Public Charging In The Uk

[vitesse]

Although I'm fairly relaxed about the need to use non-Tesla public charging I also feel I should be prepared for emergencies. However, I certainly won't be paying any subs

Therefore, what are the recommended options? I'd prefer an app-based PAYG service.

I have a Type 2 cable in the car. I doubt I'd buy a chademo and CCS conversion is a non-starter. European jaunts are very likely, especially to France.

TIA!

 

[fakoriginal]

I've had a Leaf since 2015 and no off-street parking, but still don't need to use public charging a lot. Download Zap Map to your phone, you can set it to the type of charger that you need (there still is a need for multiple apps and RFID cards at the moment, though more and more new installs are accepting debit cards). For the fast charging stations (50Kw) and up, they are all wired in my experience, so you won't need your own cable for those. It is the slower ones (like the ones you put on your house) that you need a cable for, your in-car cable will suffice.

 

[vitesse]

I've had a Leaf since 2015 and no off-street parking, but still don't need to use public charging a lot. Download Zap Map to your phone, you can set it to the type of charger that you need (there still is a need for multiple apps and RFID cards at the moment, though more and more new installs are accepting debit cards). For the fast charging stations (50Kw) and up, they are all wired in my experience, so you won't need your own cable for those. It is the slower ones (like the ones you put on your house) that you need a cable for, your in-car cable will suffice.

Thanks, I should have been clearer I have Zap Map already, but there are a lot of options. I'm particularly interested in learning which of the public charging networks are recommended for price and ease of use, plus availability. Plus any good recommendations and advice for France and other continental destinations.

 

[arg]

I'm particularly interested in learning which of the public charging networks are recommended for price and ease of use, plus availability.

The reality is, the one that's there in the place you want to charge. There's not yet enough coverage that you can pick one or two networks and expect to be covered everywhere. Various historical factors mean that if the chargepoint you want to use is on network 'X', the next most convenient one is very often on network 'X' too.

Price is not normally a factor worth considering (if you have home charging and are just using public charging on rare trips away from home). Rapid charging is expensive - and should be expected to be, it's expensive to provide and for occasional use you'd much rather have an expensive service that works rather than a cheap one that's unreliable. Many slow charging locations are free or low cost - but there's a few exceptions so you should check to avoid a surprise.

The good news is that all networks are required by law to offer 'ad-hoc' access without requiring subscription etc. The bad news is that many of them don't take this seriously and their ad-hoc access is cumbersome or unreliable, the extreme case being Chargemaster/Polar who really want you to take up their subscription and don't want you to use ad-hoc; others are merely incompetent rather than machiavellian.

In Europe, there's quite a lot of roaming between networks (using an access card from one network to activate chargepoints on another). However, there's very little of this in the UK.

In many cases, the ad-hoc access is via a smartphone app - which would be sort of OK if there was just one, but there's dozens of them! Probably good advice is to download all the ones you hear of into a quiet corner of your phone so that you can do it at home on WiFi rather than struggling with a weak connection out in the field, but not bother to actually set up an account until you need it.

Significant networks (in rough order of merit in my opinion):

• Instavolt. Lots of locations now and with 2+ units at each site, and the big bonus that they are contactless bank-card activated so no advance preparation needed of any kind. However, they are only CCS/CHAdeMO so you need one or other of those adapters to charge a Model S.
• Engenie (not to be confused with GeniePoint) and Shell are also accepting contactless bank cards, but not many locations yet. NB. with Shell (and also BP who own Chargemaster/Polar), note that the brand of petrol doesn't always equate to the brand of charging, since many petrol stations are franchised or independent. You can get a Shell-branded petrol station with charging from Chargemaster(BP!) or Geniepoint.
  
• Pod-Point have a well thought-out scheme for slow charging. They do use a phone app (or you can use their website, equivalently) but to get charging started you just plug in like at home: you then have a 15-minute grace period to log in with the app/web and 'claim' the charge (pay for it). So instead of standing in the rain faffing with your phone to get it started, or struggling for signal in a multi-storey, you can move somewhere more convenient with the charge already going. They do use the same app for some rapid chargers, where there isn't the grace period and it's not so convenient, but most of their network is slow charging. Need to pre-load credit to an account, but only if the location requires payment (ie. "free" locations are genuinely free, you can charge there with zero balance on your account, unlike some other operators).
  
