I'm going from leaf to Zoe as well.. but I don't think we need to worry there already lots of AC type 2 and it's not like they removing them and switching them to DC is it.

so don't panic !!

 

There are lots of AC Type 2, But not many Rapid AC 43kw Type 2s in reality.. If the trend going forward is to not have them on rapid chargers I see that as a big problem for anyone who needs to rapid chage a lot

 

The new Shell charger near Derby has Chademo, CCS, and Type 2.
Only one DC connector can be used at one time, but the Type2 can be used while one DC lead is being used.

Hence Type 2 here is an advantage.

Charging for charging has stopped PHEVs anyway, they were only interested in freeloading and saving income tax !!!!

 

Charging for charging has stopped PHEVs anyway, they were only interested in freeloading and saving income tax !!!!

You are so right. When the Electric Highway was free, my only thought was to spend half an hour at an MSA to save 25p. How did you work me out?

 

Tax Dodge PHEVs

@Dodge I'll dodge this one

 

... I do a lot of miles and rely on Rapids almost every day. If this starts to spread from Instavolt (and the company installing Rapids at Halfords) to other networks I would be left with a paperweight car and with the current high depreciation becoming lead balloon....

The information I have seen implies that the Halfords' rapids will be triple-headed, CCS CHAdeMO and Type 2 AC Halfords Autocentres & ChargePoint Services Partner at Fleet Management Live - ChargePoint Services .

Chargepoint Genie have 92 locations on Zap-map, all of which have Type 2, and only 44 have CCS and CHAdeMO.

 

Charging for charging has stopped PHEVs anyway

Not on Polar Plus as they just pay per kWh. Is a serious concern I have, especially as many new chargers are at hotels. It won't be long before someone can't get a rapid because a PHEV has been left connected overnight.

I have emailed Chargemaster suggesting they don't allow AC charging to start (on rapid) unless the car signals it can take 10kW or more. As a previous B250e driver I feel they should be allowed, but that level stops all PHEVs.

 

Generally with the Polar Ultrachargers there are two marked bays, and I've noticed that the chargers tend to have timeouts of an hour or so on a session (IMO all rapids should have this), so generally you can just park next door and charge anyway.

But it is annoying!

Regarding Type 2 rapid charging; it does cause some problems with PHEVs and slow charging cars, but it's not going anywhere anytime soon. All the networks apart from Instavolt (who are tiny in reality) are now installing triple-head chargers by default and I don't see that changing any time soon. Instavolt are doing what they're doing because the Triton chargers they chose to install are DC only, so they haven't got a choice about AC.

 

You are so right. When the Electric Highway was free, my only thought was to spend half an hour at an MSA to save 25p. How did you work me out?

And to get the best parking space, so advoid the walk from the car to the door.....

 

Betamax failed as it cost a video rental shop double to have both Betamax and VHS, and people wished to be able to rent any film. (Sony also prevented some types of film being sold on Betamax that did not help.)

It costs very little addition to provide a high powered AC connection at a charging site, and car owners don’t need to be able to charge at every charger on a site.

But there MUST be a per minute cost of using a charger, otherwise slow to charge cars will block them, while the provider makes no profit from the per kwh charge. Without a profit, addational rapid chargers will not be installed.

Personally if I had a i3, I would keep it for as long as possible, as the other options are only going to get better with time……..

 

Have seen a few new Type 2 - 22kwh posts installed which are not as fast as rapid (Q90 ) but for a R90 pretty fast.

 

I found a few 22KW posts at a sainsburys and they were faster than the chargegenie rapid I used - and infact EH too and they were free.

 

I met a Tesla model S owner on Saturday who connected to an Ecotricity charger using the Type 2 plug. I gather the Model S can charge at 16.5kW from a 3 phase supply. The charger was on free vend and I had just given up on it as it was repeatedly cutting out once my car had got to 85% causing my car go temporarily give the error message Charging Impossible. It must be an expensive way to get 20 miles extra range in the few minutes he was at the services.

 

Model S will most likely charge at maximum 11kW on Type 2, although some early models were specified with a rare option for dual chargers which enabled 22kW, which is no longer available.

I assume that either they’re an Ecotricity energy customer and this only paying the electricity charge, not the connection fee. Alternatively, if you can afford a £65,000+ car you can probably afford the odd £5 for fuel now and again.

 

Have seen a few new Type 2 - 22kwh posts installed which are not as fast as rapid (Q90 ) but for a R90 pretty fast.

Me too. I've been using them and so far I've found all the free ones too. Absolutely great (for the price too ), often the car is done charging before I'm finished eating. I'd like to see all commercial 7kWs go 22kW. I'm not really bothered about anything above 22kW as an R90 owner and I find they tend to charge a premium for everything above that anyway.

 

Found this Graph on ZapMap and This : How many charge points are there in the UK 2017

 

Why not just have a minual usage charge per minute that is set at the rate a driver taking 20kw would pay?

