[kentish zoe]

Paul - from 010812 - "Don't join Source London though. Instead join the new POLAR scheme. It is the same price at just £10 per year and it gives you automatic membership of Source London, but also Source East, Milton Keynes, and the National POLAR network including all the Little Chef locations."
No need to pay £10 per year. Just join source east as that covers london as well and then if need be you can join the PAYG Polar network too.

Do you know if this still applies with their new charging systems & mobile app?

 

[millermilla]

Sorry just to clarify as I'm confused. I have a type 2 cable for my Ampera so I have been using the Polar chargers at 16A while away from home. Can I use the Ecotricity chargers at the service stations using the cable? On the Ecotricity website it only lists the Ampera on the 22KW medium chargers.

 

[fenlander]

Sorry just to clarify as I'm confused. I have a type 2 cable for my Ampera so I have been using the Polar chargers at 16A while away from home. Can I use the Ecotricity chargers at the service stations using the cable? On the Ecotricity website it only lists the Ampera on the 22KW medium chargers.

No, at least not unless you modify the cable (which there is a great deal of debate about.)

Type 2 sockets and plugs on cables look like they should mate, but are designed not to, so you can't plug your Type 2 cable into the Type 2 cable on the rapid chargers, even though it looks like it should fit.

There are good safety reasons for this [insert debate here], but it also discourages slow 16A charging on rapid chargers, which is largely a good thing.

 

[millermilla]

This is the cable I have so just to confirm one end is J1772 (car end) and the other is Type 2 Mennekes? (charger end).

I have previously tried the cable in an Ecotricity charger at Beaconsfield SVS M40 and the cable seemed to fit the socket perfectly. Are the contacts inside different?

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Can I use the Ecotricity chargers at the service stations using the cable?

No. The plug and socket are designed not to fit together. They look like they should but it is not permitted to extend the AC tethered cable. Some people have modified their own cable so it does fit but it isn't a good idea as they will not be held together properly making it unsafe.

 

[AndyG]

This is the cable I have so just to confirm one end is J1772 (car end) and the other is Type 2 Mennekes? (charger end).

I have previously tried the cable in an Ecotricity charger at Beaconsfield SVS M40 and the cable seemed to fit the socket perfectly. Are the contacts inside different?

Forgetting about the safety bit for a second, I own a Volt so don't take this the wrong way. To a plug an Ampera/Volt into a Rapid and take 3hrs to gain 50miles of range is IMO completetly the wrong thing to do and to plug in for 30 mins to get 8 miles is just a waste of time. Ecotricity do have a few fast chargers left but they a being phased out.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

@millermilla this thread documents the Type 2 cable modification and debate;

https://speakev.com/threads/charging-tesla-roadster-at-60a-on-ac-rapids.2406/

Some users have developed a locking mechanism for the cables to prevent separation and extensive tests have been undertaken. Unfortunately you won't find that documented on Speak EV because of the negative reaction from some forum members (read the thread and I think you'll understand).

Having said that it's possible, I agree with @AndyG that we do not really want 'slow' cars blocking a rapid charger. However, given you contributed to the networks funding it really is your call

"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family" - Kofi Annan

 

[millermilla]

Forgetting about the safety bit for a second, I own a Volt so don't take this the wrong way. To a plug an Ampera/Volt into a Rapid and take 3hrs to gain 50miles of range is IMO completetly the wrong thing to do and to plug in for 30 mins to get 8 miles is just a waste of time. Ecotricity do have a few fast chargers left but they a being phased out.

You are quite right, I was just curious. I've just had a read through the other thread........Can of worms! I don't think I will be in a hurry to start modifying my nice new charge cable.

The charging time difference between cars is interesting. There seems to be an ever increasing fleet of Mitsubishi PHEV's at work and only 1 Chargemaster post. My colleague has a Prius plug in which only takes about 1.5hrs to charge off the type 2 cable so once he's charged we swap over and both cars are usually fully charged by about 13:30 each day meanwhile one of the PHEV's hogs the charger all day on a 3 pin plug and even when I leave work around 4pm it seems to have only taken about 9kWH. Do PHEV's have different charge rates like the Ampera?

 

[Edd Beesley]

That's about all the outlander will take, should be about 3 hours to charge. Sounds like the driver just doesn't want anyone else to have a shot on the charger!