Shell Recharge

[tsh2]

Companies most certainly should try and compensate their customers more when they make a mistake.

I had an incorrect £700 taken from my credit card for a 2 hour van hire. After complaining, they refunded all but £50 - because their system has 173 miles logged (in 2 hours). I don't expect to ever see any compensation (or to have an opportunity to properly return the disfavour). Just avoid Enterprise car club...

 

[MrBadger]

Used Shell Recharge app for first time and chose to try a pair of Instavolt chargers. Bit of a learning curve and user error involved. Glad we were trying it out in the day time especially as it was very uneven under foot when grabbing the charge cable and backing back to the car.

First, app said that charge point was free, but, as previously spotted elsewhere, this was not actually the case. Sadly, price in app is not to be trusted when decision making.

Next. Choice of two Instavolt chargers, and app sort of showed two (sort of as two icons on top of each other - list view easier). However, not obvious how to choose which charge point to use in app. Later in the process the Instavolt display gave a 4 digit station number but not sure if this is same as the connector ID in the app. So, bit unsure on that part of the process - in the end, we managed to knock one out of service, then it was obvious!

Finally. Price and kWh used.
Various ways of getting the numbers to add up, but naughtily it looks like VAT is not included in some of the Shell prices

Instavolt display said 35p per kWh and on completion, kWh added 15.329kWh and total cost £5.37 = 15.329 x 0.35
Shell app shows 15kWh and cost ex vat £4.45 - so bit of maths £5.34 inc VAT. What is not clear is whether displayed unit prices are all ex VAT as this charger incorrectly was shown as free.

TeslaFi (only used as a check) 13kWh used (I'll ignore the 13.62kWh ADDED figure) so 15% discrepancy in consumed energy. Is there a correction figure?

I'm guessing it would have been so much easier using the Shell recharge card rather than the app. Looked like it would have taken regular contactless too. But not sure if there would have been any handling charge.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

Instavolt default payment is contactless - I've used the ones near The Meadows a couple of times - quite easy paying that way at least. No surcharge.

tap-to-pay > Plug in > "start"

How to use our network | Instavolt

 

[WannabeOwner]

Choice of two Instavolt chargers, and app sort of showed two (sort of as two icons on top of each other - list view easier)

I've had that with 3rd party and APP. Three "pumps" side by side with absolutely no discernible ID on any of them (CYC APP actually had them about a mile apart on the APP's MAP ... but they were side-by-side, but how I actually found them is another story ...)

Stall should have QR code or somesuch to make the "Identify the pump you are using" bit a lot easier, and a proper ID Label on the screen instructions too (in case QR code is unreadable)

All this connect-to-pump (and often similar lengthy process/hassle for "disconnect") is seriously holding 3rd party vendors back, compared to Supercharger.

 

[Foucault]

There’s an interesting article in today’s Guardian about BP and Shell both introducing fines for drivers staying longer than 30 minutes for BP and 20 minutes for Shell Driver fined £100 at BP for taking too long. No details of how this impacts electric cars, but something to be aware of so you don’t end up with a nasty surprise in the post.

 

[Stretchquaker]

I'm not either per say. I certainly don't endorse ambulance chasing etc but when it comes to corporations the only thing that matters is usually the bottom line so unless people hold them to account they have no incentive to improve. I never thought I would say it but I agree with Mr Miserable on this one

Just coming back to this one. I'll not be looking for any compensation for this. Although it was inconvenient, I am happy that once Shell were made aware they dealt with it politely and promptly. Also, I'm not really sure what the signage was or what the actual parking policy was, therefore I'm not sure whether I technically broke the rules or not. It's possible that I stayed too long and they waived it through goodwill. I don't live near the filling station so won't be going back to search for the signs.

Totally understand that others might want to go and ask for some compensation but I'm not sure that's my style. I made them aware and they fixed it. Move on.

Thanks for the comments and I hope the description of what happened is useful to other members.

 

[Mr Miserable]

There’s an interesting article in today’s Guardian about BP and Shell both introducing fines for drivers staying longer than 30 minutes for BP and 20 minutes for Shell Driver fined £100 at BP for taking too long. No details of how this impacts electric cars, but something to be aware of so you don’t end up with a nasty surprise in the post.

That's a good article.

