UK Finding/ using recharging points

[DerfSdrawd]

I've only used the Ecotricity CCS (fast DC) chargers so far. Best to follow them on Twitter - @ElecHighway - where they post updates on their charge point status. They are rapidly rolling them out on the motorway services.

 

[thePM]

Thanks All for responses. 10 cards and 5 apps and no EV that's rough. Can you list? At very least I can eliminate some ?

I will check out speakev and will definitely use ecotricity as we are close to the ccs charge point at Cobham m25. Also interested to see what is around in London. MK might be out of range from Leathehead (at least at motorway speeds)..

Think we are doing well with our order - march and delivery due 3rd sep.

 

[TheCyclist]

Yes the lack of any single source recording all charging points is a problem - as is the profusion of cards from different providers. I suppose we are all waiting for a solution to this problem - meanwhile do you have a link to the speakEV forum?

Geoff

 

[Gonville]

this is the one on charging locations. The rest makes interesting reading. I got told off by the admins for posting in green. .....

https://speakev.com/forums/ev-charging-locations/

 

[Gonville]

This was the set I started with.

 

[Gonville]

 

[Gonville]

...and on the iPhone. I'll find time to review all these but it's a bit hard without the i3.

 

[thePM]

Thanks all useful stuff. Have applied for source London and will add pod point and ecotricity and see how I get on or if I need another card..
I can't believe the situation is not clearer and there isn't a web site or app that consolidates all charging facilities in an area but I guess it's still early days..

 

[TheCyclist]

One of the unmentioned parts of a market economy is the early profusion of inadequate products. The assumption is that the best product wins, but I fear the best funded wins....

The i3 is definitely worth waiting for by the way. My only regret is I didn't have the super fast charging option included.

Geoff

 

[BrianStanier]

Zap-map.com and openchargemap.org are probably the best country-wide maps, but neither is fully up-to-date nor give real-time indication. Up here CYC's own map is very good for the points that they administer. I can't speak for the other organisations.

BMW's map in the car is completely useless, up here it shows only Chargemaster (with whom they are affiliated) and there are only two such locations in the whole of the NE.

 

[DerfSdrawd]

Today I used the CCS DC charger at Beaconsfield M40 services, which is Ecotricity. For some reason, unlike the one at Cobham, I didn't need to use my Ecotricity RFID card. All FOC.

I also used a Source East charge point up in Luton today (I know, I lead an exotic life..) which turns out to be Chargemaster. I don't have a Chargemaster or Source East/London/West etc card, just the Chargemaster app so I was able to activate the charging point just with the app. And it was free. As noted by a previous contributor, "all" you do is put £20 on your Chargemaster account, but at least I didn't need to pay a £10 membership fee to Source East.

So I did about 150 miles today at zero cost!

There's no doubt that the CCS chargers are game-changers - I found I was able to make a couple of calls/send an email/have a p*** whilst the car went from 30% to 90% charge in under 15 minutes! To my surprise, as someone who has never charged the car away from home before, I found that to be an acceptable compromise.

 

[BoMW]

Today I used the CCS DC charger at Beaconsfield M40 services,
I found that to be an acceptable compromise.

At 1840 I arrived at beaconsfields extra services to use the CCS DC charger. I was never prompted to hold my card but the menus continued to give instructions up to charging confirmation. Off I went smilling away for a 30 minute break. On returning the station menu showing charging stopped. Looked at my dash which showed a 12% top up. What a complete waste of time. Tried to initiate charging 5 times, each time no prompt to hold membership card . A pre-charge menu came on then charging vehicle came on but after 20 seconds it was stopped.

Not having much luck with ecotricity stations at all. Stopped at M40/A43 services and their AC station. Again it stopped after a minute and further attempts were not successful.

I'm finding 9 out of 10 stations completely useless.

 

[PeterHarvey]

I am about to receive my i3 and I am trying to find a map - or ideally an app that will direct me to my nearest free charging point. The BMW comes with a 'concierge' service that will direct you to your nearest free post apparently, but presumably I all shortly be expected to pay for this. So if anyone could find & post an app I would be happy.

At present we seem to have a number of competing systems with varying access arrangements and I believe I will link to two:

1: Ecotricity - our electricity supplier who charge £10 a year for unlimited access - http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-the-road/our-electric-highway but who focus on motorways and my nearest post is 50 miles away....

