Hah! My first public charge

[wandle MG4 trophy]

I am fortunate that I can charge at home but decided to do a test public charge. I’m glad I did!

Tried Zap-Map on Apple CarPlay but it does not work unless you have a subscription.

Rocked up at a shopping centre with PodPoints. Had to download the app and create an account. Then had to deposit funds in my account. First charger did not work. Second charger wouldn’t allow me to charge as it thought I had an existing charging session. Then I realised they were free because they were 7kwh chargers - too slow for what I needed

Fired up the Trophy satnav and searched for charge points. Must say I was impressed with the satnav. Set off but overshot the charge point as it was hidden in a pub carpark and I was on a fast dual carriageway.

Satnav suggested another location - also out of view from the main road but I found this one. Had to wait 20 mins as the only working cable was in use. Had to download the BP Pulse app. Successfully charged at about 50 whatnots.

Moral of the story:
If new to EVs, do a test charge so that you have confidence in how to use public chargers
Download a few of main EV charging apps
Charge before you need to and have a plan B charger up your sleeve
Buy a Type 2 cable if you plan to use slow public chargers.

i hope this does not come over as being negative about charging. I thought it all a bit of a laugh. At least I will be better prepared when I really need to charge.

 

[Jomarkh]

In the first 4-6 weeks I downloaded a few apps and tried them out on rapid chargers just to add a few kWs.
Some worked with an rfid card and some needed to be confirmed on the app.
Well worth doing to get the hang of things.

 

[slmorgan42]

In the first 4-6 weeks I downloaded a few apps and tried them out on rapid chargers just tonadd a few kWs.
Some worked with an rfid card and some needed to be confirmed on the app.
Well worth doing to get the hang of things.

I did the same thing. Got my car a few weeks ago and went and tried a few different brand of chargers and speeds just to get confident that I could do it.
I have the usual apps and the Electric Juice (Octypus energy) card and app which gives discounts on some chargers

 

[amdmad]

I thought the suppling dealers would go through all the joys of charging out and about??

 

[CuriousIslander]

I am fortunate that I can charge at home but decided to do a test public charge. I’m glad I did!

Tried Zap-Map on Apple CarPlay but it does not work unless you have a subscription.

Rocked up at a shopping centre with PodPoints. Had to download the app and create an account. Then had to deposit funds in my account. First charger did not work. Second charger wouldn’t allow me to charge as it thought I had an existing charging session. Then I realised they were free because they were 7kwh chargers - too slow for what I needed

Fired up the Trophy satnav and searched for charge points. Must say I was impressed with the satnav. Set off but overshot the charge point as it was hidden in a pub carpark and I was on a fast dual carriageway.

Satnav suggested another location - also out of view from the main road but I found this one. Had to wait 20 mins as the only working cable was in use. Had to download the BP Pulse app. Successfully charged at about 50 whatnots.

Moral of the story:
If new to EVs, do a test charge so that you have confidence in how to use public chargers
Download a few of main EV charging apps
Charge before you need to and have a plan B charger up your sleeve
Buy a Type 2 cable if you plan to use slow public chargers.

i hope this does not come over as being negative about charging. I thought it all a bit of a laugh. At least I will be better prepared when I really need to charge.

Why is charging life so fraught?? It seems to me that many of the issues surrounding public charging have some element of having to download apps and set up accounts of one sort and another (all right - some chargers don't work when you try them as well) before you can start charging. Why make life difficult - just go for the chargers that take credit/debit cards. I have not had a problem yet with this strategy. Admittedly I have only used public chargers a relatively small number of times (about 20 I think) as most of my motoring is done on the Isle of Wight and I charge at home, but I think that this is enough to form some sort of reliable judgement, based on excursions to the mainland visiting places as far apart as Staffordshire, Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset.

