Electric cars and charging - some questions!

[Adam]

We are thinking of getting a fully electric car, but we don't have off-street parking so I am keen to learn more about the realties of charging in the area! We're on Friern Road.

What are the different local charging options, and how easy is it to use them? Do you have to sign up with lots of services? Do you have to book? How much do they cost? What charging speeds do they offer?

I have just read the app store reviews (1 star average!) for Source London who have the chargers on Townley Road and there is a lot of unhappiness with the service. People are also saying the cost (70p/kwh I think) is a total rip off.

How about the lamppost chargers? Are they far too slow?

Trying to work out whether getting an EV without off street parking is going to be too much hassle.

What is the council doing to make EVs more feasible?

All tips and insights welcome! Thank you!

[apbremer]

Nowhere have I seen the effect on performance of screenwipers, heater and lights all in use together in the winter??

[figgins]

Go for it. The lamp-post chargers are slow, but they are very reliable, in my year-and-a-bit of experience. The char:gy app works fine once you've registered with it. You will soon get into the habit of charging overnight if that suits, or poddling around ED looking for available chargers!

I never had much luck with Source London, and cancelled my card with them. There is a rapid charger at the Tessa Jowell medical centre. No doubt there are others, too.

apbremer - there's loads of information out there about the effects of weather on range and performance. Bad weather definitely reduces your range, but has had no effect on my car's performance whatsoever.

[alex_b]

We have a EV (Polestar 2). We need to charge it every couple of weeks and use either the char.gy lamppost chargers or occasionally the fast chargers at the Tessa Jowell Health Centre. Chargy bills you monthly either on actual usage (33p/kW) or on a ?40/month subscription which drops the cost to 19.5p/kW. The Tessa Jowell chargers take credit cards or various apps.

Overall the char.gy lamppost chargers work well for us. Zap Map will show where they are and if they?re in use, generally I drive the car round the corner on a Saturday morning or evening and leave it charging for the day or night. It?s not super quick, but if you?re not using your car multiple times a day every day it?s easily manageable. Occasionally the char.gy chargers all all blocked by parked vehicles and I?ll head to Tessa Jowell instead, that takes around 1 to 1.5 hrs depending on how low the battery is. Again I drop it off, have lunch, then wander back to pick it up - it?s probably 30 mins out of my weekend which works for me.

Southwark have said they?re rolling out more chargers this year and we?re hopeful for getting one where we usually park. Worth speaking to your councillors to lobby for more chargers near you.

[Stuka]

We have an EV and don't have off street parking, but there's no way I'd go back to an ICE (although next time I'd get a different model with longer range).

Agree with all figgins and alex say - Source London especially are a joke - but both char.gy and ubitricity lamppost chargers are absolutely fine.

There's only three lamppost chargers on Friern so I'd suggest you ask Southwark to put one on your nearest lamppost if none of these aren't near you. We did this and although it took a few months, Southwark did do it. They have a request form online https://forms.southwark.gov.uk/showform.asp?fm_fid=1899

[kissthisguy]

My partner's colleague has an EV (the entry-level Tesla); he recommends the 150Kw super fast charger at the BP garage on the A205, Stansted Road in Honor Oak

[Waseley]

I've driven a few EVs. The Leaf was great and you can get older ones which have enough range for the typical urban journeys at a reasonable price. The Tessla seems daft in an urban environment, better for motorway driving. But one hell of a status symbol. For those that haven't had a go test drives are available, and you will be a convert. Personally it will be a Zip or other car club sometime in the future as I have no financial case to keep a private vehicle.

[creditwheredue]

I?m hoping the council start marking out parking bays for EV users only around the lampost charge points, obviously they have to be charging.

[Nigello]

I read or heard that plugs on kerbs and not on lampposts is likely the way forward. Some people are charging at home and covering the leads with black/yellow protecters because they can?t do it otherwise. Fortunately, EV owners are generally thoughtful enough not to create trip hazards - so far.

[legalalien]

There are some fledgling schemes where those with off street charging effectively rent out their driveways/ chargers to others to allow them to recharge. This seems like a good idea, it would be worth the council considering giving homeowners participating in the scheme some sort of CPZ charge waiver to cover periods where they?ve moved their own car out of the driveway to enable someone else to charge. That would encourage uptake?

