New or improved hubs announced, Government EV Loans in Scotland and free & no longer free public charging places..

[Ootohere]

Glasgow.

http://sse.com/news-and-views/2022/09/sse-launches-first-of-its-300-ev-charging-hubs-in-glasgow

 

Lanarkshire.

http://spenergynetworks.co.uk/news/pages/new_lanarkshire_charging_hubs.aspx

 

 

Edited 14 October, 2022 by roottoot

[Ootohere]

Aboyne. Has improved chargers now. 

 Issue being if like me you are there before anything is open including hotels there is no chance of a toilet. 

 

  Still just the one Rapid CPS Charger at Tomintoul, but it is working and thankfully the public toilet is still open even at 8 am. 

  The locals have been raising money to save it from closure.    Torrential rain and fog is rather good for efficiency from the car.  A 150 miles more to do and no need to use chargers in the expensive Highland region as I can get back to Aberdeenshire where cheaper and then get home to a free charger. 

 

A single Rapid charger in Grantown on Spey, the toilet next to it is closed, but there are alternatives. 

 

Edited 21 October, 2022 by roottoot

[Ootohere]

'One in four Scottish EV charging-points-faulty'  According to the BBC programme. 

 

It does say of those installed using Scottish Government Grants.

But,

**That is more like 1 in 4 Charge Place Scotland public Chargers that SWARCO administer, tax payer funded, and many installed with grants from tax payers including from the EU in the past, and the 'Commercial Chargers that are available are not this poorly maintained. These also can get public money and grants**

There has been over £50 million spent in the past decade on chargers and maintenance and electric with CPS and public chargers and that is not just from the Scottish Government or tax payers in Scotland.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63371759

 

 

BBC Scotland Disclosure programme.

Electric car charging in Scotland.   Available on iPlayer.

http://bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001dvbc/disclosure-series-5-6-electric-cars-ready-for-the-charge

 

** The amount of electricity from these PUBLIC chargers is not just going to private individuals, it is going to business / company vehicles, emergency service / NHS vehicles and local authority vehicles and even to Council vehicles and politicians vehicles.

Some of whom will be claiming mileage / fuel allowances while getting free or subsidised fuel. **

 

Edited 2 November, 2022 by roottoot

[wyx087]

I read there's an iPlayer video on EV's in Scotland. In case you haven't seen it: 

https://www.speakev.com/threads/good-documentary-on-evs-in-scotland.173305/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001dvbc/disclosure-series-5-6-electric-cars-ready-for-the-charge

 

I've yet to watch it....... 

[Ootohere]

Watched it over 4 hours ago before posting the link. 

 

Then a phone in on BBC Scotland with Kaye Adam had the discussion on EV's and some positive and some negative experiences.

Again Broxden Park & Ride Perth was criticised.  Rightly so.  Perth & Kinross Council have got away to long with the facility there being pathetic 

for the Gateway to the Highlands, and major tourist destination and way place & where P&K seemingly want a Low Carbon Hub to be. 

 

Then after posting the link i went to the empty Tesco charging bays, well other than the 1 driver charging that i asked if he knew he was paying for it.

He unplugged and did not bother plugging back in for another 15 minutes.

 

I had 2 x 15 minutes charging and that was 3 kWh of a charge which was what i needed to top back up the 6 miles driven since last charged and a cold night with a 5*oC this morning.

That would be 28 pence for 3 kWh so 84 pence. 

As the weather gets much colder that might double in cost per day if needing to pay.   Local Council chargers still @ 23 pence a kWh but going to be busy now and the latest one installed still has a barrier around it weeks after being powered up, and still not on the system with CPS but means that charging can be done for free. 

 

PS.

On that EV forum there seems to be people unaware of loans in  Scotland to be used EV's.  

 

Edited 2 November, 2022 by roottoot

[wyx087]

I found with just 3.3 kW on the Leaf, it's not worth sitting in the cold car with heater running, it means the battery hardly recharges anything in the 15min.

 

Yes, I was also surprised by the thread that people don't seem to realise there's the 0% loan. I would have jumped on it.

 

I'm looking forward to a long drive this Saturday (instead of weekend trip to Birmingham), 100 miles to Warwick castle, a bit more return (detour to food and fireworks). I think it's do-able without en-route charging, will post stats in a suitable thread next week.

[Ootohere]

The heater on full, my phone charging and the radio on makes no difference to how much goes in to my car on the 7 kW charger.

It is 1.1 kWh per 10 minutes regardless of the ambient temperature or the car being parked, empty, everything off and locked.

 

Only since the Corsa got the software update the other week does it slow down in the last 2% of charging from flashing between 21-26 mph, to now 8 mph. 

