Bristol City centre charging experiences

[mrsmith]

Driving from Swindon to Bristol yesterday and needed to charge whist there to make it home.

Have previously parked at Cabots circus and used their free 13amp sockets, however as they are so slow, only just gave me enough to get home.

Bristol has lots of polar/ source west points in other car park, but they are all charging for electricity now which I was not happy about (expensive when added to parking charges).

Googling the millennium square carpark showed a couple of 7kw chargers so thought I'd try them out.
On entering the carpark I found a nice big source west sign explaining where to find the sparky spots, great! Found them no problem, with clear signage and big blue bays, (both space were empty), swiped my CYC card and plugged into the FREE electricity.

All very smooth and returned to car with 100% battery. The only fly in the ointment was on return I found the other electric parking spot blocked by an ICE car, ******s.

 

[noakey]

Driving from Swindon to Bristol yesterday and needed to charge whist there to make it home.

Have previously parked at Cabots circus and used their free 13amp sockets, however as they are so slow, only just gave me enough to get home.

Bristol has lots of polar/ source west points in other car park, but they are all charging for electricity now which I was not happy about (expensive when added to parking charges).

Googling the millennium square carpark showed a couple of 7kw chargers so thought I'd try them out.
On entering the carpark I found a nice big source west sign explaining where to find the sparky spots, great! Found them no problem, with clear signage and big blue bays, (both space were empty), swiped my CYC card and plugged into the FREE electricity.

All very smooth and returned to car with 100% battery. The only fly in the ointment was on return I found the other electric parking spot blocked by an ICE car, ******s.

Hi mrsmith..

I too have been visiting Bristol, and can just about squeeze in a round trip from Swindon, although I too have used the millenium square parking by At Bristol, both bays free, and achieved a trouble free full charge during our trip.

I am pleased you have tried the Cabots circus charge points. Although painfully slow, does add enough to get home without any anxiety.

I have also used the Little Chef Chippenham Type 2, which although is £1.70 per hour is useful to top-up for an onward journey. But I must note that these bays are not marked other thank there is a chargemaster pillar behind them, and always have ICE cars parked. Luckily, my cable can reach across to my i3 charge socket.

Re: ICE blockers, the suggestion on another discussion here re: go park at a petrol pump and go for a coffee! lol. It may come to that.

 

[mrsmith]

The blockers are annoying, weirdly when I used the CCS as Reading it was an electric Zoe driver, he'd managed to park right in the middle of two electric bays and was chatting on the phone, I politely asked him to move, which he did with a scowl. ******

BTW my boys spotted an i3 in Aldbourne the other day, was that you?

 

[noakey]

The blockers are annoying, weirdly when I used the CCS as Reading it was an electric Zoe driver, he'd managed to park right in the middle of two electric bays and was chatting on the phone, I politely asked him to move, which he did with a scowl. ******

BTW my boys spotted an i3 in Aldbourne the other day, was that you?

He could have been, we were on route from Swindon to see the Crofton Beam Engines using eco-pro routing. Think we were there on Thursday? and again on Saturday.

Ours is deep grey with 20inch wheels. A thinking about doing a partial wrap too just to make it mine.

We also saw a white REX in the Millenium Car park last Wednesday.

 

[Bunter]

How are Polar/Source West implementing charging for a charge?

Bill

 

[mrsmith]

I've only used the free ones in London and Bristol or Ecotricity, however you have to put 'credit' on your polar card account now to activate it.

I assume this is then used up as and when you swipe or use the app at a chargeable point. The fee is based on an hourly rate, 13amp £1.20 - 30amp£1.70 an hour.

 

[noakey]

How are Polar/Source West implementing charging for a charge?

Bill

Hi... register at https://www.polarinstant.com/login.php

You have to credit your account and then if the site is a charge site your credit will be reduced and an email invoice automatically sent to your registered email address.

 

[Bunter]

Thanks. I bought the Charge Your Car Lifetime card back in March and registered a credit card on it. So if I use a Source West point with my CYC card will it work such that I get billed? I don't mind paying but I worry that it won't work when I need it to.

Bill

 

[noakey]

Thanks. I bought the Charge Your Car Lifetime card back in March and registered a credit card on it. So if I use a Source West point with my CYC card will it work such that I get billed? I don't mind paying but I worry that it won't work when I need it to.

Bill

Hi bill. Hmm my cyc has always worked fine but all the chargers have been free. You might have to take a flyer on this one... but in theory it should be ok.

 

[Bunter]

Thanks for the info, I just found out today that the Wiltshire rapid DC chargers will be operated by a Polar RFID or app so looks like another card for the wallet.

Cheers

Bill

 

[Carreraboy]

Whilst on the subject of Bristol, has anyone got experience of the charge points at Cribbs Causeway? Believe there are a couple there but not sure who operates them.

Thanks

Kev