New Charging network launching with Q Park UK

29575 Views 219 Replies 53 Participants Last post by Simon Wardle, Aug 24, 2016

Robert Byrne

Discussion Starter · Dec 7, 2015

I am pleased to announce that we have recently come to an agreement with Q Park to supply, install and operate fast (22KW) charging points across their 60 car parks. The new network will launch in February 2016, starting in Liverpool ONE and Manchester First st car parks. The network will be payable and users can access the network through our customer web portal, telephone and RFID cards (subscription only). The network will be the first in the UK to offer a one off payment at point service and this will be available through our web portal.

I look forward to receiving drivers comments and advice on the network. We anticipate initially installing 2 charging points per location.

Many thanks.

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Jools

· #19 · Dec 8, 2015

Price is key.......

We have a BEV and a PHEV

We currently have free car park charging in Plymouth and Exeter, thanks to PodPoint and the local councils

If we are in the Leaf, and a charger is free then we will top up - we need about 50% to get back from Exeter, and 30% to get there....... So a round trip is possible without a charge, but it reduces the stress levels!

With the Golf GTE, we will be nearly empty on arrival, so to keep EV'ing, we will need a charge.

The leaf charges at 32A, and has a 24KWh battery
The GTE charges at 16A, and has a 9KWh battery

If the charge is by KW, then the charges will be fair
"Admin" charges make short charges ridiculously expensive.

I used to use a Polar instant near to work for 30min charges whilst I was shopping - their £1.20 charge makes this uneconomic, I might as well just use the ICE in the GTE.

Getting the pricing right, and making them easy to use is key to having a system that is well used. It's pointless installing them just to have them stand idle.

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Jools

· #27 · Dec 8, 2015

For long stay car parks - for commuters, who will leave their car for 8 hours+, then lots of standard 13a sockets is all that's needed

For short stay "shopper" car parks, where you leave your car for 3-4 hours, then 32a chargers are ideal (some cars will only charge at 16a anyway)

Rapids are not ideally suited for car parks - much better to be at transport hubs like services, where you only stop for 30 mins anyway.

I was in the Plymouth city car park at the weekend, which has both fast and rapid charging. The 7kw PodPoint (free) was being used by two vehicles (both PHEV's) - I didn't see anyone using the rapid (fee payable)

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Jools

· #34 · Dec 9, 2015

Working it out for my GTE........

A full charge is 7.2Kw (I measured it tonight).......

So if it's empty then a charge at the suggested rate would be £1.80

Why not just include this in the charge for the car park - I'd probably happily pay £2 extra to park in a car park with "free" chargepoints, than to park in an alternative car park with none.

If you take the car park as a whole, with hundreds of spaces, increase the charge by 10p for everyone, and you will have paid for the install and the electricity in no time - and you just need simple basic charge points.

The car park op needs to think of it as an incentive to get EV'ers using their car park. Before I would often try and use free on street parking with my ice, I'm now happy to pay to use a car park which has "free" charge points

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