I just got a Mustang Mach-E and took my first road trip to the Dallas area. Since I don’t have the Tesla charger converter yet, I needed to charge at an EVGO station. I drove 13 miles to the nearest fast charger and parked at PAX.
At PAX, two ports A and B were open, so I pulled into A. I tried to use my FordPass to start the session but couldn’t get it to connect. Just when I was about to switch to port B, a woman pulled up. I gave it three more tries, but it wouldn’t work, while the woman at port B got hers going almost immediately.
With all the stalls occupied, I drove to another fast charging station three miles away, only to find out those were all broken too. Frustrated, I returned to the original location and waited for a stall to open.
The woman at PAX B left, and as soon as she did, I got a notification from FordPass saying I was charged $29. I don’t understand how I ended up paying for her charge. Now, I’m trying to dispute the charge, but my bank wants to send me a new debit card after I explained what happened. Ford told me to call my bank.
Am I just taking an L here? How did this happen, and why are the EVGO stations so unreliable? Will the Tesla chargers be any better?
Think of it as paying it forward with some good karma. Just move on.
Clove said:
Think of it as paying it forward with some good karma. Just move on.
The system isn’t smart enough to fix this. Both of you could find better uses for your time.
Clove said:
Think of it as paying it forward with some good karma. Just move on.
The system isn’t smart enough to fix this. Both of you could find better uses for your time.
Exactly, you get what you pay for.
@Clove
So your advice is just to accept the system’s failures? Just be quiet.
If you’re using EVGo or ChargePoint, try signing up for the BlueDot app.
It offers a flat rate of $0.30/kwh 24/7 with no subscription fees.
Charging from 20% to 80% costs me about $13.
Darcy said:
If you’re using EVGo or ChargePoint, try signing up for the BlueDot app.
It offers a flat rate of $0.30/kwh 24/7 with no subscription fees.
Charging from 20% to 80% costs me about $13.
That’s great! Thanks for the tip.
@Shannon
You’re welcome! The app also has a cashback rewards system and free charging days. I got a free charge on June 30, 2024. Not sure why, but it was free. 
I’m not sure how FordPass works, but many chargers, like EVGo, charge an amount to fill up your account and then deduct what you actually use.
For example, my EVGO app charges my card $10. After I’ve used $10 worth of charging, it charges my card another $10, and it goes on like that.
Is it possible that your EVGO account just topped up at $29?
@Keir
No, FordPass links your card directly. You tap the charging icon, select where you are, and the name of the machine to start.
I think I tapped it right before she got it working on her end. I’m planning to go to the bank again to plead my case. Proving this will be tough. I have a screenshot of her transaction and mine to show why I would fill up to max in under 30 minutes.
@Shannon
Yes, EVGO and EA are similar in that you link your card, but they fill your account rather than charging your card for the exact amount used.
@Shannon
So you see a charge for X kwh and $29.23 or whatever?
Sounds like you might have tried to start charging on the wrong port. They aren’t always clearly marked, and it could have just been bad timing.
You might explain that the charge was placed on the wrong ‘pump.’ I had a similar situation years ago.
@Keir
Funny enough, I’ve had EA top up my account without billing me for the session.
Free charging!
From what you described, it seems like you turned on the wrong port, so to speak. This answers two questions.
- Why you couldn’t charge your car.
- Why you got charged for hers.