UK Finding/ using recharging points

[uktechie]

No cards yet as waiting on car but great that Electric Highway starting to install CCS now so Rapid Charging soon a reality.

 

[Gonville]

One very useful tip. If you apply to Source Bristol - which is run by the council and currently free - then you get a free RFID card. As the scheme is operated by CYC you get a discount code so that you don't have to pay the £20 that CYC charge for RFID card!

However if you have already applied for CYC like I did then the registration fails as you already have an email address registered.....

....I only discovered this after no response from CYC I tried a different email address. The CYC help desk then enabled both IDs and I looked at and paid the CYC £20. Then I went back on the other email and read that which had the discount code for £20 in it. Doh.

So I didn't complete the Source Bristol one as I already had received the CYC card. I think the Bristol scheme may be limited in numbers.

 

[Bunter]

One very useful tip. If you apply to Source Bristol - which is run by the council and currently free - then you get a free RFID card. As the scheme is operated by CYC you get a discount code so that you don't have to pay the £20 that CYC charge for RFID card!

However if you have already applied for CYC like I did then the registration fails as you already have an email address registered.....

....I only discovered this after no response from CYC I tried a different email address. The CYC help desk then enabled both IDs and I looked at and paid the CYC £20. Then I went back on the other email and read that which had the discount code for £20 in it. Doh.

So I didn't complete the Source Bristol one as I already had received the CYC card. I think the Bristol scheme may be limited in numbers.

The BMW ChargeNow (Chargemaster) card works with the SourceWest charging points in Bristol. I a 60 mile journey there last week, it was my first journey where I was reliant on a public access charge at my destination in order to get home. It went very smoothly

Cheers

Bill

 

[TheCyclist]

Hold on Bill isn't Source West free? so why did you need a charge card? Are the points on the BMW/ ChargeNow/ Polar instant maps? So far the only charge point I have used is free and outside my local M&S and I only did that because it's a fabulous parking spot....

Geoff

 

[Bunter]

Hold on Bill isn't Source West free? so why did you need a charge card? Are the points on the BMW/ ChargeNow/ Polar instant maps? So far the only charge point I have used is free and outside my local M&S and I only did that because it's a fabulous parking spot....

Geoff

I used my ChargeNow RFID card to initiate charging, the SourceWest point I used is on the BMW app and the app says it is free.

Bill

 

[TheCyclist]

My wife tried public charge point charging yesterday in Southampton [West Quay].

I spent half an hour trying to work out whether the Ecotricity AC/DC Fast charger would work with an i3. [Using the AC charger]
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-the-road/charging-your-vehicle/ac-dc-fast-chargers
The i3 isn't on the list of compatible cars & the very helpful man on the advice line said no..... When my wife looked at the unit, it clearly has a mennekes plug - so what's the problem?

Well the ecotricity map's a problem for a start - it has no search facility & describes the unit as 2 sockets 50/43 kW 7 & 10 pin
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-the-road/our-electric-highway
If you search on http://openchargemap.org/ it describes the 2 connections as "Level 3" 43kW three phase AC Mennekes type 2 and 50kW DC Chademo [which is not the BMW standard].
Whereas NCR http://nationalchargepointregistry.com describes the connections as 43kW three phase AC 500V 120amp IEC 62196-2 type 2 and Chademo.

I trust the engineers not to create a system with a plug/ voltage combination that will damage the car if you plug it in, so I was happy to tell my wife go to IKEA & see if it works..... But she was swayed by the helpline advice & having downloaded the app went to https://www.polarinstant.com/map.php which are the BMW partners & went off to a nearby NCP car park with a "Type 2 socket 7kW" connected up - to the excitement of the attendant who hadn't seen an electric car before.... and it was fine [if expensive].

I am unimpressed. They can't even make it clear what the sockets are, everyone is using different nomenclature and the maps include & exclude various points. I was late for work - but you have to admit it's an original excuse, "I'm sorry guys I was looking for a charge point in Southampton for my wife".

 

[Gonville]

Two more RFID cards arrived today. One for Polari/Chargemaster to work in Underground car parks. Second one was for Plugged in Partnership Midlands. I think I have a full set now....

I also have a collection of iPhone apps, about 8 in total. All of which show different things and usually say "no charge points in range".....

...all I need for Christmas is an i3 and I'll be able to get on and write an extensive how to idiots guide.....

...maybe not.

 

[sasman]

I cant believe how poor the charging network is around sheffield...I have a real problem finding any charge points other than Car dealer ships Renault Nissan etc...not sure if i a BMW i3 would be allowed to use them.I cant even find if BMW dealer has a recharge point..

