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Charging away from home..

446 views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  Dave12  
#1 · (Edited)
After 11 years of Leaf ownership and now on our 4th Leaf (7 YRS OLD AND APPROACHING 80K MILES) we are going to have to get going properly with charging up away from home. On previous attempts the story has been pretty miserable - no chargers available, they won't start or stop and everything else in between including a lot of rain when the chargers are not covered - so now we are wanting to really get into the subject with another 1000 miles coming up in the next two weeks which for us is a lot.
The cost of charging at home currently 7 hours at 0.05 pence. The costs of charging away from home is to my mind horrendous, added to our difficulties found at the various sites.
I am seeking a cheap efficient means of recharging now and ask for one liner suggestions please as to the companies that other Chademo owners have found work best for them.
My age is against too many techno answers please so i ask if anyone responding can simply KISS their responses that would help the cause!
cheers and TIA.
 
#2 ·
To keep it simple just use a credit card and don't worry about the cost. If you charge at home for 5p then your average charging costs over the year will not rise that much.
Use Zapmap and filter to show multiple charges at a site.
 
#3 ·
......................... 1000 miles coming up in the next two weeks which for us is a lot. I am seeking a cheap efficient means of recharging now and ask for one liner suggestions please as to the companies that other Chademo owners have found work best for them.
It would help if we knew your travel plans for those 1000 miles. From where to where?. Overnight plans?. Hotels or relatives? Using public chargers, but to 'keep it simple', could mean towards the expensive side.

It's hard to advise without a bit of detail.
 
#6 ·
It would help if we knew your travel plans for those 1000 miles. From where to where?. Overnight plans?. Hotels or relatives? Using public chargers, but to 'keep it simple', could mean towards the expensive side.

It's hard to advise without a bit of detail.
A return trip to the Cotswolds circa 250 Miles, mainly motorway. Followed by a trip to Leicester circa 150, A roads and then we are in Yorkshire B & B for a few nights M'way and A roads together with the running around at home will achieve over 1000 miles. I always try to only fill up to the nearest 10 miles scenario leaving the battery empty for the off peak / solar charging at home.
 
#4 ·
Don't most Gridserve sites still have a Chademo connector, which of course will be available due to so little demand. So my advice would be to get the Gridserve app.
You can use the connection types filter to search for Chademo here

 
#5 ·
Don't most Gridserve sites still have a Chademo connector, which of course will be available due to so little demand. So my advice would be to get the Gridserve app.
MFG, Osprey and Instavolt usually have Chademo too.
Fastned, Ionity and Tesla definitely don't.
I can't be sure of the others.
Any good charge map (I like ChargeFinder - Charging stations for electric cars (EV)) should have a filter option to see only Chademo.
I used a lot of Instavolt in my LEAF days, partly because they seemed to be everywhere then, before the others caught up.
 
#7 ·
A return trip to the Cotswolds circa 250 Miles, mainly motorway. Followed by a trip to Leicester circa 150, A roads and then we are in Yorkshire B & B for a few nights M'way and A roads together with the running around at home will achieve over 1000 miles. I always try to only fill up to the nearest 10 miles scenario leaving the battery empty for the off peak / solar charging at home - thanks for the help this far folks..
 
#12 ·
By the way, don't count on the smaller sites along e.g. the Fosse way working in the Cotswolds. A lot of them are very old. It is a bit of a black hole as I found out when I tried to come home that way rather than via the motorways.

Generally speaking there is poor charger provision, which is fine if you plan ahead, distances aren't that big once you are off the motorway, but I got almost caught out once, when I decided to use the Fosse way rather than go around on the fast roads.