What would make public charging better for you..?

[Martinonline]

You should include MK Coachway which is just off the motorway at junction 14. It has 11 BP pulse chargers (some fast some slow) and 4 IONITY ultrafast chargers. The other services let it down though.

 

[evcog]

You should include MK Coachway which is just off the motorway at junction 14. It has 11 BP pulse chargers (some fast some slow) and 4 IONITY ultrafast chargers. The other services let it down though.

Thanks Martinonline. I'm aware of a few charging locations in the vacinity of our motorways but they all useually add extra time and distance to our journeys. These can add up if you are traveling long distances. I have limited the the lists to Motorway Service areas because that is what the government has set asside over £900,000,000 for improvement. However, I will make a note of that location next time I'm in the area.

 

[Martinonline]

The MK Coachway is about the same distance off the skip road as some services and certainly closer than Donnnington. The BP-Pulse chargers are under @Rolfe's required (UFO-like) saucer cover. I was at Watford Gap South services 10 days ago and they had 4 ev parking spaces for the mixed-capacity and connectors chargers - all occupied. It did appear there were more chargers being installed but when they will be connected to the Grid who knows. There is definitely a lack of System Engineers in government.

 

[evcog]

I really should have created a separtate thread for all these Motorway Service area surveys. What do the mods think? It might be easier for people to find in a single thread.
Still at the moment here is the info on the M4 Motorway East.

Motorway Service areas​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Motorway​	North/East Bound​	South/West bound​	Operater​	Chargers​	Capacity​	Usable​
M4 East​	Pont Abraham​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Moto Swansea​	​	Gridserve​	6​	350kw​	2​
M4 East​	Moto Swansea​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Moto Swansea​	​	Gridserve​	2​	22kw​	​
M4 East​	Sarn Park​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Sarn Park​	​	Tesla​	8​	120kw​	​
M4 East​	Cardiff West​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Cardiff West​	​	Gridserve​	2​	22kw​	​
M4 East​	Cardiff Gate​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Magor​	​	Ionity​	6​	350kw​	5​
M4 East​	Leigh Delamere​	​	Gridserve​	1​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Leigh Delamere​	​	Gridserve​	2​	22kw​	​
M4 East​	Membury​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Chieveley​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	​
M4 East​	Chieveley​	​	Gridserve​	1​	22kw​	​
M4 East​	Reading​	​	BP pulse​	4​	150kw​	3​
M4 East​	Heston​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	​

It still amazes me that it is so bad. What do you guys think?

 

[Vingnut]

I think I'm very happy to live in Norway, your charging infrastructure is so many years behind ours that it's sad to see.

When I drive 800kmt to family in South of Norway, I'm so spoiled for choices on where and what type of chargers that's available to me. It's just not an issue her any more.

 

[evcog]

Here is the M40.

Motorway Service areas M40​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Motorway​	North/East Bound​	South/West bound​	Operater​	Chargers​	Capacity​	Usable​
M40​	Beaconsfield​	​	Ionity​	6​	350kw​	​
M40​	Beaconsfield​	​	Gridserve​	4​	50kw​	​
M40​	Oxford​	​	Gridserve​	2​	50kw​	1​
M40​	Oxford​	​	Tesla​	4​	150kw​	​
M40​	Oxford​	​	Tesla​	12​	120kw​	​
M40​	Cherwell​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	​
M40​	Cherwell​	​	Gridserve​	6​	350kw​	2​
M40​	Cherwell​	​	Gridserve​	1​	22kw​	​
M40​	Warwick​	​	Gridserve​	3​	50kw​	​
M40​	Warwick​	​	Tesla​	2​	150kw​	?​
M40​	Warwick​	​	Tesla​	6​	120kw​	?​

If a ? is shown there is no information currently available as on the 20/06/2023.

 

[evcog]

I think I'm very happy to live in Norway, your charging infrastructure is so many years behind ours that it's sad to see.

When I drive 800kmt to family in South of Norway, I'm so spoiled for choices on where and what type of chargers that's available to me. It's just not an issue her any more.

Vingnut I had the honour of visiting Norway for a wedding a few years ago and although I didn't drive I had the opportunity to see your beautiful country and meet many new friends. It is no suprize to me that your nation is leading the transition to a better future.

 

[dawson2099]

Looking at that layout, I ask again, what happens when it's pouring with rain? Is it all simply open to the elements? That really isn't good enough.

