[Varsity]

Hello,

I am taking the Rex to Koln at the weekend and would love to hear from anyone else that has attempted this journey.

I can see that Eurotunnel have the rapid charger and I will be able to fill with petrol just before there, the car is currently doing between 175 and 190 with both systems used. Then a full charge.

Once through the tunnel I will head up the A16, join the E40 and from there turn off at Gent to the E17 on the way to Antwerp. From there head to Aachen and on to Koln.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, as I think I will need to charge around Antwerp then possibly again around Koln. Also any info on the charging points, types and ways to get into the chargers (card or app). I have the charge now service with BMW but am unsure if this is free or not.

Cheers

 

[Simon Hewison]

It'll be worth checking with BMW if ChargeNow cards as provided by Chargemaster in the UK is anywhere near as good as the ChargeNow cards that BMW ship on the mainland, which allow roaming onto multiple charging networks.

If not, then I recommend getting hold of a The New Motion card, and for good measure, a Plugsurfing account.
PlugSurfing - Charge your EV and find Charging Stations
The New Motion - Laadpalen voor elektrische auto's

Both are free, though with Plugsurfing, it costs money (€9.95) if you want a RFID keyfob.

Oh, and if you're filling your rex with dino juice, remember that at some filling stations in Belgium, you need to pre-pay before dispensing volatile hydrocarbons, and that in Germany, don't expect credit cards to be accepted method of payment. Visa, Mastercard and Amex aren't universally accepted

 

[Varsity]

It'll be worth checking with BMW if ChargeNow cards as provided by Chargemaster in the UK is anywhere near as good as the ChargeNow cards that BMW ship on the mainland, which allow roaming onto multiple charging networks.

If not, then I recommend getting hold of a The New Motion card, and for good measure, a Plugsurfing account.
PlugSurfing - Charge your EV and find Charging Stations
The New Motion - Laadpalen voor elektrische auto's

Both are free, though with Plugsurfing, it costs money (€9.95) if you want a RFID keyfob.

Oh, and if you're filling your rex with dino juice, remember that at some filling stations in Belgium, you need to pre-pay before dispensing volatile hydrocarbons, and that in Germany, don't expect credit cards to be accepted method of payment. Visa, Mastercard and Amex aren't universally accepted

Hi and thanks for the reply,

I have ordered and joined both as suggested, but.....can you explain the following please?

International prices electric charging
In the tabel below, you will find the charging rates per country for AC (Alternating Current) charge points. The charging rates are set by the charge point operator and will be invoiced directly to you. Next to these costs, we will charge €0,35 incl. 21% VAT per charging session.

You will find more information on the composition of these costs by clicking here; for more information on DC fast charging (Direct Current) please click here.

This is from the www and I can understand the card is free, but it says that the charge will be made by the charge point operator, which confuses me. Am I missing something as they don't have any details to chare me, unless this comes when the card arrives?

Thanks

 

[Simon Hewison]

When you sign up (with The New Motion), they normally ask for bank details (BIC/IBAN) to set up a direct debit. (Certainly, they have my details set up on file).

For plugsurfing, you can be billed via Paypal.

So yes, neither Plugsurfing or The New Motion charge for membership, but almost every charge point attracts a usage fee, which on the mainland is normally a simple per-kWh, and sometimes a start fee as well. and the fees are typically set by the charge point owners or hosting network.

Unlike the UK, there's normally interoperability between major charging networks, at least across DE/BE/NL/AT/NO/SE/FI/CH/SI.