Agree. I found a Total énergies one I used a couple of weeks back organised like a traditional filling station but squeezed into a small site a pain to use especially as 2 borne were not working, re manouvering to one that was was a complete pain in the fesse

 

Are those roof panels solar panels?

 

I think so. Don’t know anything about them though.

 

Used the ones in Abingdon Park & Ride today. Only got 65k at 58% SOC, able to take 115 so wasn't entirely sure whether this was reasonable. Simple enough to use. Not cheap.

 

Battery might not have been warm enough or the SoC a touch high. I started at 24% after a long drive and only went to 60% but it was pulling about 135 kW.

Edit - just looked at app…

 

Be good to get a few more in the east and south (and more everywhere). I quite like the layout with a through bay at the end.

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The through bay will be essential going ahead as more EV campervans/towing caravans/EV lorries hit the roads

 

I have had high rates with Fastned on my ev6 on the high power chargers, same as Ionity. When I used a 50kw one it felt like ages.

Also it has a version of plug and charge that is satisfying to use.

 

Yeah the 800V cars do well in the right conditions.

The only other Fastned station I've visited is on Ramac Way in London, that's also 300 kW but a standard in-line layout.

 

I used the fastned in Whitley Bay as my regular charging point for nearly a year till getting a charge point installed at home. since then I've used others (they are big in north east) and in every case 100% reliable

 

Really like Fastned but never used one in the UK! Agree there should be lots more. Super reliable and fast. They are everywhere in the Netherlands and there are lots in Belgium and north Germany as well. The "Autocharge" feature is great and just how charging should be - plug in, car is recognised and walk away! Found a brand new one at Midden Peelweg near Eindhoven a few weeks back. 6 x 300kW but already prepped to go to 10 x 300kW.

 

Be good to get a few more in the east and south (and more everywhere). I quite like the layout with a through bay at the end.

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Could do with them coming west of the Pennines, too.

 

More stations in the UK like this one would be great…

 

There is some scaling to go as we move from ~ 5% currently of all passenger cars being BEV to something approaching 50% or more.

To my mind this “forecourt” layout is ideal especially on trunk routes and MSA’s as there is plenty of capacity and ability to connect on any vehicle orientation and scope for vehicles that are towing.

Parallel parking type layouts are OK (for now) but will be extremely limited as the BEV vehicle population expands two, five and tenfold from what it is now.

 

The new trade organisation Charge UK (Fastned is a founder member) has pledged £6bn to double the amount of chargers by the end of this year!

 

 

Fastned always has canopies. Other networks should copy them.

 

Fastned always has canopies. Other networks should copy them.

Well it looks like they kept the sunroof off at St Albans. Maybe it was a planning issue or the retail park management weren’t keen….

 

I guess the canopies are one way of signalling where the chargers are located, often without an app it can take some driving around the carpark to work out where they are if its a new location for you

 

Superchargers do have that mystical and reassuring red glow at night I must say 😅

 

It’s taking a helluva long time to get these Fastned station in the UK built. This most recent St Albans station (only 6 charge points / 3 units, and no roof 🙄) has taken virtually 2 years to get built after planning.

Was this down to the site developer or the DNO?

They have another in Bromley (Flamingo Park, Sidcup Bypass) which has been with the local council since May last year. Council deigned an acknowledgment in late March - but still no decision, despite being six weeks overdue on their own determination deadline. Fudging hopeless.

Meanwhile on the continent it’s one new station a week. 🙈

 

It’s taking a helluva long time to get these Fastned station in the UK built. This most recent St Albans station (only 6 charge points / 3 units, and no roof 🙄) has taken virtually 2 years to get built after planning.

Was this down to the site developer or the DNO?

They have another in Bromley (Flamingo Park, Sidcup Bypass) which has been with the local council since May last year. Council deigned an acknowledgment in late March - but still no decision, despite being six weeks overdue on their own determination deadline. Fudging hopeless.

Meanwhile on the continent it’s one new station a week. 🙈

Probably a bit of both - councils are usually hopeless at making decisions in a timely manner while the UK does have a serious issue with adding connection points to the grid which cant help

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/08/uk-green-energy-projects-in-limbo-as-grid-struggles-to-keep-pace

 

Now we just need Fastned Camborne to get finished and connected. This one is roof-less too.

Any local gossip / news / intel / updates on how that's going?