What would make public charging better for you..?

[emmadragon]

Indeed, it would be useful. My friend's brother lives in Osbaston, just six miles from there, and we usually visit on Boxing Day while I'm staying with her for Christmas. I volunteered to drive, but realised I would have to charge while in Osbaston. My plan was to drop friend and husband off, go to that garage while they went for a walk or drank sherry or something, charge up to over 80%, then go back for the meal and party games, letting the car get to 100% on the granny charger during that time.

It's quite a tight schedule, so info on how busy it seems to be (at noon on Boxing Day!) and how fast it can charge would be handy.

Oh, I already know the answer to the first one - it’s extremely quiet on Boxing Day. (We regularly go over to pick up the in-laws on Boxing Day, so drove past it this last Christmas). I’ll let you know how fast it is after Saturday. It’s used by a lot of commuters, as a general rule, driving from Hinckley to Leicester and vice versa, so on non-working days it’s incredibly quiet.

 

[Rolfe]

I thought that might be the case. This is one of the few situations where I've thought it would be handy to have a faster-charging car, so that I can get back to the party.

It's a trip I've done a few times in my own petrol car and lots of times in other people's petrol cars. Driving it is not popular. To quote my friend, of course we all enjoy ourselves a lot when we get there, but oh that drive. (I remember us struggling back up the M1 one evening when it had begun to snow, and having to phone back to tell my friend's daughter not to leave but to stay the night with her uncle, and then my friend getting stuck only a few hundred yards from home and me having to deliver a swift lesson on how to get a Golf in summer tyres out of that mess by pulling off in second.)

As I actively enjoy driving the MG4 in a way I never quite enjoyed any of my petrol cars, I volunteered to be the 2023 patsy, all the while with my fingers crossed behind my back about the need to charge. If my friend's brother had an EV and a wall box we'd be sorted, but he doesn't. So that site seemed ideal. Then the whole visit got cancelled, but I suspect I'm on the hook for 2024.

 

[emmadragon]

Ok, so here we go:
Desford Crossroads filling station
There are 7 charge points; each has 2 leads, one CCS, one Chademo, giving a listed total of 14.
We got there at 12.30 today, and we’re the only car charging for around 15 minutes.
Our maximum draw was around 95kW, which dropped to about 65kW once a Tesla and an Audi pulled up and plugged in.
Charger 7 has a tendency to be ICE’d because it has a vacuum and an air line immediately next to it; 2 ICE cars used it in the time we were there.
It took us almost exactly 30 minutes to go from 19 to 80% charge.
I checked in the shop, and they said as long as you’re actually charging or using the vacuum or air, there is no time limit, despite the sign.
The shop is a decent size food store, and there is an on-site Greggs, albeit neither has any seating. There is also a coffee station within the store, so even if Greggs isn’t manned (it’s a separate franchise, although it’s within the store) you can still get coffee and pastries.
There’s also 4 jet wash stations, plenty of other parking, and 2 vacuum/air stations.
Oh, and it’s manned 24 hours, too.

 

[gwig66]

No point for me - I park up and go use the facilities while charging. Hoovering can be done at home, or anywhere else (as I have a 12V car hoover in a bag in the boot).

More important are:

1. Protective canopies (for rain / sun shade - could incorporate solar panels)
2. Lighting
3. Security or CCTV monitoring, rather than charge points being tucked in a dark corner of a car park where drivers are exposed

I agree with the dark corner of a car park issue. Very easy mugging opportunity.

1. 5% VAT for all EV chargers.
2. 215% increase in rapid chargers. (that's how far behind the country is in 2023. Only 7 years to go folks before the estimated number of EVs will need that increase.
3. Rain covers (why not put solar panels on top)
4. Clear display of charges per kWh before you enter.
5. Safe location, not hidden in the dark near the bin area.
6. Clean and maintained toilet facilities.
7. A place to get a drink or snack.
8. A queue system if the chargers are occupied.

Queue system definitely needed. I've experienced a menacing atmosphere in busy periods.

 

[littleflower]

Better lighting, covers (with solar panels), toilets/cafe. Price on panels. Basically a petrol station with charging points

 

[Rolfe]

Better lighting, covers (with solar panels), toilets/cafe. Price on panels. Basically a petrol station with charging points

Agreed.