 

Now as a habit the car shows 180 mile range.  Last night when charged to 100% it was showing 191 miles. 

 

Pre Software Update even when running efficiently it was only showing 160 miles at the most.

When new it was nearly always showing 180 when at 98%. 

 

It is running more efficiently since the update, has more of a regen.

I will see later this week if my new tyres have affected range, but the weather is getting colder so maybe it will be as last year and as low as 2.5 miles a kWh when it is around freezing even on longer runs at below NSL's.

 

 

Edited 2 November, 2022 by roottoot

[KenONeill]

On Dispatches tonight, a report that about 1/4 of Chargepoint Scotland chargers are out of order (or were in July and August).

[Luckypants]

24 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

On Dispatches tonight, a report that about 1/4 of Chargepoint Scotland chargers are out of order (or were in July and August).

Four posts earlier 
 

 

[Ootohere]

'Dispatches' is a Channel 4 programme. 

 It is 'Disclosure'  which is a BBC Scotland programme that is about EV Chargers in Scotland.

[Ootohere]

The cost of Public charging @ Highland Council controlled chargers could become ridiculous.

http://pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/transport/4995223/full-electric-charge-cost-could-go-from-12-34-in-highland-council-plan

 

They might just be trying to make it sound really bad so that when they just double the tariff it does not seem to much.

 

As it is 50 pence a kWh is high enough to put many off even considering using an EV. As it is many are put off with 30 pence a kWh for charging.

 

...................

Highland is actually a bit better for rapid chargers than East of the Highland Region & then Moray & into Aberdeenshire along the coast and then down the east to Aberdeen City.

It is ridiculous in that North East area for the lack of 50 kW chargers.

 

 

Many people see the lights behind and think get off my arse, or pass and go faster than i am now with your stupid lights.

Then if they do pass get you crappy rear lights away up the road, why are you going slower than i was going as you try to get to the next charger.

Arsenal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 4 November, 2022 by roottoot

[Luckypants]

 Mr. EV frustrates me, he seems so dis-organised and faffy. He also charges up at 20% SoC on a trip which on a 300 mile range car means he's not using 60 miles of range! As he generally charges to 80% for optimum charge speed, he only makes use of 60% of his potential range. I'd never be able to do a trip with him, but he is quite entertaining in a weird way.

[wyx087]

May be it comes from bad memories in earlier EV ownership. (I think he has/had a Leaf?) In Leaf, if I'm not nearly home when hit 20%, I'd be driving up to rapid chargers. 

 

I think sat-nav's "predicted arrival percentage" is very important in road-tripping EV, when driving on unfamiliar roads. In my limited, all <60 miles experience, I can completely trust the Tesla's estimated arrival range. Usually I arrive consuming 5-10% less than its prediction, has never gotten below its estimated arrival percentage so far. The live update on the sat-nav screen also means I can use it to aim for a very low arrival SoC, confident I can get there. 

[Ootohere]

I have been charging at Tesco a couple of times a day this week and so far it is just me an A.N. Other that has been plugging in each 15 minutes.

 

There has been 1 car that i have seen just doing a 15 minute plug in,and nobody has been charging and paying on the 7kW chargers.

 

I have quite a few miles to do over the next 4 days and it is very much luck of the draw where i will get a working rapid charger.

The single rapid i usually rely on where i would usual charge on each day / night for 1 hour has been broken for 2 weeks. 

Edited 4 November, 2022 by roottoot

[wyx087]

Imagine turning up with a 22 kW car and doing the same 15min

[domhnall]

22 hours ago, wyx087 said:

May be it comes from bad memories in earlier EV ownership. (I think he has/had a Leaf?) In Leaf, if I'm not nearly home when hit 20%, I'd be driving up to rapid chargers. 

 

I think sat-nav's "predicted arrival percentage" is very important in road-tripping EV, when driving on unfamiliar roads. In my limited, all <60 miles experience, I can completely trust the Tesla's estimated arrival range. Usually I arrive consuming 5-10% less than its prediction, has never gotten below its estimated arrival percentage so far. The live update on the sat-nav screen also means I can use it to aim for a very low arrival SoC, confident I can get there. 

 

the enyaq is very much on the same page, though on a trip I nearly always use ABRP on screen and it is bang on

[domhnall]

On 02/11/2022 at 14:04, KenONeill said:

On Dispatches tonight, a report that about 1/4 of Chargepoint Scotland chargers are out of order (or were in July and August).

