Crikey, what excitement I've had a Beaconsfield services this weekend!
On Friday night I was just rolling out after a quick charge and had some idiot* flashing and hooting at me as I head to the exit. What?? Lights on, check. Accelerating away, check. Nope must be an anti-EV idiot*. Now he's attempting to overtake into the exit? He must be in a real hurry... Only when he draws level do I spot the long headlights and realise it's a Leaf. He winds his window down and in a somewhat panicy voice asks if there's a charger about? Just as I explain it was behind us on the side of the building, the real idiot in his boy racer mobile nearly runs into the back of my Leaf and starts with the hooting... Time to split.
On the return journey today I get to the charger and for the first time in around 20 rapid charges, I'm blocked out. And by a Tesla...
Great, he'll be here for hours... And I'm stuffed as I can't reach the next rapid from here. Just as I'm about to give up and go find some food, I spot a guy wearing a Tesla shirt heading back to the charger. After a nice chat, it turns out he's been blatting around the Top Gear race track all day at a charity event and is now on his way home, around 30mins more charge should cover it. Sweet! After taking the required photos of the cars, we all head off to eat!
I came back 20mins later to find the Tesla gone, good. But the charger now with a scary "An Anomaly has occured" message, bad. And no way to clear it, very bad. However, a quick call to Ecotricity and a reboot later, all was well and the power started to flow. Just an another Leaf turned up... Quick chat with him and back to finish lunch, then back to Leaf and we were off, with quick phone call to the other Leaf driver that the charger was free.
*With hindsight I'll let him off.
On Friday night I was just rolling out after a quick charge and had some idiot* flashing and hooting at me as I head to the exit. What?? Lights on, check. Accelerating away, check. Nope must be an anti-EV idiot*. Now he's attempting to overtake into the exit? He must be in a real hurry... Only when he draws level do I spot the long headlights and realise it's a Leaf. He winds his window down and in a somewhat panicy voice asks if there's a charger about? Just as I explain it was behind us on the side of the building, the real idiot in his boy racer mobile nearly runs into the back of my Leaf and starts with the hooting... Time to split.
On the return journey today I get to the charger and for the first time in around 20 rapid charges, I'm blocked out. And by a Tesla...
Great, he'll be here for hours... And I'm stuffed as I can't reach the next rapid from here. Just as I'm about to give up and go find some food, I spot a guy wearing a Tesla shirt heading back to the charger. After a nice chat, it turns out he's been blatting around the Top Gear race track all day at a charity event and is now on his way home, around 30mins more charge should cover it. Sweet! After taking the required photos of the cars, we all head off to eat!
I came back 20mins later to find the Tesla gone, good. But the charger now with a scary "An Anomaly has occured" message, bad. And no way to clear it, very bad. However, a quick call to Ecotricity and a reboot later, all was well and the power started to flow. Just an another Leaf turned up... Quick chat with him and back to finish lunch, then back to Leaf and we were off, with quick phone call to the other Leaf driver that the charger was free.
*With hindsight I'll let him off.