Driving to Cornwall

Rolfe said:
Some of it's a bit addictive. You just can't wait to see what stunt he's going to pull next to make EV driving look like something only a demented lunatic would want to do - all the while swanning around the landscape in a Porsche Taycan. I can't quite decide my favourite.

When he pulled in to Southwaite (before the extra chargers were added) rather than go on to the Ionitys at Carlisle.
When he drove straight past the Tesla superchargers at Inverness to martyr himself in the pouring rain on a 50 Kw charger at Skiach.
When he was adamant he was going to get from JoG to Perth on one charge, despite not having been able to get from Perth to JoG the previous day - and drove past the Aviemore superchargers.
When he gallantly refused to use a charger overnight at Killington Lake in case someone else might want it (there is a type 2 plug).
When he spent a couple of hours trying to charge at 38 Kw when there was a 350 Kw charger just 14 miles away (and he had the range to get there).

But really, the prize goes to the time when he

Decided to charge at Great Yarmouth rather than go on to Lowestoft where he was staying the night (and where there were 300 Kw chargers very near his hotel), and went, apparently at random, to an Osprey site that was so new it hadn't been turned on, and declared that all the chargers were out of order.

That's ignoring the times he parks the wrong way round to the charger, or too far from it, and declares that the connector cable won't reach. Or the times he has gone to an AC charger declaring that there was nothing else available. Or his constant habit of waiting with increasing impatience and frustration for the Taycan to get to 100%, when his next charging stop could be reached from 70%. And so on.

Most of his viewers don't realise that the Taycan has a satnav nearly as good as a Tesla, and can identify the best, fastest chargers and navigate him there without him having to do anything but steer the bloody thing following the wee line on the screen.
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Just watched him. Didn't make it to the end. God, he's irritating 😐
 
Just off the M4 at Chippenham junction is a farm with a bank of Ionity chargers. I've not used them yet, but they are really close the junction, and I believe again there is a farm shop.

If you decide to M4 and pass Bristol, then there is also The Willowbrook Centre in Bradley Stoke. This is close to M5 Junction 16 (Almondsbury), and there is a bank of 16 rapid chargers in the shopping centre car park that have just been opened (12 out of 16 have been commissioned and open so far) There's a Tesco, and several food outlets as well as other shops.

M5 Junction 17 (Cribbs Causeway) there is an MFG charging station located a bit further along from the McDonalds that someone else suggested.
 
dsimpkins said:
I've also used these chargers, and the set up is excellent. It's how a charging location should be (except for a cover over the chargers)
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Yes no covers and they would nice (especially with solar), but to be honest it takes a moment only to plug in with Osprey, no need to interact with the charger otherwise and then on the app, just start the charge. Went there at the weekend and it was wet but we were inside the cafe within 1 minute.
 
DaevM said:
Just watched him. Didn't make it to the end. God, he's irritating 😐
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Unbelievably so. But he's making a bloody fortune out of it.

tsedge said:
Yes no covers and they would nice (especially with solar), but to be honest it takes a moment only to plug in with Osprey, no need to interact with the charger otherwise and then on the app, just start the charge. Went there at the weekend and it was wet but we were inside the cafe within 1 minute.
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One point is arriving there in an absolute deluge - you'll get drenched in less than a minute.
Another is people who are driving dressed to go to an event or a meeting where they want to be presentable, not damp and windswept with muddy shoes.
Another which probably isn't relevant to this location but is to many others, is heavy snow.
 
tonybridge said:
I’m driving to Cornwall on Friday, from Maidenhead, in Berkshire in my Trophy LR, which I’ll charge up to 100% before leaving home. So, about 4 hours, via either the M4/M5, or M3/A303 to Exeter, then A38 to Plymouth, and on to Looe.

Does anyone have any hints/tips to share about charging points along the way? There are chargers at the destination…
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If you chose to go the A30 route then down to Looe just be careful, the A30 between Exeter and Lifton is a desert (40 miles), the apps will point you to a single rapid just north of Oakhampton, but it's been broken for two years.

The Teslas at Lifton (a few mins down the road from me) often have comments about the mobile signal (edit - lack of) and you'll need it to start the charge - I've known people hop onto the hotel's wi-fi to sort themselves out. But if they are V4's can you just tap and charge???

Once the clocks change I'll be doing Lifton - Basingstoke weekly again, personally I prefer the A303, it's 20 miles shorter and far less boring than the M4/5. But go past Stonehenge before 10:00 else make sure you know the short long cut through Larkhill.

