FAQs

I’m new to EV Charging. Can you give me any guidance on how to proceed?

Don’t feel alone. Many people are new to EV charging and are seeking guidance from someone with a lot of experience. Since 2009, we’ve helped individuals and organizations as they begin to decide how, if and when they should offer EV charging. Call us. We’re happy to chat with you. You won’t get a high pressure sales pitch, just friendly help.

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We a very large (or very small) organization, can you help us?

Yes. We work regularly with both large corporate organizations as well as smaller organizations. We understand how to work with owners/managers of a single building and the stakeholders within a large organization to make each project a success.

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Why does LilyPad EV use ChargePoint products?

Because we believe they are the most reliable and most flexible hardware and software available in the industry. We’ve used their products since 2009 and are extremely pleased to this day.

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Why do you keep saying “Done Right. Done Smart.” on the website?

Because that is what we do. When we take on a charging station project, we have the experience to make sure we do your project right, and smart.

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Why do you keep saying "We'll take care of the charging stations, you take care of business" on the website?

It is our philosophy. We know charging stations well and how to deploy them. We are in a great position to make deployment of charging stations easy for you so you can focus on your core business.

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Are there really a lot of different Electric Vehicles available?

Yes. There are many EVs available. Take a look: http://www.plugincars.com/cars

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Who owns the charging stations?

You will own the stations and have complete control of the policies affecting the stations including who can use them, how much drivers pay to use them, messaging and whether you want them visible to the public on smartphone apps, EV charging station websites or vehicle navigation systems.

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What charging levels are available?

CT4000 Level 2 charging provides charging up to 7.2kW on 208/240VAC single phase@30A. CPE200 Fast DC charges at 50kW on 480VAC 3-phase @63A. The rate of charging is dependent on the vehicle.

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How long does it take to charge?

Level 2 charging provides 20-25 miles of charging range per hour. Most vehicles can be fully charged using Level 2 in 3-5 hours. Fast DC charging provides 100 miles of charging range in 30 minutes.

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Will your charging stations work with all EV’s?

Yes. The Level 2 connector is a universal plug called the SAE J1772. All major auto manufacturers support this standard. The CPE200 fast dc charging station has 2 different connectors called SAE Combo and CHAdeMO. This allows it to charge any EV that has a fast charging port. SAE is used on American and European EV’s and CHAdeMO is standard on Japanese EVs. Tesla vehicles can use the L2 connector and the CHAdeMO with an adapter.

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How much does it cost to charge an EV?

Very low cost. From my own experience, over about 50,000 miles of driving electric at about 12 cents per kWh, it costs about 4.5 cents for every mile of driving. So for a car with an 80 mile range, that would require about 20kWh or about $2.40. Your cost will vary of course with the cost of electricity in your area. Note, that drivers don’t usually charge from empty to full. They will generally charge up overnight at home, then top off the rest of the day wherever they have an opportunity to charge.

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How many charging stations should I install?

A good rule of thumb is to have 1 charging port for every 2 EV drivers. Two drivers per port allows a driver to charge in the morning, then move their EV at lunchtime, allowing another driver to charge in the afternoon.

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Do you provide maintenance and support?

Yes. If you are looking for no worry support, we offer a program through ChargePoint called Assure. If a station fails, ChargePoint will provide the parts and on-site labor to roll their service team to repair or replace the product on site. You receive a 98% uptime guarantee and 1 business day response.

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How do the charging stations communicate?

A cellular signal is required to allow the stations to communicate with ChargePoint Cloud Services via secure M2M technology. This allows you to manage the charging stations from your ChargePoint portal and allows drivers to be authorized for charging. You must have a subscription to ChargePoint’s cloud services for the stations to function.

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Who should install the charging stations? LilyPad EV or my own electrical contractor?

We can do it either way you prefer. Our team uses qualified electricians with experience installing charging stations. This tends to be the easiest way for you and this lets you stay focused on your core business. If you choose to use your own electrician, we will be glad to talk to them and give them the information they need to perform the installation, including the required training class. Regardless, we will set up the station on the ChargePoint network for you.

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