 

[Fluffykins]

Basically, rip the pumps out of a service station and put chargers in, and add a seating area with some way to buy coffee and a snack to the adjoining shop.

And get rid of the slick diesel coating on all pavement and road surfaces and clean the toilets. Oh, and especially if it's a Shell station: have chargers that work.

 

[Rolfe]

This. Want. Drool.



One at every motorway service station in the country, please.

 

[Archev]

This. Want. Drool.



One at every motorway service station in the country, please.

Superb to see what it looks like inside. I saw details about it a couple of weeks ago.
Interesting to hear they are looking to do something similar in San Diego. Hope they do it soon. I’ll have a look when I’m over there later in the year. Is the MG5 OK for cabin luggage ?
But yes a few of these around over here please.

 

[Rolfe]

I think this set-up is more suitable for long-haul road stops than for the city centre, to be honest. If people like DC charging routinely when they don't have access to home charging then OK, but wouldn't more widespread availability of AC chargers be better?

I think the other thing I like about these is the price.

 

[Archev]

I think this set-up is more suitable for long-haul road stops than for the city centre, to be honest. If people like DC charging routinely when they don't have access to home charging then OK, but wouldn't more widespread availability of AC chargers be better?

I think the other thing I like about these is the price.

Aye I think he said 42cents ? About 33p so pretty good indeed.
My son has just covered hi roof with solar so I wonder if he really is contemplating going ev.

 

[Rolfe]

I need to get off my backside and do that.

I think my ideal configuration of something like that (for the city centre) would be to have maybe another floor of DC chargers above that, accessed by a ramp. It would let people living nearby leave their cars there overnight, maybe take a taxi home, perhaps not every time they charged (depending on mileage) but to let the battery balance. Also if people on the rapids wanted to go to 100% they could move their cars upstairs.

Or maybe there really isn't so much demand for type 2 charging, especially if you're not within walking distance. But still, a couple of type 2 posts would be good. Also at a motorway service station, both to let people get to 100% more conveniently (by moving the car) and for the use of people staying in the hotels that are usually there.

 

[Rolfe]

Oh and this is somewhat relevant to the price issue.

 

[Archev]

I need to get off my backside and do that.

I think my ideal configuration of something like that (for the city centre) would be to have maybe another floor of DC chargers above that, accessed by a ramp. It would let people living nearby leave their cars there overnight, maybe take a taxi home, perhaps not every time they charged (depending on mileage) but to let the battery balance. Also if people on the rapids wanted to go to 100% they could move their cars upstairs.

Or maybe there really isn't so much demand for type 2 charging, especially if you're not within walking distance. But still, a couple of type 2 posts would be good. Also at a motorway service station, both to let people get to 100% more conveniently (by moving the car) and for the use of people staying in the hotels that are usually there.

I don’t have a roof suitable for solar and not many installers seem interested in ground mounted units. I’ve not quizzed many mind you. But compared with the daft amount I used to spend on diesel the Magnette would be hard pressed to be expensive with the running I do.

 

[Rolfe]

Just casual trips to Oban for the sheer hell of it...

 

[Archev]

Just casual trips to Oban for the sheer hell of it...

Ah yes but I only drove to Crianlarich .

 

[Rolfe]

Lightweight.

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Better lighting, covers (with solar panels), toilets/cafe. Price on panels. Basically a petrol station with charging points

So... A Gridserve forecourt (Braintree, Norwich, Gatwick) then.

 

[siteguru]

Oh and this is somewhat relevant to the price issue.

View attachment 24530

Let's all move to Iran!

 

[dawson2099]

No point for me - I park up and go use the facilities while charging. Hoovering can be done at home, or anywhere else (as I have a 12V car hoover in a bag in the boot).

More important are:

1. Protective canopies (for rain / sun shade - could incorporate solar panels)
2. Lighting
3. Security or CCTV monitoring, rather than charge points being tucked in a dark corner of a car park where drivers are exposed

Agreed - plus a single card/access/payment process - swiping a credit card or contactless is fine with standard RFID as an alternative - I'm carrying so many cards around