Gridserve Rapid Charging Issue

[GavinJ]

I am now 22 months in to MG5EV ownership (standard range) and I have just come across a weird problem. On a recent trip to Scotland (motorway up and down) I had to use the blooming gridserve facilities (always a heart rending experience at 60+p per kWh). I encountered a consistent problem with their CCS chargers. The car would not charge at the chargers that had two CCS chargers; it was only possible at the chargers that were CCS/Chademo. Every time I plugged into either of the double CCS sockets and followed the instructions, the charger would indicate preparing to charge and after about 90seconds would come back with an error message saying that the car did something unexpected... However, when I connected to the CCS outlet on the Chademo charger, it worked perfectly. The main differences I could see was that the successful charges were accompanied by the car clamping onto the charger while it failed to do so on the double CCS output chargers. In all cases the charger head was fully engaged.

This was not an isolated instance and I replicated the fault at several different chargers. I also had no problem connecting to Chargeplace Scotland CCS or Osprey chargers.

Is this a case of Gridserve (who are thieving so and so's) trying to marginalize slower charging cars like the MG5, or do you think the problem is my car? The car, by the way has not been damaged in any way at the front and I never encountered the same issue on either of my 2 trips to Scotland earlier this summer. Thoughts, theories welcome. Thanks very much, Gavin

 

[Rogersons]

Gridserve are terrible. The double sockets will only charge one car at a time. Also lost count of the amount of times it won’t release the charger - most of the time a call to the helpline sends a signal down but have has to use the manual option more than one. That not the work of a moment if you’re tight for time.

 

[5teep]

Sounds like a firmware issue or the settings in the charger that look for specific responses from the car are not getting what they expect so charge fails. Report it if you have not already to Gridserve so they canfix it.

 

[Gomev]

... The double sockets will only charge one car at a time. ...

This, be it 2 CCS, or CCS and Chademo. Only 1 will charge at a time. Awaiting software update to enable both to charge.
This is probably surprising to new EV drivers but has been the case for a year and is well known.

 

[Squidder]

Gavin yes! I had this EXACT same issue this weekend and reported it to Gridserve who said "oh that's new"

If you haven't please report this to them. I suspect it's to do with how the CCS standard is implemented as it's always a Comms issue it seems.

 

[Rogersons]

Sounds like a firmware issue or the settings in the charger that look for specific responses from the car are not getting what they expect so charge fails. Report it if you have not already to Gridserve so they canfix it.

Reported many times. A pretty poor service from this company all round. It’s a crying shame they appear to have a huge motorway service monopoly.

 

[Rogersons]

This, be it 2 CCS, or CCS and Chademo. Only 1 will charge at a time. Awaiting software update to enable both to charge.
This is probably surprising to new EV drivers but has been the case for a year and is well known.

It should be a surprise that it’s going on for so long. Other providers don’t have this problem. Second rate company.

 

[Gomev]

It should be a surprise that it’s going on for so long. Other providers don’t have this problem. Second rate company.

I'm not sure that most would agree they are a second rate company. In an amazingly short time from where they started they have transformed the charging picture in this country.

GRIDSERVE | GRIDSERVE tops Zap-Map list of public EV charging locations

Our Super Hubs at Moto Rugby and Moto Exeter and our pioneering Braintree Electric Forecourt® are three of the most popular EV charging locations according ...

www.gridserve.com

 

[Scorpion]

I'm not sure that most would agree they are a second rate company. In an amazingly short time from where they started they have transformed the charging picture in this country.

GRIDSERVE | GRIDSERVE tops Zap-Map list of public EV charging locations

Our Super Hubs at Moto Rugby and Moto Exeter and our pioneering Braintree Electric Forecourt® are three of the most popular EV charging locations according ...

www.gridserve.com

But just like their predecessor, now they have the monopoly of the motorways it's just sit back and count the cash while the whole system goes to hell again

 

[Rogersons]

I'm not sure that most would agree they are a second rate company. In an amazingly short time from where they started they have transformed the charging picture in this country.

