Chargey EV charge / trip tracking app for iOS now available!

[DerekS]

Hey folks, one last message from me on Chargey.

I'm trying to better understand what people want from the app.
Please consider taking this short, fast survey to share your thoughts and inform my focus going forward.

https://forms.gle/GFPNNnzqYSBmPihD6

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[jrmuppet]

Tried to take the survey but I get a weird cookie error page from google. Will try on my laptop tomorrow.
+1 for ChargePoint

 

[mcdermottm]

We just picked up a MB EQE SUV and I tried adding the app and the app shuts down after I add the Make. It doesn't allow me add a Model.

 

[submatrix]

Hey folks, one last message from me on Chargey.

I'm trying to better understand what people want from the app.
Please consider taking this short, fast survey to share your thoughts and inform my focus going forward.

https://forms.gle/GFPNNnzqYSBmPihD6

Honestly I think other pricing models would be preferred. While your app would be great for the frequent road tripper who is using public charging a lot, I'm not sure the value is as high for people who usually charge at home (like myself). A one time purchase or even an annual price that is less than monthly*12 would work better for me, and I suspect a lot of others.

I take a couple road trips a year where Chargey would be really nice to have as a repository of my public charging sessions, price, kWh charged, etc. But I can't bring myself to pay monthly for that.

There's another nice app which I have the same issue with, which is Flighty. Looks super handy, but I'm not gonna pay a monthly sub when I fly maybe once or twice a year, so the end result is I "can't" use the app.

Now all this being said, it's your app so you do what you want

 

[DerekS]

A one time purchase or even an annual price that is less than monthly*12 would work better for me, and I suspect a lot of others.

It literally has that now; you save more the longer term you choose.

$1.49/mo, $5.99/6mo or $9.99/12mo.

One-time purchase is a non-starter for me.

At this point it’s looking like my best move is to give up and walk away, as I’ve not made even one single sale. I’m in the hole for money spent on graphics, domain reg, web hosting etc.

Oh well. I like it.

 

[DerekS]

We just picked up a MB EQE SUV and I tried adding the app and the app shuts down after I add the Make. It doesn't allow me add a Model.

I’m able to reproduce that; not sure what is special about Mercedes but I’ll get it fixed.
I am sorry.

 

[Browning]

I’m able to reproduce that; not sure what is special about Mercedes but I’ll get it fixed.
I am sorry.

This looks great have you had anyone from UK tried it

 

[DerekS]

This looks great have you had anyone from UK tried it

Yes, it’s designed to support units and currency worldwide.

Around 20% of the downloads have been from the UK.

 

[Browning]

Yes, it’s designed to support units and currency worldwide.

Around 20% of the downloads have been from the UK.

Will download app is it compatible with CTEK Chargestorm connect

 

[mcdermottm]

I’m able to reproduce that; not sure what is special about Mercedes but I’ll get it fixed.
I am sorry.

Thanks. No worries.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

One-time purchase is a non-starter for me.

I can see why… but for the same reason, I avoid subscriptions like the plague. They add up quickly and it is generally much more cost effective (cheaper) to buy outright. I can see why Microsoft are trying to move people to their 365 software - but my version of Office 2007 still works fine. Over 15 years it would have cost me several times the purchase value to subscribe. Yes, I get the latest version, but that confers little extra benefit. The trouble you have is that iOS updates every year and I imagine you have to keep it up to date for it to work.

So I will only subscribe if I REALLY want something. In this case, as per a previous poster, I would hardly ever use it so a subscription is out. Difficult one, but good luck with it whatever you decide.

 

[DerekS]

I can see why… but for the same reason, I avoid subscriptions like the plague. They add up quickly and it is generally much more cost effective (cheaper) to buy outright. I can see why Microsoft are trying to move people to their 365 software - but my version of Office 2007 still works fine. Over 15 years it would have cost me several times the purchase value to subscribe. Yes, I get the latest version, but that confers little extra benefit. The trouble you have is that iOS updates every year and I imagine you have to keep it up to date for it to work.

So I will only subscribe if I REALLY want something. In this case, as per a previous poster, I would hardly ever use it so a subscription is out. Difficult one, but good luck with it whatever you decide.

I appreciate the direct feedback. You're right that (if nothing else) just staying current on iOS merits work every year, which is why single-price-upgrade-free-forever is an unsustainable model.

This is one of the biggest problems with the app store - users expect to pay once and get upgrades forever, free. Developers lose interest in sustaining the app once it's not making money, so they are disincentivized from keeping it current.

I get the need to keep subscriptions down. I planned for this in my model - what I'd recommend is subbing for a term you can live with, and immediately cancelling.

That gives you a year (or month, or 6 months) to determine if you want to keep going, as the sub remains active until the renewal date.

I've also increased the free period from a week to a month - if you cancel before that month is up you'll pay nothing. I feel like that's a pretty good period to evaluate the app.

Lastly, someone's free trial converted to paid today, so I officially have a (one) customer.
Thanks kind person, whoever that was!

 

[DerekS]

Thanks. No worries.

Amusingly, Mercedes exposed a bug in my lookup control when all models start with the same letter. . Fix is pushed and will be approved soon.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Lastly, someone's free trial converted to paid today, so I officially have a (one) customer.
Thanks kind person, whoever that was!

Now you can’t walk away!

 

[DerekS]

Now you can’t walk away!

I wouldn't completely do that anyway - I use the app, and a handful of my friends who helped test it still do.

It just means I won't dump any more money into it. For example I was looking into advertising on some of the EV influencer programs...if it's an app with no audience (or an audience only when free) then that's not worth investing in.

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