Charging Help!

[S1LVER]

Hi all,

So I have ordered a new ZE LR - I have quite a wait it seems! So I have started to do my research in the wait!

I have been looking at charging, and trying to think what the best solution for me would be. I have been flip-flopping more than the current government between just using the granny charger and a dedicated charger.

My daily commute is about 40 mils each way and the car park near where I work has 7kw chargers, which is free to use. I am planning to effectively do most my charging there. That being the case, is it worth me getting a home charger, and not just rely on the granny charger? It seems like quite a bit of additional cost to get one fitted, which I might find is not that helpful.

My plan whatever is to get a 13a socket on its own ring mounted outside - useful to have anyway.

I also wanted to check - with the granny charger - are they ip rated? I read conflicting advice, about whether you can leave them charging in the rain? Clearly there will be times when I need to charge when its not the best weather... surely it needs to be safe to charge somehow!?

Thanks for the help!

 

[ady]

Hi all,

So I have ordered a new ZE LR - I have quite a wait it seems! So I have started to do my research in the wait!

I have been looking at charging, and trying to think what the best solution for me would be. I have been flip-flopping more than the current government between just using the granny charger and a dedicated charger.

My daily commute is about 40 mils each way and the car park near where I work has 7kw chargers, which is free to use. I am planning to effectively do most my charging there. That being the case, is it worth me getting a home charger, and not just rely on the granny charger? It seems like quite a bit of additional cost to get one fitted, which I might find is not that helpful.

My plan whatever is to get a 13a socket on its own ring mounted outside - useful to have anyway.

I also wanted to check - with the granny charger - are they ip rated? I read conflicting advice, about whether you can leave them charging in the rain? Clearly there will be times when I need to charge when its not the best weather... surely it needs to be safe to charge somehow!?

Thanks for the help!

Hi s1lver, I haven’t got my car yet, March time for me, but I have ordered a home charger, 1, because I will charge at home with the new LR I should only need a rapid changer when I go on long, long journeys. 2, when my children start to drive in 3 and 5 years I think EVs will be the thing and ICE cars will be fround apon.

 

[Gomev]

Hi all,

So I have ordered a new ZE LR - I have quite a wait it seems! So I have started to do my research in the wait!

I have been looking at charging, and trying to think what the best solution for me would be. I have been flip-flopping more than the current government between just using the granny charger and a dedicated charger.

My daily commute is about 40 mils each way and the car park near where I work has 7kw chargers, which is free to use. I am planning to effectively do most my charging there. That being the case, is it worth me getting a home charger, and not just rely on the granny charger? It seems like quite a bit of additional cost to get one fitted, which I might find is not that helpful.

My plan whatever is to get a 13a socket on its own ring mounted outside - useful to have anyway.

I also wanted to check - with the granny charger - are they ip rated? I read conflicting advice, about whether you can leave them charging in the rain? Clearly there will be times when I need to charge when its not the best weather... surely it needs to be safe to charge somehow!?

Thanks for the help!

Granny is IP something rated and can be used outdoors safely (would be a bit daft if you could only use them indoors !). The biggest problem for most is where you actually plug it in, is that IP rated ?

 

[Jomarkh]

Hi. I used a granny EVSE for about six weeks before getting a 7.5kw unit which makes better use of my 4 hour 5p night tariff.
Also it was a bit of a pain putting the granny back in the boot of the car. You could lock it in a airy box but what if you needed it while you are on holiday or something.
IP67 should be the rating

 

[S1LVER]

Granny is IP something rated and can be used outdoors safely (would be a bit daft if you could only use them indoors !). The biggest problem for most is where you actually plug it in, is that IP rated ?

Thanks - yes I'm getting an outdoor socket fitted by a local lx - I told him what it's for, and so he is running a 32A ring main from consumer unit out to the socket so I can then easily hook up a wall charger in the future without much hassle!

 

[S1LVER]

Hi. I used a granny EVSE for about six weeks before getting a 7.5kw unit which makes better use of my 4 hour 5p night tariff.
Also it was a bit of a pain putting the granny back in the boot of the car. You could lock it in a airy box but what if you needed it while you are on holiday or something.

I can see that, but as wholesale is what it is Octupus won't let me move to them right now, and SSE won't talk to me about moving tariff..! I suppose (hope) at some point it will calm down again... but right now I'm on my 16p/kwh tariff whenever!

 

[Jomarkh]

I did wonder what rate you are on. I would stick with the granny and a nice new socket and see how it goes

 

[Shrink Proof]

My daily commute is about 40 mils each way and the car park near where I work has 7kw chargers, which is free to use. I am planning to effectively do most my charging there. That being the case, is it worth me getting a home charger, and not just rely on the granny charger? It seems like quite a bit of additional cost to get one fitted, which I might find is not that helpful.

My plan whatever is to get a 13a socket on its own ring mounted outside - useful to have anyway.