Maybe if enough of us abandoned apps and just used credit/debit cards then just possibly the various charging companies might cotton on that this is the easiest way forward. I have never yet had any problems with credit card payment (am I tempting fate???) - just like when filling up my wife's ICE car. As some people say - KISS.
Happy motoring

 

[sdjmchattie]

Even contactless can be a pain. Especially if you’re using a card that doesn’t have a lot of available balance. Most chargers will put a hold of maybe £70 on the card to start the charge. Sometimes I see two holds of £70 have been placed. If the charge fails and/or you charge twice in a day you could have hundreds of £ on hold until the get removed. Removal can take all week depending on the charge network and your card provider.

 

[Cocijo]

Even contactless can be a pain. Especially if you’re using a card that doesn’t have a lot of available balance. Most chargers will put a hold of maybe £70 on the card to start the charge. Sometimes I see two holds of £70 have been placed. If the charge fails and/or you charge twice in a day you could have hundreds of £ on hold until the get removed. Removal can take all week depending on the charge network and your card provider.

£70? really? I hadn’t considered that. Is that a recent thing. In fairness, I haven’t rapid charged for a little while, but when I did it took £10 up front. The rest charged when touched again before it would disconnect.

 

[CuriousIslander]

Even contactless can be a pain. Especially if you’re using a card that doesn’t have a lot of available balance. Most chargers will put a hold of maybe £70 on the card to start the charge. Sometimes I see two holds of £70 have been placed. If the charge fails and/or you charge twice in a day you could have hundreds of £ on hold until the get removed. Removal can take all week depending on the charge network and your card provider.

A good point, and each to his own I suppose. All I can say is to repeat my earlier comment that I have never had a problem, but then I don't run up a bill anywhere near my credit limit.

 

[sdjmchattie]

£70? really? I hadn’t considered that. Is that a recent thing. In fairness, I haven’t rapid charged for a little while, but when I did it took £10 up front. The rest charged when touched again before it would disconnect.

It’s what I saw at a Fastned charger last week. Maybe it’s not the norm but I’ve heard it from others as well. I’m pretty sure an Instavolt I used in summer warned me of a £70 hold before the charge started.

A good point, and each to his own I suppose. All I can say is to repeat my earlier comment that I have never had a problem, but then I don't run up a bill anywhere near my credit limit.

I haven’t personally had any problem with this approach either. It’s just something to bear in mind for people who perhaps can’t afford to have a few hundred on hold on their account.

 

[amdmad]

I don't have a problem with apps, as some can offer cheaper charging,than using contactless.

 

[Cocijo]

The Octopus charging app is getting some good early reports.

 

[smokie]

I think it was Instavolt which held (not took, just blocked) £30 for each charging instance on my first public foray on public chargers. Including three attemtps where either I thought it had failed, or it actually had failed. So £90 blocked for 3 or 4 days. I'm OK as I have a decent size credit limit but it could cause problems for some.

OTOH I get that they have to protect their assets.

 

[Buster72]

I am fortunate that I can charge at home but decided to do a test public charge. I’m glad I did!

Tried Zap-Map on Apple CarPlay but it does not work unless you have a subscription.

Rocked up at a shopping centre with PodPoints. Had to download the app and create an account. Then had to deposit funds in my account. First charger did not work. Second charger wouldn’t allow me to charge as it thought I had an existing charging session. Then I realised they were free because they were 7kwh chargers - too slow for what I needed

Fired up the Trophy satnav and searched for charge points. Must say I was impressed with the satnav. Set off but overshot the charge point as it was hidden in a pub carpark and I was on a fast dual carriageway.

Satnav suggested another location - also out of view from the main road but I found this one. Had to wait 20 mins as the only working cable was in use. Had to download the BP Pulse app. Successfully charged at about 50 whatnots.

Moral of the story:
If new to EVs, do a test charge so that you have confidence in how to use public chargers
Download a few of main EV charging apps
Charge before you need to and have a plan B charger up your sleeve
Buy a Type 2 cable if you plan to use slow public chargers.

i hope this does not come over as being negative about charging. I thought it all a bit of a laugh. At least I will be better prepared when I really need to charge.

Very helpful thanks.

