1. What is an electric vehicle (EV) charger?
Modern EV charging equipment is a standardized electrical connection to transfer electric power from the grid to an electric vehicle, much like plugging in an electric appliance at home.
2. What kinds of cars will it work on? Does it work on trucks and motorcycles also?
The chargers will work on most all vehicles with onboard battery charging equipment; it does not work on older EV’s without onboard battery chargers. There are no trucks or motorcycles with this technology currently on the market as far as we know.
3. What kinds of chargers are there?
Dual level, Level 1 and Level 2 (the levels represent the speed of the charge). Dual level means each EV charger can charge two vehicles. One vehicle can charge at Level 1 and a second vehicle can charge at Level 2. The charge level is first-come, first-served for each charging unit.
4. Where are the chargers?
- Downtown Public Garage- 725 7th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Three level 1 chargers, nine Level 2 chargers. - Downtown Employee Garage- 625 7th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (Employee parking garage-monthly employee parking only with a valid access card).
Six level 2 chargers. - St. Joseph’s Parking Lot- 800 F Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
(Juror parking lot-parking only with a valid juror parking permit between
6 am-5 pm, Monday thru Friday).
Two level 2 chargers. - Bradshaw Center- 3800 Branch Center Drive, Sacramento, CA 95827
(6 am-6 pm).
Two level 1 chargers and two level 2 chargers. - Bradshaw Center- 9661 Conservation Road, Sacramento, CA 95827
(6 am-6 pm).
Two level 2 chargers. - Sacramento Area Sanitation District Building- 10060 Goethe Road, Sacramento, CA 95827
(6 am-6 pm).
Two level 2 chargers. - Sacramento International Airport- 6900 Airport Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95837
Sixteen level 2 chargers, which use a 220 volt connector.
Visit the Sacramento International Airport’s website for more information. https://sacramento.aero/smf
Visit ChargePoint’s website for information about maps, ChargePoint access cards and more. http://www.chargepoint.com
5. Are there specific signs to look for?
Yes, there are signs for EV chargers. In most places there are also directions to the chargers.
6. What are the hours?
At the Bradshaw Center: Branch Center Drive, Conservation Road and Goethe Road locations, the chargers are available from 6 am-6 pm.
At the Sacramento International Airport and all downtown locations: the St. Joseph’s Lot and the Downtown Public & Employee Garages, the chargers are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. (A valid juror parking permit is required between 6 am -5 pm Monday thru Friday in the St. Joseph’s Lot and a valid access card for monthly parking is required to enter the Downtown Employee Garage.)
7. Who can use the charger?
Anyone with a ChargePass card who is allowed to park at the location. In the future, a major credit card may be required to pay for charging services.
8. Where do I get a ChargePass card?
http://www.chargepoint.com/ for more information.
9. Do I need an appointment?
Right now “use” is first-come, first-served. The service supports reservations, however the County is not making reservations at this time.
10. When are your busiest times?
During normal business hours, when people are at work or doing business with the County.
11. How long can I use a charger?
There is currently a 4 hour parking limit for actively charging vehicles.
12. Do I need to stay with the vehicle while it’s charging?
No, however if creating an account at
http://www.chargepoint.com/ it is possible to:
- Elect to receive text or Email message when your vehicle is completely charged.
- Elect to receive text or Email messages if your charging session is interrupted for any reason such as a GFCI fault or disconnected cable.
- View fuel and greenhouse gas (GHG) savings of your vehicle.
- Track your vehicle’s charge history.
13. How long does the charge take?
Charging time depends on many variables: the level of discharge; capacity of onboard EV battery; charge level available, (level 1, 110V) (level 2, 220V). Generally, if the vehicle is almost empty, assume 4-8 hours for a 100% recharge.
14. What if my car is damaged? Who is responsible?
Accident damage is the responsibility of the person causing the damage or the vehicle owner’s insurance company. The County is not responsible for situations or actions that are beyond their control.
15. Who do I contact for assistance with charging my car?
We do not have staff to be able to respond “immediately” however Parking staff downtown may be more readily available, but one may wait for 15-30 minutes at Bradshaw.
Branch Center: Light Fleet Services, 4001 Branch Center Rd. 916-875-5608
Downtown Garage: Parking Office next to toll booths, 725 7th Street. 916-874-6227
16. Can I “top off my charge”?
Yes. There are no restrictions at this time limiting use of EVSE at County facilities.
17. How do I use it?
You need a Charge Passcard through ChargePoint:
http://www.chargepoint.com/
18. Is my usage monitored? By whom? For what purpose?
Yes. Usage may be monitored by ChargePoint through the terms of using a Charge Passcard. The County cannot monitor individuals or vehicles. The County can only see total electric power consumption of all stations combined or the greenhouse gas emissions offset though diversion of gasoline gallons to kilowatts consumed. Anyone can view on the Internet if a ChargePoint Station is in operation or available.
