[vanitarium]

Hiya,
I have joined coCharger an initiative to hire my home charger to local people who need to charge their EV.
More details here. There are apps for iOS and Android phones as well. Has anybody on this forum used it or knows about it?

 

[Monkeyhanger]

Hiya,
I have joined coCharger an initiative to hire my home charger to local people who need to charge their EV.
More details here. There are apps for iOS and Android phones as well. Has anybody on this forum used it or knows about it?

Not something I've ever thought about. I do remember reading the contract my mate signed when he got a free charger fitted in 2014 to "future proof" his house (the grant was big enough to cover 100% of the installed cost). The contract gave the grant provider the right to require him to make it available for public charging for 12 hours a day, with compensation. Luckily for him they never exercised that right. Presumably sorting out the recompense would've been a minefield.

He's never had an EV, but has had what is now a crappy old dumb Rolec connected to his house.

 

[simcity]

That’s very community spirited of you. Be interested in how it works out, however honestly not something I’d be keen to emulate.

 

[Electrickery]

It's a good idea but presumably limited by location. Even if you had a 7kW charger it wouldn't be that useful unless you lived near a station or had lots of housing without off-street parking near you, where they could leave their car overnight for example.
You are still effectively renting out a parking spot more than anything (and that works in some limited locations), very few people would want to use a home charger en route anywhere unless it was some dire emergency.
And then would you really want some stranger parking up and sitting in their car on your drive for several hours?

 

[blank]

I signed up after seeing a presentation by the founder. The problem is I had to make it about 50p/kWh so as not to lose money. I've therefore never had a request to use it.

My local area also has loads of public chargers anyway, and most houses have off street parking, so there's probably little to no demand.

 

[Janso]

I have a look when I'm in some random town that happens to have one near a sporting arena I happen to be frequenting. 😂

Still yet to find one that's both in walking distance and the owner still actually lives there.

 

[divenal]

EVM did a youtube video about this recently. (Don't know if it was this scheme speciffically,) His conclusion was the same: had to charge 50p-ish per unit, and (certainly in his rural location) it simply wasn't worth it. Might be different if you live near somewhere interesting.

For those on Go, daytime rates are presumably a bit of a problem. Maybe one of the other schemes which discount power used for car-charging (Ovo ?) would be
better, though I should imagine the small-print would prohibit such use.

 

[Johnny Read]

Perhap

For those on Go, daytime rates are presumably a bit of a problem.

Yes when it costs >40p/kWh daytime. Then there’s the question of whether it should include 20% vat as it’s a commercial offer. Who’d want to supply 1000kWh then get the VAT man enquiring for what they’re owed. They don’t tend to wait either.
Then there’s the public liability and other insurances- what if the BEV owner gets R mixed with D and drives their car through your lounge wall.

 

[Blanik]

I also set mine at £4/hr, so about 56p/kwh - this is just above the same rate as the local CPS rapids so I don't expect any business.
One other issue I think is that the 'cost' to the customer is based on their in car % charged when plugged in, so the hosts price has to include the 10% losses Host Rate Calculator - Co Charger (co-charger.com) which makes it look higher than public chargepoints.

On their map I am the only host, and only 2 potential users within a mile.

Their latest idea appear to be advertising to taxi and fleet evs, but suspect they will want to charge overnight when they are off-duty and hog my charger. Taxis and PHVs - Co Charger (co-charger.com)
"Book the whole time the car is left by the charger, but only pay for when the car is charging".

 

[simcity]

You are still effectively renting out a parking spot more than anything (and that works in some limited locations), very few people would want to use a home charger en route anywhere unless it was some dire emergency.
And then would you really want some stranger parking up and sitting in their car on your drive for several hours?

I think it’s that in a nutshell. Another idea that sounds good on paper but doesn’t really work out in practise.