August sales and Octopus Intelligent lobbying!

[rigby44]

1 in 5 new cars sold in August were electric.

Of that 20%, 2% were MG.

So 0.4% of ALL new cars sold in August were electric MG’s!

Start expecting to see alot more of these around, especially MG4

We all now need to lobby Octopus Energy to accommodate MG into their Intelligent tariff - due to our numbers swelling, we may get somewhere.

For those that arnt aware, Intelligent Octopus allows 6 hours of low rate (7.5p/kwh) overnight charging. Unfortunately MG are currently unsupported, so we are stuck on the less favourable Octopus Go - unless you have a very expensive OhMe wall box.

I’ve read that MG are the barrier to Octopus Intelligent, which wouldnt surprise me as they are naff on the software side of things.

You can lobby Octopus here - Octopus Energy

Let’s hope we can make some headway!

 

[Deleted member 10041]

It's not a lack of willing from octopus it's that SAIC/MG won't allow access to their API, hence why you need an ohme and hopefully soon a zappi.

You are lobbying the wrong people

 

[Alb]

I think the point is that Octopus will do their own lobbying if they know where the demand is.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Still can't see SAIC being forthcoming with their API.
Globally what octopus want will be of no significance to SAIC

 

[PristDean]

1 in 5 new cars sold in August were electric.

Of that 20%, 2% were MG.

So 0.4% of ALL new cars sold in August were electric MG’s!

Start expecting to see alot more of these around, especially MG4

We all now need to lobby Octopus Energy to accommodate MG into their Intelligent tariff - due to our numbers swelling, we may get somewhere.

For those that arnt aware, Intelligent Octopus allows 6 hours of low rate (7.5p/kwh) overnight charging. Unfortunately MG are currently unsupported, so we are stuck on the less favourable Octopus Go - unless you have a very expensive OhMe wall box.

I’ve read that MG are the barrier to Octopus Intelligent, which wouldnt surprise me as they are naff on the software side of things.

You can lobby Octopus here - Octopus Energy

Let’s hope we can make some headway!

Yup, done that a while ago, but just did again to pester

 

[johnb80]

You can lobby Octopus here - Octopus Energy

Please DONT burden Octopus with this lobbying, it's not their issue. Lobby SAIC / MG UK etc thats where the problem is.

Its not an impossible task to make an adapter that would sit between a type 2 charger and an EV that could be linked to Octopus, maybe thats an easy route forward rather than wasting time with the Chinese?

 

[PristDean]

Please DONT burden Octopus with this lobbying, it's not their issue. Lobby SAIC / MG UK etc thats where the problem is.

Its not an impossible task to make an adapter that would sit between a type 2 charger and an EV that could be linked to Octopus, maybe thats an easy route forward rather than wasting time with the Chinese?

But.... Lobbying MG and SAIC seems like lobbying a brick wall, whereas lobbying Octopus would add some weight and a more sympathetic ear to our cause

 

[Deleted member 10041]

But.... Lobbying MG and SAIC seems like lobbying a brick wall, whereas lobbying Octopus would add some weight and a more sympathetic ear to our cause

It's just another example of MG/SAIC not really listening to customers.
In saying that it's not up to Octopus to sort it, they already provide a solution in using an ohme and soon to be zappi.
Probably more chance of other chargers being adopted than SAIC releasing the API

 

[rigby44]

Please DONT burden Octopus with this lobbying, it's not their issue. Lobby SAIC / MG UK etc thats where the problem is.

Its not an impossible task to make an adapter that would sit between a type 2 charger and an EV that could be linked to Octopus, maybe thats an easy route forward rather than wasting time with the Chinese?

Hardly a burden, they tally votes for each manufacturer that they currently cant serve - and you’re invited to join a mailing list to receive updates.

 

[PristDean]

Hardly a burden, they tally votes for each manufacturer that they currently cant serve - and you’re invited to join a mailing list to receive updates.

Yep, I have an MG and a Hypervolt, have lobby'd for both as Octopus asks what car you have and what charger you have too.

