True, there will always be other needs and exceptions, I fully accept that ... but the last thing you want when on a trip is to find a Supercharger with a line of taxis and delivery vans ... or locals if they have options for slower charging elsewhere. Primary function is to facilitate driving longer distances with minimum delays.
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Wiki UK and Ireland Supercharger Site News
- Thread starter WannabeOwner
- Start date
Slower (AC) charging often isn't practical unless it's within easy walking distance of your home or workplace. You're not going to drive somewhere and then wait 6 hours to charge. Even if you're lucky enough to have such provision nearby, then it often has limits to how long you can stay and/or idle fees - meaning that you need to be able to commit to being available within a specific time window to move the vehicle - which won't always be convenient.
Like it or not, many people who can't charge at home will end up using rapids (including superchargers), particularly outside London.
I agree. But, setting aside reasonable exceptions, that is a failing of the other charging capability. Additionaly Supercharging every time is bad for the longevity of your battery pack. In my view we should be pressing for more intermediate speed charging locally rather than for more Superchargers locally.
squarepeg77
Member
I agree with the intermediate charging comment.
I recently visited the New Forest and charged at a 22kW MER charger in a public car park. I found it be a great “sweet spot”. In the 2 hours we spent having breakfast and pottering around we got about 100 miles in the car, which replaced what I used to get there.
7kW is not terribly useful unless you are staying overnight or leaving the car all day.
I have found 50kW is bit of an awkward speed - too slow for a motorway service break and too quick for shopping / lunch etc.
I recently visited the New Forest and charged at a 22kW MER charger in a public car park. I found it be a great “sweet spot”. In the 2 hours we spent having breakfast and pottering around we got about 100 miles in the car, which replaced what I used to get there.
7kW is not terribly useful unless you are staying overnight or leaving the car all day.
I have found 50kW is bit of an awkward speed - too slow for a motorway service break and too quick for shopping / lunch etc.
Mike, if you tap on the pin for the charger location on the screen it will give you a real-time indication of how many chargers are free and operational IIRC. (I’d go and check if that is still the case but I’m not getting dressed and heading out there at this hour!)
Winchester superchargers now open with 12 stalls, not 8 as it says on supercharge.info.
shhhh, don't point it out ... "they" may be looking at this thread ..
JamesG601
Member
Interestingly, the wheel stopper things have been removed from the Superchargers at Wyboston Lakes. I wonder if this is in anticipation of other EVs being able to use them.
squarepeg77
Member
Maybe there’s supply constraints of the bump stops and they will be retrofitted later 
I charged yesterday at Ferrybridge, great location for chargers when heading into the HPC dead zone that is East Yorkshire.
Maxed out by 60kwh SR LFP @ over 180kw without issue. Pretty quiet as well for a Saturday lunchtime.
Dropped into Grantham on the way back and was quickly reminded that V2 sites are ‘not great’ by comparison and very much looking forward to the upgrade there.
The service station themselves are not the worst I have visited recently but both had certainly seen better days and could do with more than just a lick of paint.
Maxed out by 60kwh SR LFP @ over 180kw without issue. Pretty quiet as well for a Saturday lunchtime.
Dropped into Grantham on the way back and was quickly reminded that V2 sites are ‘not great’ by comparison and very much looking forward to the upgrade there.
The service station themselves are not the worst I have visited recently but both had certainly seen better days and could do with more than just a lick of paint.
Had a towbar fitted at the brand new Tesla Northampton located at the Riverside Retail Park - really friendly bunch and good to see more service capacity given MK is maxed out.
I asked them why they hadn't got any superchargers on site given the opposite side of the road had a full 275kV sub-station, presumably to supply the whole retail park.
They confirmed the good news that they are getting 8 superchargers in the near future, some ground works to be done first.
A bit out of the way for the M1 but probably useful if cutting cross-country or the others are all max'ed.
