As it’s Mental Health Week and ranting is good for the soul I thought I’d cleanse mine by having a good rant at some of the UK electric car charger networks!
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why have you not named the poor charging points
Would you still recommend an EV without access to home charging?
If I could have a home chargepoint, I would have probably bought an electric vehicle years ago, but the infrastructure or lack of infrastructure and the complications involved in charging and ways of paying, it's all too off-putting, not knocking the cars, just the infrastructure and how complicated they are to use
I would very rarely do long distances, my daily commute is around 70 miles daily, make it simple, put charge points up in more places.
I can understand your rants
It sounds to me like the charging network business is unregulated and requires government independent body to produce a charter of sorts.
I totally agree – in the three years we’ve had our EV, the charging network really hasn’t improved enough. Thankfully, our EV is a Tesla and the superchargers have never failed us – they’re simply brilliant. But other networks we have tried to use from time to time have failed us all too often.
And until that is fixed, if you get an EV and plan on making long journeys regularly the supercharger network is invaluable.
As a Tesla Model 3 owner who doesn't have a driveway I rely on public charging. Yes I know people will say why buy an expensive EV then, but I want an electric car and Tesla's are astounding pieces of technology, barring the minimalist interior.
Any way, luckily I have three Rapid 50kwh chargers within a stones throw of each other in a retail park which is 10 min from my house. Each are from a different company (BP Pulse/GeniePoint/Instavolt) meaning I have a good choice as and when I want them, or if any of them aren't working.
And that suits me very well. And I'm not even in an area that's EV charger dense area, I'm just lucky they are all right next to each other.
Why I wont get an Electric vehicle (yet)? My local town (pop 35,000) has just had its third charger fitted. Count them, three. And that includes the one at the local Nissan dealer which is in permanent use by the dealer keeping their cars topped up. Until I can turn up to any petrol station, service station or local town and know I can plug my car in and wave my Bank card at it….no thanks.
Perhaps this 'reliability' issue has a nefarious touch about it. Having been stranded three times in my Nissan Leaf for a variety of rapid charging failures, I'm beginning to wonder if some owners of these networks have been influenced by fossil fuel invested companies to undermine the reliably and maturity of the UK EV charging structure. I guess that's a pretty paranoid/cynical stance to take but; if I'm right, oh boy, what a scoop for an EV-Youtuber it would make. Naturally, the identity of any employees coming forward with revealing insights in regard to what supervisors have instructed them to do (moreover, what not to do) need to have their identities protected. I say, blow the whistle – because there is no way this 'rapid EV charging reliability issue' is all ineptitude, incompetence and an absence of commonsense. No business is in the business of deliberately failing at business. It stinks like fox piss.
Yaay! Ecotricity no more. Now Gridserve Electric Highway. They plan to replace most Ecotricity points by late this year with contactless debit card plug and pay, and…a 24/7 customer support line.
Charge car Scotland ! What 2 months and still no card ahhhhhh! Interesting taking our 40 Leaf to Scotland , battery over heated with rapid charging , so back to the dealer – who said surprised you made it that far “ what” ! Mine is a 2020 is there still a problem with these Leaf’s ?