GRIDSERVE | GRIDSERVE tops Zap-Map list of public EV charging locations

Our Super Hubs at Moto Rugby and Moto Exeter and our pioneering Braintree Electric Forecourt® are three of the most popular EV charging locations according ...

www.gridserve.com

Totally disagree. They may have come in first but now they’re sitting on their hands with second rate service and not expanding.

They need to step up or get out.

 

[Gomev]

But just like their predecessor, now they have the monopoly of the motorways it's just sit back and count the cash while the whole system goes to hell again

Yep just sitting back letting the dosh roll in. Could you please explain how the whole system is going to hell.

 

[Scorpion]

Yep just sitting back letting the dosh roll in. Could you please explain how the whole system is going to hell.

Because they came in and replaced all of the outdated units promising so much but they haven't even bothered to do simple updates on the chargers, lots of the chargers won't disconnect without calling the help line to intervene. How is that a progressive company that wants to promote EV charging to the thousands of ICE drivers who keep seeing yet another driver having problems with recharging, they should be there pushing the ease of charging on the motorway system not making it a laughing stock. Really don't see how you can defend this monopoly.

 

[GavinJ]

This, be it 2 CCS, or CCS and Chademo. Only 1 will charge at a time. Awaiting software update to enable both to charge.
This is probably surprising to new EV drivers but has been the case for a year and is well known.

Agree. I wrote to Gridserve asking why this was the case and received no reply. I however was not competing with another car. The double CCS chargers were useless to me. Only the Chademo worked...

 

[Gomev]

Because they came in and replaced all of the outdated units promising so much but they haven't even bothered to do simple updates on the chargers, lots of the chargers won't disconnect without calling the help line to intervene. How is that a progressive company that wants to promote EV charging to the thousands of ICE drivers who keep seeing yet another driver having problems with recharging, they should be there pushing the ease of charging on the motorway system not making it a laughing stock. Really don't see how you can defend this monopoly.

If it was a simple update it would have been done, maybe it isn't quite as simple in life as it is in your mind. They inherited a limited power supply at each site, this needs to be upgraded and the timelines for that isn't down to them.
They have created large charging hubs where none previously existed. They have expanded services where they can, primarily at Moto services, who are sharing their goal and assisting with the expansion with superhubs over the motorway network.

I thought you had been around with an EV long enough to remember just how bad it was on motorways that they were avoided at all costs to seek out chargers elsewhere off route, maybe I am wrong in that.
They were always contactless payment and cheap compared to others.

I have no connection to Gridserve but I do admire what they have achieved in such a short time.

 

[Scorpion]

It's quite simple really although i live only 1 mile from one of the busiest junctions on the M1 i now avoid motorways because of the charging issues much rather stick to A & B roads and charge with a greater choice of supplier than be held by a monopoly, if they opened up the motorway system to any supplier it would immediately improve the service, after all why hurry up to fix something that nobody else is allowed to compete with you for.

 

[smokie]

There isn't any choice of petrol brands at a services is there? Why would electric charging be different?

There are fairly good reasons to avoid motorways with an EV I suppose but that's not one of them.

 

[Scorpion]

There isn't any choice of petrol brands at a services is there? Why would electric charging be different?

There are fairly good reasons to avoid motorways with an EV I suppose but that's not one of them.

Because recharging takes time so a a supplier only having capacity to recharge 4 cars for example is of no use if you have 20 cars waiting so more suppliers each with capacity for 4 cars would go along way to helping, the ICE stations don't just have 4 pumps do they

 

[JCFlippen]

Because recharging takes time so a a supplier only having capacity to recharge 4 cars for example is of no use if you have 20 cars waiting so more suppliers each with capacity for 4 cars would go along way to helping, the ICE stations don't just have 4 pumps do they

I think the power available is the problem in many locations. The grid needs to supply more capacity but the present infrastructure will not allow it.

 

[mj224]

Personally, I have never had a problem with Gridserve. They are putting several chargers in popular places.

And they are sooo much better tan Ecotricity..

 

[Scorpion]

Personally, I have never had a problem with Gridserve. They are putting several chargers in popular places.

And they are sooo much better tan Ecotricity..

They certainly started out that way but do seem to have lost the ball at present, hopefully they will be able to pick up the ball and continue with there work.