Charging Site Review

[tsedge]

That's impressive. I'm still thinking about whether it's worth paying the capital cost of getting a wall box installed to get that price. I have to think about the cost of installation, and the higher daytime electricity cost, and the inconvenience of running washing machine and dishwasher overnight.

At the moment I'm doing fine on a combination of 50 KW CSS charger five minutes walk away taking the car to maybe 85%, then two or three hours on the granny charger to get to 100% and balance the cells. Yes it's 30/31p a unit, but I haven't coughed up ~£1K for a wall box and made my daytime electricity more expensive.

I probably need to do some more sums.

Yes, important to factor in the home charger cost and its expected lifetime and then feed in your mileage to work out the payback period. For us it is well worth it but we do 10,000+ miles a year.

 

[RogD]

Dear All,

We can use maps and charging apps etc etc but nothing takes place of experience/local-knowledge. As our numbers grow and as we are using the same manufacturer charging system, if it works for you it will work for me. I searched the site and I don't think we have such a thread. I am hoping someone will make this sticky and I am hoping over time this is the place that we turn to, to plan our journey.

I will start. If you are coming to London using A3, before you get to the heart of London there are two charging points that have always been working. I recommend ESSO MFG Robin Hood North Service station 51.416323343750605, -0.25113592438081445 . they have 8 150W CCS at 79p/kwh and usually there is a free slot. There is also a nice shop you can buy stuff while waiting. (///random.toned.jobs)

Also near here is a Tesco super store KT3 4PJ. They are two type 2, 22kw chargers at 49p/kwh, two type 2, 7kw chargers at 44p/kwh and finally one CCS 50kw charger at 62p/kwh. The advantage of course is that it a Tesco superstore with a coffee shop and a big store to shop. (///melon.snake.laptop)


I hope, this will be useful.

Now who can tell me where to charge in Swindon near M4.

Cheers

Hi, hope it's no too late but I used an INSTAVOLT charger located in a car part opposite a Tesco extra, CCS 100KW 75p, vacant mid afternoon, midweek. Post Code SN1 2EQ

 

[Robf]

That's impressive. I'm still thinking about whether it's worth paying the capital cost of getting a wall box installed to get that price. I have to think about the cost of installation, and the higher daytime electricity cost, and the inconvenience of running washing machine and dishwasher overnight.

At the moment I'm doing fine on a combination of 50 KW CCS charger five minutes walk away taking the car to maybe 85%, then two or three hours on the granny charger to get to 100% and balance the cells. Yes it's 30/31p a unit, but I haven't coughed up ~£1K for a wall box and made my daytime electricity more expensive.

I probably need to do some more sums.

Its not just the direct finance, its fab not having to go to the garage to fill up.

 

[Rolfe]

Its not just the direct finance, its fab not having to go to the garage to fill up.

Yeah but I don't have to do that anyway.

 

[fshuk1]

Hi, hope it's no too late but I used an INSTAVOLT charger located in a car part opposite a Tesco extra, CCS 100KW 75p, vacant mid afternoon, midweek. Post Code SN1 2EQ

it's never too late . We want all the chargers we ever use reviewed. So eventually this is a one stop place to find chargers

 

[Rolfe]

If you are planning a trip to Dawyck Botanic Gardens near Peebles (part of the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens stable and well worth a visit) they have one type 2 charger with two connectors free of charge. They have a nice café/restaurant as well as the garden walks and plants for sale so don't do what I did and turn up at a high SoC. You will need a ChargePlace Scotland card to access the electrons, however. (Or possibly/probably you could do it through the ChargePlace Scotland app.)

The charger is right next to the front door, not a long way away at the end of the drive as it is shown on ZapMaps (which was the reason I didn't bother rocking up with lots of space in my battery).

 

[Grriff]

Don't rely on Leicester Forest Services on the M1. The two Gridserve chargers on the Southbound carriageway carpark can't be connected because National Grid don't have enough electricity!

 

[fshuk1]

Any National Trust sites with chargers?

 

[Ian Key]

Any National Trust sites with chargers?

