Anyone tried the ChargeNet hypercharger?

[Lozza12]

I see this has opened in the Bombay hills area - presumably near that Waitomo or BP service centre? Up to 300kW fast charging although most EVs can barely accept half that at present.

It costs $30-$60 to fill up - not really good value for money given relative petrol costs. Kind of a silly location too, either soon after departure from Auckland or not quite at your destination either in the downtown area. No doubt the location was constrained by grid connectivity. I wonder what the install cost was?

I might check it out later this week after we’ve escaped lockdown!

 

[Matt_NZ]

Seems like a better spot for the chargers than the Auckland Supercharger spot tbh. It's right on the motorway and next to a number of food locations so you can eat while the car charges with less of a chance of having to run back to the car mid-meal to move it. Auckland isn't the only starting/ending location though...if you're traveling from the central North Island and heading up north beyond Auckland than these chargers will be quite useful.

There are also more going in over the next few months around the country

 

[khayyam]

Smales farm also seems a slightly odd location to me, but as you say it gives options without dealing with the access issues at the supercharger! I can't imagine I'll voluntarily go in there again.

 

[Lozza12]

Smales farm also seems a slightly odd location to me, but as you say it gives options without dealing with the access issues at the supercharger! I can't imagine I'll voluntarily go in there again.

What are the access issues at the Auckland supercharger? The code access? The waiting room?

 

[Matt_NZ]

It's more that it's out of the way if you're on a journey. You have to exit the motorway and head into the city streets to get to it and then from there if you want to get a meal while you wait it's a bit of a walk to nearby eating spots so by the time you get there and get your food you have to start thinking about heading back to avoid idle fees. Hamilton and Palmerston North are similar issues with the added annoyance of being in malls that make it annoying to access after hours.

 

[khayyam]

And the nerve-wrackingly narrow exit, and the rather mysterious faded buttons on the keypad.

 

[Matt_NZ]

Yeah the exit is rather tight...I'm curious how those driving an S or X handle it!

 

[khayyam]

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad now, but on day 3 of ownership it made me really nervous.

 

[Matt_NZ]

I've been through there a number of times now and I've still gotta creep around the corner towards the ramp down to the exit. Doesn't help with the car screaming that its sensors are telling it I'm too close

 

[Ecoli]

haha yes, owners lounge with no tea, coffee or water last few times I've been there

It's nerve racking exiting the Krd dungeon of doom....
Then your confronted with the cryptic keypad mensa test

 

[Matt_NZ]

When I was in the lounge on my delivery day the fridge was stocked with water...but since then it's been empty. I assume it's empty at the moment due to COVID.

 

[Ecoli]

Only water in the owners lounge on my D day last year as well, there was stack of coffee cups but nothing else.

I think I've been about 5 or 6 times since then, each time like old mother Hubbard the cupboard and fridge was bare
Might just be bad timing on my part

 

[Lozza12]

I asked the person in the desk about the lack of drinks in the fridge. Apparently our Kiwi colleagues are letting us down. Tesla have removed the free stuff because people would come into the lounge, take all the drinks, leave all their trash behind and then bail. Poor form.

 

[Matt_NZ]

A vending machine would be a good option. I don't mind paying for stuff

 

[Ecoli]

I asked the person in the desk about the lack of drinks in the fridge. Apparently our Kiwi colleagues are letting us down. Tesla have removed the free stuff because people would come into the lounge, take all the drinks, leave all their trash behind and then bail. Poor form.

Well that's disappointing

I think you can still get tea, coffee or water from sales during the day.
After hours it looks like it's BYO or you're going thirsty

 

[Matt_NZ]

Got to try it out last night! The battery wasn't flat enough to get the full charge speed but still decently quick

 

[Gene_nos]

That looks pretty dam quick - what’s the kWh price?

 

[Matt_NZ]

60c/kWh and 35c/min

 

[khayyam]

So it looks to me as if the pricing structure is different from other chargenet chargers. Most of the 50kw chargers are 25c/kwh PLUS 25c/min.

If I'm reading it correctly, the Bombay "hypercharger" is 60c/kwh OR 35c a minute, whichever is greater. So as long as you're charging fast enough (>0.6 kwh/min so > 35 kw), the time charge doesn't come into it.

So a 20kwh charge on a 50kw charger might take 30 min: 25c/kwh * 20kwh + 25c/min * 30 min = $12.50
On a hypercharger it would be 20kwh * 60c/kwh = $12, so long as it takes less than 35 minutes, which it easily will so long as you unplug when you're done.

Start Charge – ChargeNet NZ