You CAN road trip an SE SR

[siteguru]

Care to expand on that?

As said above ... the inference is that you'll waste way more than the 20 minutes or so saved vs the Tesla route in trying to get charging started at some of these other locations.

 

[Rolfe]

Yes, I got that, but I was wondering whether he had any specific info about that. Gridserves are fine, tap card and walk away. (Just more expensive.) Is there any reason to believe BP Pulse or Shell Recharge would give me grief with an MG4?

 

[Tig170]

Yes, I got that, but I was wondering whether he had any specific info about that. Gridserves are fine, tap card and walk away. (Just more expensive.) Is there any reason to believe BP Pulse or Shell Recharge would give me grief with an MG4?

I would personally do Tesla Todhills South & Preston (remember to input your reg.) at the front hotel desk as they are very close to the motorway exits, and are in plentiful supply at both locations.

 

[siteguru]

Yes, I got that, but I was wondering whether he had any specific info about that. Gridserves are fine, tap card and walk away. (Just more expensive.) Is there any reason to believe BP Pulse or Shell Recharge would give me grief with an MH4?

Anecdotally, both CPOs have been unreliable for charging - period, not just with the MG4. I once tried the Shell posts in my local Aldi (just for the hell of it) and couldn't get it to work. I've never tried a BP Pulse but I recall others having problems with them.

 

[MGCamb]

Yes, I got that, but I was wondering whether he had any specific info about that. Gridserves are fine, tap card and walk away. (Just more expensive.) Is there any reason to believe BP Pulse or Shell Recharge would give me grief with an MH4?

Our company had their own fuel storage and took out a contract with BP which meant the price we paid at pumps was the same price whichever of their fuel stations we used (this saved keeping receipts etc and was a great boon). They extended that to an electric contract and where that worked it worked and where it didn't...
Travelled to Nottingham early one Saturday arriving at 0700hr and needed to charge having checked the night before and found a proliferation of 50 kW chargers available - first stop the council offices on the Trent- only open for council staff; next one in the centre - only for use by taxis (you can imagine how busy it was at that time) then onto a hotel. Someone was paying more to have his car charged than he was paying for his bedroom as he had left it connected all night (still not as annoyed as someone who had got there the night before on 4% and could not leave). Contacting BP was told there was only a 7kW charger available as Nottingham Council do not pay to maintain the chargers so off to the M1 where the card would not work but eventually through discussions, convinced them that that a fuel card could included electricity. Back to Nottingham and delivered car. Had planned to meet up with the wife at 1000hr but got back for 1400hr. I have a similar story in Brighton - Bournemouth not quite as bad (found a BP charger in a hotel at lunchtime - guy in charging and having a couple of pints) as they had provided Gridserve cards by that time. The only benefit was that I was being paid by the hour. Tried to use a BP charger twice with my MG4 and failed both times (one reckoned the service was down, the other no response at all).
It is one of the reasons I changed to an EV - I had been paid to get over my range anxiety and understand if you find something that works stick with it.

 

[MGCamb]

Oh at BP Gretna Green at a non working charger was asked whereabouts GG was.

 

[Martinonline]

I had no trouble with a 150kW BP charger in Hemel Hempstead last year using a credit card but did with the 7kW EVSE at the hotel I was staying in when I tried to use my BP account.

 

[Tight Git]

I have used BP maybe half a dozen times about 2 years ago with my MG4 and doubt I had a 50% success rate.

 

[Rolfe]

I tried telling ABRP that I didn't like BP Pulse or Shell Recharge, and got a route timed at 8 hours 37 minutes that only uses chargers I'm reasonably confident about.

A couple of Ionitys and an Instavolt, which should all work on the Electroverse card. A bit too much McDonald's, but the last one, the Beaconsfield stop, is great for food and just what I would want. Pizza Express among other things. I expect it will be later than five when I get there, and probably a good time to eat.

 

[Archev]

I tried telling ABRP that I didn't like BP Pulse or Shell Recharge, and got a route timed at 8 hours 37 minutes that only uses chargers I'm reasonably confident about.

View attachment 37482

A couple of Ionitys and an Instavolt, which should all work on the Electroverse card. A bit too much McDonald's, but the last one, the Beaconsfield stop, is great for food and just what I would want. Pizza Express among other things. I expect it will be later than five when I get there, and probably a good time to eat.

Bons voyage and appetite in equal measure

 

[Tight Git]

Beaconsfield is normally very busy - hopefully you won't have to queue (or only for a short while).

 

[Rolfe]

Cobham seems to be the same, and there are 18 chargers there! I think it's worth a shot anyway.

I've always done this with just three stops previously, and the amount of hanging around hasn't been really excessive. I still might just go for that, particularly if the warm weather means I'm getting better range than before. What I don't understand is why ABRP insists that I need to go to 100% at Forton if I want to get to the Solihull supercharger from there. It's only 137 miles and I have done it before without, so far as I remember, waiting for 100% at Forton.

Still, it would probably be a good idea to try a four-stop itinerary to see how I get on with it. Who knows what I'll do. I just find that playing around with ABRP gives me a good idea of what's out there.

 

[siteguru]

You'll probably never reach 100% on a DC rapid charger anyway ... and trying to would take far longer than charging to, say, 90% and scheduling an extra splash and dash stop. (The extra stop may take 15 minutes ... trying to reach 100% may take an extra 30+ minutes).

 

[Jamesrr]

You'll probably never reach 100% on a DC rapid charger anyway ... and trying to would take far longer than charging to, say, 90% and scheduling an extra splash and dash stop. (The extra stop may take 15 minutes ... trying to reach 100% may take an extra 30+ minutes).

Absolutely. That last 10% is excruciating slow compared to the first 50%

You just don't do it unless there is no alternative.

Even having to go to above 85% for a leg of the journey is a right PITA.

Never plan on it if at all possible.

 

[Rolfe]

I have been damn close to 100% a couple of times, once at Greenlands Farm (Instavolt) when the service was so slow at the restaurant that it took me at least an hour before I could get away, and once when I was standing yakking to @Archev, who had just pulled in to the charger next to mine at Fort William superchargers. Oh yes, and last month at Perth on an Ionity, when I was early for my appointment and just let the car go right on. I did see 100%, although the car was still taking charge when I unplugged.

 

[Rolfe]

Well, I got here by 8.30. 20-25 min for a charge isn't really long enough, that's the issue. I got to the Lancaster Ionitys on 7% but I could have made Forton by slowing down a little. (It's seven miles further on and I had 11 miles of range.) But by the time I'd had lunch the car was already at 78% when the target was 60%. And so the knock-on effect began, till I arrived at Brighton on 52% rather than the intended 15-20%

More later, going to bed now.

 

[decrep]

When you've had your rest, you'll have to explain, why having too much charge is a problem.

 

[Coulomb]

I assume it's charge speed. You generally get best charge speed at lower states of charge. This is only important if you want or need to minimise total travel plus charge time

 

[Rolfe]

When you've had your rest, you'll have to explain, why having too much charge is a problem.

Because Glyndebourne is only 16 miles from here and I have all afternoon and evening there on an AC PodPoint at about 35p, and here I am with a battery already half full of electrons at Ionity prices.

Going back to sleep now. Good grief I'd forgotten how hot Sussex summer nights are.

 

[decrep]

Understood, having to pay for unnecessary expensive electrons, goes against the grain