(So if the car takes less the 20kw in any minute, that minute's usage is rounded up to 20kw.)

 

Or a £10 per hour charge for every hour after the first 65 minutes on a rapid, like ChargePoint Genie...

Of course, for destination chargers, no such fee is necessary.

 

Agree an addational charge after the first hour on a Rapid is also needed, I think £10 is too low, and that £50 would be better. With a requirement that the car must be moved and driven round the carpark before being reconnected, so letting anyone in the charging queue get some power.

 

I think it's unfair to have a minimum price per unit of time - this actively punishes people who may have a genuine need to charge to a high SOC or at a low rate.

I also think it's unfair to actively punish people for plugging back in when there might not be anybody waiting at all - in fact based in my experience, there almost never is. I can't think of any vehicle that couldn't get enough charge in an hour to continue their journey.

 

I'd have thought that 49p / kWh would be high enough to make it more economic for a PHEV to use the ICE.

 

That generally happens at 30-35p/kWh I believe...depends on what sort of vehicle it is though.

 

The information I have seen implies that the Halfords' rapids will be triple-headed, CCS CHAdeMO and Type 2 AC Halfords Autocentres & ChargePoint Services Partner at Fleet Management Live - ChargePoint Services .

Chargepoint Genie have 92 locations on Zap-map, all of which have Type 2, and only 44 have CCS and CHAdeMO.

They have confirmed they will have type2 and it will be limit d to 22kw also it’s a socket so bring your own cable rather than a tethered cable for th3 type 2 there is a photo of th3 unit floating around showing the unit. Not a lot of use limiting type2 to 22kw

 

Found this Graph on ZapMap and This : How many charge points are there in the UK 2017

You'd expect rapid DC to be double Rapid AC! Rapid DC includes Chademo and CCS combined. Rather than correctly measuring them individually.

 

Why’s that? There are still plenty of double head CHAdeMo + AC that haven’t been matched by a CCS, and pretty much everything now is triple head, so it’ll never be exactly double.

 

There are two rapid chargers at Ikea Sheffield
One has : Rapid AC ,Chademo and CCS
The other : Chademo and CCS only

but noticed on Zapmap it says AC 22kw
Ecotricity says 1x AC Rapid
I Used this charger other day but was only there 30 mins

 

The Rollout of Rapids with no Type2 Is gaining momentum. As people push for PHEVs to be blocked from Rapids this will only increase.

I honestly think the Rapid Charge days for the Zoe are looking numbered.

Planning applications have been made for the installation of DC rapid chargers at Bannatyne Health Clubs at the following locatons:

Redland Road, Bristol
Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich
Newport, South Wales - Close to M4 South Wales
Chafford Hundred, Essex
Bramley, Rotherham - Very close to Jct 1, M18
Burton upon Trent - Very close to A38
Shrewsbury - Near to A5
Colchester
Wakefield - Near to M1, Jct 41
Skelmersdale - Near to M58, Jct 4
Worksop - Near to A1M, A57

Most of them appear to be for two parking bays with one Chargepoint Express 250 at each bay (Skelmersdale is for one only) with public access.

DC only NO type 2 AC charging cables

 

The other solution is to only install posts that can do AC & DC at the same time. How many of the current Zoes are genuinely rapid capable and not the slower 22kw charging ones?

 

For me I cant live with 22kw only charging up and down the M1 3 days a week, I cant take the risk of this going forward

Looks like I will have to dump my Zoe Order and lose my deposit. Will Future Proof and get an order in for a New 40Kw Leaf early next year, So the i3 Rex can take up the slack for another 6 months.

£19k is too much to gamble on a car on a fading charge standard.

 

Renault really muddied the waters by bringing out the 22kW charging Zoe, I've no idea why they did this, possibly that 22kW is fine for how most European users use the car around cities and they could save some money over the Continental motor.

It's a moot point in the long term as Renault and Nissan are moving to a joint platform which will be DC charging.

 

Not surprising that you can get a brand new, fully-owned 40 for a shade over £16k OTR then.

EDIT: That's for a Zoe i Dynamique Nav.

 

From where?

 

I noticed over the last few months on the Lidl pod point Rapids.
There seems to be a problem with what looks like when a EV is charging using CCS, if they don't stop the charge using the stop icon button on the Rapids screen.
The machine may go down causing a fault on all other charger cables

Anyone else noticed this?

 

Ian Sampson managed to get a Q40 "i" for a bit over the £16K mark if I'm remembering correctly, possibly dealership trying to hit targets.

 

Prices for a rapid "i" are now slightly over £17k

 

Video details here

Details of where he got it in the Description.

Garage where Ian Sampson purchased from is Renault Gloucester - Give them a call: 01452 782861 say Ian sent you (Ask for Ben or Gorgie). Deal he got was CASH Purchase, i version (you buy the entire car).
£16,000 in white OTR