First Trip Surrey to Birmingham - charging question

[Puslinch]

Hi all from a frosty -20c in Canada,
I collect my car on Monday and Tuesday will be in the Brum area (not near the Hyatt SC) for a few days. I don't have any charge cards and know I will be out of juice (117 miles each way plus driving around). What's the solution as it seems the charge points all require a card to use?

Much appreciated, Gary

 

[smac]

Chargemaster have an app you can install on an iPhone / Android instead of an RFID card. (It works, but is a bit flaky)

Their list of points can be found here: Live Map

Other than that I suspect it's drive 117 miles, go to the Supercharger fill up, then you should have enough to get back + knocking around.

Did you order a UMC ? If so I suppose you could use a 3 pin socket overnight for 50-60 miles boost which might just give you enough round trip?

 

[cleavea]

Best get the RFID cards from charge master and charge my car which I have found the best so far. The supercharger at the Hyatt is well worth a visit - plenty to do for the 25 mins while it charges at 250mph - the outdoor ice rink might be still going on too - it just opposite the Hyatt

 

[smac]

Best get the RFID cards from charge master and charge my car which I have found the best so far.

I'd add Ecotricity and Source London.

Ecotricity + Chargemaster cards took a couple of days to arrive in the post, Source London almost 2 weeks! Probably not in time for the OP

CYC also have a phone app, but I've never tried it.

 

[Afdyce]

Hello Gary,
I did the same trip the other way round recently without problems. If you don't have the RFID cards I suggest you plan round topping up with a a charge at the Supercharger in the Hyatt at Birmingham with a second charge at either the Reading or Heathrow Superchargers, depending on your route to Surrey.
Work on a "real" range of 180 miles on a full charge with the 85kw battery for safety and you'll be fine.
Just have fun!

 

[Puslinch]

Thanks chaps, I'll head over to the Hyatt to use the SC. I didn't know you could purchase the UMC in the UK, "might" be handy with the dual chargers in the car.

Gary

 

[PV4EV]

Thanks chaps, I'll head over to the Hyatt to use the SC. I didn't know you could purchase the UMC in the UK, "might" be handy with the dual chargers in the car.

Gary

Its worth bearing in mind that you can always pull into an Ecotricity charge location without their RFID card or having signed up to anything and you can call them on the number shown on the charger and politely ask if they'll start the charge session remotely, using the cable on the charger so you don't even need to have the right cable with you. If you have the dual chargers you'll be topping up at 22kw. Might not be the full SC rate but very handy to know in case you get stuck. They've allowed me to do this on 2 occasions and didn't ask any questions other than wanting to know my location :smile:


As for SC's I've visited the Northampton Supercharger half a dozen times now to the point where the bar/restaurant manager knows what I'm going to order! He reckons that well over 100 Model S's have called in since it opened 2 weeks ago, and that their fancy coffee machine has been working flat out ever since. He also mentioned that hes only ever seen single cars charging except with just one exception when 2 red Model S's pitched up and the drivers took loads of photos. They're also widening the parking bays this week to sort out the slight misalignment of the charger points relative to the white parking lines.


Anyway, back to the point, ecotrocity have around 200 chargers are at nearly every UK motorway services and all IKEA stores :-

Our Electric Highway - For The Road - Ecotricity





If you don't mind reading unformatted xml files, here's a list of currently faulty charge points that seem to have piled up over the Christmas break ... :-

Ecotricity status

 

[gdavison]

If it helps - from the invoice when I picked up my UMC

UMC Cable - ASY,UM,EU,400V3,032A,B88,TMC002,20-0 (1023694-00-A) - GBP 337.92
Blue 32A "Caravan Connector" - ASY,UA,A,230V1,032A,TMC002I032M2PE6 (1025801-02-A) - GBP 58.33
UK 13A Connector - ASY,UA,A,250V1,010A,TMC002UK,PIGTAIL (1041514-00-A) - GBP 58.33

All prices are plus VAT of course

 

[smac]

Gary,

I didn't know about the UMC either. I bought a generic portable EVSE for emergency usage it has proved invaluable.

I got caught out by the snow, and although I got home, I couldn't get up my driveway! I ended up going to a neighbours and plugging it into an outdoor socket where I was getting c. 6 miles an hour, but leaving it overnight got me enough range to tide me over.

