EVNow
Well-Known Member
Yes - I wish DOE had given the money to a committed non-profit, rather than a for profit Ecotality - which is now having so many cash flow issues, who knows how long it will even stay afloat.
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POLAR (Chargemaster) "will have a nationwide EV charging network"
- Thread starter Kevin Sharpe
- Start date
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- Tags
- Ireland United Kingdom
"Polar CEO: Electric Car Owners Are Rich Can Pay To Charge"
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070935_polar-ceo-electric-car-owners-are-rich-can-pay-to-charge
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070935_polar-ceo-electric-car-owners-are-rich-can-pay-to-charge
It looks as if POLAR (Chargemaster) Charging Stations require mobile phone coverage before they will charge your EV… completely crazy IMO;
"On inquiring why the newly installed point had remained inoperative since its installation, the hotel was told that a lack of cellular coverage meant that the expensive charging station was rendered useless"
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070935_polar-ceo-electric-car-owners-are-rich-can-pay-to-charge/page-2
"On inquiring why the newly installed point had remained inoperative since its installation, the hotel was told that a lack of cellular coverage meant that the expensive charging station was rendered useless"
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1070935_polar-ceo-electric-car-owners-are-rich-can-pay-to-charge/page-2
I am sure this is the "problem" with many "intelligent" chargingsystems!
Only solution is via wifi from the location!
This could be solution for P-A-Y-G too in remote places!
anyhow checking if there is cellular coverage is as easy as hell!
stupid expence from polar
Only solution is via wifi from the location!
This could be solution for P-A-Y-G too in remote places!
anyhow checking if there is cellular coverage is as easy as hell!
stupid expence from polar
"Tried to use a @littlechefcouk @POLARnetwork #EV point. There was no power to it. Staff were nice but couldn't help."
http://yfrog.com/7ehpiz
http://yfrog.com/7ehpiz
that's great, thanks.... I hope to test Henry's 70A cable soon.... would be great to compare notes :smile:
in the UK ZCW will be installing some 43kW 3 Phase Charging Stations that will allow the Roadster to charge at 70A 1 Phase... it's also rumoured that Ecotricity will install some 43kW Charging Stations although they are reluctant to make a commitment on when and where,,,
You know Little Chef just shut 15 locations, with 55 under review. If they go, there's only about 90 left.
So good news today from Polar. Rather than the £19.99 a month subscription model, they have listened to feedback from EV drivers and are now radically overhauling their pricing. Full details are:
- Annual fee now £10.00
- Free use of the network for charging with a fair usage policy. So no charging for 8 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Free use is currently in place until the end of March 2013 and they will review at that point.
- Areas covered are all POLAR points, Milton-Keynes, the Source London network, Oxford, Cambridge and some other Chargemaster locations (which if you are not sure, they say call them to check).
- There will be a live i-Phone app available within 3-4 weeks which has route planning, dynamic socket info (available/not available) and other features.
The new offer is live now for a soft-launch and people that want to register should call 01582 400 331 and ask for Tanya Saunders. She will send a form to be filled in, signed and sent back. They then call back to take the £10.00 when processed and send out a smartcard. I guess this will get more automated once demand increases.
I think this is a fantastic offer. £10 per year gets you access to all the 32A type 2 Mennekes points around the country that they are rolling out now, the CHAdeMO chargers that are going to be rolled out (first one live at Abingdon now) and future 43kW three phase posts like the ones they are now fitting in France and the Netherlands. I don't know for sure, but they could upgrade the network to 43kW if cars like the Zoe take off. Their current roll out is 4000 posts, which started in this area so I've already checked out a few of them.
I got a card from Little Chef a couple of weeks ago which was a standard Polar card, so I called them and paid £10 to register it this afternoon. At £19.99 per month it was not good value, I would never have used it enough to justify that price and I doubt anyone else would, but at £10 per year it is a different kettle of fish. It includes Source London, which was already £10, so adding the rest of the country for free is a bargain.
