Costs A £1 To Park And Charge Your Plug In Car Now

[JHRC]

I have noticed that IKEA have been installing Ecotricity charging station or they have in Glasgow, the one I have seen is in the normal car park beside all the non plug-in car and would of thought that they would put and extremely high current charger where it could not injure other customers in the car park.

I have also seen the high current chargers last week and this had its own charging cable, which make me think that the installer have to be confident that the proper rated cable is connected to there system.

This why I purchased a 32 amp cable instead of a 16 amp, heavier cable and better protection will not overheat.

I was also looking at ecotricity for suppling my gas and electricity but there standing charges are alot more expensive that other supplier, but that may change next year when I can change my suppliers.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Yes, but you can't connect a PiP to the Ecotricity fast chargers at all. It will connect to the 22kw charger and, as you say, charge at normal speed, but it can't use the 50 kW charger at all.

Silly question time (I've yet to have a look at a public charging point since buying my PIP, and didn't really know what I was looking at pre EV ownership), so why can't it use a 50KW charger? Different connection type or won't talk to the car, or will it damage the car?

[Astolat]

Silly question time (I've yet to have a look at a public charging point since buying my PIP, and didn't really know what I was looking at pre EV ownership), so why can't it use a 50KW charger? Different connection type or won't talk to the car, or will it damage the car?

Both, it seems. This page from Ecotricity doesn't include the PiP in the list of cars the fast charger can be used with. The most obvious reason is that the tethered cable won't fit (it's the CHAdeMO standard), but a bit of research on the net suggests that it may also be an issue of the car itself not being able to cope with what a fast charger tries to do to it.

For other charging points, there are still some old ones around that have a standard three point plug, for which you can use your Toyota charging cable and EVSE 'brick' that came with the car. There is a problem that they are typically about four feet off the ground, which means the brick is hanging from the plug, which probably isn't good long term, though I've done it quite a few times without problems. I know some people carry a short bungee cord with hooks, so they can hook through the little hole at the top of the brick and then onto whatever is handy.

But, certainly in London, these are being phased out for 7kw "type 2" Mennekes points. For that you need a separate lead. Toyota sell one at an extortionate price, which (according to complaints on the FAQ blog) is only rated 10 amp and won't work with Podpoint and some of the other intelligent Mennekes points, which apparently check that the cable is rated 16 amp or above. I got a 3rd party cable, cost me about half the Toyota price at about £175 from memory, and has worked perfectly with every point I have used, including the 22kw Mennekes "medium" charging points that Ecotricity originally installed and are still available at some locations (South Mimms, for example).

There's a thread elsewhere on how cost-effective they are, which I think is a bit harsh - I work on the basis that I'm saving a bit under a litre of fuel, so maybe £1 a charge. Since the charges are, currently, free once you pay the £10 pa to Source East (see above for roaming arrangements), and I use a charging point at least three times a week at work, my lead has now paid for itself in just over a year. Plus, for those driving into London (congestion-charge free if you register) you can get 3-4 hours free parking and a charge by plugging in to one of the roadside chargers.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

This link might answer a few questions;

http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-the-road/charging-your-vehicle/ac-medium-chargers

There are a number of different charge plugs and sockets just to confuse the issue big time. Ecotricity has decided (probably rightly) that slow trickle charge is not much use as most people will charge at home or work. As such they have installed fast chargers for the benefit of 100% electric car owners. These chargers charge compatible EVs to 80% in about 20/30 minutes.

Some older Ecotricity chargers (and some new dual ones) will allow a PIP to charge assuming you have the compatible leads etc. It will not fast charge the PIP as the car doesn't have that function. Clear as mud? You bet.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Silly question time (I've yet to have a look at a public charging point since buying my PIP, and didn't really know what I was looking at pre EV ownership), so why can't it use a 50KW charger? Different connection type or won't talk to the car, or will it damage the car?

Both, it seems. This page from Ecotricity doesn't include the PiP in the list of cars the fast charger can be used with. The most obvious reason is that the tethered cable won't fit (it's the CHAdeMO standard), but a bit of research on the net suggests that it may also be an issue of the car itself not being able to cope with what a fast charger tries to do to it.

For other charging points, there are still some old ones around that have a standard three point plug, for which you can use your Toyota charging cable and EVSE 'brick' that came with the car. There is a problem that they are typically about four feet off the ground, which means the brick is hanging from the plug, which probably isn't good long term, though I've done it quite a few times without problems. I know some people carry a short bungee cord with hooks, so they can hook through the little hole at the top of the brick and then onto whatever is handy.

But, certainly in London, these are being phased out for 7kw "type 2" Mennekes points. For that you need a separate lead. Toyota sell one at an extortionate price, which (according to complaints on the FAQ blog) is only rated 10 amp and won't work with Podpoint and some of the other intelligent Mennekes points, which apparently check that the cable is rated 16 amp or above. I got a 3rd party cable, cost me about half the Toyota price at about £175 from memory, and has worked perfectly with every point I have used, including the 22kw Mennekes "medium" charging points that Ecotricity originally installed and are still available at some locations (South Mimms, for example).

There's a thread elsewhere on how cost-effective they are, which I think is a bit harsh - I work on the basis that I'm saving a bit under a litre of fuel, so maybe £1 a charge. Since the charges are, currently, free once you pay the £10 pa to Source East (see above for roaming arrangements), and I use a charging point at least three times a week at work, my lead has now paid for itself in just over a year. Plus, for those driving into London (congestion-charge free if you register) you can get 3-4 hours free parking and a charge by plugging in to one of the roadside chargers.

Yes I'd seen the thread about comparing price of lead vs payback, and I agree, looking at saving £1 a full charge on fuel roughly, so about 170 uses to break even, which isn't bad if you're doing it a few times a week. At the moment this is the only thing putting me off getting such lead, I've had my PIP a month now, and only ever charged it at home, never had the opportunity to use a public charging point as I've never been near one to use.

[JHRC]

I have found the easiest way to find most ev charging stations is using zap-map on the internet which shows the type and current outputs, by just clicking on the symbol on the map and it opens another box and click view page gives all the information require about these chargers in this area. zoom in to make seperate all the symbols.

Also in zap-map they have a page informing you about all the chargers what rating and who would use them, here is the internet address.

https://www.zap-map.com/charge-points/basics

Hope this help to explains about ev charging.

[Sooty]

Very interesting, not that I have a PiP.

Many thanks Jim