Long-distance Public Charging network experience
Posted: Fri May 21, 2021 11:54 am
I’ve ranted elsewhere about this. Just completed 1000 mile trip, from Blairgowrie, Perthshire - a week near Alnwick and a week with family in South Wales, so followed the east coast down past Seahouses, then down A1, M1, M5 and this week back up the M6.
I’d downloaded apps, sent for RFID cards (about 5), gathered from ZapMap that motorway service station Ecotricity chargers were very frequently useless and identified other rapid chargers en route. At various times, 2 apps dismissed my access to chargers, 2 that I had cards for ended up costing me the ‘guest’ price, 2 turned out not to need app or card and were free, 1 on the ID.3 satnav turned out not to exist, and a Tesco slow charger refused to release my cable from either end.
On the M6 return leg, the Legh Arms Inn, Knutsford charger was occupied when I got there (nice beer garden and outdoor drinking tents), waited half an hour, set off for Lymm then Knutsford services where not a single charger was operational, so returned to charge successfully at Legh Arms (thanks ZapMap) and arrived at Gretna to find 4 unoccupied super 350Kw Ionity chargers. So safely home with just under 12% left after a 12-hour trip, wasting mileage, time, charge and nervous energy around Knutsford.
The profusion of charging networks across England and miserable maintenance record of Ecotricity’s so-called Electric Highway at motorway service stations would put most people off major EV journeys across the country at a time when EV ownership is soaring. I guess 90% of owners only commute and travel limited and ‘safe’ trips.
Scotland seems to have a pretty unified network in ChargePlace Scotland at which ChargeyourCar RFID cards seem to work well (although the app is crap). Charging seems largely free at the moment although the network is shifting soon to a single private firm working closely with Transport Scotland - and it’ll probably cost the going rate. I say “seems” because I’ve only had the ID.3 a month and have only tried to charge once here.
The car was great on all roads at all speeds, but the voice lady drove us up the wall and the electric drive failed to engage gears on several occasions, so it’s booked in for a check on Thursday. Happy trails!
I’d downloaded apps, sent for RFID cards (about 5), gathered from ZapMap that motorway service station Ecotricity chargers were very frequently useless and identified other rapid chargers en route. At various times, 2 apps dismissed my access to chargers, 2 that I had cards for ended up costing me the ‘guest’ price, 2 turned out not to need app or card and were free, 1 on the ID.3 satnav turned out not to exist, and a Tesco slow charger refused to release my cable from either end.
On the M6 return leg, the Legh Arms Inn, Knutsford charger was occupied when I got there (nice beer garden and outdoor drinking tents), waited half an hour, set off for Lymm then Knutsford services where not a single charger was operational, so returned to charge successfully at Legh Arms (thanks ZapMap) and arrived at Gretna to find 4 unoccupied super 350Kw Ionity chargers. So safely home with just under 12% left after a 12-hour trip, wasting mileage, time, charge and nervous energy around Knutsford.
The profusion of charging networks across England and miserable maintenance record of Ecotricity’s so-called Electric Highway at motorway service stations would put most people off major EV journeys across the country at a time when EV ownership is soaring. I guess 90% of owners only commute and travel limited and ‘safe’ trips.
Scotland seems to have a pretty unified network in ChargePlace Scotland at which ChargeyourCar RFID cards seem to work well (although the app is crap). Charging seems largely free at the moment although the network is shifting soon to a single private firm working closely with Transport Scotland - and it’ll probably cost the going rate. I say “seems” because I’ve only had the ID.3 a month and have only tried to charge once here.
The car was great on all roads at all speeds, but the voice lady drove us up the wall and the electric drive failed to engage gears on several occasions, so it’s booked in for a check on Thursday. Happy trails!