So... yet another EV charging network, meaning yet another RFID card and probably in most cases another monthly or annual subscription required. Also, yet another mobile phone app and another website for checking when route-planning. Then yet again the familiar belief that a rock-solid back-end means that there can't be any comms issues and mobile phone or other systems are 100% reliable and work just as well at midnight in a damp underground car park as they do in the lab. Add to this the chances that the phoneline will be running 24/7 and able to help...? Q-Park manage 73 car parks in the UK it seems so it is difficult to see how you could make enough to man the line out of hours.
New Charging network launching with Q Park UK
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.
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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Really? So every charger on the network will be polled by every phone user every two seconds? Wow!!http://www.franklinenergy.co.uk/smart-phone-app/ said:The smart phone app communicates with our back office via the cloud, sending a signal to each charging point every 2 seconds to check its status.
You know what my biggest worry about 22kW chargers is?
Very few cars can use them, but it is the perfect way to justify a huge price. £3.30 per hour to charge? Yes, but you could get a full 22kWh in that time so it is only 15p per kWh... but then most will probably only charge at 3.3kW so will be paying £1 per kWh... or if I stay for 72 minutes... I pay £6 and get less than 4kWh, so am paying about £1.50 per kWh.
Very few cars can use them, but it is the perfect way to justify a huge price. £3.30 per hour to charge? Yes, but you could get a full 22kWh in that time so it is only 15p per kWh... but then most will probably only charge at 3.3kW so will be paying £1 per kWh... or if I stay for 72 minutes... I pay £6 and get less than 4kWh, so am paying about £1.50 per kWh.
Hang on.... you paid £48 to park! Wouldn't it have been cheaper to go by taxi?I am a novice or rookie when it comes to my PHEV, so when I visited Liverpool I prepaid and booked a space at the Liverpool One parking facility so that I could use the charging facilities onsite run by Franklin Energy there I had full expectation to use it. However as a newbie I was not aware that I had to provide a charging cable as well as all the other chargers I have used previously were the rapid chargers (with attached cables). It cost me £48.00 for the period of parking and I was unable to use the charging station, so a waste of money as I could have I was not told by either Franklin Energy or Q Park that a cable was required. There are posters around Liverpool One advertising the charging stations, but no mention of a required cable ( for novices like me). Emails complaining were sent on my return but not the responses I would have expected......
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