Newbie here. I am hopefully getting my VW ID.3 at the end of September. It comes with a free allowance of 2000kWh to be used with the IONITY network. I think this includes my local Tesco one mile away. Do I need to rush to install a home charger before I get the car, or will charging when I am out and about be sufficient. I reckon I will be doing 6000 miles per annum.
Is a home charger essential?
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Tesco have a deal with Pod Point, not Ionity, but their chargers are free right now so that won't be an issue.
Take a look at Zap Map to confirm the availability of public chargers in your area.
I have lived without the ability to charge at home for years and have managed just fine in an EV. You shouldn't struggle at all, it will just be a bit easier once you do have home charging sorted out.
Take a look at Zap Map to confirm the availability of public chargers in your area.
I have lived without the ability to charge at home for years and have managed just fine in an EV. You shouldn't struggle at all, it will just be a bit easier once you do have home charging sorted out.
Thanks for that. Trying to cope with my unfounded range anxiety!
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You could use the granny lead presumably. I use a low power one (6 amps) most of the summer to maximise solar charging and it is fine. Provided you have a good quality newish 13 amp socket to plug into - see discussions elsewhere on here about using extension leads.
I really am a newbie! What is a granny lead?
A lead you borrow from your granny 
Sorry.
It's the slowest charging method, a lead with normal domestic 3-pin plug on one end, a safety brick to ensure safety near the plug, and Type-2 connector for your car on the other end. It charges at 10 amp, 2.4 kW AC.
Type 2 AC charging maximum speed depends on your car, most nowadays are 7 kW. Tesco pod-point are these sockets. You'll need to bring your own Type 2 cable (a cable with type 2 plugs on both ends)
CCS DC rapid charging speed depends on your car battery, most chargers can supply 50 kW, Ionity are 150 kW maximum, but that speed only happens for a very short time at low state of charge if your car battery can take the speed.
Sorry.
It's the slowest charging method, a lead with normal domestic 3-pin plug on one end, a safety brick to ensure safety near the plug, and Type-2 connector for your car on the other end. It charges at 10 amp, 2.4 kW AC.
Type 2 AC charging maximum speed depends on your car, most nowadays are 7 kW. Tesco pod-point are these sockets. You'll need to bring your own Type 2 cable (a cable with type 2 plugs on both ends)
CCS DC rapid charging speed depends on your car battery, most chargers can supply 50 kW, Ionity are 150 kW maximum, but that speed only happens for a very short time at low state of charge if your car battery can take the speed.
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I've been coping fine over the past month only using public charging whilst I wait for my home charger to be installed.
Whereabouts in the UK are you? Somebody might be able to give you helpful pointers about local chargers.
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I've had my car over two months now, have a Pod Point installed but unable to use it, (that's a story for another time and place).
So most of my charging has been at Tesco's (7kWh Pod Point - 2hr parking restriction) which is about 3 miles from my house so at least two times a week. I take my wife into work and then on to Tescos and plug in, I take the dog for a longish walk around the surrounding fields, sort of killing two birds with one stone, but in all honesty is becoming a chore. I work weekend shifts for the NHS at a hospital in the next town. Public Transport is not available for my shift times, so the car is essential.
So the answer is yes, but think what you can do with your time for those 1 - 2hrs charging and putting in 20 - 40 miles range. You may well be able to work from your car, I think some others do. I can't.
A home charger is the best solution, I believe.
So most of my charging has been at Tesco's (7kWh Pod Point - 2hr parking restriction) which is about 3 miles from my house so at least two times a week. I take my wife into work and then on to Tescos and plug in, I take the dog for a longish walk around the surrounding fields, sort of killing two birds with one stone, but in all honesty is becoming a chore. I work weekend shifts for the NHS at a hospital in the next town. Public Transport is not available for my shift times, so the car is essential.
So the answer is yes, but think what you can do with your time for those 1 - 2hrs charging and putting in 20 - 40 miles range. You may well be able to work from your car, I think some others do. I can't.
