When will you charge?

2063 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Paul_Moxhay, May 7, 2012

Paul_Moxhay

Discussion Starter · Dec 12, 2011

I think it is generally accepted that most people will charge their Ampera at home overnight. This allows you to use cheaper Economy 7 tariffs and charging at night keeps the CO2 emissions at the power station down as night electricity is less CO2 intensive.

However, what about when you are out and about? OK, you will have about 40 miles of EV power in the battery when you leave home but then when that runs out the generator will kick in. Now you are running using petrol. You have to stop for some food half way and the restaurant has free charging. Would you bother to plug in?

There is some argument to suggest that once you have used that 40 miles of EV running some people would be interested in charging on route is it was available and some wouldn't preferring to just drive the car like a normal petrol car until they next stop overnight, probably at home or at their destination.

Which one are you?

For me... I am used to stopping to charge because my 1st car is an all electric Nissan Leaf so I will probably make maximum effort to charge when it is possible but being an Extended Range EV that can run on petrol I probably won't be going out of my way to do so. If I can stop and charge then great. If not then that is the benefit of the Ampera!

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Parax

· #2 · Dec 13, 2011

I think I'm more likely to use petrol once the battery is low... I'm not buying a pure EV, because recharging does not appeal or suit my needs..

I don't see myself using public charging facilities unless they are convenient and cost effective and most importantly open.

If I want 50 pence worth of electricity (1 hour @10amp = 2.4kwh @20p/kwh) I don't want to be paying more than £1 for it! I am not a fan of profiteering. I'll wait till I get home and use petrol instead.. (1 hr charge gives 10 miles range = 1 litre of Petrol = £1.25)

I certainly do not want a subscription scheme and special cards to use certain chargers.. a closed system like that deserves to fail. Just give me a post that charges 50p/hr with contact-less debit/credit card and I'll use it. (I don't mind paying more where parking costs are included.)

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Paul_Moxhay

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 14, 2011

Parax said:
I think I'm more likely to use petrol once the battery is low... I'm not buying a pure EV, because recharging does not appeal or suit my needs..

I am with you totally on this one. I have a 100% EV and if I was happy stopping and charging all the time, or happy detouring to charge to get to my destination, then I would go in the 100% EV!

For me the real benefit of the Ampera is that you don't have to do that and in these early days, while the charging infrastructure is being installed, the Ampera will come into its own.

I don't see myself using public charging facilities unless they are convenient and cost effective and most importantly open.

If I want 50 pence worth of electricity (1 hour @10amp = 2.4kwh @20p/kwh) I don't want to be paying more than £1 for it! I am not a fan of profiteering. I'll wait till I get home and use petrol instead.. (1 hr charge gives 10 miles range = 1 litre of Petrol = £1.25)

I certainly do not want a subscription scheme and special cards to use certain chargers.. a closed system like that deserves to fail. Just give me a post that charges 50p/hr with contact-less debit/credit card and I'll use it. (I don't mind paying more where parking costs are included.)

Too right! The days of POLAR and the Plugged in Places schemes are numbered already. They have and are spending millions on a closed system no one wants. Crazy!

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SilentMonkey

· #4 · May 7, 2012

I agree overprice subscriptions are doomed to failure. Especially for Ampera owners who can all ways switch to fuel. Milton Keynes seems to have the right Idea. for £50/pa You get free parking and Free electric. Unfortunately you can only benefit from this if MK is your primary destination. The scheme is run by Chargemaster PLC who introduce there own system, Polar. The site also indicates you can use other posts outside of MK but the is no detail on their web site http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/mkparki ... p?ID=73757. I must investigate this further.

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Paul_Moxhay

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 7, 2012

Unfortunately POLAR membership will not benefit many electric car drivers. Membership is so expensive (from £20pm + 95p per charge) especially Ampera owners. Each charge is 95p and even if you use it frequently it will be a very expensive way to charge.

Even if charging every workday a month it is just 22 times a month which works out at 90p per charge - plus the 95p is £1.85 per charge. That is a good price per charge but the vast majority of people won't charge 22 times a month. POLAR will be relying on people subscribing regardless of how many time they charge and I don't think people will pay that kind of money for just a few charges a month.

I suspect that most people won't charge away from home regularly at all and of those that do that they won't do so more than a few times a year... no where near enough times to justify this kind of membership fee.

Remember... even at 16A it will only add 15 miles per hour of charge so to justify the 95p per charge alone it will need at least a couple of hours or else you might has well have just used petrol!

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