 

[rigby44]

It's just another example of MG/SAIC not really listening to customers.
In saying that it's not up to Octopus to sort it, they already provide a solution in using an ohme and soon to be zappi.
Probably more chance of other chargers being adopted than SAIC releasing the API

I just think that OhMe charger is outwith the budget of alot of people (including me) who have already pushed the boat out to ditch their ICE car and join the EV club.

I’ve also spoken to octopus about increasing the Go window to 5 hours, which would make a big difference - but they say no plans to do that. I guess it would somewhat devalue the current intelligent offering.

Octopus making Go 5 hours and increasing intelligent to 7 hrs would really change the game, every single EV driver would be silly not to go with them at that point.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Ohme home pro is £550 hypervolts and zappis are over £650.
Obviously fitting on top of that but that's the same for all chargers pretty much

 

[Koomi]

Ohme home pro is £550 hypervolts and zappis are over £650.
Obviously fitting on top of that but that's the same for all chargers pretty much

Agreed, if you are outsourcing supply and fit, you are looking at 800-1100 depending on the Charger, if it is tethered, and the length of the cable... the Ohme Pro (which works with IO) is currently £999 fully fitted.
Which doesn't seem out of range of the other options.

It would be nice for the charger and/or electric company to be able to talk to the car... but with SIAC not being forthcoming - work with what is available,

 

[johnb80]

But.... Lobbying MG and SAIC seems like lobbying a brick wall, whereas lobbying Octopus would add some weight and a more sympathetic ear to our cause

But it's not down to Octopus and just how much weight do you think it would carry with SAIC? Surely customers of SAIC have far more pressure to bear on SAIC, potentially voting with their feet when new car time arrives, one of the 'features' buyers demand. SAIC have obviously considered market forces and included apple carplay etc, this would be no different and effectively costs them nothing.

 

[PristDean]

But it's not down to Octopus and just how much weight do you think it would carry with SAIC?

As you ask, B2B nearly always carries more weight than B2C. A handful of individual customer requests (not that anyone knows how to raise them for an Mg4 directly with SAIC as far as i'm aware) are likely to be just lost or ignored. Whereas an official request at a B2B enterprise level with a bunch of statistics collected, carries more weight and is more seriously considered.

As for customers voting with their feet, as many have experienced, the level of support customers have had albeit from MG directly, give the impression it's sell fast, sell many at the expense of customer care. So I doubt they care

Anyway, off to Gloucester on a four hour return trip now to collect my car because MG CS and my local dealer would not support me in having an AC system missing its oil replaced.... Later.

 

[bowfer]

Having the car talk to IO opens up possibilities in terms of chargers.
My car talks to IO, works great, my charger is a 7YO podpoint that came free with my first Leaf and is dumb (hasn’t been connected to the home network for years).
Solar panels aren’t on my radar, so if I were starting again I’d buy a used charger off someone that’s upgraded and get it fitted myself.
You’re then looking at circa £400 all in.
It’s something I ‘preach’ about to people at work when they bitch about the cost of EV and “ooh the charger is a grand”
There’s often just no need to spend the sums of money people think.

 

[MartinSEsr]

1 in 5 new cars sold in August were electric.

Of that 20%, 2% were MG.

So 0.4% of ALL new cars sold in August were electric MG’s!

Start expecting to see alot more of these around, especially MG4

We all now need to lobby Octopus Energy to accommodate MG into their Intelligent tariff - due to our numbers swelling, we may get somewhere.

For those that arnt aware, Intelligent Octopus allows 6 hours of low rate (7.5p/kwh) overnight charging. Unfortunately MG are currently unsupported, so we are stuck on the less favourable Octopus Go - unless you have a very expensive OhMe wall box.

I’ve read that MG are the barrier to Octopus Intelligent, which wouldnt surprise me as they are naff on the software side of things.

You can lobby Octopus here - Octopus Energy

Let’s hope we can make some headway!

Its nothing to do with Octopus! They are either given access to the car's computer or not. MG do not allow it. However I'm on IO with an Ohme charger and see no problem in telling it what % to add each night.