A home charger is the best solution, I believe.
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If you can be a bit more specific as to where in Cheshire people may point you towards your local fast charger some of which are on free vend.
Also there is a NW EV group on Facebook if you are a user.
I certainly wouldnt own an EV without home charging.
Its one of the biggest perks of the car, you come out in the morning and its full. Every morning (if needed ofcourse, dont charge it unless you have to). No need to divert to a petrol station and "fill up".
Having the option to charge publicly for free is great, but theres a completely free rapid charger less than a mile from my house and i've used it perhaps 3 times in several years. Generally that use has been because of an unexpected trip or having forgotten to plug the car in once or twice and needing more range than was left for a longer trip.
If your a low mileage user, you might well get away with a charge once a week with your shopping or whatever, but still, its not all that appealing, and you can be sure there will be inconveniencies like other people using them when you need it.
Its one of the biggest perks of the car, you come out in the morning and its full. Every morning (if needed ofcourse, dont charge it unless you have to). No need to divert to a petrol station and "fill up".
Having the option to charge publicly for free is great, but theres a completely free rapid charger less than a mile from my house and i've used it perhaps 3 times in several years. Generally that use has been because of an unexpected trip or having forgotten to plug the car in once or twice and needing more range than was left for a longer trip.
If your a low mileage user, you might well get away with a charge once a week with your shopping or whatever, but still, its not all that appealing, and you can be sure there will be inconveniencies like other people using them when you need it.
Agree 100%
If you're only averaging 115 miles/ week, and have a reasonably reliable public charger nearby that you can visit once a week, then you can comfortably cope without a home charger.
But it's a hell of a lot more convenient to have one, and to know that it will be always available, doesn't need a special visit. And if you need to do a long journey, you know you can set off with 100%.
Try if for a month or two without and see whether you'd value the convenience.
While many will decry our approach, we have managed perfectly well with just using the granny lead a couple of times a week to support our 5k miles per annum over the last couple of years. Only used public charging once because we had to for range and a few more times just for practice. Public charging is an unnecessary inconvenience for our car usage profile. A proper home charger would be good/better, but is clearly unnecessary. We installed a new external socket on its own MCB to use with the granny lead when we bought the car.
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236 Posts
I had a home charger installed over 12 months ago, I finally got an EV this April. I've used the home charger twice, once to check it worked and once for the novelty.
As I think someone says above it entirely depends on your local network and/or what's available on your commute.
12 months ago there were zero rapid 50kwh chargers near my house or on my 15mile commute, now there are 9 and 5 of them are free to use until October 2021 (hence me tight arse not using my home charger).
Obviously with a home back up it's easy for me to be flippant about relying on public chargers, but I def would be confident to cope on the public chargers in my local area
I would also agree with the convenience thing above as well, if I had a very busy home/work life then I think I wouldn't be using the free public chargers quite so often...
As I think someone says above it entirely depends on your local network and/or what's available on your commute.
12 months ago there were zero rapid 50kwh chargers near my house or on my 15mile commute, now there are 9 and 5 of them are free to use until October 2021 (hence me tight arse not using my home charger).
Obviously with a home back up it's easy for me to be flippant about relying on public chargers, but I def would be confident to cope on the public chargers in my local area
I would also agree with the convenience thing above as well, if I had a very busy home/work life then I think I wouldn't be using the free public chargers quite so often...
Knutsford.
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I live in a flat so can't have a home charger. I've had my MG for all of 10 days and I've used the charger at Tesco several times, a free rapid charger a 10 minute drive from me, a free charger in a shopping centre and a PAYG rapid charger. And so far so good. Maybe it will become irritating once the honeymoon period is over...
As for when you come up to Scotland there is an Ionity charger in Perth, there is one being built in Glasgow and there is also one in Gretna Green
As for when you come up to Scotland there is an Ionity charger in Perth, there is one being built in Glasgow and there is also one in Gretna Green
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