I'd go for the Tesla one now, and add a 3 pin adapter for emergencies and a 32A "Commando" for use at places like ZeroCarbonWorld member hotels for overnight destination charging.


Si

 

[Puslinch]

on the list when I collect the car, thanks chaps! Gary

 

[mgboyes]

Gary,

I didn't know about the UMC either. I bought a generic portable EVSE for emergency usage it has proved invaluable.

I got caught out by the snow, and although I got home, I couldn't get up my driveway! I ended up going to a neighbours and plugging it into an outdoor socket where I was getting c. 6 miles an hour, but leaving it overnight got me enough range to tide me over.

I'd go for the Tesla one now, and add a 3 pin adapter for emergencies and a 32A "Commando" for use at places like ZeroCarbonWorld member hotels for overnight destination charging.


Si

The UMC is supplied with the car in all markets apart from the UK. When the Model S started shipping in June, Tesla said that there would not be a UK-specific UMC, so instead they've been selling (at a very good price) a Mennekes-branded 3pin charging cable (i.e. one that can only be used with a UK 13A socket, at a maximum of 10A).

They have also always been willing to sell an EU UMCs if you ask for one, but these don't include a UK 3 pin adaptor - just red (16A x 3 phase) and blue (32A single phase) commando, and European Schuko plug (limited to 13A).

But then recently it turns out that they actually have now produced a UK 3 pin adaptor for the UMC, so today you can get a full complement of adaptors for it you want.

 

[martinwinlow]

"...Tesla said that there would not be a UK-specific UMC, so instead they've been selling (at a very good price) a Mennekes-branded 3pin charging cable.."

What is "a very good price"? If it is around the £400 mark, you could buy any old J1772 terminated charging lead, swap the J1772 plug for a female Mennekes (Type 2) one and use that instead - for about half the price.

Martin Winlow
EVBitz.uk

 

[mgboyes]

"...Tesla said that there would not be a UK-specific UMC, so instead they've been selling (at a very good price) a Mennekes-branded 3pin charging cable.."

What is "a very good price"? If it is around the £400 mark, you could buy any old J1772 terminated charging lead, swap the J1772 plug for a female Mennekes (Type 2) one and use that instead - for about half the price.

Martin Winlow
EVBitz.uk

From memory it's about £350, which is considerably less than anyone else who carries the same cable. It's 7m long, has a thermal sensor built into the 13A plug, and is I believe IP67 rated i.e. completely waterproof.

Where can you get a 3 pin to J1772 mode 2 charging cable for under £200?

The cable Tesla re-sell looks like this:

 

[smac]

Martin, I've personally had problems with the Ratio unit, so maybe others face the same dilemma. As the firmware on the car has changed, so the EVSE has stopped working

It's taken me until now to get to a state of reliability (I'm on my 3rd Box). All three boxes work fine on a Leaf /Zoe, but show it a Tesla and you are stuck.

Given 20:20 hindsight I'd rather buy one from Tesla for £50 more, then if I get stuck, they can pay for the flatbed!

 

[Afdyce]

I have the cable in the photo and it was £370.00 inc. VAT from Tesla. It's good quality and it works well.

 

[martinwinlow]

FWIW, I have been using a DIY-built portable EVSE based on the Mainpine EPC with my MS for the last 4 weeks without any issues at all - total cost (including box) was £226. MW

 

[arg]

FWIW, I have been using a DIY-built portable EVSE based on the Mainpine EPC with my MS for the last 4 weeks without any issues at all - total cost (including box) was £226. MW

Who sells the Mainpine EPC now? NuWorldEnergy don't seem to offer them any more.

 

[martinwinlow]

"Who sells the Mainpine EPC now?"

I do. See...Mainpine EPC MW

- - - Updated - - -

Where can you get a 3 pin to J1772 mode 2 charging cable for under £200?

...eBay.

That Tesla PEVSE looks like a very nice unit at a very reasonable price (tho I can't find it at Shop Tesla Gear Shop Tesla Gear ...??). But I'm working on my own, probably not quite so high quality, adjustable output one hopefully costing around £250 all in, maybe less. I hope to be able to supply it with dual 13A/16A (Ceenorm) input and, therefore, a max 16A output. MW