Charging across Europe

[OriginalBigAl]

I see what you did there.

So did I .......... eventually!

 

[MG Clive]

I thought it was northern Spain?

Southern looks best. > Solar eclipse.

 

[rjhfandclf]

So did I .......... eventually!

Not me - I am obviously well past it and completely lost ... just like Bonnie Tyler in France! So ... are you now saying she found her way out in the end and got to Spain eventually?

 

[Gomev]

I thought it was northern Spain?

There is one this year which crosses northern Spain, we've booked for the 2027 one.

2026

2027

 

[rjhfandclf]

we've booked for the 2027 one.

It will be fabulous; a real treat - and from about as reliable a place as possible to watch in mid-summer.

The only significant partial and one near-total eclipse I can recall seeing was a good partial when a small child in 1954 when my father (an instrument engineer) brought home some welding helmet glass to view through - probably still not wise perhaps, without knowing the strength of shade! - and the 95% total (I think it was) viewable in SE UK in 1999, which we reflected onto paper. Very impressive even so.

Good luck!

 

[Gomev]

It will be fabulous; a real treat - and from about as reliable a place as possible to watch in mid-summer.

The only significant partial and one near-total eclipse I can recall seeing was a good partial when a small child in 1954 when my father (an instrument engineer) brought home some welding helmet glass to view through - probably still not wise perhaps, without knowing the strength of shade! - and the 95% total (I think it was) viewable in SE UK in 1999, which we reflected onto paper. Very impressive even so.

Good luck!

Definitely a one off for us, next total in UK not until 2090.

We get the partial this year too and quite good on August 12th.

From Google
Starting around 6:15 pm BST, with maximum obscuration (roughly 90-96%) occurring around 7:10–7:15 pm BST, just before sunset. The event ends around 8:00 pm, depending on location.

Up to 90% of the Sun covered in Scotland, with slightly less (around 80-83%) in Southern England, reaching ~90% in Wales.

 

[Archev]

Up to 90% of the Sun covered in Scotland

Nothing to write home about there then

 

[rjhfandclf]

Definitely a one off for us, next total in UK not until 2090.

We get the partial this year too and quite good on August 12th.

I think I can safely say I won't see the 2090 one! - but cloud permitting in August ... maybe?

 

[EVsince2016]

There is one this year which crosses northern Spain, we've booked for the 2027 one.

2026

View attachment 43434

2027

View attachment 43433

Looks like this years is better. Leon is a nice place too, further north can have rain / fog, further south is a bit hot / barren.

 

[Gomev]

Looks like this years is better. Leon is a nice place too, further north can have rain / fog, further south is a bit hot / barren.

This year's in Spain totality is about an hour before sunset so the sun comes back fully at sunset. Will be good though.

 

[EVsince2016]

I've now have a Bip & Go toll tag covering France, Italy, Spain & Portugal .

As I finally got a Euro account, I was able to do it trouble free.

Just need to fit it and try it out in just a few short weeks!

Anyone else tried this toll tag?

 

[rjhfandclf]

Anyone else tried this toll tag?

Yes indeed ... ! See way above ...

Not sure where your off-autoroute starts and ends, but just a word of caution from my own bad experience … beware If you should ever travel on N/D roads between anywhere north of Alençon down to Le Mans (Saint-Saturnin – Tesla). We have stayed for many years at a lovely hotel/restaurant just north of Sées, and post-EV we have taken to driving from there to Le Mans via the (straight and cheap) country roads.

Last year we decided to stop en-route at the Aire de Repos La Dentelle d'Alençon for a natural break and to pick up a splash charge. We followed both of two Sat-nav instructions and the road signage from the D438/N12 to access the Aire, where we found that (unlike ICE vehicles and pedestrians that had their own separate access to the Aire outside the autoroute system), we were directed through the péage towards the TotalEnergies chargers. To get back to our D438 south, we were then directed back out through the same péage again. There is no other way to access the EV chargers from off-autoroute. However, this manoeuvre is considered an illegal autoroute U-turn by the toll operators who will promptly delete your péage entrance record and replace it with a ‘TLPC trajet maximum’ charge. So an effective nil charge (for not driving at all on the actual autoroute) becomes a maximum charge for the full length of that péage section – in this case 32.30€ each way (we foolishly did it twice before being billed)!

We tried challenging the charge in the circumstances of our being thus directed with no alternative access to the chargers, but Emovis would not even consider supporting our claim (unless we falsified our entrance point claim - even suggecting a ludicrous alternative!). We have now chucked our (very expensive and thoroughly objectionable) Emovis account, and bought a much cheaper tag from Bi&Go direct. We advise others to do likewise to save a lot of money.

Only tiny downside is that they don't have a warning for a battery that is getting low - but my suspicions are that Emovis don't/can't really check individual batteries either, so base their warnings on the battery age and get you to renew early anyway to keep you onboard with them! And you can replace the Bip&Go badge whenever you like. I've found them brilliant and an excellent website with good English ... and I've saved a great deal on every charging element too. Oh, and you can sign up for warning texts/emails when you have been picked-up on the ever-increasing French 'free-flow' toll roads.

[NB Bip&Go is in fact a direct sister company of Emovis (Sanef)!]

You won't regret it.

 

[Roldorf]

Bip & Go Tag works fine no problems.

 

[EVsince2016]

I got an email that ABRP has been significantly upgraded so shall try it on my next trip.

Anyone tried the latest version on long haul?

 

[EVsince2016]

So French lorry divers are going to blockade roads all over France for 2 weeks due to rising fuel prices.

Did they not get the memo on electric trucks?

Wonderful, but maybe I shall find an exciting route to avoid them!

 

[Ian Key]

The French do like a road blockade. It's a national pastime.

 

[EVsince2016]

For me it's road trip no. 39, and 50,000 miles so I've seen a few things!

So much easier with satnav. My usual report on my return!

 

[EVsince2016]

Well, bip&go works in France and Italy. Added Monaco to my country list today.

 

[rjhfandclf]

Well, bip&go works in France and Italy. Added Monaco to my country list today.

... and of course Spain and Portugal - which undoubtedly you'll want to visit again one day, I imagine! I'm pretty sure it picks up all the free-flow sections in all four countries too, but haven't ventured that far since they were introduced.

 

[EVsince2016]

It was so cool flying past long queues of french drivers at the Italian tolls. Made my day