Agreed plus more visible charge costs. 5% VAT and more competition. I can pay 25p at some ProjectEV chargers and 95p at some other outlets. Anything more than 60p makes it cheaper to drive longer distances in our ICE SUV.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Here's the M56 for your list

Motorway service areas M56	Eastbound	Westbound	Operator	Chargers	Capacity	Usable
M56	Chester		Gridserve	2	60kW	Yes
M56	Chester		Gridserve	12	350kW	In Build
M56	Chester		Shell	4	150kW	Missing

 

[evcog]

Here's the M56 for your list

Motorway service areas M56	Eastbound	Westbound	Operator	Chargers	Capacity	Usable
M56	Chester		Gridserve	2	60kW	Yes
M56	Chester		Gridserve	12	350kW	In Build
M56	Chester		Shell	4	150kW	Missing

Many thanks WonkoTheSaneUK I will add it to my list.

 

[Rolfe]

There's a thread for reviewing public chargers in Community Chat. maybe the information you're collating would fit best there?

Charging Site Review

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...

www.mgevs.com

 

[evcog]

There's a thread for reviewing public chargers in Community Chat. maybe the information you're collating would fit best there?

Charging Site Review

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...

www.mgevs.com

Rolfe I agree. While my reply to a valid point wthin the subject of this thread kind of started me on this process of reviewing Chargers at Motorway sevice areas it becomes rather off-topic. Although I have read the other thread in the Community Chat there is a danger of trying to map all chargers in the UK which frankly ZapMap and others do much better than I. However, it is very difficult to easily identify number of chargers generally across our major routeways other than going to each site. Therefore I am thinking of starting a new thread, limited to UK, and specific Nations, as funding is different for each Nation. As a long term resident in Wales, and an ancestry from Scotland, but living in England, I thought it might be better to organise my research by Nation.

If you, the Mods, and the rest of the forum users would agree to this I will over the next 7 days complete the survey consolidate the spreadsheet then create a post in the Community Forum called something like.

UK Motorway Service Areas Available Rapid Chargers

Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Rolfe]

You're doing a great thing. I'm sure your own decision about how and where to present the information wil be correct.

 

[astb01]

Just create a universal EV payment card. One that you can top up and transfer funds to. That way it would remove this stupid pre auth and also would only let someone charge if they have funds to do so.

I have been to Mfg several times and to my surprise each time they’ve taken £40 as pre auth and it’s shown up on my bank statement.

How about they just let us charge and pay for what we use just like petrol and diesel? Imagine if they pre authorised petrol and diesel there would be uproar so why should EV drivers be “punished”?

 

[Ayoull]

Land pirates not relieving rapids of their charge cables

 

[astb01]

Just create a universal EV payment card. One that you can top up and transfer funds to. That way it would remove this stupid pre auth and also would only let someone charge if they have funds to do so.

I have been to Mfg several times and to my surprise each time they’ve taken £40 as pre auth and it’s shown up on my bank statement.

How about they just let us charge and pay for what we use just like petrol and diesel? Imagine if they pre authorised petrol and diesel there would be uproar so why should EV drivers be “punished”?

Even better … the petrol stations could just ask how much we want to pay and then enable the machines for that amount. Once the amount is reached (by ££) then the machine stops charging? Just like how they can control how you pay for petrol after midnight “pay first”

 

[Kithmo]

A bunch of chargers in every petrol station.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Just create a universal EV payment card. One that you can top up and transfer funds to. That way it would remove this stupid pre auth and also would only let someone charge if they have funds to do so.

I have been to Mfg several times and to my surprise each time they’ve taken £40 as pre auth and it’s shown up on my bank statement.

How about they just let us charge and pay for what we use just like petrol and diesel? Imagine if they pre authorised petrol and diesel there would be uproar so why should EV drivers be “punished”?

Petrol Stations have been pre authorising anything upto £120 for the last few years round here.
Infuriating to say the least.

 

[Ayoull]

A bunch of chargers in every petrol station.

Problem we have at work in connection design is petrol stations generally only have small supplies many only have 18kVA single phase or 30kVA 3ph connections and fuel pumps use next to no power.

So Costs them a lot to upgrade the supply for rapids especially if they're having more than one or two units.

The maximum you can get on an single LV connection before you need a substation is 276kVA (400A) per phase. Which is eaten up by 2x 150kW units with load balancing to keep it within the 276kVA that's why instavolt only normally install 2 units and load balance between them.

Petrol Stations have been pre authorising anything upto £120 for the last few years round here.
Infuriating to say the least.

Started when people twigged on they can use prepaid visa cards with a £1 on them to fully tank up as the card reader only preauthd £1 at the time

 

[astb01]

Petrol Stations have been pre authorising anything upto £120 for the last few years round here.
Infuriating to say the least.

I’m not even sure how that can be legal? If they are worried that people may use the machines fraudulently then they should also apply to non EV users as well! Just like how some people put petrol in and don’t pay. All they do is take their reg?!