• TheNewMotion. Dutch operator with limited coverage in UK but lots in europe. Requires an access card, but they send it to you at no cost. As well as their own points, can be used to activate Shell locations, including some that don't yet take bank cards.
• Geniepoint. Website only for ad-hoc (but intended to be used on phone screens). Requires pre-loading credit on account, including automatically on account creation. Mix of rapid and slow charging. Their unique feature on the payment front is that when you visit a site, controlling it via the website, you can present any existing card you might have (like the one NewMotion sent you for free!) and get that associated with your account, then next time you can just use the card and avoid faffing with the phone.
• Ecotricity. Prime locations as they have all of the motorway service areas. Poor record for reliability, especially for CCS, so a bad choice for Model 3 users. For Model S with CHAdeMO, it's often a convenient choice. Access via app (credit card auth per transaction rather than pre- or post- pay). Having set up an account and put in your credit card details, you still need the CVC off the back of your credit card every time you charge.
  
• Chargemaster (Polar/CYC). All owned by BP, but two distinct networks - broadly, "Polar" is locations they own themselves, "CYC" is locations they run on behalf of others such as local councils. They really want you to buy the PolarPlus subscription, which gives access to both Polar and CYC sites using a card, charged to a post-billed account. Alternatively, you can use the PolarInstant app for Polar sites only, the CYC app for CYC sites only, or the CYC card (£20/yr + postpaid) for CYC sites only. Some people recently have successfully demanded a free CYC card because the app was broken and hence they were breaking the law on ad-hoc access; not sure if it's since been fixed.

There's loads more minor networks I haven't listed.

Edited to add: Chargeplace Scotland is a special case. This is a (Scottish-)government-controlled network, but the contract for management is with CYC. If you live in Scotland you can get a "CPS" card, but that is just a CYC card with a different logo on it, CYC cards issued in England work equally well. However, for obscure reasons these Scottish locations ONLY accept the CPS/CYC card, they do NOT accept the Polar card (which you might expect to work as it operates English CYC locations). The CYC phone app is notionally available, but in remote parts of Scotland mobile signal is challenging so having the card is important.

 

[vitesse]

Thanks @arg !!

 

[WannabeOwner]

Although I'm fairly relaxed about the need to use non-Tesla public charging I also feel I should be prepared for emergencies. However, I certainly won't be paying any subs

Worth downloading all the Vendor APPs that you might bump into. a) Saves having to do that when you arrive (assuming that download IS possible at that time ...) and b) keeps them up to date (assuming you do a regular pass of updating all Phone APPs

RFID is better than Phone APP but ... you have to know that you will need one ahead of time, and got one (which probably means paying an annual Sub)

In Norway several providers allow you to assign your own RFID to your account - so once you have an RFID you can use it "anywhere". Dunno if that is true for UK / elsewhere in EU ?

I'd prefer an app-based PAYG service.

By now they all are PAYG by law ... except ... the unscrupulous consider that "Rock up: Download APP and pay using that" is within the requirement of the law ... so "Flash credit card" is not an option at many/most?

Hence my "download the APP at home when convenient" advice

I have a Type 2 cable in the car

That'll do. Plenty of the A/C is 7kW though ... 22 MPH territory

I doubt I'd buy a chademo

Now that CCS converter is here I can't see there being many CHAdeMO takers (unless no Superchargers on regular routes and CHAdeMO best option for the 3rd party chargers on THAT route).

CHAdeMO converter is expensive ...

But it is 50kW and charges fastest when SOC is high (opposite of Supercharger)

I've used mine 3 times in 3 years, in two of those the alternative would have been major inconvenience, 3rd occasion was best described as "emergency" (not in the life-or-death sense, I was parked up for over 30 minutes !!)

CCS conversion is a non-starter

Not available for your car? If it is available (with cost of both car-modification and adaptor) my inclination would be to do that instead of CHAdeMO. Fast CCS is coming ... and new sites may not bother with CHAdeMO ??

European jaunts are very likely, especially to France.

The UMC adaptor needs some thought for EU (if you will charge from regular domestic socket). France don't care which way round they connect the Live/Neutral to the house, so some need to allow for "wrong way round", and there is a further snag for Germany ...

Other than that:

Supercharger compatible/identical across EU - just plug in. All owned by Tesla of course, so no weird incompatibility to worry about.

CCS is also "standard". But some Tesla struggle to charge at some sites (nothing like as bad as e.g. iPace AFAIK, but might be "very little data" given that Tesla owners will charge, out of preference, at Supercharger whenever they can, so maybe black spots out there as yet poorly / un-documented)

I imagine Type-2 will be fine anywhere (assuming the stall is not broken ... no idea if that is more/less likely in EU to UK? In UK the Status is typically "dreadful" IME)

Dunno about CHAdeMO in EU ... I assume it is "standard" and perhaps less compatibility problems than CCS - CCS being new and Tesla compatibility not (yet) well tested, whereas the CHAdeMO adaptor gets a firmware "refresh" whenever you take the car in for service, so there must be some improvements being released ...