I recall taxi drivers/ limo drivers waiting at petrol stations near Heathrow where these sort of measures may be necessary but not elsewhere.

 

[Cowpring]

That's a good article.

I recall taxi drivers/ limo drivers waiting at petrol stations near Heathrow where these sort of measures may be necessary but not elsewhere.

LOADS of E-Taxis are using the BP by Hammersmith flyover as it recently had 3x 150kw Polar chargers installed and for a limited time they are on free vend. It's on the way to Heathrow hence why they installed the new chargers there.

Despite passing it about 3-4 times a week, i've never been able to charge there becuase they were all full of taxis, plus several more waiting! There's even a queue in the dead of night.

 

[MrBadger]

Much better them getting the charge and driving all day around London on zero emissions (@tailpipe) than a Tesla with more opportunities to charge and only benefiting one transient vehicle. Those charge point sound like they are serving London well.

 

[NorfolkMustard]

LOADS of E-Taxis are using the BP by Hammersmith flyover as it recently had 3x 150kw Polar chargers installed and for a limited time they are on free vend. It's on the way to Heathrow hence why they installed the new chargers there.

Despite passing it about 3-4 times a week, i've never been able to charge there becuase they were all full of taxis, plus several more waiting! There's even a queue in the dead of night.

e.g.
Tom Callow on Twitter

 

[Cowpring]

Yep that's the one.

From the same twitter thread...this is what it's like at night, every night:

I mean it's good that taxis are electric now, they should all be. Never needed to charge there so not a big issue. But would like to see if you can actually get 100kw from one of those stations.

One thing that kinda sucks is I would imagine that some of these taxis don't pay the Polar subscription and are just using them because they are free. You don't need a Polar subscription to use them while they are on free vend. Just turn up, plug in, tap go on the screen and it charges. Will be interesting to see if there are still massive queues after the free vend stops.

 

[curmudgeon]

. Will be interesting to see if there are still massive queues after the free vend stops.

Nope, it will be deserted. Its depressing to see so many freeloaders spending so much time hogging free chargers to get a few quid of electricity. Tight Gits.

 

[Jason71]

That's a good article.

I recall taxi drivers/ limo drivers waiting at petrol stations near Heathrow where these sort of measures may be necessary but not elsewhere.

but how is that compatible with 50kwh on site EV chargers?

 

[Cowpring]

Nope, it will be deserted. Its depressing to see so many freeloaders spending so much time hogging free chargers to get a few quid of electricity. Tight Gits.

I would imagine so. The pricing structure for the 150kw Polar chargers is good - 20p per kwh if you have a Polar subscrption. So cheapear than Tesla Supercharging if you have a Polar subscrption. However, London E-Taxis can only charge up to 50kw so makes no sense for them to use a 150kw over a 50kw when the 50kw is 5p per kwh less.

 

[curmudgeon]

Why are these chargers on free vend, it must be a mistake right?

 

[Mr Miserable]

No they are clearly marked as free. Introductory Offer

 

[Mr Miserable]

i was passing them last night at about 10:30. Queues of taxis, both uber and 'black' cabs.

 

[curmudgeon]

i was passing them last night at about 10:30. Queues of taxis, both uber and 'black' cabs.

Lots of support for the cabs hogging the chargers in the Zap Map comments.

But of course the iPace and the i3 and the Leaf are probably charging just as slowly as the taxis. Free electricity brings out the worst in people, hogging chargers to 100%, squeezing out as much free juice as possible at barely a trickle . Hence the queues.

 

[Mr Miserable]

I used the Hounslow 150 kWh charger after taking delivery from West Drayton with about 25% charge and the Tesla superchargers were all occupied. It had only been open a week and so word hadn't spread. It charged me to 90% in about 30 mins.
On a visit to Heathrow in October I thought I would pop in for a splash and dash - forget it!
Taxis, thousands of 'em. (Have you seen Zulu?)

OK I exaggerate, but lots, queuing.

 

[Cowpring]

I wonder when it will the free vend will finish on these chargers. Seems mad that BP are essentially loosing money on these charge points - since they are basically active all the time charging E-Taxis...it must cost a fortune in electricity.

I don't even see the return on investment either in terms of trying to bring in new customers with an introductory offer. Black cabs can't make use of the 150kw so unless they are free these points are useless to them.

Perhaps black cabs weren't the target for the introductory offer.