2: BMW - https://www.chargenow.com/cnde/ which is in german and thus not confidence inspiring and is I understand actually a front end for http://www.chargemasterplc.com/index.php/live-map/ who do have posts about the local area. Again a £10 annual charge.
Chargemaster also will fit a free charging station in your home by the way.

However if you actually phone some of the locations shown as having charging posts they "dahn' know 'nuffin abaht that" - although talking to Chargemaster the engineer assures me there is a charging post because he fitted it himself..... Again confidence inspiring.

So I hope this will prove to be a fruitful thread as I plan in my crazed enthusiasm to drive the car more than half a charge away from home..... With my range extender guaranteeing I don't conk out...

Geoff

If no-one else has pointed out this site, it is very useful: NextGreenCar charge map for UK: http://www.nextgreencar.com/electric-cars/charging-points.php

 

[DerfSdrawd]

At 1840 I arrived at beaconsfields extra services .... A pre-charge menu came on then charging vehicle came on but after 20 seconds it was stopped.

Not having much luck with ecotricity stations at all.

I'm finding 9 out of 10 stations completely useless.

Oh dear.

I did about 160 miles (BEV) today - used the Beaconsfield CCS first thing, then the London Gateway CCS about 2pm. All fine & very quick to charge. Stopped for a quickie at Beaconsfield at about 4pm and had the same problem as BoMW. It stopped charging after the pre-charge (i.e. didn't charge at all).

So far though, that's the only charging problem I've encountered in my admittedly limited use of public chargers. I've let Ecotricity know about the Beaconsfield issue. I have an insider at Extra and I understand from him that the supply to these units is on the limit, so maybe Starbucks can make espressos or we can charge our cars, not both.

If I hadn't charged up at L Gateway and was relying on B'field I would have been in the mire though. I also double checked with Ecotricity before setting off that the L Gateway was working because they had tweeted a problem a few days ago.

It just takes the shine off the general delight at zero cost refuelling and the near silent motorway cruising.

 

[bishbosh]

I have used ecotricity on the M1 at Toddington and Newport Pagnell services both without problem, also Huntingdon racecourse and Norwich City Centre car park no problems. At Cambridge Science Park there are two near each other, one works the other does not. If you see them on a map it is the one to the East that's not working.

M

P.s. They are all free to use too. ?..

 

[Carreraboy]

I received this email last week from Ecotricity, no mention of Beaconsfield so seems they aren't too sure where all their CCS points are either. I popped to Gloucester services at the weekend as its not too far from me and that charger is working fine.

"Thanks for your email about your BMW i3. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you.
 
We’re planning to install more CCS points over the next few months which will allow BMW i3 users to rapid charge, however, we’re unable to announce at which locations these will be.
 
Our web team are currently devising a new type of marker on the online Electric Highway map which will show these points separately to the current DC/AC rapid charge points.
 
Currently we have CCS points at the following locations:
 
IKEA Leeds
IKEA Wednesbury
Roadchef Stafford
Roadchef Chester  
Roadchef Killington Lakes
Corley Northbound Services
Cobham Services
Gloucester Services
Sedgemoor Southbound  
 
You can also follow us on twitter by following @ElecHighway for updates about our new points."

 

[DerfSdrawd]

No mention of London Gateway (Scratchwood as was), Oxford M40 or Reading East/West either. Used the first one this morning, no probs. in fact last week I tweeted a pic of my car charging there & got a £5 voucher from Welcome Break, the nice people.

Beaconsfield CCS not working at present, so whilst I don't get range anxiety, I do get charger anxiety. It's OK being an early adopter but I bet it's many years since any of us regularly turned up at petrol stations hoping that the pumps were working. I guess it's why the chargers are free at the moment.

 

[Bunter]

It looks like Ecotricity's map finally shows the CCS UK chargers !

Bill

 

[DerfSdrawd]

It looks like Ecotricity's map finally shows the CCS UK chargers !

Bill

Well spotted! :idea:

 

[RJSATLBA]

Not surprisingly, I've been taking rather more interest in recharging points since waking up to EVs and much more interest since ordering my i3.

Am I right in thinking that the EV points are more often than not 'conveniently' located fairly close to the entrance to the facility where they are sited, especially at Mway services. Those who have suffered (and blogged about) finding an ICE in the only EVSE space are probably particularly well placed to comment.

If so, perhaps it means that the helpfulness of the provider is misplaced and it would be better if the EVSE space was much further away from the entrance so as not to tempt lazy ICE drivers. My guess is that a majority of us would rather have a longer walk than a blocked charger, even in the rain. Has anybody in the UK raised this with, say, Ecotricity.