That said, the "improvements" to CCS would be OTA, which is clearly better than a CHAdeMO "once a year service" update

Rapid charging is expensive

Although probably works out no more expensive than Petrol? Which, now-and-then, is probably an acceptable price (for the convenience/necessity)

 

[vitesse]

@wannabe I'm reading that pre-facelift cars can't be CCS modified for the adapter, but the cost was enough of an obstacle for me.

I do need to be certain of what's best to do with the UMC in France because we frequently stay with both French and ex-pat Brit friends there and there are no Superchargers nearby.

 

[WannabeOwner]

I'm reading that pre-facelift cars can't be CCS modified for the adapter,

Hadn't read that, but you may well be right. Bit of a downer

the cost was enough of an obstacle for me

Although .. similar price to CHAdeMO and, of the two, I would (now) choose CCS

But, yeah. its a lot more than a £tenner

More Superchargers = Even less need ...

 

[WannabeOwner]

I do need to be certain of what's best to do with the UMC in France

There are some threads (in this UK sub forum) where @arg explains the wiring issues and how to "go prepared"

 

[WannabeOwner]

A couple that I found with a quick search


From the UK, Planning a Trip through France
Charging in Europe

and for completeness this one (which you asked )

Free Supercharging across the Channel?

 

[Roy W.]

At the moment Chargeplace Scotland is a free network, with exception of Dumfries & Galloway, where they charge 25p/kWh, with a minimum charge of £1.50.

We are currently on holiday on the Isle of Skye, where amazingly there are three 50kW chargers on the island, all free to use and very reliable. Contrast this with the various Ecotricity chargers I tried to use on the way up through England - after stopping at four different chargers, none of them would work on CCS, so we gave up!

What could be better than free, reliable charging and stunning mountain views? The photo is the CPS charger at Glencoe Mountain Resort.

 

[ACarneiro]

Isle of Skye it is!
<Gets his little notebook out>

 

[vitesse]

Been a while since I went to Skye but it was amazing. I had a rather knackered Corsa hire car but the drive from Inverness airport was awesome!

 

[mikemillar]

@wannabe I'm reading that pre-facelift cars can't be CCS modified for the adapter, but the cost was enough of an obstacle for me.

I do need to be certain of what's best to do with the UMC in France because we frequently stay with both French and ex-pat Brit friends there and there are no Superchargers nearby.

I bought the CHAdeMO adapter 4 years ago and it has been quite useful in France. Auchan supermarkets often have a charger with a CHAdeMO plug, and it's free. KiWhi card for access (I think some others work too). They also have a CCS plug and the slower Type 2. However, there are a lot more Superchargers now and I haven't had to use it 'in anger' for a couple of years, so it may not be the best solution now, it is rather expensive, but you have to factor in the cost/inconveniene of getting stranded. If Tesla can conjure up a CHAdeMO adapter, I wonder why they can't do the same for a CCS adapter for pre-facelift MS's. It would still be eye-wateringly expensive though!

 

[LavanyaLea]

• TheNewMotion. Dutch operator with limited coverage in UK but lots in europe. Requires an access card, but they send it to you at no cost. As well as their own points, can be used to activate Shell locations, including some that don't yet take bank cards.

I have been trying to sign up for New Motion to use in Europe/France as the card is free (unlike others that charge €15-20 for the card), but the email they sent to activate my account always had a broken link! Grrr...

 

[LavanyaLea]

I have been trying to sign up for New Motion to use in Europe/France as the card is free (unlike others that charge €15-20 for the card), but the email they sent to activate my account always had a broken link! Grrr...

Addendum: I tried to signup directly from their website and it was fine, it was the mobile app that sent me broken links to validate my email address!

 

[jimbo_hippo]

Some great info in this thread. We have added a Nissan LEAF to the household as a second car and I hope it never has to go further than the ‘local’ journeys it is intended for but if I ever do then..... thanks!

 

[rotor2k]

Goodness me, after reading the above about the broken links I decided to give it a try, and it's true, what a mess! I think Shell want you to use their app now, and they just haven't switched off the NewMotion app yet.

 

[J0hn.r]

Took notes - this thread should be made sticky!

 

[gangzoom]

@wannabe I'm reading that pre-facelift cars can't be CCS modified for the adapter, but the cost was enough of an obstacle for me.

Cannot be correct as even a 2014 pre AP UK Model S has had CCS retrofit done.

If your keeping the car longterm no-brainer buy I would have thought. I've tested mine and it works even on Ecotricity CCS pumps, so a great backup to have.