What would make public charging better for you..?

[WXman]

Only used public chargers twice - both Osprey paying via excellent Octopus Electroverse. Great experience overall, however 3 our of 4 charging bays had been parked in by ICE cars - not only unfair for EV customers, but also robbing Osprey of potential income.

Add parking penalties for ICE vehicles parking in EV charging bays to the list...

 

[wandle MG4 trophy]

I’d like to see:
a prominent red light atop any charger which is not working for whatever reason
all charging stations to have a What3Words address
signage on the charging unit detailing any additional car parking charges

 

[Grriff]

I've just written to my MP (Ruth Edwards - Rushcliffe) to ask the following question, 'What action is the government taking to ensure that there will be an adequate number of EV charge points at important sites such as motorway service stations?' I specifically mentioned Leicester Forest East on the M1.
Ruth Edwards has expressed an interest in electric vehicles (Electric Vehicles) and, since this is a public forum, I have sent her a link to this thread.

 

[tsedge]

Try an MFG site - Traditional garage with added 150kW chargers, so air/water/wash more likely to be available.

I direct your attention to Osprey's new Salmon Leap site in Devon. 16 rapids - 2 of which are in extra long "towing" bays. See bottom & left edges of this pic:-

Let's hope this becomes a standard layout for "electric forecourts" going forward.

That's really great to see, putting thought into the design.

 

[TheHypnoToad]

The ability to charge without a smartphone app

 

[bear1]

I've not used public chargers a huge amount, but...

• Clear signage to chargers
• Standardized systems (payment, user experience, queuing, bay size) at least as a minimum
• Information on reliability, current status, usage levels, actual charge time available and accessible to/through other apps
• Clear indication of operability
• Covers to protect from rain and sun
• Interesting small businesses, including cafes, in proximity

 

[evcog]

I've just written to my MP (Ruth Edwards - Rushcliffe) to ask the following question, 'What action is the government taking to ensure that there will be an adequate number of EV charge points at important sites such as motorway service stations?' I specifically mentioned Leicester Forest East on the M1.
Ruth Edwards has expressed an interest in electric vehicles (Electric Vehicles) and, since this is a public forum, I have sent her a link to this thread

Well done Grriff, the Report on the Rapid Charging Fund 'Pilot Scheme' has now been published.
Report on the Rapid Charging Fund Pilot Scheme
only 28 pages but broadly supports the purpose of the Rapid Charging Fund. It could have been written by Sir HumphreyAppleby so there is a lot of verbiage but at least it dosn't say cancel the whole scheme.

Now we need to ensure that our government actually actions what was planned and gets on with it. I have also written to my representative but as yet no reply.

As an additional piece of info I have been looking at the distribution of rapid chargers on our Motorway systems and was quite shocked at how bad it is in some areas. For instance the Exeter end of the M5 has one of the best charging locations anywhere in the country, as has been noted in an earlier post in this thread. However, going north from there only 1 of the 10 service areas have more than 3 rapid chargers.

Motorway​	North Bound​	Southbound​	Operater​	Chargers​	Capacity​	Available​
M5​	MotoExeter​	​	Gridserve​	12​	350kw​	​
M5​	MotoExeter​	​	Tesla​	16​	250kw​	​
M5 J28​	Cullompton​	​	Ionity​	6​	350kw​	​
M5​	Cullompton​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M5 J27​	Tiverton​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M5​	Taunton Deane​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M5​	Bridgwater​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M7​	Sedgemoor​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	​
M5 J19​	Gordano/Portabury​	​	BP pulse​	1​	50kw​	​
M5​	Michaelwood​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	1​
M5​	Westmorland Gloucester​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	​
M5​	Roadchef Strensham​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	2​
M5​	Moto Frankley​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​

You will also notice that the vast majority are only 50kw well below the government target of 150kw minimum by the end of 2023. I am also reviewing all other motorways in the UK to get a clearer picture to focus our representatives and inform EV users generally.

Sources
Electric Car - motorway services.
Assessment of electric vehicle charging on UK motorways
Government not on track to hit motorway EV charger target | RAC Drive
Electric vehicle charging point targets to be MISSED this year
Electric Vehicle Charging Statistics 2023 | Zapmap

 

[Grriff]

Evcog, many thanks for your information. I think you will find the M1 provision equally poor.

 

[wandle MG4 trophy]

And how about deli counter numbered tickets to help with a queue? The instructions would need to say you have to be with your vehicle when a charger becomes available or you get shunted down the queue.

 

[Rolfe]

I'd much rather there weren't any queues in the first place. The necessity to organise a formal queueing system would suggest they desperately need more chargers.

 

[Grriff]

Drive-over wireless charging.

It's been trialed with Nottingham Taxis but that trial has now finished Nottingham wraps up UK-first wireless electric charging trial – My Nottingham News . It had a 10kW charge rate.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Evcog, many thanks for your information. I think you will find the M1 provision equally poor.

FYI - MFG have just installed 6x 150kW chargers at their garage just off J47

 

[Kithmo]

Apparently they are re-branding to Blink after an acquisition. EB to become Blink so maybe, just maybe things will change

Talking to a guy charging on the same charger today, now it's been rebranded to Blink and he said it's now a £50 pre-authorisation and 69p/kWh.

