per fill-up, but I regularly get 300+ miles because it's all city driving.

If you're locally commuting, I can see this. I'm assuming that apartments would only install Level 1 chargers. I have a 55-mile round trip commute, mostly on the freeways, so I only get about 2 trips safely when charging to 85%. On a Level 1 charger, one trip took 6-8 hours to restore. The idea of spending 30+ minutes at a fast charger to catch up once a week or so doesn't appeal to me, but perhaps others feel differently.

I've seen people ICE chargers just to be jerks, because of their irrational hatred of EVs. But if the apartment complex is serious about charging, then that could prevent that issue.

[editor]

57 minutes ago, Kinglyam said:

I'm assuming that apartments would only install Level 1 chargers.

FWIW, I checked online, and the apartment building I spoke of above that had ten chargers back in 2011 is Tesla superchargers.

ChargePoint is doing a thing now where a charger for an apartment building is $699, and the cost is covered by user fees, not by the building.  Once it's paid for, the excess money goes to the building.

It's only 12kW Level 2, I suspect shared between two ports, but better than 6kW straight which I see a lot of around Houston. 

https://electrek.co/2024/10/30/chargepoint-just-made-ev-charging-more-affordable-for-small-businesses-and-apartments/

I don't know what my current building gives me, but I suspect it's Level 1.  My car doesn't display that information.  But 17 mph seems like 6kW or less.  But you can't beat the price!

[skwatra]

23 hours ago, editor said:

That's why I'm waiting for the official one from Volvo

Adapters will begin shipping to retailers on November 18, 2024.

[Kinglyam]

18 hours ago, editor said:

I don't know what my current building gives me, but I suspect it's Level 1.  My car doesn't display that information.  But 17 mph seems like 6kW or less.  But you can't beat the price!

Since Level 1 is just a household 120v, which will run max 15 amps, yours at 39 Amps is Level 2. 

[editor]

4 hours ago, Kinglyam said:

Since Level 1 is just a household 120v, which will run max 15 amps, yours at 39 Amps is Level 2. 

Interesting.  Thanks for explaining that.  The manual doesn't explain what the dashboard shows while charging.

Now I have to remember to take a picture when I'm at Electrocute America!

[editor]

There's an article in the Times today about how recent studies show that stores that install electric vehicle chargers see an increase in sales.  Gift link

The reason I bring it up here is because it mentions that EVgo has a cheaper pre-fab charging station available to retailers and others, and that the first place one was installed was in League City.

[editor]

The charging point at the Midtown Randall's now shows up in the Shell app. But it doesn't have real-time information, so I'm not sure if it's functional. 

[wilcal]

Tesla Supercharger site at The POST is now open: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/supercharger-houston-tx-franklin-st.303438/page-3

24 chargers. MagicDock capable.

Normal parking rates apply, so $5/hour on weekend trips longer than 20 minutes and weekday trips longer than 60 minutes.

 

[editor]

19 minutes ago, wilcal said:

Tesla Supercharger site at The POST is now open: https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/supercharger-houston-tx-franklin-st.303438/page-3

24 chargers. MagicDock capable.

Normal parking rates apply, so $5/hour on weekend trips longer than 20 minutes and weekday trips longer than 60 minutes.

 

Now open?  I thought this had been there for at least a year. 
 

I noticed it has a lot of negative reviews online. That seems to be because there's another charging station on the other side of the fence in a parking lot that's used by city vehicles, and people are going to the wrong location and getting mad at all the city vehicles charging.