Maybe I'll pass you going the other way Friday I'm going to West London. From memory chargers worthy of note there or back in my head for my journey are:

M4/5
M4 J10/11 Teslas
Reading services both directions - upgraded Gridserve loads and loads of chargers
Chieveley SVCS no been recently but Gridserve have updated loads
M4 J15 just south a mile, farm shop with 4 good rapids
Leigh Delamere only Westbound loads upgraded GS
M5 Cribbs Causeway J17 quite a few sites but Mollie's Diner is nice and has 5 rapids
J25 recently opened almost on the sliproad on the west side of M5 MFG petrol stn with 4 great rapids
You've got to go to Exeter svcs even if you don't need a charge! It's a mecca

A303
M4 as above
Just off the 303, Solstice Park eight or so Gridserve at Greggs, then McD Instavolt - perfect pee stop
If taking it easy the Haynes Museum at Sparkford is a good visit and there's lots of 7KW in the car park whilst wandering the museum
Just NE of Upottery there's 2 instavolts in Brigtside Diner (was Route 303 Din) - a good stop.
Then Moto Exeter

Good luck, charge when you can, not when you have to!
 
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DevonMG4 said:
If you chose to go the A30 route then down to Looe just be careful, the A30 between Exeter and Lifton is a desert (40 miles), the apps will point you to a single rapid just north of Oakhampton, but it's been broken for two years.

The Teslas at Lifton (a few mins down the road from me) often have comments about the mobile signal (edit - lack of) and you'll need it to start the charge - I've known people hop onto the hotel's wi-fi to sort themselves out. But if they are V4's can you just tap and charge???

Once the clocks change I'll be doing Lifton - Basingstoke weekly again, personally I prefer the A303, it's 20 miles shorter and far less boring than the M4/5. But go past Stonehenge before 10:00 else make sure you know the short long cut through Larkhill.

Maybe I'll pass you going the other way Friday I'm going to West London. From memory chargers worthy of note there or back in my head for my journey are:

M4/5
M4 J10/11 Teslas
Reading services both directions - upgraded Gridserve loads and loads of chargers
Chieveley SVCS no been recently but Gridserve have updated loads
M4 J15 just south a mile, farm shop with 4 good rapids
Leigh Delamere only Westbound loads upgraded GS
M5 Cribbs Causeway J17 quite a few sites but Mollie's Diner is nice and has 5 rapids
J25 recently opened almost on the sliproad on the west side of M5 MFG petrol stn with 4 great rapids
You've got to go to Exeter svcs even if you don't need a charge! It's a mecca

A303
M4 as above
Just off the 303, Solstice Park eight or so Gridserve at Greggs, then McD Instavolt - perfect pee stop
If taking it easy the Haynes Museum at Sparkford is a good visit and there's lots of 7KW in the car park whilst wandering the museum
Just NE of Upottery there's 2 instavolts in Brigtside Diner (was Route 303 Din) - a good stop.
Then Moto Exeter

Good luck, charge when you can, not when you have to!
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Brilliant info, DevonMG4! I’ve copied it into a Word doc, and will refer to it on the way down.

I know the Farm Shop off J15, a good place to stop (the Farm Shop has great pies!)
 
Loveclose said:
A303 at Stonehenge is always a lottery traffic wise.....although I've yet to pass it in my electric vehicle!
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I did it just today. There is a very good gridserve 350kw site with 9 chargers just north of salisbury by the holiday inn

Devonmg4 describes the same site. Except its not a Greggs site as such and there are def 9 stations. Further chargers at McDs if needed
 
dsimpkins said:
I've also used these chargers, and the set up is excellent. It's how a charging location should be (except for a cover over the chargers)
Click to expand...

tsedge said:
Yes no covers and they would nice (especially with solar), but to be honest it takes a moment only to plug in with Osprey, no need to interact with the charger otherwise and then on the app, just start the charge. Went there at the weekend and it was wet but we were inside the cafe within 1 minute.
Click to expand...

Rolfe said:
Unbelievably so. But he's making a bloody fortune out of it.



One point is arriving there in an absolute deluge - you'll get drenched in less than a minute.
Another is people who are driving dressed to go to an event or a meeting where they want to be presentable, not damp and windswept with muddy shoes.
Another which probably isn't relevant to this location but is to many others, is heavy snow.
Click to expand...
Osprey have previously said they're putting in a separate planning application to add a canopy & lighting to the site.
 
When I stopped at Exeter last September on home way from Cornwall (to Basingstoke) the queue for Gridserve was massive and given previous bad experience with their chargers (no longer the case have used Clackett Lane West Bound several times) I aborted and went to Lidl at Pinhoe (EX4 8JQ - off J29 M5 / A30). No problem. As I was finishing a lady in a ZS pulled up and said she often diverts to Lidl because of queues at the services. I think they were installing more chargers, at the services don't know if they are in use yet. Additionally, only at 20% of the Tesla chargers were in use at the services. Very frustrating. I have found Lidl to be a good back up. Pod-point chargers, same as at home.
 