 

[slmorgan42]

I am using public chargers as not possible to have home chargers. I live in London so quite a few charger options.
I have a mix of apps and Electric Juice (octopus) card.

EJ card
This is my first go to every time now as it seems to give me the best rates and its free to get the RFID card as well as the app. I think cards are quite key as you cannot always guarantee a phone signal. I would recommend the EJ card even as a back up as there is no monthly fees.

CC card
I go for a credit card and not a direct debit card. The reason behind this is DD card puts a hold on the real money where CC is just pretend money.
I am thinking of getting a CC to leave in the car. I know the risks with this but these days it is so easy to report a card stolen and the cc companies are easy to deal with. This then means the wife can use that card as well. Along with EJ card which I leave in the car already which is linked to the CC not my Octopus account.

Holds on cards
On the fast chargers I do see a hold go on but normally quite a small amount as there is only so much you get from 7kwh charger.

On the 50khw up chargers I have seen larger amounts. So far the most I have seen in £45 but I did get three of these for one charge session as I had to try a few times to get the charger to handshake. i think more user error than anything else.

 

[Susanna]

@sdjmchattie
I am anticipating having to stop for a ‘splash and dash’ at the fastned chargers at the Redbridge P&R just off the A34 near Oxford. I have the fastned app, and linked my debit card. I see that one has to get a free parking ticket from the green machine, within 10 minutes of parking, when using the site for EV charging.
This will be my first public charge, on the way home from a weekend away. Is there anything else I need to be aware of, if this is the place you used?

 

[sdjmchattie]

@sdjmchattie
I am anticipating having to stop for a ‘splash and dash’ at the fastned chargers at the Redbridge P&R just off the A34 near Oxford. I have the fastned app, and linked my debit card. I see that one has to get a free parking ticket from the green machine, within 10 minutes of parking, when using the site for EV charging.
This will be my first public charge, on the way home from a weekend away. Is there anything else I need to be aware of, if this is the place you used?

Hi @Susanna yes indeed this is the charger I used. I wanted to check the CCS was working before heading on a long distance journey.

The parking can be arranged in the Ring Go app. Free for the first 1 or 2 hours, can’t remember which. I almost forgot to do that! There are around 8 charge points under a canopy. A really nice setup. They are all 300kW connectors so very thick cables. I only got up to 60kW while charging but the battery wasn’t preheated and the weather was cold.

A bit expensive, but you pay for convenience. Just a few minutes of charging cost me very nearly £5 and only ~10% battery added. I’m used to the prices of a few years ago that would fill my LEAF fully for £5 at IKEA.

 

[Susanna]

@sdjmchattie
Thank you - that’s very helpful information. I have the Ring go app, so I will look at that also. I may not need to charge at all, but wanted to plan my journey with a charge stop if necessary.

 

[SimonomiS]

@sdjmchattie
Thank you - that’s very helpful information. I have the Ring go app, so I will look at that also. I may not need to charge at all, but wanted to plan my journey with a charge stop if necessary.

For that site you can also enter your reg no into a machine which prints a ticket for your free hour so no reason to use RingGo if charging is the only reason for your stop. If you're staying longer (there are many 7KwH chargers there too then RingGo would probably suit better

 

[Gomev]

@sdjmchattie
I am anticipating having to stop for a ‘splash and dash’ at the fastned chargers at the Redbridge P&R just off the A34 near Oxford. I have the fastned app, and linked my debit card. I see that one has to get a free parking ticket from the green machine, within 10 minutes of parking, when using the site for EV charging.
This will be my first public charge, on the way home from a weekend away. Is there anything else I need to be aware of, if this is the place you used?

Depending on where you are heading there are some very simple to use Instavolts just off the M40 J11 near Banbury. 16 of them (being increased to 32) in a hub all contactless tap and go.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Rapid Charging Hub - Banbury

DC Electric Vehicle (EV) rapid charging station in Banbury. Delivering a rapid charge to get you back on the road quickly.

instavolt.co.uk

 

[Susanna]

@Gomev
Thank you for the information. I will have a look at the site.