A couple of other things to consider before you decide:-

How likely are you to stay in the same job? Also, even if you do, as things get tougher economically (we are in for serious inflation next year and maybe beyond, etc.), they may start charging staff for electricity. Hell, some NHS Trusts even charge their own staff to use the staff car park when they come to work.

How likely are you to stay in the same house? If moving is on the cards, fixing a charger to the wall might not be worthwhile.

Do you use the car for other long-ish runs apart from the commute? If you regularly run out into the wilds at weekends, when presumably work and its chargers are off limits, being able to charge up at home before and after could be more secure (and cheaper) than relying on your local charger network - yes, BP Pulse, I'm looking at you.

Just my 2p-worth...

 

[Gomev]

A couple of other things to consider before you decide:-

...

How likely are you to stay in the same house? If moving is on the cards, fixing a charger to the wall might not be worthwhile.

...

Just my 2p-worth...

Take it with you.

 

[S1LVER]

A couple of other things to consider before you decide:-

How likely are you to stay in the same job? Also, even if you do, as things get tougher economically (we are in for serious inflation next year and maybe beyond, etc.), they may start charging staff for electricity. Hell, some NHS Trusts even charge their own staff to use the staff car park when they come to work.

How likely are you to stay in the same house? If moving is on the cards, fixing a charger to the wall might not be worthwhile.

Do you use the car for other long-ish runs apart from the commute? If you regularly run out into the wilds at weekends, when presumably work and its chargers are off limits, being able to charge up at home before and after could be more secure (and cheaper) than relying on your local charger network - yes, BP Pulse, I'm looking at you.

Just my 2p-worth...

This is useful to think about thank you!

Although I will say... they will take me out of this house cold...

 

[BruceT]

You should at least get a couple of quotes for a charger before you decide. Remember you won't only be using the car for work. Charging from a wall charger is takes something like 11 hours, from a granny it's 28 hours. something like that anyway. If you have somewhere to put it, get a wall box.
Also, I think you'll need to ask the installer but I don't think you can put a wall box on a ring main, It needs a dedicated line from the consumer unit.

​

 

[BruceT]

@S1LVER I've just had a quick look at the mod2 handbook and wall charger is 10.5 to 11.5 hours and the granny charger is 3 times as long.

 

[5teep]

It's one of those "how long is a piece of string" questions. It depends on how much you intend to drive outside of working hours and how long you can leave the car plugged in at the car park.

If you've only driven 40 miles to work (or 80 there and back) a 7kw post will top that up in less than 90 minutes/3 hours on average.

 

[5teep]

Also, remember 7kw charging will only take 11 hours from an empty battery which you will never have.

 

[S1LVER]

Thanks all! All fo this is super helpful! (I've checked with my local lx - i wrote the wrong thing, he's putting a dedicated 32A direct from consumer unit!) I think until I have had the car a bit I'm going to check how I get on and then can install one if I need to! Aware it might mean I may miss grants.. but i think there is likely to be further grants...!

 

[symcbean]

Was planning on getting a home charger when I got my car....turned out to be a lot more complicated then I thought. So I've not yet got this done. I've got a couple of free rapid chargers within 5 miles that are usually available in the evening. Now I'm wondering if its worth the bother at all. I still use the granny charger sometimes - a 7kw charger does go twice as fast - but either way its an overnight stint (usually I aim for the 20-80% charge).

I'd suggest living with the granny charger for a while and find out of you need a faster charger.

 

[Jomarkh]

A 7.5kW unit will be 3 times as fast as a 'granny' and will make more use of an overnight tariff like Octopus Go if you can get on it.
I wish I had free rapid near me.
Looks like you are better off using the rapids and a granny charge once a month to balance the battery as they don't like 100%raipd charging.

 

[rpannell]

I've used a Granny for the past 2 years and it has always worked for me. This is combined with the EDF 98hr cheap rate tariff (10 hrs per night plus all day weekend) so I can add around 70 miles in the 10 hr cheap slot. My annual mileage is 12,000. In those 2 years, there has only been 1 occasion when the 70 mile top-up was not enough and I had to route via a rapid for a quick top-up. There is no way that I would have covered to cost of the 7KW charger installation, especially in my complicated house.

 

[Shrink Proof]

Aware it might mean I may miss grants.. but i think there is likely to be further grants...!

If you truly believe that any government will reinstate a grant once they've removed it, then I have a bridge you might like to buy...

 

[MonsterMonster]

I find it interesting that someone is willing to spend almost £30k on an electric car and deliberates on spending £500 to £700 on a dedicated charger for said car. Yet is happy to shell out for a new 32A socket outside of the £350 grant support. The grant will go in March and most likely not be replaced. If after all this it is decided then that a 7kw charger is needed it will have cost more than doing it now.

Those free chargers won't be free forever and they will become harder to get onto when everybody else is trying. Personally I'd bite the bullet and get a subsidised 7kw charger and avoid the hassle of trips to the supermarket or slow charge on granny charger.