 

[Rolfe]

As I said, the Blink charger I used last month didn't take any pre-authorisation, just seemed to want me to indicate that I was OK for whatever the maximum charge would have been if I'd charged at full pelt for the maximum four hour stay. But it was 69p/KWh, which is absolute daylight robbery for a type 2 charger.

 

[Kithmo]

As I said, the Blink charger I used last month didn't take any pre-authorisation, just seemed to want me to indicate that I was OK for whatever the maximum charge would have been if I'd charged at full pelt for the maximum four hour stay. But it was 69p/KWh, which is absolute daylight robbery for a type 2 charger.

Yeah, this one has CCS, Chademo and a type 2 socket, all the same 69p/kWh price.

 

[CarlMG4]

Yeah, this one has CCS, Chademo and a type 2 socket, all the same 69p/kWh price.

The difference in price between chargers is mental, even some offering the same speed charger from free to 30p/kWh then others charging 69p for the same kWh and same speeds.

If a petrol station was charging more than double, people definitely wouldn't use it and it would either go under or bring it's prices down to realistic levels fairly quickly.

More competition is needed in the EV charging space, or caps on the prices/both.

 

[Rolfe]

Yeah, this one has CCS, Chademo and a type 2 socket, all the same 69p/kWh price.

This was two type 2 chargers, each with two connectors, in a small car park at the edge of a public park. No rapid charging at all. Still 69p.

 

[Jomarkh]

Free wi-fi so you can find another charger nearby if all are in use or faulty.
Covered area with Solar panels.

 

[Rolfe]

I keep returning to the "shelter and light" thing. Yes we'd all like there to be enough working chargers so that we can rely on getting one, and to be able to pay without getting all these stupid apps and RFID cards and potentially having hundreds of pounds "pre-authorised" from our bank accounts for a purchase of maybe £20.

Yes it would be nice if there was something laid on so we could clean our windscreens and maybe even vacuum out the car while it charges. Or somewhere to buy a coffee and a biscuit and read a magazine.

But what really rips my knitting is the assumption that petrol pumps (where you stand for just a few minutes) will always have a substantial, solid canopy to keep the rain off the driver (also the sun, so that you can read the numbers on the screen) and lights so you can see what you're doing in the dark, while electric chargers (where you typically wait for half an hour or an hour) are installed open to the elements. If it's sunny you can't see the charger screen, or your phone screen which you may need to get on the machine (imagine needing your phone to get on a petrol pump!). If it's dark you're fumbling with connectors and the charge port. If it's raining you better be driving in your waterproof gear because by the time you get out and get into it you're already soaked.

You see it time and time again on videos. Bjorn's trip to the arctic circle is a case in point. He did it in nice weather, so it doesn't immediately hit home, but he's in freaking Norway, and these hills have snow on them even in June. He's waxing lyrical about these lovely new Ionity installations, and they're entirely exposed, while about 50 yards away the petrol forecourt is protected by a canopy. It's the petrol forecourt that has the shop with the munchies and the actual human being there, even though most people just pay for their petrol and scarper in five minutes. The EV driver has to trail across the open tarmac.

But at least where there's a petrol forecourt alongside, forecourt facilities can be accessed (even if you're soaking wet by the time you get there). Often there isn't. Just a corner of a car park, nothing else there, nothing to do but sit in your car, and lone women drivers out after dark simply don't feel safe in the way we feel safe fuelling an ICE car.

It's not good enough.

 

[evcog]

Evcog, many thanks for your information. I think you will find the M1 provision equally poor.

I am gradually going through each Motorway and finding the latest information and have just completed the M1 northbound.

Motorway Service Areas EV Chargers on M1 North​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Motorway​	North​	South​	Operater​	Chargers​	Capacity​	Usable​
M1​	London Gateway​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	1​
M1​	Toddington​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	1​
M1​	Toddington​	​	Gridserve​	1​	22kw​	​
M1​	Newport Pagnell​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	1​
M1​	Northampton​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	0​
M1​	Watford Gap​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M1​	Leicester Forest East​	​	​	0​	​	0​
M1​	Donington​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	2​
M1​	Trowell​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	1​
M1​	Trowell​	​	Gridserve​	2​	22kw​	​
M1​	Tibshelf​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M1​	Markham Vale​	​	Osprey​	2​	50kw​	​
M1​	Markham Vale​	​	Instavolt​	2​	100Kw​	​
M1​	Woodall​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	​
M1​	Woolley Edge​	​	Gridserve​	6​	350kw​	​
M1​	Woolley Edge​	​	Gridserve​	1​	60kw​	​
M1​	Woolley Edge​	​	Gridserve​	2​	22kw​	​
M1 J45​	Leeds Skelton Lake​	​	Ionity​	6​	350kw​	4​

This is upto 20/06/2023 so the number showing available were taken from ZapMap on this day.
As we can all see only 3 of the 13 have 100-150Kw chargers and only 2 have 6 chargers. There is 1 service area with 0 chargers Leicester Forest East. 3 have only 1 charger.

I look forward to the installation of the other 68 chargers by December 31st this year and of cource raising the infrastructure to 150Kw.

Sources:-
Electric Car - motorway services.
Map of electric charging points for electric cars UK: Zapmap
The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway | Live Map