Given that we've all been working towards a comprehensive 32A network with rapid charging overlay on the trunk routes, getting it for £10 per year is great news and this company has some serious private backing to get the job done.
There is mention of the soft launch on Chargemaster's Facebook page - Improve Your Experience | Facebook - and full details will be added to their website later, but in the meantime call them and they will send you the paperwork.
- Annual fee now £10.00
- Free use of the network for charging with a fair usage policy. So no charging for 8 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Free use is currently in place until the end of March 2013 and they will review at that point.
- Areas covered are all POLAR points, Milton-Keynes, the Source London network, Oxford, Cambridge and some other Chargemaster locations (which if you are not sure, they say call them to check).
- There will be a live i-Phone app available within 3-4 weeks which has route planning, dynamic socket info (available/not available) and other features.
The new offer is live now for a soft-launch and people that want to register should call 01582 400 331 and ask for Tanya Saunders. She will send a form to be filled in, signed and sent back. They then call back to take the £10.00 when processed and send out a smartcard. I guess this will get more automated once demand increases.
I think this is a fantastic offer. £10 per year gets you access to all the 32A type 2 Mennekes points around the country that they are rolling out now, the CHAdeMO chargers that are going to be rolled out (first one live at Abingdon now) and future 43kW three phase posts like the ones they are now fitting in France and the Netherlands. I don't know for sure, but they could upgrade the network to 43kW if cars like the Zoe take off. Their current roll out is 4000 posts, which started in this area so I've already checked out a few of them.
I got a card from Little Chef a couple of weeks ago which was a standard Polar card, so I called them and paid £10 to register it this afternoon. At £19.99 per month it was not good value, I would never have used it enough to justify that price and I doubt anyone else would, but at £10 per year it is a different kettle of fish. It includes Source London, which was already £10, so adding the rest of the country for free is a bargain.
Given that we've all been working towards a comprehensive 32A network with rapid charging overlay on the trunk routes, getting it for £10 per year is great news and this company has some serious private backing to get the job done.
There is mention of the soft launch on Chargemaster's Facebook page - Improve Your Experience | Facebook - and full details will be added to their website later, but in the meantime call them and they will send you the paperwork.
With respect, the EV drivers that I know have been asking for PAYG not a continuation of the subscription model. I suspect this is simply an attempt to gain market share while they wait for the collapse of PiP's next year. Clearly a £10 subscription can never be sustainable so price's will rise in the future.
Assuming the T&C's are not onerous then using the card for the next few months could be beneficial for some.
Well, I'm sure they will provide full details at some point, but as I understand it the posts support NFC so anything is possible.
If there are unacceptable costs after the first year, I will stop using it. It's as simple as that.
If there are unacceptable costs after the first year, I will stop using it. It's as simple as that.
Some more information was published on the Ampera Owners Club Forum by Neil Sharpe (Chargemaster Sales Director) today;
http://www.amperaownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=247&p=1308#p1297
It includes the following statement which seems odd to me if they are trying to encourage EV drivers to join
"Please note this information is provided for the benefit of Forum members. Permission is not granted for unauthorised use which includes inclusion in any form of media, printed, online or otherwise unless expressed prior approval is given by Chargemaster's media team"
http://www.amperaownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=247&p=1308#p1297
It includes the following statement which seems odd to me if they are trying to encourage EV drivers to join
"Please note this information is provided for the benefit of Forum members. Permission is not granted for unauthorised use which includes inclusion in any form of media, printed, online or otherwise unless expressed prior approval is given by Chargemaster's media team"
meh, that sounds reasonable to me. They're nice enough to share what's going on with the forum but are still working on their own PR launch. They don't want some random blog taking what they have to say out of context.It includes the following statement which seems odd to me if they are trying to encourage EV drivers to join
"Please note this information is provided for the benefit of Forum members. Permission is not granted for unauthorised use which includes inclusion in any form of media, printed, online or otherwise unless expressed prior approval is given by Chargemaster's media team"
