[freddym]

News has just hit that Chargeplace Scotland (CPS) who have used Charge you Car for their authentication and billing for the last several years will be switching to SWARCO eVolt starting in July:

SWARCO eVolt to operate ChargePlace Scotland | Transport Scotland

www.transport.gov.scot

This is an interesting albeit not unexpected change. What does it mean for end users?

Will existing RFID cards continue to work or do we need new ones? Will CPS accounts (which are basically just CYC accounts and use the same CYC app) be migrated across or will we be needing to create new accounts?

Will CPS cards stop working on CYC sites in England and will CYC cards stop working on CPS sites in Scotland?

Will CPS finally get their own mobile app instead of just using the CYC branded app and a fairly useless web browser based lookup?

While I of course recognise eVolt and a lot of rapids on the CPS network are already eVolt units, I have no knowledge of their ability to run a back end authentication and billing system, although they're unlikely to be worse than CYC.

So, good news? Bad news? Ambivalent ? To be honest it's quite a while since I've used a CPS charger!

Hey, great piece of news. Swarco are a capable outfit. I'm assuming and hoping the back office service will greatly improve!!!!

 

[freddym]

My concern is that the biggest failures of CPS have always been maintenance and repair of individual charger units - which was never the responsibility of CYC - they just passed fault reports along to the owners of the chargers (usually local councils) but apart from that were pretty powerless to ensure devices got fixed in a timely fashion.

While there were a few notable cases of back end authentication issues and outages especially in the last year, (which must have surely contributed to this switch) by and large I think the backend was working reasonably well most of the time.

So I'm not sure this will necessarily translate to a significantly better customer experience and reliability of charging services, but I would love to be proved wrong!

All above points absolutely true.
For me the only time I came close to being stranded was a back office blackout!. Had to beg a charge from a total stranger (the shame!!!).
I think eVolt will offer councils decent maintenance and emergency repair options:its mostly their kit and a lot of the earlier dogs dinner of various off suppliers has been changed out (I don't have any knowledge of your neck of the woods so may be wrong in the West). I'm certain Transport Scotland would have had some clauses in the tender. OK I'm an optimist.

 

[freddym]

I paid with my credit card on auto renewal last month. There is a direct debit option in the payment section as well as the Payment Cards option..

Swarco are setting up a new office to support the CPS Network. To be based in Dundee at the Michelin Innovation site.

This is a good move, they have some good people, technology and now being based in Scotland, things are looking up.😁

 

[freddym]

I get the feeling that there will be an end to free charging. It's already happening in certain council areas. I see no reason it'll not happen in other areas. In Barrhead I've already notice several Tesla Model 3s using the one and only rapid charger. Love it... buying a £40k motor with proper rapid charging speeds. ..to sit and there and suck on a free 50 kW charger for over an hour... utter bottoms.

Free charging was just an introductory offer and a condition of funding in some cases.
So far as I know, all the East Coast Unitary Authorities already charge, different rates apply.
Not sure I understand the comments about the M3s. Can't see why they shouldn't use the Barrhead Rapid the same as anyone else.

 

[freddym]

The problem I have with the Tesla Model 3 owners is that they sit there for well over an hour charging to 100%. Before them it was the Black Cab taxi PHEVs hogging it. It is simple freeloading... and the sooner all the rapids start charging you money the better. I typically grab 30 mins of charging at it when I need to and then granny charge at home. If the CPS rapid is unavailable I'll head straight to an InstaVolt. I've no problem buying electricity. Yesterday, I drove from Stockport to Gretna, charged my Zoe on the Ionity for 20 mins, a 12.67 kWh splash, and then headed home to Barrhead. A whopping £8.82... but worth it as it meant I completed the 235 miles in under 5 hours.

Still have no idea why you are picking on the M3 owners. They aren't breaking any rules. Lol, they are not even inconveniencing you as you have Instavolt and your Granny😜

 

[freddym]

To be clear as well, when they stop doing the freevend for any rfid bit is when your CPS card will stop working. It won't be for the full year you paid £20 for the card. When they cut over they cut over.

There is no way for them to bill from the swarco back end when you use your CPS card unless they pull the user database across and import. This hasn't been done with any migrations before so I'll be surprised if it happens this time.

Manchester hasn't had CPS for a while now, we went Be.Ev/swarco a while ago. Hence the speaking from experience with this migration from one to another as cyc is what we had here and almost the same as CPS, bar the fact all units were freevend and still are until prices are introduced later this year.