 

yeah but his definition of a "fault" was a bit iffy. He defined it as those they saw go off line while watching the app. If someone hits the emergency stop because they are too lazy to get their card out again or it's done by passing kids (happens a lot)  then it shows as offline but pulling the red button out fixes it. Doesn;t mean it is broken, far from it. NBit he preferred to use that rather than the actual reports by drivers of chargers that were, y'know, actually not working

[Ootohere]

So @ Girvan Harbour.   CCS out of order 2 weeks ago. I reported to CPS.  Been out of order ever since.  AC works.   I just called CPS, awaiting part, due site visit 25th November.    Then the 2  x 7kW posts have one out of order since I reported 2 weeks ago.   Site visit due today / Sunday I am told.  Amazing.  

[lol-lol]

On 04/11/2022 at 13:32, wyx087 said:

Imagine turning up with a 22 kW car and doing the same 15min

 

Is there any other car than the Zoe that can charge at 22 kilowatts AC ?

[Ootohere]

Some Tesla models, ones like Bjorn's, Tesla S in Norway that got the update.  BYD,s.   

  I do wish owners / drivers would try and find out what their car can charge at and where.   Also stop using tethered 22 or 43kW AC if you are just getting 7 kW and you are charging there for hours.  

Edited 7 November, 2022 by roottoot

[Ootohere]

For any doubting Thomas,s maybe go on ZapMap or PlugShare and  look at Edinburgh Airport park and ride Ingilston, or Hermiston or Straiton, maybe Girvan Harbour, Broxden Park and ride Perth.   A few like me might update user websites, might report faults etc to the provider or admin.  Might write to councillors, msp / MP,s or transport secretaries.    Dozens, hundreds will just moan, move on, not bother and allow the money to be wasted as incompetents run the systems and are like 3 monkeys.    There are good chargers, good hubs, smart hard workers running things, trying their best and there is crap management and oversight and corruption.  

http://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100253412

 

 

 

Edited 6 November, 2022 by roottoot

[Ootohere]

http://chargeplacescotland.org/charge-point-tariffs

As of 1st November.  Some are actually a bit higher a tariff than shown.

[Luckypants]

On 02/11/2022 at 10:55, wyx087 said:

I read there's an iPlayer video on EV's in Scotland. In case you haven't seen it: 

https://www.speakev.com/threads/good-documentary-on-evs-in-scotland.173305/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001dvbc/disclosure-series-5-6-electric-cars-ready-for-the-charge

 

I've yet to watch it....... 

Swarco issued a response to the Disclosure program, where they call them out for not taking their input.

https://twitter.com/SWARCO_Charging/status/1588267449362923524?s=20&t=dnKauwzUT0ecEjGFv7psCw

[Ootohere]

When you are on the Webinars or at a presentation SWARCO & CPS can be very impressive, very positive, very reassuring.

Full of spin and total nonsense and how this is new to them, and as though they were not involved before last July.

 

Such a pity that in reality they perform really badly, but that will all come out in the wash as SWARCO are trying to keep the very lucrative contract.

The performance indicators and value for money will surely be their for the Scottish Government to see.

 

Not that the Scottish Government have a good record on approving anything that is going to serve the population well and just allow contractors a fair profit for a good job done.

 

TRANSPORT SCOTLAND has a lot to answer for.  Really they are Not fit for purpose.

http://transport.gov.scot

The new website has lost lots of stuff that was useful on the old TrafficScotland website.  Weather / Road conditions etc.

The road and air temps at the sites where the up to the minute info is readily available is no longer available here. 

http://traffic.gov.scot

 

 

 

I am not one of the 93% of the 39,000 drivers that responded positively. Nor negatively,.

because i was never asked about any survey. So never responded. 

How many others with Accounts were unaware of any survey? 

 

...............

Then as to the Webinar below and the Out of Service chargers and info.

That must be on a website because it is a phone app i use looking to see if a charger is available or occupied.

Many say unidentified.,  not anything about 'Out of service / out of commission / gubbed long term.'

 

 

@29 minutes. really Scotland's rather crap mobile receptions in many parts of Scotland not just rural is unexceptable.

Well the Scottish Governments have carried on accepting it, and pathetic radio reception, and not just in the far flung areas up mountains and down dales.

even right in the middle of towns. 

It certainly does not help when it comes to charging EV's.  It is also a good excuse for many a failure of being able to charge a vehicle.

Odd that when a new hubs location is chosen that the installers and customers do not actually try using a mobile phone at that location.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 7 November, 2022 by roottoot

[Luckypants]

With MFG, Ionity, Instavolt, Osprey and Gridserve all opening new hubs in the past few weeks, it's getting difficult to keep up. We've even had one in North Wales courtesy of the council, but I worry that one will be a white elephant. Rhyl is not on the way to anywhere....

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/news/news-detail.aspx?article=e3158776-def9-4813-8664-ab8bb849a3f1