Crash Course on EVs
Thank you, brave soul, for choosing to drive one of our EVs! Have no fear. It’s really not all that different from driving the gas powered cars that you may be used to, aside from needing some extra planning. We are here to help every step of the way. If you have already made a Turo reservation, please feel absolutely free to reach out to Zach in the Turo app at any time. We will respond as quickly as possible, and are always listening for messages (especially during a live reservation). If you are hesitant about booking and have more questions to ask, please email them to me at jessi@greenalaskan.com.
Top 5 Things to know
1. Driving an EV requires a different mindset
Don’t worry, Juneau is hands down the EV-friendliest community in Alaska. Charging is free, town is small, and chargers are located all over the place. But there are a few things to keep in mind. Because stops to refuel are longer and more frequent, lower range electric cars best suit a “stop and smell the roses” lifestyle. Guests in a hurry to get from place to place, or perhaps looking to keep up all day with other friends in gas cars will likely not have as enjoyable of an experience. But when planned well, the longer refueling time is not as inconvenient as it sounds. Most chargers are located near restaurants or shopping centers, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy yourself while you multitask with charging.
2. Making the most of your range:
It will be important to pre-plan your day to accommodate for charging stops. We recommend locating the nearest chargers to the places you want to go, and plan to park at the charger and walk to your destination, where you can spend an hour or two while charging. (Please be aware of any parking fees or restrictions.) If there’s a charger nearby, use it–don’t wait for the car to get too empty. Some chargers get really busy at certain times, or may be out of service. We have a map of chargers and nearby activity/food recommendations here.
3. How to charge:
In addition to charging overnight, we highly recommend using free public chargers around town. Most chargers are Level 2, which charge at roughly 10-20 mph. There are a couple Level 3 DC Quick Chargers around town, but they are frequently out of service. When available, they charge roughly 30-60 miles in 30 minutes. See below for how-to charging videos.
4. Charging overnight:
We encourage all of our guests to ask their overnight accommodations if there is somewhere to plug the car in overnight (standard 3-prong outdoor outlet). This is especially important for guests staying at airbnbs on North Douglas or “out the road”–the farther you are commuting to town, the more important it will be for you to be able to charge overnight. The provided home charger will charge very slowly (roughly 4 mph), but when left overnight can give you a much needed boost by morning.
5. Stated Range/Miles may vary!
The number of miles the car says it has left is an estimation. These things can throw this number off and cause the car to burn through miles faster: cold weather, speeding, blasting the heat or AC, and climbing mountains/hills. You may even find the car holding more range than before on warmer days. To make your range last, drive like your grandma is in the car, opt for using the seat warmers over the forced-air cabin heating, roll the windows down instead of using the AC, and avoid cruise control when climbing hills (like when going up to Eaglecrest). The car will warn you when its battery is getting too low, at which point you should get to a charger.
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Charging Locations Around Town
Green plug icons show the location of Level 2 charging stations (240 V, J-1772 connector). Orange station icons show the locations of Level 3 charging stations (DC fast charge, CHADEMO connector). Descriptions include location of the charger at the destination, and photos. More information can be found on the free PlugShare app.
Click here to see our travel recommendations (food, shopping, activities) on a map with nearby chargers.
Car Frequently Asked Questions
Click here for a map showing all of the chargers in Juneau. Click here for a different map of favorite destinations and nearby chargers
I also highly recommend downloading the free PlugShare app, which can give you more information about each station (reviews, pictures, any issues with each station, last time someone reported using it). It is (sometimes) updated in real time by other EVs drivers. When searching, be sure the J-1772 and ChaDeMo connector types are selected.
J-1772 is the Level 2 connector type. ChaDeMo is the Level 3 DC Fast Charge connector type.
Although it is slow, I recommend plugging in overnight when possible, using the provided charging cable. This is often enough to gain at least 40 miles by morning.
When out and about, it is generally worth it to plug into the nearest public charger to your destination and get your steps in while charging. Use the PlugShare app to find the nearest charger.
Most chargers are conveniently located. Most Level 2s charge between 15 and 20 miles of charge per hour–perfect for topping off over dinner. Level 3 fast charging is also an option, which can get you back on the road with 30-60 miles in 30 minutes or less.
For the Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul: First, put the car in park and turn it off. There is a button to the bottom left of the steering wheel that looks like a fuel pump. Pressing that will open the front charging hatch. There are two ports. The small port plugs into level 2 charging stations (J-1772), and the bigger port plugs into level 3 DC Quick Charging stations (ChaDeMo).
For level 2, just plug in and it will start charging automatically. The car has blue indicator lights that can be seen from outside the car, located on the middle of the dash (inside, under the rear-view mirror). These lights will blink when it starts charging. These lights also indicate how full the battery is: Each light represents 1/3; a flashing light indicates charging, and solid lights indicates fullness. When the car is 100% fully charged, charging will stop and all three lights will turn off. If only the middle light is on, something is wrong–try again or call me.
For Level 3, plug in until the yellow eject button on the cable pops out flush with the rest of the handle. Then press start. No card is ever needed. It may take a minute for the machine to establish a connection with the car. When finished with DC Quick Charging, press the stop button if needed, and wait for the machine to power down. Be sure the charger says it is safe to unplug before unplugging.
