UK OWNERS - Public Charging?

[ASBO_ORANGE]

Hi guys,

Hope everyone is well and content.

As a first-time EV owner, I'm just after a bit of advice/insight please.

I'm guessing for 90% of the time my home-charging will serve me well for local(ish) journeys, but there will be times that I'll need to use public chargers.

I'm going to get an Electroverse card (and app) - in the hope it will save me having to download a ton of apps - but was wondering which CPOs to avoid (if any) and which work best?

I won't be going anywhere any Tesla Superchargers though.

Thanks in advance for any/all advice.

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[Teslaeata]

Well, with 125,000 miles experience over nearly 5 years I have experience of the development of the public charge networks over that time.

I have public charged nearly 400 times last time I checked the stats because that sort of mileage meant by definition I had to do a load of on-the-road charging.

You need no subscriptions or apps.

All charge points MUST take card payments.

However, I what I would advise is do bother to download and enter your payment details in the apps, in particular the main ones in the attached plus PodPoint, and Charge Scotland and other regional ones if you’re over the border for example.

Costs you nothing to do this.

I pay subscriptions to nothing and I don’t think you’ll benefit enough to do so.

Public charging is very expensive compared with home charging particularly if you have Economy 7 or special EV rates at home but using the apps does knock a few pence off the bill.

I use ZapMap without subscription to identify which charge network serves my requirement en-route and then turn to the network’s app for availability.

The apps give you live, happening availability info to avoid disappointment, queuing etc though in a lot of locations, particularly Applegreens, so many points are available there is minimal risk of this.

The Instavolts are really usefully placed at MaccyDees, Costa car parks etc etc and are nearly always higher output than our Maccies can take anyway so we’d get the most from them.

I always found the ones in supermarket car parks are about as useful as a chocolate teapot as they’re not usually even as powerful as my 3-phase ABB charger at home though very cheap by comparison to the higher powered networks’ points.

Also, unless you have more time, though often well placed on roadsides etc and slightly cheaper because they are slower, Pod Points rarely rated higher than 50kWh were only ever good enough for me to add a few extra miles to ensure I got home if I needed, say, 30 miles more but if you need more it takes some time so I used to generally avoid them.

Whilst Ionity were the best in the early days because of placement and very their very high power Applegreen were, I found before retirement in August, the very best for placement, the vast banks of charge points they install and locations etc.

Can’t think of much more ATM so enjoy your first foray into EV ownership.

If you’re charging mainly from home your EV experience will be just great!

It’s cheap as chips, far more convenient than buying petrol/diesel, is cleaner and of course more environmentally friendly.

Keep us posted on your experience and shout up if you have anymore questions.

Enjoy! I know you will.

 

[ASBO_ORANGE]

Well, with 125,000 miles experience over nearly 5 years I have experience of the development of the public charge networks over that time.

I have public charged nearly 400 times last time I checked the stats because that sort of mileage meant by definition I had to do a load of on-the-road charging.

You need no subscriptions or apps.

All charge points MUST take card payments.

However, I what I would advise is do bother to download and enter your payment details in the apps, in particular the main ones in the attached plus PodPoint, and Charge Scotland and other regional ones if you’re over the border for example.

Costs you nothing to do this.

I pay subscriptions to nothing and I don’t think you’ll benefit enough to do so.

Public charging is very expensive compared with home charging particularly if you have Economy 7 or special EV rates at home but using the apps does knock a few pence off the bill.

I use ZapMap without subscription to identify which charge network serves my requirement en-route and then turn to the network’s app for availability.

The apps give you live, happening availability info to avoid disappointment, queuing etc though in a lot of locations, particularly Applegreens, so many points are available there is minimal risk of this.

The Instavolts are really usefully placed at MaccyDees, Costa car parks etc etc and are nearly always higher output than our Maccies can take anyway so we’d get the most from them.

I always found the ones in supermarket car parks are about as useful as a chocolate teapot as they’re not usually even as powerful as my 3-phase ABB charger at home though very cheap by comparison to the higher powered networks’ points.

Also, unless you have more time, though often well placed on roadsides etc and slightly cheaper because they are slower, Pod Points rarely rated higher than 50kWh were only ever good enough for me to add a few extra miles to ensure I got home if I needed, say, 30 miles more but if you need more it takes some time so I used to generally avoid them.

Whilst Ionity were the best in the early days because of placement and very their very high power Applegreen were, I found before retirement in August, the very best for placement, the vast banks of charge points they install and locations etc.

Can’t think of much more ATM so enjoy your first foray into EV ownership.

If you’re charging mainly from home your EV experience will be just great!

It’s cheap as chips, far more convenient than buying petrol/diesel, is cleaner and of course more environmentally friendly.

Keep us posted on your experience and shout up if you have anymore questions.

Enjoy! I know you will.

Thanks Mark,

Really appreciated.

I'll keep you posted.

Brian

 

[ASBO_ORANGE]

Sorry Mark,

Another question, if I may?

Using the car's built in Nav, I assume if you set a destination, it will plot charging stops if you don't have enough range? Like the Tesla (etc) does?

I know you wrote that you use ZapMap - but does the car's Nav find charging stations OK? And does it work out/suggest how long you will need to charge at the stop and so on?

I'm not actually with my Maccie (I'm in France right now) - so I haven't actually sat and done this exercise at all.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

 

[Teslaeata]

Sorry Mark,

Another question, if I may?

Using the car's built in Nav, I assume if you set a destination, it will plot charging stops if you don't have enough range? Like the Tesla (etc) does?

I know you wrote that you use ZapMap - but does the car's Nav find charging stations OK? And does it work out/suggest how long you will need to charge at the stop and so on?

I'm not actually with my Maccie (I'm in France right now) - so I haven't actually sat and done this exercise at all.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

It can route you to chargers when getting low.

However, if I’m honest, I never used the car’s own sat nav fully.

Never liked any car Manufacturers’ own sat navs and see no point using it with its quirks, clunkiness (IMO), its anomalies and attempts at working your route via charge stations I wouldn’t choose when there’s a perfectly good sat nav on iPhone which I find excellent.

Sorry can’t help you more on that one, Brian.

 

[ASBO_ORANGE]

It can route you to chargers when getting low.

However, if I’m honest, I never used the car’s own sat nav fully.

Never liked any car Manufacturers’ own sat navs and see no point using it with its quirks, clunkiness (IMO), its anomalies and attempts at working your route via charge stations I wouldn’t choose when there’s a perfectly good sat nav on iPhone which I find excellent.

Sorry can’t help you more on that one, Brian.

Ta!

Have a great weekend.

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