New MG5 collection and drive home

[Bovyboy]

Just collected my new MG5 from Ipswich MG then home to Southampton. Car dealer couldn't be more helpful apart from the car only having 87% battery when i picked it up.
Took it very very sedately on the way back, on the motorway sat around 60/65 behind lorrys mostly to hopefully keep the wind drag down.
Thanks to everyone's advise i stopped to charge at 35% and bite to eat at services which made total sense whats the point in pushing a new car and ev driver, but to no avail all 5 chargers where busy and 3x cars already waiting.
Off I pop to the next services, shell fast chargers which need a card. Nope. On the the next services, yes I was getting a little jumpy.
Stopped at Fleet with 13% and instantly jumped on by 2 drivers waiting thier turn, on the one working charger out of 3. Sigh.
Thanks to your advise to have a look at zap map and found one at a hotel 3 miles away, off i pop with great hope.
Yes it was free and after falling out with the BP charger and added credit to my account and CCS charger not working, i got the slower one working! Hallowed is the god of chargers!
Sat in hotel restaurant had a nice dinner and popped out to see the car a couple of times, as you do. Second time I met another MG5 who justed turned up, very nice bloke who informed me he hated his car LOL and he works for a ev charger company "ev chargers UK" LOL!!!
I assured him I would be off in ten and had a little chat. 14Kwh in 1hr and 40mins. I got home with plenty to spare. What a journey if its always this interesting making a long journey should make for some good story's.
I shall post some pics my new pride and joy tomorrow after work.
Have a great one chaps.

 

[Jomarkh]

Do you think you would have made the trip without topping up if you started with 100 percent battery?

 

[Bovyboy]

Would have been close but yes, but wouldn't have wanted too especially with food deprived children and a brand new ev charger never been tested. I was really really took it easy.

 

[Gomev]

...
Off I pop to the next services, shell fast chargers which need a card. Nope. On the the next services, yes I was getting a little jumpy.

I'm surprised you didn't get a charge at the Shell as they only need contactless to start a charge. Did you mean a Rapid charger ? It's always helpful to get the terminology right as it helps when explaining any problems.
As for the guy that hated his MG5, well some people just have no taste whatsoever., I'm sure you will love yours.

 

[jackois]

Glad to hear you made it, in spite of the charger networks we have in the UK.

I had a good dealer up near London and a full battery when I picked mine up and a good friend who has had Evs for years who took me on a tour to show me how to charge at the various types of charger, even paying for one by mistake and buying lunch.

Good luck for the future.

 

[Bovyboy]

I'm surprised you didn't get a charge at the Shell as they only need contactless to start a charge. Did you mean a Rapid charger ? It's always helpful to get the terminology right as it helps when explaining any problems.
As for the guy that hated his MG5, well some people just have no taste whatsoever., I'm sure you will love yours.

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Hi, I did mean rapid charger sorry. Funnily enough another MG5 pulled up alongside me (old style white). He said he was loaning it and complented my one. He struggled to get the machine working as well, def not working with app had to have card. They did have a fast charger thier which took a card but 2x kias already lined up for it. Hmm now I think about it I was followed around by various MG5s all day, they must like to flock together . To be fair most of the people I spoke to were very nice, definitely a community of ev owners driven togther (lol) by love of evs or by a shared anger of faulty chargers.
I wrote to Gridserve ref the faulty chargers at fleet southbound, my reply was
"We have had our Operations team investigate the chargers at Fleet Southbound over the past few days and one connector (CCS) on one DC unit does have a problem. Our Operations team is aware of this issue and is making every effort to repair the fault and get the charger back up and running as soon as possible."
Absolutely crazy, there were at least 6 cars x2 people each going mad over only 1 charger working out of the 3 or 4 there.

 

[Bovyboy]

I do my new car!