For the Chrysler Pacifica: First, put the car in park and turn it off. The charger hatch is located on the front driver’s side of the car. Just press the hatch door with your hand and it will pop open. This minivan can only charge at Level 2 stations or at home, and is not compatible with Level 3 DC Quick Charging. To charge with level 2, just plug in and it will start charging automatically.
Level 2 charging stations are the most common around town. They can give you 15-20 miles of charge in roughly an hour. These are the smaller stations usually mounted on a pole. If you are closer to empty, you might opt to go to a Level 3 DC Fast Charging station, which can give you 30-60 miles in 30 minutes or less. These are the larger stations that look like small gas pumps.
The Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul have two charge ports. The small orange port (J-1772) is for public Level 2 stations. The larger black port (ChaDeMo) is for Level 3 DC fast charging stations. Be cautious when unplugging at Level 3 stations, and ensure the screen says charging has stopped and it is safe to unplug.
All public charging in Juneau is FREE. No card is needed. Just plug in and press start.
No card is needed. The chargers in town were donated to Juneau secondhand, and these card features have been disabled to make charging free. The card readers and messages about tapping a card are relics from their previous lives down south. Just plug in and press start.
Yes, Juneau is pretty small, with roughly 40 miles of road total. We suggest plugging in overnight when possible. When planning your adventures, take into account the nearest charger and consider walking from the charger to your destination. Most are conveniently located near stores, food or parks.
The dashboard display shows an estimated remaining range. Just like with a gas car, be sure you have enough miles to get to where you are going and back.
The car will alert you when the battery is low and charging is recommended, and again when the battery is very low. When the range estimate turns into “—“, find a charger ASAP. There is one final safety feature before the car dies completely: If you have still not charged and the battery is empty, “Turtle mode” will engage and harshly reduce your propulsion power to allow you to pull over safely out of traffic. You would need a tow at this point.
See our Troubleshooting article at: https://greenalaskan.com/plugging-in-troubleshooting-juneaus-ev-chargers/
Feel free to call me if you are having any issues.
Rental Unit Frequently Asked Questions
The rental unit has is own private entrance, and is completely private. It is its own separate apartment. Outdoor spaces are considered shared.
The unit is attached to our family home, and we can be quite lively during the day. The apartment’s bathroom and kitchenette/living room share a wall with the kitchen/living room of the main house. While we try to keep noise at a respectful level, there may be some light sound penetration into the living room. The bedrooms are on opposite ends of the building and do not have any shared walls, so they stay pretty quiet.
There is no washer or dryer in the unit, so going to a laundromat will be necessary. We do provide a small portable clothes washer that can be used to wash a couple changes of clothes at a time, between trips to the laundromat. Racks in the bathroom can be used to hang dry clothes as needed.
You will have one dedicated parking space in the driveway. Any additional vehicles would need to be parked on the street (free and usually available). The dedicated space is directly in front of the unit’s bedroom window. Please pull forward and leave room for us to pull our cars around to the side. We promise not to block you in.
We provide many essentials to get you started: toilet paper, bar soap, shampoo and conditioner, coffee, spices, etc. We typically do not restock these items for stays longer than a week, since what is provided is just meant to get you started. If you find yourself in a pinch, though, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
If you don’t have your own rental car, taking an Uber or Taxi is probably your best option. Taxis are pretty much the only option late at night, while Uber is hit or miss during the day. A ride one way typically costs $20-$30. Alternatively, it’s about a three mile walk or bike ride on mostly flat terrain with sidewalks/bike paths nearly the whole way.
Yes! If you book the rental unit directly with us, we are able to give you a discount on rent when you book one of our cars on Turo for the duration of your stay. (30 day minimum. Restrictions may apply.)
We highlight many of our favorite adventure activities on our travel page. Additionally, there is an indoor community swimming pool, a movie theater, a few easy hikes, a gym, and several stores and restaurants within a 2 mile radius. Further away, there is also an indoor ice skating rink, a small bowling alley, a rock climbing gym, a small aquarium (DIPAC), and a community theater. Keep an eye on bulletin boards at grocery stores and malls for pop up community events.
In the summer, fishing, mountain climbing, whale watching, and the Mount Roberts Tramway are popular among visitors and locals alike.
We keep more detailed information in our House Manual, which is left out on the desk in the bedroom during l check in. For specific information needed before arrival (address, door codes, etc.), check your messages in the booking app you used. If you have any questions, please reach out to us! We would be happy to help.
We keep all of the appliance manuals in the middle drawer in the kitchen. If any directions are missing, let us know and we can print copies. The Convection Microwave has special instructions taped just inside the door about what materials are safe in the oven depending on which function is being used.
How to Contact Us
We are always watching for messages from active guests and new or existing bookings. Please reach out to us in the messaging section of your booking platform. At booking, we also provide Zach’s phone number which you are free to call or text, especially if anything urgent comes up in the middle of the night.
For anything else, you can also reach us via email at jessi@greenalaskan.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.