Chase-mo adapter - do you really need it?

[hagrid_LDN]

Hello everyone
I wanted to ask if buying a Chase-mo adapter is really a must.

I don't need it for London but we have friends in Devon and Cornwall and went on holiday to Dorset this year where there are no superchargers.

I also saw an episode of Fully Charged and could see for Ecotricity there is no need to add an adapter.

When do you use your Chademo? Would it be a must have for a trip to Italy next year for emergency stops?

Thanks in advance

 

[DJP31]

It very much depends on your driving profile. I don't know about Italy but certainly the south east/west is a Supercharger desert and a CHAdeMO very useful indeed. For Scotland it's a must.

Compared to the cost of the car it is an insignificant cost but only has to be used once to be worth its weight in gold.

Plenty of owners have one and never used it, myself included (apart to test it). Do I regret buying it? Absolutely not as one day I might need it, and even if I don't I know it's there so if nothing else I've bought a bit of peace of mind.

 

[tonyj01]

Hi Hagrid,

I have the same opinion as @DJP31 I bought one when my car was new 18 months ago [Wow!].

I have used it a few times and every use is beneficial, of course, might save you a diversion, or allow more miles without diverting to a supercharger.

Last weekend, we were in Lake District, only say 75-90 mins drive from Manchester but being able to top up at a rapid charger, Chademo, at Ambleside [35kWh for £10] made a difference, it rained on Friday and we were able to drive around more with a "full tank".

If you ever plan a trip to north Scotland [see North Coast 500], there are many rapid chargers north of Dundee SuC, all are ChaDeMo.

[On the Friday we drove though the Honister Pass, an amazing drive, the highest mountain pass in England].

Regards,

Tony

 

[arg]

I also saw an episode of Fully Charged and could see for Ecotricity there is no need to add an adapter.

This is, in effect, untrue: although you can plug in to an Ecotricity point on the type2 plug, you will charge at a about 1/3 the speed of using the CHAdeMO. The CHAdeMO is already quite slow, so charging with the type2 is impractical at the sort of locations where Ecotricity have units (with ANPR time-limited parking, never mind the queue of angry drivers behind you).

Whether or not you need CHAdeMO depends on you location and driving patterns - for me in Cambridge it's invaluable (since I'm often taking short cuts cross-country rather than straight up and down the motorway). If you are based in London, your natural routes are more likely to pass Superchargers.

 

[hagrid_LDN]

Thanks everyone and just spotted the spelling mistake. Damn iPhone autocorrect

 

[mrkisskiss]

Yeah, I got the CHAdeMO - just for peace of mind. It's reassuring that it's there, and it gives you more options which is only ever a good thing when it comes to charging.