[Bikerchickone]

Help please! I have my Leaf Tekna with 6.6 charger arriving on 20th September. Had a call this morning from Chargemaster asking about what I want to have installed. From reading other people's threads I've seen people favouring the Rolec 32A type 2 socketed charger many times. Please can anyone tell me if this is suitable for my car and why it's the one to go for? I like to understand what I'm doing although I've long forgotten everything I learnt at school about electricity

If anyone can help me it would be much appreciated, thank you

 

[flipper]

Ignore the "Rolec" part - that's a brand/model, Chargemaster will fit their own model.

32A type-2 socket is probably perfect, as you'll receive a type1-type2 cable with your car. However, it does mean you have to get the cable out of the car every time you want to charge (and put it away afterwards). In the rain/wind the cable will get wet and dirty...

You may wish to go with a 32A tethered type1 model (if they still do them!) as that means the cable is permanently attached to the charger and you just connect it to your car (and leave your cable in the boot). The downside of this is that type-1 is not being used on the cars currently being launched (e-Golf etc.) and it's likely that when you replace your Leaf, the new car with have a type-2 socket, which means youll have to get the connector changed.

(For me, I find the tether much more convenient. In the future, I will arrange for a competent electrician to replace the connector if necessary).

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I am curious... how did Chargemaster get your details? Seems a bit strange...

Whether you go for a tethered cable or a socket is a personal choice. The tethered means that you don't have to constantly disconnect and reconnect the cable particularly important in winter but you could always buy an extra type 2 to type 1 cable... only about £150 now.

Having a socket means other EV owners can use your charger if they bring their own cable. It also means that if you change your EV to one with a different connector you just buy a new cable.

IMO a socket is the better option but I would buy a second cable and leave it connected.... making it effectively tethered

 

[Bikerchickone]

Ignore the "Rolec" part - that's a brand/model, Chargemaster will fit their own model.

32A type-2 socket is probably perfect, as you'll receive a type1-type2 cable with your car. However, it does mean you have to get the cable out of the car every time you want to charge (and put it away afterwards). In the rain/wind the cable will get wet and dirty...

You may wish to go with a 32A tethered type1 model (if they still do them!) as that means the cable is permanently attached to the charger and you just connect it to your car (and leave your cable in the boot). The downside of this is that type-1 is not being used on the cars currently being launched (e-Golf etc.) and it's likely that when you replace your Leaf, the new car with have a type-2 socket, which means youll have to get the connector changed.

(For me, I find the tether much more convenient. In the future, I will arrange for a competent electrician to replace the connector if necessary).

Thanks Flipper, that's very helpful. I'm not too worried about having to put the cable away wet and dirty, I'm a horsey bod so we're used to all kinds of wet and dirty in our cars. I've got rubber mats and a boot liner specifically because of this! HUbby will like the idea of having the most future proof so we probably will go with that, even though I think we're going to be moving soon anyway! Here's to hoping they will extend the funding! It's good to understand the reasoning behind these decisions though, thank you

 

[Bikerchickone]

I am curious... how did Chargemaster get your details? Seems a bit strange...

Whether you go for a tethered cable or a socket is a personal choice. The tethered means that you don't have to constantly disconnect and reconnect the cable particularly important in winter but you could always buy an extra type 2 to type 1 cable... only about £150 now.

Having a socket means other EV owners can use your charger if they bring their own cable. It also means that if you change your EV to one with a different connector you just buy a new cable.

IMO a socket is the better option but I would buy a second cable and leave it connected.... making it effectively tethered

Hi Paul, it's fine, I filled in one of their forms to inquire about an installation on their website last week. Was getting slightly concerned as I hadn't heard anything and the car is due in 10 sleeps! (Sorry excitement creeping in there!) I will definitely look into another cable as that seems to be the perfect solution, thank you

 

[Martin Roberts]

I can pick up my Leaf Visia+ on friday and I got a tethered 30A connector fitted by British Gas http://www.britishgas.co.uk/products-and-services/energy-saving/electric-vehicles.html
cost £214, hope that helps.

 

[mfs1011]

I went the untethered BG 30amp route. Definitely go untethered as you may one day acquire an i3, eGolf or Tesla etc. Further suggest you look at a Pod Point untethered charger. I had quality issues with my install and the hardware that required a lot of chasing to resolve. Aethetically the Pod Point looks better than a Rolec IMV. Good luck!

 

[Bikerchickone]

Thank you all very much for the advice. I'll ask about pod point and probably will go socketed with the 30 amp version roll on the 20th!

