Jolt second attempt — Ferntree Gully Station
Show 0 more photos Show 5 more photos Hide additional photos
My second attempt at using a JOLT Charge station was at Ferntree Gully Station. This location was much better (than Bayswater station, mentioned in my earlier post). It’s in a carpark, where you can come and go easily. Still no “EV charging only” sign, which is needed. When I used this charger a week later, there was a ute (of course) parked in the spot. I waved politely to the driver who obligingly moved to another car spot so I could use the charger.
I already had the JOLT Charge app installed, with my credit card details entered. I tried using the app’s QR code scanner, but it repeatedly failed. So, I entered the charging station’s ID number and, after a few seconds wait, it started charging.
It is a DC charger (with a built in cable). It charges at 22kW, which is slower than the typical 50 to 350kW DC charger, but still faster than the 7 to 11kW max we can get out of an AC charger. I expect that a typical top up of half a battery would take about 90 minutes, which is probably a good fit during an outing to the shops or a cafe.
JOLT Charge has an interesting business model. If I understand correctly, they get some revenue from advertising (on the large LCD display) and some from the EV owners who use their chargers. Each customer gets 7kWh for free each day. When they exceed that, they are charged 46c per kWh.
Update: Jolt has updated their app, making the process easier:
So, I wonder which method JOLT Charge uses 🤔.
I think the large format and slow DC charging allows them to provide charging where electrical connections would otherwise be too challenging. I think they also have some batteries in there to further buffer the energy usage.