 

[Gonville]

Marks and Spencer Ecclesall Road. 13amp..... ;-)

Meadowhall inside the service yard press the intercom to get access. Type 2 chargers I believe.

I'm thinking of changing my spec to match yours and moving to Sheffield. Just need the i3

 

[TheCyclist]

http://openchargemap.org have about half a dozen around Sheffield - Polar/ Connected Drive only one.

Geoff

 

[Gonville]

Only 4 actually in Sheffield. M&S Eco store, Service area 7 at. Meadowhall , Toyota and Nissan dealer. Oh and an ASDA to the north.

 

[RJSATLBA]

I think sasman in S Yorks is in the same situation as me in W Yorks between Leeds and Harrogate - a relative desert. However, unless one is trying to charge for free (and we don't expect owt for nowt in Yorks) what is more important, though not critical for a REx, is whether we can get rapid charge at the limits of battery range when en route. Of course I'm assuming that if about to run out of battery when heading home it would make more sense to allow the REx to operate rather than stop when nearly home.

My regular but infrequent trips beyond battery range will be to Sutton Coldfield or Ross on Wye and I'm hoping Ecotricity will have upgraded suitable Mway chargers by the time my REx finally arrives.

 

[jamesvdv]

The real problem I have found when attempting to use public charging points, like these at ASDA in Greenwich, is the sheer ignorance of ICE car drivers:

This photo I took shows eight parking bays with access to four AC Type 2 Mode 3 Ports on two EVSE posts.

All the spaces were occupied and the ONLY EV charging there was my i3!!! The most annoying thing was the fact that there were plenty of other surrounding parking spaces that these ICE car drivers could have used instead

I think that I might be tempted to park up my fully charged i3 at a fuel pump in my local Sainsburys Petrol Station forecourt and do the monthly shop on a Friday night while all the ICE drivers have to bloody wait :twisted:

 

[MikeS]

I see this regularly at my local ASDA (maybe its an ASDA shopper thing :twisted: ). I just hope that if enough of us complain to the store that they will do something about it in future. I have considered parking across the ICE cars and letting them wait for me.

 

[RJSATLBA]

It's commercial idiocy, there is no point in spending a significant amount to install the chargers and sign the bays if they aren't kept clear, which would cost nothing.

Have you tried asking the manager to put out a call on the PA system and, if he or she won't, complaining to the chief exec? It's surprising how often bypassing any complaints procedure and sending a polite succinct note to a chief exec gets results.

 

[TheCyclist]

This is going to be a problem. I remember, however a fascinating 15minutes sat in a supermarket carpark watching a stream of non-disabled drivers slotting in & out of the disabled bays.

Having said that I met a woman who was caught by a local newspaper's Click & Shame campaign parking in a slot - and when it was published she was very ashamed....

I agree about the announcements though.

Geoff

 

[thePM]

Hi Geoff and other forum members - like Geoff post at start of this thread I will be collecting my i3 in about a month. It is aBEV so charging infrastructure is important - I wondered what the latest advice is for apps and charge networks as I understand some networks merging and being taken over. I'm in uk driving in London and Surrey mostly..

So far I think ecotricity (they have a ccs 5 miles from home..)

And maybe pod point and/or charge master

Also has anyone found any charge points in London that are free parking - these are rumoured to exist but not sure how to find them..


Thanks for input..!

 

[uktechie]

It is lazy b :evil: wanting to be as close to entrance as possible.

 

[bishbosh]

Hi Geoff and other forum members - like Geoff post at start of this thread I will be collecting my i3 in about a month. It is aBEV so charging infrastructure is important - I wondered what the latest advice is for apps and charge networks as I understand some networks merging and being taken over. I'm in uk driving in London and Surrey mostly..

So far I think ecotricity (they have a ccs 5 miles from home..)

And maybe pod point and/or charge master

Also has anyone found any charge points in London that are free parking - these are rumoured to exist but not sure how to find them..


Thanks for input..!

\
I have downloaded the Polar Instant app for my Android and I think it's available on the iphone too.

Very good app as you can search/see where charge points are on a map, as well as letting you know the cost at each one and if you set up an account you can use it to start a charge on your car.
Be aware that even on free charge points you will need some credit on your account. I have put £20 on mine and have used quite a few around Huntingdon/Cambridge area and still have £20 credit as they are all free...

Milton Keynes are not free and seem quite expensive as there are loads there all empty bays which seems bizarre!!!

M.

 

[Gonville]

Check out the speakEV forum. That has plenty of debate about chargers and the Milton Keynes situation. I currently have 10 different cards 5 different apps and no EV.
I can't find a single app that has a reliable set of locations. Ecotricity has a web site but it isn't live with status updates. They use Twitter to announce fixes and updates.