The Leaf, apartment dwelling, charging with Blink (Atlanta: apartments, lease)

[billl]

I have a friend who lives in an apartment in the Atlanta area and is considering buying a Leaf. The only recharging capability she would have is the nearby Blink station. So I ran the numbers. Either I am misunderstanding something or Blink is ridiculously expensive.

For the sake of example:
drives 500 miles a month and gets 14 miles to the gallon:
500/14 = 35.7 gallons a month
35.7 * $3.25/gallon = $116/month fuel costs

In my initial research I have uncovered the following. If these are contrary to anyone's understanding or experience please correct them:
Leaf range: 80 miles
Time for full recharge from a 240V level 2 charger: 4 hours
Blink cost: $0.02 per 30 seconds (this was taken from the Atlanta area BlinkMap and assumes you are a member of Blink Plus)

By those figures a recharge costs $2.40/hour (120 30-second intervals in an hour).

Comparative numbers, assuming 500 miles a month:
500/80 = 6.25 full recharges (or their equivalent)
6.25 * 4 = 25 recharge hours
25 * $2.40 = $60/month

Well, that's less than $116/month, but the original car is a real gas guzzler at 14 miles per gallon. A typical car these days gets more like 24 mpg which puts the fuel cost at $67.70, or only slightly more than it would cost to routinely recharge your Leaf at a Blink station.

As an apartment dweller, my friend would not have the option of installing her own charger: she would be completely reliant on Blink stations. And to be honest using them would be a hassle, so she would need to get something in return for that hassle. If the operating costs are equivalent between a new Leaf and a new combustion engine car, why put up with the inconveniences of a Leaf?

Is Blink really that expensive? Do the economics just not work for people who don't have a garage?

[Mishap]

I think there's a competitor called ChargePoint which has several locations around. Perhaps their pricing is advantageous. On any given night I see 3-4 Leafs, a Focus, and occasionally an i3 in the Skyhouse South deck. Either they enjoy burning cash to live gas free or it's not too expensive.

I've also seen a Leaf in my deck go to a regular space and wondered where they're getting power from. Another neighbor had their spot wired for a charger but I'm guessing they're the exception.

[red92s]

Nissan now offers 2 years of free public charging access with a lease. Unfortunately, Atlanta isn't one of the 25 markets they offer this promotion in.
Nissan No Charge to Charge | Get 24 months complimentary charging from eVgo as local eVgo stations with a new Nissan LEAF

You are correct that paying to use public charging stations like Blink as your primary charging method would add up quickly. In addition, it'd also be really inconvenient and a hassle. 2-3 cents per mile is a decent estimate for the electric costs on a Leaf when charging at home. So for 500 miles in a month, you'd expect to see an electric bill increase of $10-15. About $1 per day would be a decent estimate for someone who is recharging the car from 20% to 100% every single night (driving ~50-60 miles).

I know some condo owners who have had outlets added to their dedicated parking spaces. There just isn't an elegant solution for apartments, short of the complex installing it's own chargers.

[tikigod311]

Do they have access to a three prong outlet? You don't have to install anything, it just charges slower. That's what I do.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Do they have access to a three prong outlet? You don't have to install anything, it just charges slower. That's what I do.

The issue is that on an apartment those exterior outlets are not going to be separately metered.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by red92s

The issue is that on an apartment those exterior outlets are not going to be separately metered.

Some complexes MAY allow you to do it. Maybe they will add a charger for the marketing.

Multi-family housing is going to be a challenge with EVs.