Montego said:
When I stopped at Exeter last September on home way from Cornwall (to Basingstoke) the queue for Gridserve was massive and given previous bad experience with their chargers (no longer the case have used Clackett Lane West Bound several times) I aborted and went to Lidl at Pinhoe (EX4 8JQ - off J29 M5 / A30). No problem. As I was finishing a lady in a ZS pulled up and said she often diverts to Lidl because of queues at the services. I think they were installing more chargers, at the services don't know if they are in use yet. Additionally, only at 20% of the Tesla chargers were in use at the services. Very frustrating. I have found Lidl to be a good back up. Pod-point chargers, same as at home.
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Exeter services now fully operational with 'lots' - attended twice over half term. Didn't have to queue once, not even with ChadeMo (inconsiderate CCS users tying up CCS/ChadeMo chargers when CCS only free - far far fewer ChadeMo)
Used to use Pinhoe Hoard chargers before Exeter fully opened. Never anyone else there 👍
 
It's possible people don't realise they should leave CHAdeMO capable chargers alone unless there are no others free. Same way some drivers don't know to use a separate charger rather than the second plug where power is shared if there are still chargers vacant.

It's the opposite situation from the old shared power 50 kW Gridserves. There it's best to get the CCS plug on the charger that has the CHAdeMO plug, because you have a better chance of nobody else joining you on your charger.
 
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Rolfe said:
It's possible people don't realise they should leave CHAdeMO capable chargers alone unless there are no others free. Same way some drivers don't know to use a separate charger rather than the second plug where power is shared if there are still chargers vacant.

It's the opposite situation from the old shared power 50 kW Gridserves. There it's best to get the CCS plug on the charger that has the CHAdeMO plug, because you have a better chance of nobody else joining you on your charger.
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Appreciate that - it's all about the new mindset protocols. One that amused me in the rapid uptake a year or two ago was the need to 'fill the tank up' as you would with dino-fuel, even if you'd only got 20 miles to get to your home / destination charger. I came across this all over the place while there was still too few chargers on the public network 😂.
 
Idiots.

Last summer I was on a destination charger at a music festival. I'd arrived early to enjoy the venue, and it was only after I had started the charge I realised I'd made a mistake. If I'd gone into the right-hand bay on the post it would have made the left-hand bay awkward to get into, making it more likely I'd keep the post to myself. But I didn't want to move the car and start again as I had managed to beat PodPoint into submission first try.

I got back to the car just before the performance was due to start to change my shoes, and found a Leaf plugged in to the same post. Grrrr. There were 16 posts, and still quite a few with no car on them at all. I really wanted to charge to 100% and let the battery balance while I was there, and I thought that had scuppered my chances, but there was no time to move the car.

Fortunately my charging power didn't decrease by much, and I did get the balance charge done despite the Leaf, but don't people think????
 
tonybridge said:
I’m driving to Cornwall on Friday, from Maidenhead, in Berkshire in my Trophy LR, which I’ll charge up to 100% before leaving home. So, about 4 hours, via either the M4/M5, or M3/A303 to Exeter, then A38 to Plymouth, and on to Looe.

Does anyone have any hints/tips to share about charging points along the way? There are chargers at the destination…
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En route to nr Tintagel 240 miles away I started with 100% charge and stopped in Illminster, Stonemasons pub car park just off the A303, 142 miles from London home: Osprey 2 CCS & 1 Type 2; Electroverse card worked fine with MG5 Trophy LR Stonemasons · Harts Cl, Ilminster TA19 9DJ
 
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tonybridge said:
The MacMaster... oh, my Word, I didn't know about him until your post, Rolfe. Now I've just watched a few minutes of one his anti-EV rants, and I shall never be able to get rid of his awful Channel from my mind! I feel sorry for his neighbours, can you imagine having to listen to his tedious drivel?

Yes, the more I investigate the local chargers, I should be fine...


Traveling as soon as I can get up, showered, and load the car... about noon then :ROFLMAO: the Reading stretch of the M4 is very well-known to me.
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Note there are chargers at Sainsbuurys at Exeter if the services are busy ,which they tend to be. Also instavolts just down road to Plymouth. Also beyond Plymouth new MFG chargers at the shell service station
 
If you are using the A303 there is a very nice farm shop called Teals just of the A303 at South Cadbury. When we called in last December they were preparing to install 10 fast chargers there. Not sure if they are operational yet, but it will make a nice stop along the way
 
tonybridge said:
I’m driving to Cornwall on Friday, from Maidenhead, in Berkshire in my Trophy LR, which I’ll charge up to 100% before leaving home. So, about 4 hours, via either the M4/M5, or M3/A303 to Exeter, then A38 to Plymouth, and on to Looe.

Does anyone have any hints/tips to share about charging points along the way? There are chargers at the destination…
Click to expand...
I drive to Plymouth from Shropshire in MG4 Trophy, I would highly recommend stopping off at Exeter services which has over 20 charges. Which I think is around 170 miles for you.
 

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