Sainsbury's Launch Own-Brand Charging Network

[redrog]

One thing that is stopping me from visiting places in UK that is not covered that much by Tesla SCs is lack of availability of rapid or ultrarapids in places like supermarkets where I can do a quick refill before I get to the next SCs. One classic example is couple of years ago we were at the lakes and we stayed between Windermere and Keswick. The accommodation had a 3 pin plug to charge - well and good. On a normal day, that is sorted. The nearest Tesla SCs was around 22miles away. There were not many rapids or ultrarapids - mostly council car parks with 7kws. We had an emergency to go to the nearest A&E in the middle of the night the car had around 50% charge that is good enough to take me once and get back to base. If we needed to go again we had to go to the Tesla SCs to do the charging with a sick child at the back. There were few chargers dotted around but all of them were 7kws not very useful for a quick fill and dash. The other big issue is their unsuable nature or complex process of having all the apps and subscriptions - again this needed to be resolved - if sainsbury does that with just credit cards then great.

There are instavolt chargers in both Windermere and Keswick, but I agree it would be great to have a SC.

 

[Nick77]

Good that there's going to be more choice. Bad that they've priced it at 75p where people will only use them if desperate. I have a local 150kw charger I use regularly which is 49p. That price is about the sweet spot to attract people to use them. You'd think Sainsbury's would be willing to use them as loss leaders initially in order to attract people to their stores.

And for the other argument, 7kw chargers are pointless at places like supermarkets and retail parks where you're going to spend an hour or less there. Adding 4-5 miles of range is here nor there for anyone really. 7kw should be restricted to places you plug in for 4+ hours such as home, hotels and work. Everywhere else should be 50kw+.

 

[yessuz]

Good that there's going to be more choice. Bad that they've priced it at 75p where people will only use them if desperate. I have a local 150kw charger I use regularly which is 49p. That price is about the sweet spot to attract people to use them. You'd think Sainsbury's would be willing to use them as loss leaders initially in order to attract people to their stores.

And for the other argument, 7kw chargers are pointless at places like supermarkets and retail parks where you're going to spend an hour or less there. Adding 4-5 miles of range is here nor there for anyone really. 7kw should be restricted to places you plug in for 4+ hours such as home, hotels and work. Everywhere else should be 50kw+.

i think you live not far away from me . Which one is 49p?

 

[spdpsba]

There are instavolt chargers in both Windermere and Keswick, but I agree it would be great to have a SC.

They didn’t have it in 2021. Also middle of the night trip to Windermere or Keswick for an instavolt in a windy Lake District roads may not be on my top of the list compared to a drive to Tesla SC Penrith.

 

[Pants]

They didn’t have it in 2021. Also middle of the night trip to Windermere or Keswick for an instavolt in a windy Lake District roads may not be on my top of the list compared to a drive to Tesla SC Penrith.

I don’t know about Windermere but they certainly had Instavolt chargers at Booths in Keswick in 2021.

Windy Lake District roads are exactly where I like to drive my M3P, day or night. The only downside is that chevron signs cause my crappy auto headlights to dip just when I need high beam most.

The SuC at Tebay is a good 18 miles from Penrith.

 

[ajmorr.is]

What’s the point of a 7kw charger for a ~30min shop?

Public 7kw chargers, to me, only seem to make sense at somewhere like a large shopping centre or a hotel where you’ll be leaving the car for hours.

Exactly. Hence the very well coined ‘destination’, rather than ‘intermediary’ charger name.

 

[btc1k]

Now think of someone forced to have a company car. (One of my relatives get all charging paid for by the employer with a few pence per mile deduction form salary for private mileage.)

Always puzzled at the "forced" bit.

An employer cannot force you to do anything. It's a contract, and contract law is clear that both parties have to agree on the terms for it to be binding.

 

[ringi]

Always puzzled at the "forced" bit.

An employer cannot force you to do anything. It's a contract, and contract law is clear that both parties have to agree on the terms for it to be binding.