[Nigello]

Hmm - tarmacking your drive to hire it out to EVs for charging defeats the point. If it?s already done, ok, but it?s not to be encouraged and if it?s lucrative it could do just that.

[Stuka]

I'd like Southwark to look at the gulley solution for people that don't have off street parking like the one currently being piloted in Oxford https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/1956/volunteers_sought_for_electric_vehicle_charging_trials_in_oxfordshire#:~:text=The%20County%20Council%20expects%20installations,cannot%20park%20off%20the%20street

[Adam]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far! Very useful info!

We hired a Tesla for the day and loved it! I didn't try charging it but I took the cable out and saw that it wouldn't stretch to my house across the pavement from the road, so I am interested to know whether it is possible to get longer cables or extensions, but without having to go down to the slow charging of the 3-pin household plug.

@Stuka - the gulley solution in Oxford sound very interesting! Anyone from the council know if this could be trialled in ED?

[alex_b]

I think unless you?re driving a lot, installing a home charger is unlikely to pay for itself. We pay ?40 a month on the char.gy chargers which covers our usage - even if home charging dropped that to ?20 it?s still a long payback for installing a ?500-?800 charger.

[first mate]

Given the inevitability of a switch to electric cars, I wonder how easy it would be to bore small width tunnels under pavements to a property, for houses that want a charging facility? I guess the owner could have some sort of circuit breaker device to stop misuse...but not sure how safe that would be?

Just to add, I had thought of the gully solution but knowing how easily pavements degrade and crack after almost any interference I wondered if a bore hole under paving might be better?

[Stuka]

Nigello - I've seen a few people in ED charging from home and covering the leads with cable protectors. However, this isn't permitted in Southwark even if the cable is covered (although it is permitted in other parts of the country).

Much longer term, dynamic charging may be the solution - wireless charging in the roads which would remove the need for cables altogether https://www.intelligentliving.co/roads-that-charge-electric-cars-wirelessly-springing-up-everywhere/

[EDResident2018]

We also have no off street parking, and it?s generally fine. The lamppost chargers don?t have reserved spaces next to them for EVs though, so it can be a frustrating experience trying to find one that isn?t blocked by parked cars. Has anyone else had this experience?

We had an Audi etron (150 mile range) and it was no where near enough. Have just switched to VW ID.4 that has almost double the range, and it makes a big difference in how often we need to charge. It will of course depend on how and where you need to drive to, but I came to the conclusion range was the most important factor when choosing the car, and everything else came second

[Adam]

@EDResident2018 - how are you liking the ID.4? How long does it take to charge on a lamppost? Is it a lot cheaper than petrol?

[monkeyspanner]

@Adam,where did you hire a tesla from, can you recommend?

[bil]

EDResident2018 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We also have no off street parking, and it?s

> generally fine. The lamppost chargers don?t have

> reserved spaces next to them for EVs though, so it

> can be a frustrating experience trying to find one

> that isn?t blocked by parked cars. Has anyone else

> had this experience?

>

> We had an Audi etron (150 mile range) and it was

> no where near enough. Have just switched to VW

> ID.4 that has almost double the range, and it

> makes a big difference in how often we need to

> charge. It will of course depend on how and where

> you need to drive to, but I came to the conclusion

> range was the most important factor when choosing

> the car, and everything else came second

Yes I find this frustrating too. It?s a shame that the bays aren?t marked. The lamp post chargers are inconspicuous so it?s not surprising that people park in front of them.

[kbabes]

Anybody else with EV’s & no off street parking feeling we are being completely ripped off by the companies partnering with Southwark Council .. lampost charging costs now 79p per kw peak & 45p from 00:00 to 07:00.. blatant profiteering in my view !!

Charging locally on the slow chargers now as if not more expensive than superfast motorway charging stations !! Grrrr!! Written to Helen Hayes but basically fobbed off !

[first mate]

Please do not be fooled into thinking Southwark Council are prioritising eco-friendly solutions above everything. As you are discovering, generating income is the real motivation behind many of the measures.