[PTM101]

TfGM have confirmed on Twitter that 3 public rapid chargers will now be installed by the end of May, the previous deadline, 31st March has been extended.

Does anybody know the locations of the 3 public rapid chargers? 2 additional chargers will be in City Centre for private use by busses and taxis. I understand that the much rumoured Trafford Centre charger is not happening due to lack of suitable electrical infrastructure, and also that Manchester Airport is not interested in hosting a rapid or 32A charger. The Etihad stadium, and somewhere in Salford is all I have been able to find out so far, regarding the public rapid chargers.

The new 32A posts have started to appear, we came across one at Housing Units, and one at Fairfield Hospital in Bury, has anybody seen others? If it's going to be May before they publish the locations, it would be crazy to leave them unused.

 

[Talon]

Sorry, I don't have a clue where the rapid chargers may be located.

However, it is good to know that the phase 2 rollout is underway, even if that simply means another batch of 32A chargers. Might have to visit Housing Units once I acquire my Leaf.

It would be a shame if they didn't publish the new locations soon, but I guess they'll have one job pencilled in as soon as all the charging points are installed.

 

[Steven Barrett]

Sorry, I don't have a clue where the rapid chargers may be located.

However, it is good to know that the phase 2 rollout is underway, even if that simply means another batch of 32A chargers. Might have to visit Housing Units once I acquire my Leaf.

It would be a shame if they didn't publish the new locations soon, but I guess they'll have one job pencilled in as soon as all the charging points are installed.

We used an ecolectric fast charger at IKEA Ashton u Lyne Saturday then a 7kw one in the NCP car park Church Street Manchester. Came over from Halifax in our Leaf Tekna to shop at the Arndale. We dont have anything like GMEV over in Yorkshire, just the Nissan dealers and ecotricity stations at the Moto Services. Nothing at Birch or Hartshead Moor services and nothing in Leeds, looks like the low carbon directive has passed Leeds by !. We have a 13amp podpoint at Sainsburys in Halifax, its been bust for the past month!

 

[Steven Barrett]

Re Manchester Airport not having rapid chargers. Thats typical of quite a few 'me too' businesses & politicians, all on the band wagon hoping for a big fat EU grant then put it on a back burner and wait for the next sound bite to take advantage of. Obviously not enough gravy on this particular train for some. We need more GMEV's & more Dean's owner of evotricity & less of these professional wafflers

 

[PTM101]

After phase 2 (30 - 50 more Type 2 32A + 3 public rapids, 2 private rapids to be installed by end of May) that's it for GMEV. There is no more funding and no more plans to expand the network further for the foreseeable future. I understand that TfGM have had difficult job convincing business's to sign up. Which is why I guess a significant number of phase 2 posts have ended up in hospital grounds. They presented a case to the airport, they said no.

There will be more rapid chargers through out the region, as part of the TEN-T project. Hopefully they will be in by the end of 2014. Ecotricity is the only provider that has stepped up to negotiate contracts with the hosts, and to install and maintain the chargers, which will be funded by the EU and Nissan.

 

[Steven Barrett]

Businesses will sign up once they see the EV 'carriage trade' shopping at their competitors shops & stores. More chargers or more empty shops learn the lesson of giving the customer what they want or else !

 

[PTM101]

It's true, our spend at the Trafford Centre has dramatically increased. I have also spent more on the high street than online in the last 6 months of EV ownership, which was unexpected.

It helps that the Trafford Centre is very reliable for charging. After a shakey start they responded really well to criticism, and now actively ensure the EV bays remain ICE free, by maintaining signs and cones. Sadly, I've returned from lunch on a couple of occassions to find a Leaf driver has driven off without putting the cone back! Housing Units have said they too well be buying cones and keeping their bays free. The local council's except Manchester and Trafford are also encouraging people to buy EV's by providing free parking while charging, which I feel should be commended.

 

[Steven Barrett]

Housing units ?. Is that a shop ?. We have used Trafford once but didnt like heading over from Halifax without a fast charger being available. Next time we will come over if the services get an ecotricity fast charger otherwise we will stick to Meadowhall as Woolley Edge services is on the way up & down so plenty of coverage. We are going to attempt Northampton next weekend, Moto services all the way !.

 

[PTM101]

Housing Units is a shop yes, North of Manchester near Oldham.

From Rochdale to Halifax uses about 30%, and it's about the same again to The Trafford Centre, so about 60%, allowing for the climb over the sumit. With 12 x 32A posts coned off, and a 6.6kWh charger you should be full in just over 2 hours, or would certainly have plenty of charge to get home in an hour. No need to sit around waiting for a rapid charger, and considerably fewer worries about a rapid being out of service!

 

[Steven Barrett]

Yes PTM101 its a thought. The fast chargers are all being upgraded as the evotricity guys realise there's an issue. so hopefully this bug will be sorted out once and for all. We will be over in the next month or so to Trafford again but now we know where the fast charger at IKEA Ashton is we rather like the idea of shopping in Manchester town. In a few years we'll look back at this blog site and wonder what all the fuss was about as everyone will have an EV in their household and the bit issue will be getting enough power at home at night to charge them all !.