Destination Charging Edinburgh

[MacPaul]

I was in Edinburgh last September when I was still considering getting an EV and remember seeing a long row of Tesla destination chargers in the Omni Q Car Park.
Meanwhile I’m trying to convince my wife to get an EV as she’s looking to replace her ICE. A small EV (Zoe etc) for her 10 mile commute would be perfect. The sticking point is travelling to Edinburgh (250 mile round trip). She occasionally goes for meetings and back in a day so taking our Tesla (SR+) and charging at a destination charger in the car park would be ideal.
However, those Tesla destination chargers I saw in September do not show up on any maps. I read online somewhere they belong to the Tesla Multrees store and are not available to the public which doesn’t sound like something Tesla would do. Can anyone confirm?
Are there any good central car park locations in Edinburgh with plentiful fast chargers (not rapid as having to go back to move the car mid-meeting is not going to fly).

 

[SamBGB]

Try this link:

Live Map - ChargePlace Scotland

 

[Adopado]

However, those Tesla destination chargers I saw in September do not show up on any maps. I read online somewhere they belong to the Tesla Multrees store and are not available to the public which doesn’t sound like something Tesla would do. Can anyone confirm?

They are not available to the public. There are other charging options in Edinburgh of course...

 

[Gatsojon]

Try this link:

Live Map - ChargePlace Scotland

Seems many in Scotland are free! Including one right next to where we stay when we go up for the Fringe

 

[SamBGB]

There is a couple of Tesla ones available in Edinburgh airport with free parking (2hr max) as well.

 

[WannabeOwner]

travelling [Aberdeen] to Edinburgh (250 mile round trip). She occasionally goes for meetings and back in a day so taking our Tesla (SR+) and charging at a destination charger in the car park would be ideal

A Better Route Planner suggests (winter weather) that would need a 70% top-up, and it routes via Dundee Supercharger both ways (or Edinburgh Airport and Dundee on return-leg only).

Personally I prefer charge on return journey, as arrive time at a meeting is made less predictable if I have to charge outbound, and maybe all stalls are full, or I have to "pair". And on the way back I always have Emails / meeting notes to do, which i would only otherwise do as soon as I got home ... so time-neutral for me.

If she will be in Edinburgh "all day" and there is a 7kW+ charger (i.e. same as home wall charger, or better) at a suitable location at destination then I expect you'd get the 70% top-up without any bother. (She'd get to Edinburgh at 27%, and the "fall back" of Airport at 23%, so should be enough contingency).

I don't know what is available in Edinburgh, but if Park and Ride is not a huge inconvenience they are worth a look as I've often seen Chargers when using them - and being on the outskirts can reduce the journey length too

 

[Jeeves]

Zap-Map has quite good filtering options to help you search for appropriate locations and types of charger. It does show destination chargers, but maybe not the ones you are referring to. The Tesla map shows them as well.

I’ve only ever used a destination charger once, and apart from paying the car parking fee, I wasn’t billed for using it. Is that normal?

If so, I can understand the attraction of using one in preference to a supercharger in a scenario such as you describe.

 

[DaddyCool]

My tip is don't forget SuperCharger at Perth option - Edinburgh airport only has 2 Tesla chargers

 

[Torokruger]

If she is heading to Edinburgh via the M74 then down the M8 then she could always stop at the EuroCentral Supercharger site , plenty of stalls top up before carrying on to Edinburgh and then do the reverse going back.

 

[DaddyCool]

A Better Route Planner suggests (winter weather) that would need a 70% top-up, and it routes via Dundee Supercharger both ways (or Edinburgh Airport and Dundee on return-leg only).

I don't know what is available in Edinburgh, but if Park and Ride is not a huge inconvenience they are worth a look as I've often seen Chargers when using them - and being on the outskirts can reduce the journey length too

Good shout on the Dundee and also Hermiston Gait Park and Ride has few ChargerPlace Scotland chargers not sure about the Tram park and ride at the airport.

 

[booyaka76]

Dundee?!?! That's 65 miles and 90 minutes away from Edinburgh

Best option would be superchargers at Eurocentral (dakota hotel) - then you can jump back on the M74 pretty easy

 

[DaddyCool]

Dundee?!?! That's 65 miles and 90 minutes away from Edinburgh

Best option would be superchargers at Eurocentral (dakota hotel) - then you can jump back on the M74 pretty easy

They're coming from Aberdeen (for the culture I assume)

 

[Tonybvi]

If she is heading to Edinburgh via the M74 then down the M8 then she could always stop at the EuroCentral Supercharger site , plenty of stalls top up before carrying on to Edinburgh and then do the reverse going back.

Rather a long way round to get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh!!

 

[Torokruger]

Rather a long way round to get from Aberdeen to Edinburgh!!

Read the original post didnt read the location tag of Aberdeen doh !

 

[Tonybvi]

I do the Aberdeen (or rather Banchory) to Edinburgh round trip, via the Cairn o’Mount, pretty regularly. I can easily manage the return trip without charging if I leave home with a full charge and the weather is decent/warm. In winter I tend to use Dundee or Perth on the way back for a top up just to be safe. I don’t rely on Edinburgh superchargers as a) there are only 2, b) they are always busy when I’ve tried them, c) they aren’t particularly reliable.

 

[MacPaul]

Thanks for confirming the Tesla chargers were not available to the public.

Until we have 7kw chargers in plentiful supply at regular car parks EV adoption is going to be a hard sell - to my missus at least - and I suspect a lot more folk.

Aberdeen, despite being a cultural desert , at least has car parks with destination chargers!

 

[WannabeOwner]

Until we have 7kw chargers in plentiful supply at regular car parks

There are thousands available ... more than petrol pumps I believe?? ... but reliable / etc. is not very good currently

Worth a look with Plugshare and Zap-Map (and a read of the comments to see if people have reported trouble ... but of course that is not all-visitors, and someone reporting the pump as "broken" may have had a problem with their own car/cable ... so hard to draw conclusions)

 

[D4v1d]

There is a Tesla destination charger at the Sheraton hotel, just of Lothian road which is free. Unfortunately they charge you £11 to park for 3 hours. There are good chargers a fountain park. Was at ingilston park and ride on Sunday, at the rugby. There chargers were down. Called about them and they have issued a ticket to repair, there were other ones working but taken.

 

[MacPaul]

There are thousands available ... more than petrol pumps I believe??

More like 12 Type 2 chargers at 6 different locations in the city centre that you could plug in and leave for a few hours.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to make these accommodations to drive an EV. Not most people though.

 

[DaddyCool]

With an M3 check your charge rate before you walk away
Slow charging speeds