I just think that OhMe charger is outwith the budget of alot of people (including me) who have already pushed the boat out to ditch their ICE car and join the EV club.

I’ve also spoken to octopus about increasing the Go window to 5 hours, which would make a big difference - but they say no plans to do that. I guess it would somewhat devalue the current intelligent offering.

Octopus making Go 5 hours and increasing intelligent to 7 hrs would really change the game, every single EV driver would be silly not to go with them at that point.

Octopus intelligent guarrantees 6 hours at 7.5 p per KWh, but it is almost always more if needed... I charge at about 6.5 Kw and when empty I've been given a 7 or 8 hour slot and never been charged anything other than 7.5p per KWh.

 

[tsedge]

Lobbying is always worth trying and regardless of the UK, intelligent tariffs will become more popular worldwide.

Don't forget that MG have a design and a technology centre in the UK, so they are not unaware of the needs, though this may not be a high priority for them at the moment.

I don't thinks it helps to say they never listen - we don't know that, we only know they don't communicate - but they may be working behind the scenes on things like this.

 

[Ian Key]

I don't thinks it helps to say they never listen - we don't know that, we only know they don't communicate - but they may be working behind the scenes on things like this.

It's like the boss who steals the workers ideas and claims them as his own. MG don't respond or if they do it's negatively but the fix might eventually appear and they can claim it for themselves.

 

[johnb80]

As you ask, B2B nearly always carries more weight than B2C. A handful of individual customer requests (not that anyone knows how to raise them for an Mg4 directly with SAIC as far as i'm aware) are likely to be just lost or ignored. Whereas an official request at a B2B enterprise level with a bunch of statistics collected, carries more weight and is more seriously considered.

The problem is, MG has nothing to lose or gain directly by dealing with Octopus, why would MG pay any attention to them? An MG customer on the other hand should carry some weight and collectively surpass anything that Octopus could do.

As for customers voting with their feet, as many have experienced, the level of support customers have had albeit from MG directly, give the impression it's sell fast, sell many at the expense of customer care. So I doubt they care.

Maybe you're right on this one which confirms further my argument that Octopus will have very little power to influence MG.

Anyway, off to Gloucester on a four hour return trip now to collect my car because MG CS and my local dealer would not support me in having an AC system missing its oil replaced.... Later.

Safe journey, hope all is well with the car.

Having the car talk to IO opens up possibilities in terms of chargers.

Yes it does

My car talks to IO, works great, my charger is a 7YO podpoint that came free with my first Leaf and is dumb (hasn’t been connected to the home network for years).

No argument with that, wallboxes are relatively simple devices, all the fancy stuff is done in the charging unit in the car.

Solar panels aren’t on my radar, so if I were starting again I’d buy a used charger off someone that’s upgraded and get it fitted myself.
You’re then looking at circa £400 all in.

Exactly right, my first wallbox I made myself, later converted to be a dual headed wallbox, total cost less than £100 and I thoroughly enjoyed the project. It has now been replaced with a ZAPPI as part of a solar installation but's still used elsewhere by a family member charging and i3 and a Tesla regularly.

It’s something I ‘preach’ about to people at work when they bitch about the cost of EV and “ooh the charger is a grand”
There’s often just no need to spend the sums of money people think.

We clearly share the same soapbox

Lobbying is always worth trying and regardless of the UK, intelligent tariffs will become more popular worldwide.

Don't forget that MG have a design and a technology centre in the UK, so they are not unaware of the needs, though this may not be a high priority for them at the moment.

I don't thinks it helps to say they never listen - we don't know that, we only know they don't communicate - but they may be working behind the scenes on things like this.

Agreed but we need to lobby MG not Octopus, it's an MG issue.

Octopus intelligent guarrantees 6 hours at 7.5 p per KWh, but it is almost always more if needed... I charge at about 6.5 Kw and when empty I've been given a 7 or 8 hour slot and never been charged anything other than 7.5p per KWh.

It's a great tariff, I charge my home batteries as well, the maximum I pay for my electricity is 7.5p, the batteries cover me all day, solar also contributes saving some of the overnight charging.