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NRMA fast charging network
- Thread starter baillies
- Start date
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- Australia New Zealand
Chuq
Active Member
I can kind of see both ways. NRMA has built capacity appropriate for the number of EVs around *today*. They've also done a good job of "breaking the ice" in many of these locations too. All of the councils know who the NRMA are and the lower impact and space requirement of a single 50 kW is probably more palatable.
If a lesser known private company had come forward and made the same request for more spaces, some councils may have been less likely to be involved. Now that NRMA is there, they know how it works and the demand figures are available to justify it.
I do think the NRMA did make a big mistake in making them free, especially not having an idle fee. I've seen previous comments about people using the NRMA chargers near them because they are free, and as a result there have been travellers passing through who have needed to wait. Disappointing that selfish people are ruining it for others.
If you can’t handle inconvenience and absurdity, and laugh it off, please stick to the city.
As much as I’d love DC redundancy, that’ll come when the privates build banks of on-highway chargers. These NRMA in-town chargers will probably stay around to coax people into towns. They’ll also gauge demand. Once they’re regularly queueing, the privates will know where to invest next. And those will surely be at nearby roadhouses, well outside town.
(Says the guy who got burned by Chargefox Shell Cove being down last night! At least I got a solid 4 hour nap at Jax Warrawong! It’s a great car park for a sleep, being pitch black and sheltered on one and a half sides.)
There's inconvenience, and then there's real inconvenience: waiting an hour vs. being stranded. Certainly I applaud NRMA, QESH and all those initiatives for breaking the ICE (pun intended), don't get me wrong. And I agree totally that once one in there, more will come.
rohan_aus
Member
Offical NRMA Plushare account added a bunch more charger just now that aren’t listed on the NRMA rollout map, including two chargers in SA! This will complete the Sydney to Adelaide DC fast charging link without going via Vic.
they also added scone!
they also added scone!
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Chuq
Active Member
rohan_aus
Member
Beat me to it! Just edited my post then saw your response! Very exiting, completes the Syd to Adelaide link!
I'm still paying $200/yr for NRMA membership (it's a matter of principle given I use their chargers a lot). Sure, I could downgrade to club care or let it lapse given I have Tesla Roadside Service. But as a member, won't they tow you to their nearest working charger in cases like these?
Chuq
Active Member
A quick look around also shows the NRMA Mudgee site as "active" - but no photos or checkins, so don't know if that's actually correct.
Scone is good though. Seemed like it was impossible to get anywhere on the highway* between Newcastle and Tamworth - not Tesla, Evie, Chargefox or until now NRMA!
*If you don't count Pokolbin or Jerrys Plains as "on the highway"!
Scone is good though. Seemed like it was impossible to get anywhere on the highway* between Newcastle and Tamworth - not Tesla, Evie, Chargefox or until now NRMA!
*If you don't count Pokolbin or Jerrys Plains as "on the highway"!
Chuq
Active Member
Probably worth asking, but if you broke down in an ICE car they would tow you to the nearest repair centre? If you ran out of fuel they'd either bring you some, or tow you to a servo? I guess if one of their fast chargers was out of action they may tow you, but if you tried playing range chicken and lost perhaps not?
You're driving an EV with autopilot functionality. Skip the freeway!
Top up at Macquarie (and soon you can even skip the 2nd M2 toll at Macquarie and use Evie Networks at Seven Hills - right at the end of the M2, near the bottom of Old Windsor Road).
Then take Putty Road to Tesla's Supercharger at Jerrys Plains. Or you can take a gamble that Scone is working and try for a freebie if you still have some range left!
It's an infinitely nicer drive
rohan_aus
Member
I wish Tritium chargers were as reliable as Superchargers, I have lost count of how many times I've seen tritium chargers that have failed, had communication issues, had charging error issues, etc.
To be fair, it's not that unusual to find a Supercharger stall that doesn't work either - the saving grace being that each Supercharger site has plenty of redundancy so generally all you need to do is move one spot over.
Chuq
Active Member
Odd - Lithgow has disappeared from NRMA's map?
Still on Plugshare with positive check-ins as recently as 2 days ago.
Still on Plugshare with positive check-ins as recently as 2 days ago.