This is nonsense speculation.
Are you based in Scotland. If you are, checkout with EVA SCOTLAND for some FACTS.

 

[freddym]

Where are the 'facts' on EVA Scotland? I've had a good look and cannot see anything other than the old news about Swarco.
Please post links.

Webinars

 

[freddym]

Soooo nothing in writing then...
May as well point to dale Vince's videos stating CCS will be upgrading and working on all EH sites 3yrs ago... That's still yet to happen 🤣🤣

Post up the written commitment from them on the process and I'll believe it. Until then I'll bet my money on it playing out exactly the same way the other migrations have done. Enjoy the free juice while you can is what I'd be doing though in CPS land.

Difference is Transport Scotland have a proven and on-ongoing commitment to making public charging work!

 

[freddym]

I think @Kingpleb1 is comparing the Chargeplace Scotland situation to the transition from GMEV to BE.EV, not realising that it's not the same thing.

There aren't going to be new units. They aren't ripping out all the chargers and replacing them with new ones. The old chargers are simply being brought under the control of new management. It's the same chargers, the same RFID cards, the same direct debits being migrated over etc.

All that's changing is the operating company behind it. The support aspect of things. And a new app too.

Swarco don't need to come in and overhaul everything. A good amount of equipment on the network is already their own anyways.

The App will be different. Search have said in public they will use their existing one.

 

[freddym]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1399289579191128065

What is your point?

 

[freddym]

Not too chuffed at receiving this by email from Chargeplace Scotland this morning…

“The annual renewal of your ChargePlace Scotland access card is due on 7/30/21 12:00 AM.

As your access card is set to renew automatically each year, a payment of £20 is due to be taken 5 days before the renewal date via your direct debit.”

There’s no annual fee after the SWARCO change on 27/7/21 so I’ve emailed CPS support to request that they cancel the planned direct debit.

Pretty sure you can delete auto renewal via your account.

 

[freddym]

Thank you, done.

Thank you too, I've just checked that my auto renews are set to False.

 

[freddym]

For those of us whose renewal dates are next year, we don't have to do anything ?

And I haven't been keeping up with the latest but am I expecting a new RFID card to replace my existing one or will the existing one keep working ? If it's the former, I haven't received any card or any communication to say that a new card is coming...

Existing CPS card will continue to work.

 

[freddym]

Seems now from the most recent CPS email that the app won't launch until 2nd August, leaving those without an RFID card in limbo for a week. Also seems activation emails will be staggered over 48 hours. Week commencing 26th July is going to be a mess for me... This isn't the great start I'd hoped for from SWARCO / E-volt. Multiple social media posts / tweets assured a 27th July app launch and now, with 3 days to go, they move the goalposts!

OK, are you moaning on behalf of yourself or some other generic users.
The communications have been pretty good. Are you making journeys on the 27th, 28th, 29th. Can these be delayed.Can you take advantage of alternative charging, at work, at your destination.
General principal is one the same as making an omelette.

 

[freddym]

@SCA1972 I've just signed upto InstaVolt with your referral code in anticipation of having to pay a few charges come next week!

So is it saving a few pounds that is driving the angst.

 

[freddym]

Thank you. I’m also anticipating the same at the end of next week.

Also got a VW We Charge card on the way, just in case I need to use Ionity at Gretna (or Polmadie if it is operational) so I’m not paying full price.

Good man, contingency plans👍

 

[freddym]

Just received the email.
It will take time for Swarco to get it all sorted - not like flicking a switch especially with the mess CYC have left behind.
Just a pity it wasn't done in the spring when the announcement was made (on 21st April) rather than at the height of the summer.

Great post, very helpful. A tiny bit of understanding from each of us will help this be a success.

 

[freddym]

Exactly. I too was planning to use the app, with my Be.EV card as a backup and now no app and unlikely that the card will work.

I don’t have experience of working with chargers, but I do have experience of working with IT systems and this seems a bit botched to me. Swarco have had months to plan and test their systems and they have an existing system that works so this is not their first rodeo. However we don’t know the way the handover has been structured, so it could well be CYC that have handicapped the transition as a final kick in the teeth to CPS users.

Hands are tied up to the point of handover.

 

[freddym]

Eleckromotive Chargers will not be compatible with the network going forward.. I think these are the BP specced AC units with sloping tops. Could someone confirm.

 

[freddym]

Eleckromotive Chargers will not be compatible with the network going forward.. I think these are the BP specced AC units with sloping tops. Could someone confirm.

The reason is that BP did not adhere to industry Comms standard.