The National Trust sites with chargers are listed here

 

[Grriff]

We're due to take delivery of an MG4 in August, so I'm doing some research. One of our destinations will be Ealing in London and there are some nearby chargers on Carew Road. Google maps and Electroverse show these. Zapmaps and Plugshare don't. I think I've set the filters correctly. So the learning from this exercise is use several apps.
I found with Electroverse that after I had input the car model, it filtered out all chargers except the fastest, so I needed to change the speed filter.

 

[Grandadgeorgec]

We're due to take delivery of an MG4 in August, so I'm doing some research. One of our destinations will be Ealing in London and there are some nearby chargers on Carew Road. Google maps and Electroverse show these. Zapmaps and Plugshare don't. I think I've set the filters correctly. So the learning from this exercise is use several apps.
I found with Electroverse that after I had input the car model, it filtered out all chargers except the fastest, so I needed to change the speed filter.

Hi Griff, are you the same guy who was with ONTO a while back? If you are welcome to the MG EV club.

 

[GaryMG4]

Hi, tried my first DC charge today at Instavolt Necton PE37 8DQ on the A47 near Swaffam. Arrived midday, all 8 chargers working and available. Electroverse card not accepted (don't know if card faulty as 1st use), contactless worked fine.

 

[maskull]

Hi, tried my first DC charge today at Instavolt Necton PE37 8DQ on the A47 near Swaffam. Arrived midday, all 8 chargers working and available. Electroverse card not accepted (don't know if card faulty as 1st use), contactless worked fine.

I don't think Electroverse is partnered with Instavolt at present

 

[GaryMG4]

I don't think Electroverse is partnered with Instavolt at present

that'll be why, I was confusing it with instavolt!

 

[Gomev]

Hi, tried my first DC charge today at Instavolt Necton PE37 8DQ on the A47 near Swaffam. Arrived midday, all 8 chargers working and available. Electroverse card not accepted (don't know if card faulty as 1st use), contactless worked fine.

I have passed that site 4 times on my trips, using it once, and a very good site it is too. Never seen anyone using it apart from me when I did.

 

[Rolfe]

Maybe the prices are putting the punters off.

 

[Gomev]

Maybe the prices are putting the punters off.

Maybe, but I wouldn't have thought any more than any other rapid site. Maybe it's the location, even though it's on the A47 it's sort of in the middle of nowhere. Anyway clutching at straws I have no idea, maybe it's rammed when I'm not passing.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Maybe, but I wouldn't have thought any more than any other rapid site. Maybe it's the location, even though it's on the A47 it's sort of in the middle of nowhere. Anyway clutching at straws I have no idea, maybe it's rammed when I'm not passing.

To be honest, I'd rather have an Instavolt in the middle of nowhere and know it will be working when I get there compared to some of the other networks. I think that is worth the extra price when you are low on charge.

 

[fshuk1]

To be honest, I'd rather have an Instavolt in the middle of nowhere and know it will be working when I get there compared to some of the other networks. I think that is worth the extra price when you are low on charge.

InstaVolt is the boss, fast charging and always working. The other one I like is MFG. If you get a chance support them so they grow.

 

[Rolfe]

Maybe, but I wouldn't have thought any more than any other rapid site. Maybe it's the location, even though it's on the A47 it's sort of in the middle of nowhere. Anyway clutching at straws I have no idea, maybe it's rammed when I'm not passing.

I suspect it's never that busy but still pays its way.

I think there's an unusual element at play when it comes to motorists' willingness to put up with silly prices. I've felt it in myself, and I heard another EV driver express it openly at a charger he couldn't get to work.

"I hardly ever use these things, I don't care what it costs I just want to get the car charged."

Most people are charging at home most of the time, often on very low variable tariffs. When they charge on a rapid charger the total cost isn't actually that much anyway - they're not starting from zero and they're not charging to 100%, and most EV batteries have a much lower range than a car's petrol tank. The bills of £70 and £80 to fill up don't happen, and when the most you're likely to be charged for an occasional visit to a rapid charger is maybe £25 there's much less incentive to cruise around looking for the cheapest. Most of your motoring is done at a much lower cost than that, so 65p a unit (or more) at a rapid charger doesn't really seem like a lot once in a while. Even though it's twice the price of the average domestic electricity supply.

It will be interesting to see how this develops as more and more people who don't have home charging get EVs, and people start to get selective about which chargers they use based on the price. I mean, a range from 30p to 79p per unit for rapid charging (which I've seen) is a bit hard to justify.