[Surrey Plum]

I am a bit puzzled by these.

I had a look at one in Hampstead yesterday. It had a type 1 socket on a retractable lead and a type 2 un-tethered connector on the post. A notice said it could only charge one car at a time, but not clear if this was to do with parking restrictions or what? I also found the tethered type 1 lead was not long enough to reach the front of my van, as the post was by the rear wheel of the van when it was parked correctly in the marked bay on a one way street.

Have all the older dual type 2 posts - which could have charged 2 cars - been replaced by one of these?

Or have all the old single posts been replaced by 2 of these?

If a car club car is charging, presumably using the type 1 connector, does this mean the type 2 is unavailable?

Also how are people getting on with SL now in general?

 

[Simon Hewison]

Source London's newer chargepoints, like you describe, are designed and positioned with the type 1 cable suitable for BlueCity's rental fleet, which have the charge port on the rear.

Yes, they can only serve one vehicle at a time.

Where there were previously two bays, served by one dual-outlet, they should have installed two of their new units.

The type 1 cable on them is only 16A. Type 2 socket is 32A, mostly single phase, though there's apparently some 22kW three-phase capable ones due to go in to better charge the taxis.

I haven't used any of Source London's new chargepoints since the per-minute tariffs went in, and indeed, I no longer have a valid Source London subscription. That said. I live in London, and I have charging at home, very few journeys into the Source London areas are so long that I need to use any public charging. If I didn't have charging at home, or I lived more than half an hour's drive outside of London, I'd find Source London incredibly frustrating.

 

[Surrey Plum]

Thanks for explaining this Simon.

What puzzled me most was if the points had been doubled up or not. It sounds as though we have not lost any type 2 sockets, just gained type 1 leads which would do my 3 kW van nicely - if they reached.

I find the parking and charging propositions in London too complicated to follow, as well as too expensive - I think. If at any point I did understand them, then they would probably have changed again before I got to use them!

That might change in the future tho

 

[Simon Hewison]

Almost all Source London on-street charging bays (certainly the ones with the new charge points), there's no need to pay separate parking fees. Those in car parks, you should expect to pay for parking as well, unless otherwise indicated, which makes them a very expensive proposition, since Source London's fee structure implies you're paying them for parking time, rather than electricity, and there's no difference in their charges between car park charge points and on-street charge points

 

[proddick]

We have the Flexi plan so costs are even higher! That said, last trip to London we used a post near Embankment and cost was no more than a car park. That was almost 4 hours which is typical limit on street. For all day parking we use Westfield and free 13A socket.

 

[James_leeds]

I got the free source london card (by which i mean the one without a monthly cost).

Next time i visit London can i use this tethered type 1 connector to plug into the front of my leaf, or is it ONLY for these club vehicles?

 

[Surrey Plum]

Next time i visit London can i use this tethered type 1 connector to plug into the front of my leaf, or is it ONLY for these club vehicles?

It looks like a type 1 connector - no reason it would be anything else.

The question is will it reach? The car club cars obviously plug in at the side towards the rear of the vehicle, judging from the post position.

I assume the choice of outlet is selectable on the unit screen?

 

[Simon Hewison]

It looks like a type 1 connector - no reason it would be anything else.

The question is will it reach? The car club cars obviously plug in at the side towards the rear of the vehicle, judging from the post position.

I assume the choice of outlet is selectable on the unit screen?

You never need to touch the screen, even though it's a touch screen.
You authenticate with RFID, connect to whatever outlet you want
The chargepoint detects which outlet is in use. Only one can be in use at a time.
end session, authenticate with RFID, and disconnect.

Do not unplug anything before authenticating, or you'll be fined for doing it wrong (seriously, it's in the terms and conditions, because there's a bug in the software, and it locks up the software that they can't be bothered to fix)

 

[Surrey Plum]

there's a bug in the software, and it locks up the software that they can't be bothered to fix)

You mean there is a charge network out there that does not have a bug in the software?

 

[Simon Hewison]

You mean there is a charge network out there that does not have a bug in the software?

I meant to highlight that rather than fix the software that they know has a bug, they'd chose to fine drivers for disconnecting in the 'wrong' order.

They also seem to use different LED colours than the rest of the industry. Everyone else uses blue = available, Green=In use, Red = Unavailable. IER / Source London use blue = in use or reserved; Green = Available; Red = unavailable.. And then in their terms and conditions, they say they will fine drivers who park in bays where the charge point LEDs are coloured blue - knowing full well that a large number of their charge points are still made by other manufacturers using industry standard colours.

 

[James_leeds]

Is the word 'fine' really used? Which legal entity is purporting to be able to 'fine' one?

InMotion also used blue for in use, btw (and green for some form of issue, no colour for vacant, and not sure if red has a use)

 

[Simon Hewison]

Is the word 'fine' really used? Which legal entity is purporting to be able to 'fine' one?

InMotion also used blue for in use, btw (and green for some form of issue, no colour for vacant, and not sure if red has a use)

"Additional fees"

6.8

You park in a Source London Bay that has been reserved by another user (i.e. displaying a BLUE light).
£20

6.9.5

You do not follow the correct procedure for disconnecting Your Vehicle from the Charge Point, causing the Charge Point not to be registered on our system as available, and requiring us to send an operative to reset the Charge Point.
£20 ²

The ² footnote implies that it applies also to not closing any flap on the outlet. Source London's own IER models don't have any outer flaps. The remaining Chargemaster, Electromotive, Pod-Point, APT, Siemens models on Source London don't report status to Source London's systems.