[IanT]

So I think I have a contender for the UK's most pointless charging location.

You can't even officially park near it as they have hashed out the ground near it, the other side has 'GIVEWAY' written on the ground.

This is 'Green Park - Business Park, Reading' Chargemaster point.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

here's a recent one from IKEA Wembley (Source London) via EV Driver Blog

 

[cjm_2013]

IMO, most of the chargemaster posts are pointless - if they're accessible, they will be ICEd. What a shocking waste of time and money.

 

[IanT]

I've got fed up reporting broken / non working posts to ChargeMaster. I phone them and send a tweet but they never seem to fix them or take the issue seriously!

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

IMO, most of the chargemaster posts are pointless - if they're accessible, they will be ICEd. What a shocking waste of time and money.

Can't agree with this more

 

[PRO-AMPERA]

I phone Chargemaster once a week (on first name terms now) and still do not get anywhere with getting posts fixed!!!

 

[IanT]

So how do ChargeMaster make money? Is it all from government? Is it from usage statistics of their charging infrastructure?

 

[cjm_2013]

I could be wrong, but I believe it is/was in the form of an up-front grant (members of the EVDA / OLEV board could clarify this?).I think the government have already paid out. But due to a serious flaw in the planning, once the post is installed, the maintenance liability lies with the owner of the land where the post is sited. The impression that I get is that they've taken the money and washed their hands of the whole thing.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

So how do ChargeMaster make money? Is it all from government? Is it from usage statistics of their charging infrastructure?

From government grants and as OLEV have no performance minima, well, they say they have but they don't enforce it, so once they have installed the charging stations and got their money from OLEV then there is no incentive to maintain the network.

It is all an appalling waste of taxpayers money... hundreds of millions of taxpayers money!

 

[brian orr]

218[/ATTACH]

I know this post -it's one of Chargemaster's 'new style' fat posts.
What's amazing is that it's in an empty car park adjacent to an empty office block. It's not convenient to anything - shops, parks etc.
However, I does charge must faster than the Ecotricity post on the same complex.
On the subject of reporting faults, I was a regular making reports using the Polar App (IPad) - but there was no evidence that reports, we're ever read, or actioned.
All said - as long as they provide free charging - they are providing a great service!

 

[IanT]

@brian orr - The Ecotricity post is pretty cool, beneath the wind turbine! One good thing about that ChargeMaster post, you can guarantee it will always be available.

 

[brian orr]

Hey IanT, I reckon that the Ecotricity post is exclusively mine! I've had no competition in 9 months! Now you are muscelling in!
Only joking - if you see a silver IMiev we are probably having coffee in Costco!
I trust you are aware of Readings plans for 3 Rapids and several Fast chargers. Wokingham will add 5 more Rapids, this year (A329M and A33 will be very handy!

 

[IanT]

Brian tell me more. I live in Woodley and I'm not aware of these plans, do you know their proposed locations?