I asked them why they hadn't got any superchargers on site given the opposite side of the road had a full 275kV sub-station, presumably to supply the whole retail park.
They confirmed the good news that they are getting 8 superchargers in the near future, some ground works to be done first.
A bit out of the way for the M1 but probably useful if cutting cross-country or the others are all max'ed.
I dropped in there this morning.
They've extended the parking surface sufficient for 8 stalls, but there's no actual stall hardware as yet, so it could just be space for future expansion. Rather curious is that they've made it for precisely 8 stalls, with a curb at the end limiting the width - the overall site is wider since the stalls on the other side are split with the access road in the middle, so if they made the new bit opposite the same size it would have been about 9 stalls wide; instead, they've made the paved area on that side smaller than on the other.
Also curious that there was a planning permission for the original development (DC/15/2587/FUL), yet apparently none for this extension.
There's signs that the 11kV cables into the DNO enclosure have been dug up back to wherever they come from and replaced/supplemented - signs of a re-filled trench going off into the distance, and the very near end of it not yet filled with new-looking cables visible. There's a new-looking transformer squeezed in between the DNO enclosure and the V2 superchargers; can't remember if there was one there before, it's not shown on the original planning drawing and I thought they were originally using a DNO transformer inside the green enclosure. New transformer is similar size and style to those seen at recent V3 sites (eg. Trumpington), but I couldn't get close enough to view the rating plate. There's then ducting across the end of the carpark to a LV distribution cabinet on the other side (behind the new spaces) where the new supercharger cabinets are presumably going to go - not yet any bases for the supercharger cabinets, nor ducting to the stalls.
It's open at the moment, with apparently the HV supply work done (rewiring that obviously required a shutdown of the existing equipment), but none of the new equipment installed, and manoeuvring space limited by the fence protecting the work area around the new stalls.
cezdoc
Member
Based on previous comments from others, more knowledgeable than I about planning regulations, I expect the original planning permission was needed for adding a tarmac area where previously part of the gravel overflow car park existed. If the extra charging stalls are located within this tarmac area then it's likely that no new planning permission was needed for these (plus the additional power supply equipment).
100% this. Always very busy. dreading using it this Thursday as I head up to Scotland and then back down on the Sunday.
Dunno where you are starting from, nor heading too, but possible options are Ferrybridge (opened a week ago) to the South, or Instavolt a bit to the North (no idea if that is a rubbish idea, nor what availability is like), or go up the West coast (even for Edinburgh that can work out ...).
ABRP London-Edinburgh says 34 mins at Scotch Corner, and 5h53m driving (398 miles)
If I say "Avoid Scotch Corner" ABRP says 37 mins at Ferrybridge (with a bit of a detour off the A1) and 6h1m driving (374 miles - compromises on more direct, shorter, route Scotch Corner to Edinburgh, for range)
If I say "Via Penrith" ABRP says 23 mins charge but also charge at Charnock Richard (for 6 mins - so if hit traffic then might make Penrith) and 6h5m driving (402 miles)
Scotch Corner has GridServe 3x 60kW - which might not be that much slower, particularly if there is a wait at Supercharger. GridServe shows availably on their website.
Couldn't find Ferrybridge on PlugShare nor Zap-map ... are these systems dying a death now? PlugShare inability to filter above 50kW is a nuisance, and ZapMap need to filter on every possible combination likewise ... and the way it lists each stall (on Web at least)
Thanks buddy.
I'm going from Cambridgeshire to Edinburgh, A1 is the best route. Didn't know Ferrybridge was active? Range in the first 'part' of the trip isn't a problem, its making sure I get to Edinburgh with enough left as the superchargers are out by the airport at the other side of the city.
Maybe a top up somewhere and then a longer stop at Washington if SC is busy.
Adderstone I try to avoid and its generally been $h!te the times I've tried it - only 50% of chargers working and even when I got there as the only car I was getting only 30kw with a 30% battery and pre-conditioned.
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