They can make a job conditional on having a company car and not offer an option to get paid £0.45 per mile to use your own car.

 

[WllXM]

They can make a job conditional on having a company car and not offer an option to get paid £0.45 per mile to use your own car.

And you're free not to accept it and find another job where you can?

 

[btc1k]

And you're free not to accept it and find another job where you can?

Or negotiate your contract.

No one is "forced" to do anything here.

They "forced" me to work for £30k and I want £35k

 

[WannabeOwner]

They "forced" me to work for £30k and I want £35k

Per day I assume?

 

[yessuz]

Per day I assume?

hour, mate, per hour

 

[Cloggie]

hour, mate, per hour

Currency?

 

[Zilla91]

This guy seems pretty happy with this. Half hour shop, battery topped up from 30 to 85%, job done.

Of much more use than a 7kwh charger that would have added sweet f all in that time

 

[yessuz]

This guy seems pretty happy with this. Half hour shop, battery topped up from 30 to 85%, job done.

Of much more use than a 7kwh charger that would have added sweet f all in that time

all jolly good. for those who have no charge at home.
if you have charge at home and that sainsburys close to it - waste of money then.

all in all, it is positive thing, but then again, in 30 min, on 75/50 kw charger you can get half of your battery. and you could install more points from the same power supply

of course, in ideal world if you had like 10+ of those kempower units - and in every Sainsbury's supermarket - then proper win.

 

[WllXM]

This guy seems pretty happy with this. Half hour shop, battery topped up from 30 to 85%, job done.

Of much more use than a 7kwh charger that would have added sweet f all in that time

I'm sure it works ok, but it costs 10x (TEN TIMES) the price of home charging with Octopus at 7.5p, so I feel sorry for the chaps who need that.

 

[qwickshot]

all jolly good. for those who have no charge at home.
if you have charge at home and that sainsburys close to it - waste of money then.

all in all, it is positive thing, but then again, in 30 min, on 75/50 kw charger you can get half of your battery. and you could install more points from the same power supply

of course, in ideal world if you had like 10+ of those kempower units - and in every Sainsbury's supermarket - then proper win.

It’s Kempower so they install way more stalls than the total site power limit would allow. That the whole point of that (and the Tesla V3/4 system). In the rare occasions it’s full, you’ll probably get 50-60% of the headline speed which is probably fine.

 

[Rooster6655]

View attachment 1008229


Website Homepage | Locations Map
75p/kwh at all times - contactless tap to charge (£60 pre-auth charge onto the card)

Rapid chargers are a good choice for supermarkets with nothing in walking distance, clearly not designed for use by locals at those prices but will be a great option for people travelling who may need a half hour break.

7kWh chargers would be great at supermarkets in the centres and some already do where there is a charge for parking and you spend x amount for free parking, I'd rather they charge a lower amount for the 7kWh chargers than have them free to avoid people hogging the chargers

 

[btc1k]

I'm sure it works ok, but it costs 10x (TEN TIMES) the price of home charging with Octopus at 7.5p, so I feel sorry for the chaps who need that.

Went out for a coffee this morning, only a Medium Latte, it was £3.80 !!

It was over 10x (TEN TIMES) what it costs me at home in buying the beans and milk.

I feel sorry for those who don't have a coffee machine at home.

 

[thewishy]

It’s Kempower so they install way more stalls than the total site power limit would allow. That the whole point of that (and the Tesla V3/4 system). In the rare occasions it’s full, you’ll probably get 50-60% of the headline speed which is probably fine.

Kempower is also a great choice for this situation because
1) You'll likely have a larger number of non-premium / shorter range EVs with a 50-80kw charge rate, especially on a cold pack which is way more likely for people just "popping to the shops"
2) If people spend 30-60 minutes shopping, stop at the cafe, etc and the charge finishes before they're done, it's not really a big deal

And if you do turn up with a premium car and a warm pack, you can hope to get a decent charge rate even if all the other bays are full. (Not sure if they'll have gone for the full 500a dispensers or not...)