How many Apps/Cards does it take to charge an EV in the UK?

[David64]

 

Hi.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum as it is a general question about EV charging. 

Having recently acquired a new bZ4X I needed to have an option of being able to charge publicly.  What I found is an EV charging network that is all over the place, for the following reasons:

1. a lot of the EV charge maps are inaccurate. We spent time driving around a housing estate looking for the public charger because that was where the PIN said there was one. We never found it!

2. It is not clear which card/app works with which charger so a lot of trial and error is involved. First you start by trying all of the cards that you have acquired (I think I have 4 now) as there does not seem to be a universal card that fits all. You then look to see if you have an App that shows the charger, but invariably you are parked in front of an EV charger that doesn't show up. You then try your bank Chip and PIN card. If that does not work you then try to find out which company/network owns the charger (not always clearly posted) and look to see if there is an APP for that (I now have at least 4 charger Apps loaded on my phone).  Would it kill them to put up some signage to say which cards/networks they accept, like they do on retail outlets.

4. A lot of chargers just assume you know how to operate them. There are either no instructions or tiny pictures on the side of the charger which are hard to read. OK,  I guess you are thinking how hard can it be, you just plug your car into the charger, but there are differences between charging points. Would it kill them to give some clear instructions.

Surely this cannot be the state of the EV charging network. Maybe I live in an area (Woking/Guildford) that is lacking in EV charger coverage.

Why the multitude of Networks/Apps/Cards? I guess at some point someone (the government! haha!) will get smart and mandate inter-operability of EV charging networks but given that this is a new industry they had the chance to mandate it from the start.

Maybe it is just me and I am missing some important piece of information / tip that maybe everyone knows and someone on this web-site can let me in on the secret.  Failing that, as a newbie to EV ownership, my personal opinion is what a shambolic state of the EV charging network and not a great start to EV ownership.  Happy to be proved wrong!

Thanks,

David

 

     

   

Edited February 8 by David64
typos

[Paul john]

51 minutes ago, David64 said:

 

Hi.

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum as it is a general question about EV charging. 

Having recently acquired a new bZ4X I needed to have an option of being able to charge publicly.  What I found is an EV charging network that is all over the place, for the following reasons:

1. a lot of the EV charge maps are inaccurate. We spent time driving around a housing estate looking for the public charger because that was where the PIN said there was one. We never found it!

2. It is not clear which card/app works with which charger so a lot of trial and error is involved. First you start by trying all of the cards that you have acquired (I think I have 4 now) as there does not seem to be a universal card that fits all. You then look to see if you have an App that shows the charger, but invariably you are parked in front of an EV charger that doesn't show up. You then try your bank Chip and PIN card. If that does not work you then try to find out which company/network owns the charger (not always clearly posted) and look to see if there is an APP for that (I now have at least 4 charger Apps loaded on my phone).  Would it kill them to put up some signage to say which cards/networks they accept, like they do on retail outlets.

4. A lot of chargers just assume you know how to operate them. There are either no instructions or tiny pictures on the side of the charger which are hard to read. OK,  I guess you are thinking how hard can it be, you just plug your car into the charger, but there are differences between charging points. Would it kill them to give some clear instructions.

Surely this cannot be the state of the EV charging network. Maybe I live in an area (Woking/Guildford) that is lacking in EV charger coverage.

Why the multitude of Networks/Apps/Cards? I guess at some point someone (the government! haha!) will get smart and mandate inter-operability of EV charging networks but given that this is a new industry they had the chance to mandate it from the start.

Maybe it is just me and I am missing some important piece of information / tip that maybe everyone knows and someone on this web-site can let me in on the secret.  Failing that, as a newbie to EV ownership, my personal opinion is what a shambolic state of the EV charging network and not a great start to EV ownership.  Happy to be proved wrong!

Thanks,

David

 

     

   

From a quick look at ZapMap it looks like there are at least 15 suppliers for the UK EV charging networks. 
 

What app was showing that charging station?

I think you will find from most discussions of “what holds you back” when making the choice to go EV the main answer is Range Anxiety due to either the lack of or availability (not enough at a service station) of EV charging points. The government has dramatically fallen behind the rollout of EV points countrywide by thousands to date. 

That being said, stay with it as things can only get better. 

[David64]

Hi,

It was Chargepoint. Location is listed as Bisley, Woking.

Looks like someones house to me. Listed as part of "Community by Shell Recharge", whatever that is.

David

[Paul john]

1 hour ago, David64 said:

Hi,

It was Chargepoint. Location is listed as Bisley, Woking.

Looks like someones house to me. Listed as part of "Community by Shell Recharge", whatever that is.

David

That’s odd…

I use TomTomGo as my satnav from CarPlay as it is fairly accurate.  If I set up my vehicle profile as Electric and search around Bisley it details 3 charging stations with 2 in pilgrims way one says “replaced” both have the same postcode but one is at 9 pilgrims way the other at 19

 

 

 

 

[Roy124]

David, I thought that was a Chase question: 4 14 or 24

😄

[Roy124]

1 hour ago, Paul john said:

 around Bisley it details 3 charging stations with 2 in pilgrims way one says “replaced” both have the same postcode but one is at 9 pilgrims way the other at 19

Yes, #9 is up for sale. #19 certainly has a charging point.

Is there an App that allows private home owners to offer charging points?

😁

[Cyker]

I think that will be a new business model - Figure out where people are likely to start to get range anxiety in the stix and plonk a cafe there with a load of chargers controlled by the cafe, so no stupid cards or rfid tags needed to use them, then they will buy lots of overpriced coffee while they are trapped there charging, and pay for the coffee and charging at the till! Genius!  

 

[Roy124]

Laura Ashley figured EV owners would be Laura Ashley customers so installed two chargers outside their store.

Then they went bust. 

A pub in Greetham has two chargers, I guess they serve coffee too. 

[Roy124]

Deleted 

[Paul john]

1 hour ago, Cyker said:

I think that will be a new business model - Figure out where people are likely to start to get range anxiety in the stix and plonk a cafe there with a load of chargers controlled by the cafe, so no stupid cards or rfid tags needed to use them, then they will buy lots of overpriced coffee while they are trapped there charging, and pay for the coffee and charging at the till! Genius!  

 

Sounds like the “little chef” business model. lol