Oh and my ecotricity card arrived today big grin. I feel like I'm on the way

 

[leave]

ChargeMaster!? Argh!! Run for the hills!!

 

[Bikerchickone]

ChargeMaster!? Argh!! Run for the hills!!

Oh dear, why? I've just had a very helpful young man called Gary on the phone offering to fit a 30 amp type 2 socketed pod point tomorrow. What's wrong with that? £95 cost to do the upgrade but I thought that was standard? Sadly neither of us can be here tomorrow or next Thursday so we've booked it for the 25th, but the car doesn't arrive til the 20th so I'm quite pleased with that. Just hope nothing goes wrong!

 

[flipper]

Oh dear, why? I've just had a very helpful young man called Gary on the phone offering to fit a 30 amp type 2 socketed pod point tomorrow. What's wrong with that? £95 cost to do the upgrade but I thought that was standard? Sadly neither of us can be here tomorrow or next Thursday so we've booked it for the 25th, but the car doesn't arrive til the 20th so I'm quite pleased with that. Just hope nothing goes wrong!

Chargemaster's name is mud because of their - at least in most people's opinion - excessive pricing for public charging, especially in Milton Keynes.

However, they do seem to be pretty efficient when it comes to fitting the home chargers and they didn't increase prices when the new grant scheme started.

 

[Bikerchickone]

Chargemaster's name is mud because of their - at least in most people's opinion - excessive pricing for public charging, especially in Milton Keynes.

However, they do seem to be pretty efficient when it comes to fitting the home chargers and they didn't increase prices when the new grant scheme started.

Ah I see! Well from my point of view at least it isn't because their home chargers are rubbish!

 

[Julian Thomas]

I'm on my 3rd Chargemaster/Polar charge point at home. The first two died and were replaced. Don't know if anyone else has experience this with them?

 

[AndyG]

I'm on my 3rd Chargemaster/Polar charge point at home. The first two died and were replaced. Don't know if anyone else has experience this with them?

18 months and still on the first Chargemaster point

 

[John2]

I am going down the tethered route. I am male and sixtyish so I don't worry about future proofing. You could always ask Nissan for their opinion?
32A for your Leaf is fine, subject to survey etc

 

[GBEV]

If it is a Podpoint and not polar? You should have no problems hopefully.
Polar and Chargemaster are the same.
Podpoint is a much under rated far better appliance IMHO.
Good luck with whoever though. Let us know what happens on the day

 

[Bikerchickone]

I'm on my 3rd Chargemaster/Polar charge point at home. The first two died and were replaced. Don't know if anyone else has experience this with them?

Oh dear, I hope that doesn't happen to us - do they come with a warranty?

18 months and still on the first Chargemaster point

That makes me feel slightly better!

I am going down the tethered route. I am male and sixtyish so I don't worry about future proofing. You could always ask Nissan for their opinion?
32A for your Leaf is fine, subject to survey etc

Hubby wants future proofing so I must do as I am told! Well sometimes anyway!

If it is a Podpoint and not polar? You should have no problems hopefully.
Polar and Chargemaster are the same.
Podpoint is a much under rated far better appliance IMHO.
Good luck with whoever though. Let us know what happens on the day

Allegedly going to be a pod point, we shall see on the day!

 

[Wowbagger]

I've got one of the British Gas ones. It has been working fine since it was fitted on 29th April.

 

[kentish zoe]

The Rolec unit is nice because it is of modular design so should be easy to upgrade but it is probably not an option from Chargemaster. We got ours direct from Rolecserv under the grant.

 

[leave]

The Rolec unit is nice because it is of modular design so should be easy to upgrade but it is probably not an option from Chargemaster. We got ours direct from Rolecserv under the grant.

I was just going to say the same thing. I'll add that if the Rolec unit has problems, there are three 'chunks' of kit in there (plus 1 near your meter) that can easily be sourced and replaced by an electrician (or DIY if you have the skills) rather than a single integrated 'lump' like the ChargeMaster/Polar/new Podpoint units. This was important to me as I expect I'll be keeping the unit for many years to come. After 12 months I doubt CM will be interested in keeping it working and the cost of these things is horrendous....

Or put in another way, having an EV is partly an eco driven (pardon the pun) choice. Chucking away £1000 charging units every couple years doesn't seem that environmentally friendly... Changing a £50 part if it breaks down or a £100 lead/socket if I change car makes much more sense...